Military Families United

Military Families United is supporting the Generating Incentives for Antibiotics Now (GAIN) Act of 2011.  The legislation (H.R. 2128) has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Congressman Phil Gingrey.  Support for the legislation, in the form of a letter from Executive Director Robert Jackson, was recently sent to Congressman Gingrey.

- Letter from Military Families United to Congressman Gingery -

 Dear Congressman Gingrey,

On behalf of Military Families United and the military families throughout the country we represent, I am writing in support of H.R. 2182, the Generating Incentives for Antibiotics Now (GAIN) Act of 2011, which you recently introduced in the United States House of Representatives.

Since April of 2003, the multidrug-resistant skin infection by the name of Acinetobacter baumannii has killed many of our service members. This disease is spread through surface contact and mainly targets men and women who have compromised immune systems. Unfortunately, we do not have an antibiotic that can treat this fatal skin infection. The worst part is that many of our men and women in uniform survive the war effort only to return and die of this infection in hospitals within the continental United States.

While Acinetobacter baumannii is Military Families United’s main point of interest, there are many different types of multidrug-resistant diseases that take a toll on American lives daily. According to Brad Spellberg of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, “roughly 100,000 deaths a year are from antibiotic-resistant infections in the United States alone”. By supporting H.R. 2182 we believe that we will not only help save the lives of countless American servicemembers, but also take part in aiding the American population as a whole. This bill will urge pharmaceutical companies to create up-to-date antibiotics and ensure that the American people are not killed by a mere skin infection.

Thus, Military Families United Strongly supports H.R. 2182 which would ensure that American pharmaceutical companies have the motivation to combat the most modern multidrug-resistant diseases.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the brave men and women who wear our nation’s uniform and their families. I look forward to working with you to get this important legislation enacted.

Sincerely,

Robert Jackson