Debbink Michelle P, Tuuli Methodius G, Geller Amy, Salganicoff Alina N, Burke Sheila P, Secord Angeles Alvarez
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah; the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, and Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and Baker Donelson, Washington, DC; KFF, San Francisco, California; and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina. All authors served on the National Academies Committee as committee members or employees of the National Academies.
Obstet Gynecol. 2025 Mar 1;145(3):273-280. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005841. Epub 2025 Jan 9.
Despite efforts to address inequities, research on women's health conditions (defined as those that uniquely or differently affect women and female individuals) remain significantly understudied. As directed by Congress, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women's Health requested the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) to conduct an assessment of the state of women's health research at the NIH. The findings of the National Academies committee include: 1) a significant funding inequity, with less than 8% of the total NIH grant budget for fiscal year 2023 allocated to women's health research; 2) a need for improved strategic NIH-wide priority setting, oversight, and adherence to existing policies to support women's health research; 3) a need for a specific institute for research on conditions specific to women's health; and 4) a need for sufficient training and additional funding to grow and retain the women's health research workforce. The National Academies committee recommends restructuring women's health research at the NIH by creating a new Women's Health Research Institute and cross-disciplinary Women's Health Research Fund, including greater accountability and an infusion of new funds to support both research and career development in women's health. The combination of the new institute, greater prioritization and accountability, and new funding would lead to more rapid innovations and advancements, with the ultimate goal of improving women's health and well-being, which, in turn, improves the well-being of families and communities and bolsters a vibrant, healthier society.
尽管人们努力解决不平等问题，但关于女性健康状况（定义为那些独特地或不同地影响女性和雌性个体的状况）的研究仍未得到充分研究。按照国会的指示，美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）妇女健康研究办公室要求美国国家科学院、工程院和医学院（国家科学院）对NIH的妇女健康研究状况进行评估。国家科学院委员会的调查结果包括：1）存在重大的资金不平等，2023财年NIH总拨款预算中分配给妇女健康研究的不到8%；2）需要改进NIH全系统的战略重点设定、监督以及对支持妇女健康研究的现有政策的遵守情况；3）需要设立一个专门研究妇女健康特有状况的研究所；4）需要足够的培训和额外资金来发展和留住妇女健康研究人员队伍。国家科学院委员会建议通过创建一个新的妇女健康研究所和跨学科的妇女健康研究基金来重组NIH的妇女健康研究，包括加强问责制并注入新资金以支持妇女健康方面的研究和职业发展。新研究所、更高的优先级和问责制以及新资金的结合将带来更快的创新和进步，最终目标是改善妇女的健康和福祉，这反过来又会改善家庭和社区的福祉，并促进一个充满活力、更健康的社会。
