The National Institute of Health recently reported that African Americans experience kidney failure at almost four times the rate of white people. While disheartening, this is not surprising news. The leading causative factors for kidney failure are diabetes and high blood pressure, which exact a heavily disproportionate toll on blacks.
Because of this and other health disparities, the African-American community should applaud the announcement on Tuesday that a coalition of patient advocacy groups, medical organizations and interested citizens plans to seek voter approval of a state constitutional amendment. The amendment would ensure the right of Missourians to undergo any treatment with any stem cell therapies permitted by federal law. In addition, this amendment would ban any state-level prohibition of any type of stem cell research – and also would explicitly ban human cloning.
This amendment could save black lives. Scientific research that holds great promise for providing cures for debilitating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, ALS and sickle cell disease must be protected, encouraged and nurtured in Missouri.
In contrast to their peers in forward-thinking states like California, New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois, Missouri politicians would like to invoke their personal religious views to criminalize this promising research and any therapies that make use of a process that creates new stem cell lines.
This type of scientific research is difficult, expensive and requires top-flight researchers. Stem cell proponents do not seek state funding, but they are responding to a critical need to assure research scientists working in Missouri that they would be able to conduct their work without the threat of harassment or arrest. There is already heavy investment in the life sciences in Missouri, in terms of people and resources. But if the heavy cloud created by repeated efforts to outlaw stem cell research persists, Missouri may fall so far behind more enlightened states that it will lose the opportunity to participate in this great, life-saving scientific opportunity.
This initiative would help make possible research that may help to improve the quality of life and save life itself for a loved one. Since there is so much at stake – cutting-edge scientific research, capital investment, high-paying jobs and, most importantly, saving lives – this planned initiative is badly needed. Because of the decidedly conservative trend at the polls and powerful religious opponents in Missouri, African Americans will need to support the Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative strongly if it is to succeed.