NASEM Releases Report Assessing Women’s Health Research at NIH
A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) highlights significant shortcomings in women’s health research funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Despite the NIH’s increasing budget, only 8.8% of its research spending from 2013 to 2023 focused on women’s health issues, a decrease over time. The report emphasizes critical gaps in understanding conditions specific to women, such as uterine fibroids and how pregnancy impacts long-term health.
NASEM urges Congress to double NIH’s investment in women’s health research, recommending a total of $15.7 billion over five years, and calls for an interdisciplinary research fund. While the NIH acknowledges the report, it claims to have ongoing initiatives that should be recognized. The Society for Women’s Health Research supports ongoing discussions to enhance women’s health research funding and integration.
