New US Strategy Targets Women's Health Funding Gap

A group of leading women's health organizations has released the National Strategy to Close the Women's Health Gap, which urges the U.S. Congress to allocate $20 billion in the next 10 years to increase funding for women's health research, delivery and clinical care, and close the longstanding disparities in health outcomes.

It is an initiative of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) and the Women First Research Coalition (WFRC). It contains a detailed plan to transform women's health, which will involve increasing and enhancing research, access to evidence-based care, the healthcare workforce, and public awareness. The strategy has also been supported by over 20 professional medical, research and patient advocacy organizations and the Endocrine Society.

Despite women constituting over 50 percent of Americans, the organizations say there are still large disparities in healthcare. Although much progress has been made in the last 30 years, they say the health needs of women are still underfunded and underrepresented in medical research and clinical care. The new strategy aims to bring women on board fully in the scientific, medical and healthcare innovation process, at all ages and stages.

The framework follows the work done by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993, which mandated that women be included in NIH-sponsored clinical studies. The law was a step towards redressing the gender imbalance in research participation, but the organizations noted that there are still significant gaps in funding research, quality care and implementation of evidence-based practices.

Key Highlights:

• ACOG, SWHR, and WFRC launched a national strategy seeking $20 billion for women's health over 10 years
• The plan focuses on research, healthcare, and workforce development
• Over 20 health organizations, including the Endocrine Society, have endorsed the strategy

The approach acknowledges that research in areas that have a direct impact on women's health is critical," said Dr. Nanette Santoro, president of The Endocrine Society. She said hormones affect almost every woman's condition and that the growing study of hormones can have a positive impact on the lives of millions of women. The Endocrine Society backs up the strategy's focus on improving research, data infrastructure and clinical care to drive progress across the country, she added.

The National Strategy outlines a coordinated, national approach that involves working to advance federal investment in women's health research, enhance federal agency regulatory coordination, expand women's health data collection and analysis, and create a workforce with effective training and mentorship for clinical and research careers, while also working to raise public awareness of women's health issues. The organizations think these steps can make new drugs more quickly, better preventive services, and a better ability to apply the research process more effectively.

The women's health disparity has been around for too long," said SWHR President and Chief Executive Officer Kathryn Schubert, "and the new plan gives Congress a clear blueprint to make a difference in the health and innovation of women. Investing in women's health would help to create a healthier future for women, families, and communities, she said.

Investment in research is important, but investment in those who conduct research and provide high quality patient care is equally crucial and is a key element in improving women's health, ACOG Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sandra E. Brooks added. It is imperative to build up the women health research and clinical workforce to speed up innovation and better health outcomes, she said.

Now, the organizations are calling on Congress to act on the National Strategy and commit to women's health for the long-term. They feel that continued research funding, updated policies, education of the workforce, and evidence-based health care can assist in closing the women's health gap and provide women with high-quality healthcare services throughout their lives.

Multiple national organizations – such as the American Heart Association, March of Dimes, Arthritis Foundation, Black Women's Health Imperative, Lupus Foundation of America, National MS Society, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Society of Gynecologic Oncology and other prominent women's health organizations – have endorsed the strategy.