WASHINGTON – The American medical and research community is raising alarms after the U.S. government proposed deep funding cuts to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a move that could severely impact cancer research, clinical trials, and patient support services across the country.
According to officials and independent health analysts, the proposed reduction—estimated at nearly $2.7 billion, or roughly 37% of the NCI’s annual budget—has sparked widespread concern among scientists, cancer specialists, and patient advocacy groups.
Health experts warn that the cuts may lead to the cancellation of ongoing clinical trials, the shutdown of public resources such as the official Cancer.gov website, and the suspension of vital research into rare and aggressive forms of cancer.
More than 340 scientists affiliated with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have signed what they are calling the “Bethesda Declaration,” publicly condemning the broader health funding reductions and urging the government to reconsider. The declaration highlights that over 2,000 research grants have already been discontinued across NIH divisions, with thousands of jobs lost as a result.
The proposed changes come at a time when an estimated 2 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2025, intensifying fears that reduced funding could delay treatment innovations and raise mortality rates.
Critics of the budget plan argue that it undermines decades of progress in the fight against cancer and threatens the future of young scientists whose work relies on public funding. Many also fear that the cuts may disproportionately affect underserved communities and halt ongoing work in cancer prevention and education.
As the budget moves through the U.S. legislative process, public health officials, advocacy groups, and medical professionals are calling for urgent intervention to protect what they describe as a “critical pillar of public health infrastructure.”
Reported by PakTribune Health Desk
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