The Trump administration has reversed course and renewed financial support for the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a decades-old study launched by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance research into women’s health needs.
Earlier this week, WHI researchers were informed that contracts with the initiative’s four regional centers would be terminated in September as part of a broader Health and Human Services directive to reduce contract spending by 35%. The proposed cuts triggered immediate alarm among scientists and lawmakers, with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) calling the cuts shortsighted given the initiative’s $35.2 billion in estimated healthcare savings.
Late Thursday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that funding would be restored, calling earlier reports of cancellation “fake news.” NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya also expressed strong support for the WHI’s work.
The WHI has contributed to major advances in women’s healthcare, enrolling over 160,000 women since the 1990s to study diseases like breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Sources
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
