Perspectives From Advancing National Institutes of Health Research to Inform and Improve the Health of Women: A Conference Summary

Abstract

The health of women remains understudied. In response to a request from Congress, the Office of Research on Women's Health of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) evaluated research on the health of women currently underway related to 1) rising rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, 2) rising rates of chronic debilitating conditions in women, and 3) stagnant cervical cancer survival rates. Input on the three priority areas was obtained from experts in women's health, members of the public, and federal stakeholders. The NIH research portfolios on these three topics were reviewed. On October 20, 2021, a conference on advancing NIH research on women's health was held to present, discuss, and delineate gaps and opportunities in the current portfolio. Across the life course, significant gaps in evidence regarding conditions, disorders, and diseases that occur in women were illustrated. Fundamental basic and translational knowledge gaps in many female-specific conditions and diseases with sex-specific presentations, symptoms, or responses to treatments have hampered the generation of robust scientific data needed to provide high-quality, evidence-based care to women. Key opportunities identified to improve the health of women include enhanced implementation of existing best practices and interventions to reduce disparities. Undertaking intentional clinical research on the health of women will produce significant returns on investment and has the potential to greatly improve human health.

Fig. 1.. National Institutes of Health (NIH) total budget and women's health research spending by institute or center, fiscal year 2020 (NIH women's health research total: $4,466 million). NCI, National Cancer Institute; NIAID, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; NHLBI, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; NIA, National Institute on Aging; NIGMS, National Institute for General Medical Sciences; NINDS, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; OD, Office of the Director; NIDDK, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; NIMH, National Institute of Mental Health; NICHD, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; NIDA, National Institute on Drug Abuse; NIEHS, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; NCATS, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NEI, National Eye Institute; NIAMS, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; NHGRI, National Human Genome Research Institute; NIAAA, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; NIDCD, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; NIDCR, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; NLM, National Library of Medicine; NIBIB, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; NIMHD, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; NINR, National Institute of Nursing Research; NCCIH, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health; FIC, Fogarty International Center. Data from women's health spending data derived from NIH Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization data system frozen file and Institute or Center total budget exclude buildings and facilities costs; data derived from NIH Office of Budget “Appropriations History by Institute or Center” file, https://officeofbudget.od.nih.gov/approp_hist.html.

Fig. 2.. Maternal health and maternal morbidity and mortality (MMM), National Institutes of Health, fiscal year 2020.