President Biden signed an executive order on Monday to expand the federal government’s research into women’s health, focusing on midlife conditions such as menopause, arthritis, and heart disease, as well as issues impacting women in the military.
Described as the “most comprehensive” action by a president on women’s health research, Mr. Biden directed federal agencies to prioritize researching health conditions and diseases that disproportionately affect women, emphasizing the importance of improving women’s health for a healthy, stable economy.
Standing alongside the first lady, Jill Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, Mr. Biden highlighted the significance of including women in health research efforts, stating that it is essential for a strong economy.
“There’s not a damn thing a man can do a woman can’t do,” Mr. Biden declared. “To state the obvious, if you want to have the strongest economy in the world, you can’t leave half of the country behind.”
Carolyn M. Mazure, chairwoman of the White House initiative on Women’s Health Research and a professor at the Yale School of Medicine, highlighted that the expanded research effort will focus on health conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, menopause, and fibroids.
Maria Shriver, former first lady of California, noted the significance of a president mentioning “menopause” and “women’s midlife health” in an executive order for the first time during the event.
After recent legal decisions impacting women’s health, the Biden administration has been vocal about the importance of investing in women’s health. Mr. Biden emphasized the need to advance women’s health research and rejected regressive ideas during his State of the Union address.
The executive order will require agencies to annually report their investments in women’s health research and explore the use of artificial intelligence in such research. Additionally, investments in women’s health by the National Institutes of Health will increase by 50 percent. The Defense Department plans to invest $10 million in studying cancers and mental health issues affecting women in the military.
The White House has urged Congress to pass a plan for a $12 billion fund dedicated to women’s health research at the National Institutes of Health. Meanwhile, the executive order directs the N.I.H. to allocate $200 million to women’s health research. Dr. Biden recently announced the first step of the women’s health initiative with a $100 million investment to support women’s health researchers and start-up companies in Cambridge, Mass.
