US President Biden Expands Women's Health Research, Adds $200 Mn for Sexual & Reproductive Issues

Additionally, the National Institutes of Health is launching a new initiative focused on menopause and the treatment of related symptoms.

Amid the full-fledged election campaigns, President Joe Biden has issued an executive order on Monday, expanding US government research on women's health.

This directive includes a commitment of $200 million for the coming year to deepen understanding of issues, particularly sexual and reproductive conditions.

Furthermore, Biden has instructed his administration to provide regular updates on efforts to eliminate gender disparities in research and explore the use of AI to enhance women's health research, as per a White House summary of the order.

"I’m going to make sure women’s health is prioritized across the government," US President Biden Asserted.

Additionally, the National Institutes of Health is launching a new initiative focused on menopause and the treatment of related symptoms. This initiative aims to identify research gaps and implement strategies to address them effectively.

Biden Govt’s Focus on Women's Health

Despite women globally living an average of 5 years longer than men, they spend 25% more of their lives in poor health, as per the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute.

Yet, they are underrepresented in clinical trials, and conditions affecting them receive less research attention compared to those impacting men.

"Medications, treatments, and medical school textbooks are based on men and their bodies but that ends today. Finally, women will get the health care they deserve," First Lady Jill Biden addressed the crowd.

Moreover, Biden has asked Congress for $12 billion in new funding for women's health research. However, securing new financial commitments in a politically divided legislature during an election year poses challenges.

This proposed investment aims to establish a Fund for Women's Health Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), facilitating cutting-edge interdisciplinary research.

It also seeks to create a nationwide network of research centers specializing in women's health, setting a national benchmark for research throughout women's lives.

US President’s Executive Order

The executive order issued by the President directs the Initiative's constituent agencies to develop and enhance research and data standards concerning women's health across all relevant research and funding opportunities.

The aim is to ensure optimal utilization of federal funding for health research to enhance women's health.

These measures are expected to complement the NIH's existing policy to incorporate women's health considerations in study design, data collection, and analysis funded by the agency.

Further, agencies are instructed to ensure women's health is taken into account at every stage of the research process, from grant applications to reporting on grant implementation.

Additionally, the executive order mandates that the Initiative's constituent agencies prioritize funding for women's health research and foster innovation in this area, including through initiatives like ARPA-H, the Small Business Innovation Research Program, and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.

To address research gaps related to diseases and conditions associated with women's midlife health or those more likely to occur after menopause, such as rheumatoid arthritis, heart attacks, and osteoporosis, the US President has directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to undertake several actions.

These include expanding data collection efforts on women's midlife health, launching a comprehensive research agenda for menopause-related research, improving the management of menopause-related issues and clinical care, and providing new resources to help women better understand options for preventing and treating menopause-related symptoms.

Furthermore, the executive order tasks the Office of Management and Budget and the Gender Policy Council with leading a comprehensive effort to assess gaps in federal funding for women's health research.

They will identify necessary changes, whether statutory, regulatory, or budgetary, to effectively support a broad scope of women's health research across the federal government.

Agencies will also be required to annually report on their investments in women's health research and progress toward improving women's health.