On March 22, 2018, the Society for Women’s Health Research President and CEO Dr. Amy M. Miller issued the following statement:
“The Society for Women’s Health Research commends Congress for recognizing the valuable role of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending package by calling for funding that reflects the office’s important mission.
The long-awaited $1.3 trillion omnibus bill, which outlines federal government spending levels for the remainder of FY 2018, provides a $3 billion increase in NIH funding over the 2017 level. The bill’s report stipulates that this increase should be appropriately reflected in the ORWH budget. As the first Public Health Service office dedicated specifically to promoting women’s health research within and beyond the NIH scientific community, ORWH supports research on sex and gender differences and ensures that women and minorities are represented in NIH-funded research.
SWHR also supports increased funding for the women’s health offices at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that reflects the growth provided by the omnibus bill to these agencies’ overall budgets. The omnibus bill increases the HHS budget by $10.1 billion, CDC by $1.1 billion, and the FDA $134 million over 2017 levels.
The Society for Women’s Health Research was instrumental in establishing these offices, which support health research, education and services for women. SWHR will continue to vigorously support their important work and sustainability, which is core to our organization’s legacy and mission.
SWHR urges Congress to move quickly to pass the omnibus package, and we look forward to working with the federal agencies to ensure women’s health offices are provided the necessary funding to advance their critical work.”
About SWHR
The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) is a national thought leader dedicated to promoting research on biological differences in disease and improving women’s health through science, advocacy, and education. Founded in 1990 by a group of physicians, researchers, and health advocates, SWHR brings attention to a variety of diseases and conditions that disproportionately or predominately affect women.