Center for Lyme Action Honors Members of Congress at Annual Meeting

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Center for Lyme Action, the leading nonprofit dedicated to growing Federal funding for Lyme and tick-borne diseases, honored Members of Congress, current and former administration officials, and Lyme and tick-borne disease community leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary support in the push to cure Lyme Disease – the most prevalent vector-borne illness and the most prevalent tick-borne illness in the United States, with nearly a half million new cases estimated each year.

"While we are making some progress, Lyme and tick-borne disease continue to be frustrating and debilitating for millions of patients across the United States," said Bonnie Crater, co-founder of Center for Lyme Action. "We believe this is a problem we can solve, and our award recipients have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in working to find a cure. We are honored to have them as long-term partners in this important fight."

Receiving the Center for Lyme Action Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Champion Award were: U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO), U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA), U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI), U.S. Representative Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) and U.S. Representative Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ).

The Center for Lyme Action's awards event builds on the momentum of a 169% increase in federal funding for Lyme and tick-borne disease across Federal agencies to $158M million. Even with these increases, Federal funding for Lyme disease continues to be very low at $90 per patient compared with other less prevalent diseases. Less common diseases West Nile and Malaria have 75 times and 1300 times the amount of per patient funding.

"The awards ceremony was all about thanking our supporters," Crater said. "Now we are getting back to work – spending time meeting with Members of Congress to ensure Appropriators understand the gravity of Lyme and tick-borne diseases and the need to fully fund the Kay Hagan Tick Act and grow research funding for Lyme."

Kay Hagan Tick Act Delivers National Strategy
As directed by the Kay Hagan Tick Act, leaders in HHS Office of the Secretary and CDC Division of Vector-Borne Diseases organized input from over 50 representatives from 17 different Federal agencies to deliver the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People. Delivered in February 2024, this comprehensive strategy includes dozens of recommendations including:

• Better understanding when, where, and how people are exposed to and get sick or die;
   
• Developing, evaluating, and improving tools, methods, and guidance to diagnose diseases and their pathogens;
   
• Developing, evaluating, and improving tools, methods, and guidance to prevent and control disease;
   
• Developing and assessing drugs and treatment strategies; and
   
• Disseminating and implementing public health tools, programs, and collaborations to prevent, detect, diagnose, and respond to threats.

"There wasn't a national strategy for vector-borne disease until the Kay Hagan Tick Act directed HHS to develop one," said Senator Susan Collins in video remarks. "At its core, the National Strategy for strategy sets out goals to better prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat tick-borne illnesses. Now is the time to implement this excellent blueprint for Federal action and not lose momentum in research to combat devastating diseases like Lyme and other tick-borne diseases."

To date, Lyme disease has been reported in every state and 65 countries worldwide. For more information, go to centerforlymeaction.org; also follow on Twitter @lyme_action, Instagram @centerforlymeaction, LinkedIn, Facebook.

Press Contact
Meghan Bradshaw
meghan@centerforlymeaction.org

SOURCE Center for Lyme Action