President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted the first White House Conference on Women's Health Research on Wednesday, highlighting progress in women's health efforts to close the gender gap in health care.
Last year, the president and first lady introduced a White House initiative that they said would be the “most comprehensive” effort ever undertaken by any government to support women's health research. “We've invested nearly $1 billion in this research on women's health…and women in this country are paying attention,” said Jill Biden, who has been spearheading the effort.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Earlier this year, the president signed an executive order to address disparities in women's health research, calling for expanded data collection and research on “diseases and conditions that uniquely, disproportionately, or differently affect women than men.” We called for prioritizing funding for
The initiative secured funding from federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense, to enhance research on understudied areas of women's health. The Department of Defense uses this funding to research all diseases that affect women in the military, including arthritis, cancer, and chronic fatigue.
“The truth is, the health of our mothers and grandmothers, our sisters and daughters, our friends and co-workers impacts not only the well-being of women, but the well-being of our entire nation,” Biden said.
The Biden administration is also seeking to advance research into women's midlife health, including menopause, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and heart disease, the leading cause of death for women.
Jill Biden points to a Mayo Clinic study that estimated the United States loses $1.8 billion annually based on absenteeism due to menopausal symptoms, saying ignoring women's health issues is costing the country. showed the argument.
“Women shouldn't be kicked out of the emergency room. Women shouldn't be told who they are.” cardiovascular symptoms They are stressed and anxious and should go home and rest,” said panelist Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.
Democrats have expressed concern about protecting the public as Biden's term ends next month. women's health care During the second Trump administration.
But President Trump's transition press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, told CBS News: “President Trump is running a campaign to make America healthy again for all Americans, including men, women, and children. and he will fulfill that promise,” he said in a statement.
