The White House Initiative
on
Women's Health Research
We have a clear goal: to fundamentally change how our nation approaches and funds women’s health research.
First Lady Jill Biden, at an event announcing funding for women’s health research on february 21, 2024.
The President and First Lady launched the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research in November of 2023 with a clear goal: to fundamentally change how our country approaches and funds research on women’s health.
Women are over half the population, but research on women’s health has ALWAYS been underfunded and under-studied.
TOO MANY medical studies have focused on men and left women out.
TOO MANY of the medicine dosages, treatments, medical school text books, are based on men and their bodies – and that information doesn’t always apply to women.
That means there are BIG GAPS in medical research on:
- Diseases and conditions that only affect women (e.g., menopause, endometriosis)
- Diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect women (e.g., Alzheimer’s)
- Diseases and conditions that affect women and men differently (e.g., heart disease)
These gaps in research mean we know far too little about women’s health – and those gaps are bigger for women of color and women with disabilities.
We are going to change that.
Together, we will build a health care system that puts women and their lived experiences at its center. Where no woman or girl has to hear that “it’s all in your head,” or, “it’s just stress.” Where women aren’t just an after-thought, but a first-thought. Where women don’t just survive with chronic conditions, but lead long and healthy lives.
First Lady of the United States on February 21, 2024.
The White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research is ensuring that research on women’s health is a priority and galvanizing new research on a wide range of topics.
In his State of the Union address, President Biden laid out his vision for transforming women’s health research and improving women’s lives all across America. The President called on Congress to make a bold, transformative investment of $12 billion in new funding for women’s health research.
The President also signed an Executive Order directing the most comprehensive set of executive actions ever taken to expand and improve research on women’s health. And, members of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research have already taken action:
- The President’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) awarded $110 million for transformative research and development in women’s health for its first-ever Sprint for Women’s Health.
- The National Institutes of Health launched a new agency-wide effort to invest $200 million for new, interdisciplinary women’s health research—a first step towards the transformative central Fund on Women’s Health that the President has called on Congress to invest in.
- The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs launched a new Joint Collaborative to Improve Women’s Health Research for Servicemembers and Veterans to further promote joint efforts to advance women’s health research and improve evidence-based care for women Servicemembers and veterans.
- The Department of Defense committed to spend $500 million on vital women’s health research that will focus on conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, or differently—such as ovarian cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and musculoskeletal injuries.
The White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research Highlights
