WASHINGTON, D.C. – The President and First Lady signed an executive order prioritizing and expanding research for women’s health. First Lady Melania Trump is spearheading the push to expand research, prevention, diagnosis and treatment for women and girls throughout every stage of life.
“Previous generations fought for women’s rights,” the First Lady said. “Our generation will fight to discover the cures that will ensure a woman can live her life in health, and to the fullest.”
The President signed an executive order that would create a White House women’s health task force and create a new women’s health division within the National Institutes of Health.
“This historic initiative will promote new research and really go after the understudied diseases affecting women and promote innovative technologies to diagnose conditions sooner and improve treatment using the best available science,” said the President.
The new women’s health division at NIH will not replace the agency’s Office of Research of Women’s Health, but it will have a broader mandate beyond research.
The executive order calls for more research for women’s health including cardiovascular and heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, endometriosis, mental health, maternal health, menopause, aging, and more.
Trump and his administration have pushed for healthcare funding cuts, including at NIH. Reports state last year, the administration reversed cuts and restored financial support for a decades-old study on women’s health at the NIH following public pushback.
The First Lady said this new initiative will focus on five pillars which include: direct research funding to find cures for conditions that affect women; use artificial intelligence help speed up medical discoveries; Move promising treatments from labs to patients more quickly while maintaining safety standards; Make medical breakthroughs accessible and affordable to women; And be more open with conversations and compassion around women’s health.
“Our mission must serve women at every stage of life, from young girls just starting out, to mothers dealing with a complex range of responsibilities, to mature women who deserve to have vitality, dignity, and independence,” said the First Lady.
