White House launches initiative to boost women’s health research

The Biden administration has announced the first-ever White House initiative on women’s health research in an effort to drive innovation and close research gaps.

Despite making up more than half of the US population, women remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.

This underrepresentation, officials have said, can lead to big gaps in research and limit our understanding of conditions that are specific to women.

The new White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, led by first lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council, is hoped to “galvanise” the federal government and the private and philanthropic sectors to accelerate investment and innovation in women’s health and close research gaps.

President Joe Biden said he’s long been a believer in the “power of research” to help save lives and get high-quality health care to the people who need it.

“To achieve scientific breakthroughs and strengthen our ability to prevent, detect, and treat diseases, we have to be bold,” he said in a written statement.

“That’s why, we’re establishing a new White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research so that my administration does everything we can to drive innovation in women’s health and close research gaps.”

First lady Jill Biden added: “Every woman I know has a story about leaving her doctor’s office with more questions than answers.

“Not because our doctors are withholding information, but because there’s just not enough research yet on how to best manage and treat even common women’s health conditions. In 2023, that is unacceptable.

“Our new White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research will help change that by identifying bold solutions to uncover the answers that every woman and her family deserves.”

Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, said the leaders of government departments and agencies important to women’s health research will participate, including those from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Defense and the National Institutes of Health, among others.

Dr Carolyn Mazure will chair the initiative and coordinate the effort on behalf of the office of the first lady and the Gender Policy Council.

Biden’s memorandum directs members to report back within 45 days with “concrete recommendations” to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of women’s health issues.

It also asks the administration to set “priority areas of focus,” such as research into rheumatoid arthritis, menopause, Alzheimer’s disease and endometriosis, where investment could be “transformative.”

The president also plans to explore new public-private partnerships and engage the scientific, private sector and philanthropic communities.

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