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Medical groups support March for Science
More than two dozen of the world’s leading medical and scientific organizations pledged their support for this weekend’s March for Science.
The march will be held April 22 in Washington, D.C. More than 500 satellite marches will be held across the United States.
The event is intended to highlight the need for continued government investment in health and science programs. The march’s website describes the event as “the first step of a global movement to defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies and governments.”
In a joint statement released this week, 25 scientific and medical societies expressed their intention “to support the march and its nonpartisan call for the appreciation of scientific evidence, education and investment.”
The organizations cited the role of scientific education in facilitating critical thinking, evidence-based decision-making and the development of innovative technologies.
“Science is vital to our health, as an understanding of human biology is essential to stimulating discoveries that lead to cures for devastating diseases,” the statement read. “Every day, physicians make the best patient-care decisions they can by relying on science-based tools. Clinicians prevent disease by administering immunizations, and they manage disease by providing therapies that have been thoroughly and scientifically vetted for optimal outcomes. This science-based care saves lives, decreases human suffering, and reduces unnecessary costs.”
The organizations also emphasized the importance of research conducted by the NIH, the evidence provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the surveillance programs offered by CDC.
The following organizations signed the statement: American Academy of Dermatology, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Ophthalmology, The American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, American Association for Cancer Research, American Association for Social Psychiatry, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry, ASCO, ASH, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Urological Association, Association of American Cancer Institutes, Endocrine Society, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, Society of Interventional Radiology and Society of Thoracic Surgeons.