1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

As a constituent with loved one living with epilepsy, I strongly urge you to take action to reverse staff cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Epilepsy Program and protect funding for the program moving forward. Recently, Reductions in Force (RIF) notices were issued to staff within the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Epilepsy Program. This comes as part of a massive RIF at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and staff reductions at other important HHS agencies like the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that play critical roles in epilepsy research and medical device review. The CDC Epilepsy Program is the only public health program related explicitly to epilepsy with a national scope and community programs that examine, test, and share strategies to improve the lives of people with epilepsy and their loved ones. This vital program supports seizure recognition and first aid training, including for school personnel; research to better understand the burden and risk factors of epilepsy; self-management programs that improve the health and well-being of people with epilepsy; and Project ECHO so that epilepsy specialists can help primary care doctors in rural communities. There are nearly 3.4 million Americans, including 456,000 children, living with active epilepsy. Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological condition. It is a disorder of the brain that causes reoccurring seizures. There are many different types of seizures or syndromes. The condition affects people throughout their lifespan and can have many causes and associated conditions. Epilepsy and/or seizures impose an annual economic healthcare burden of $54 billion in the U.S. This is why epilepsy research and programs are so critical. The CDC Epilepsy Program has been critical in raising awareness, providing education and resources, and improving access to self-management and care for people with epilepsy. These staff reductions will halt progress in preventing, treating, and managing epilepsy. I urge you to take action today to reverse the CDC Epilepsy Program staff cuts and protect funding for the CDC Epilepsy program—and all epilepsy research and programs—moving forward.