There is confusion and uncertainty at one of the largest research study organizations for women’s health after it received notice of a cut to its federal funding — though the government says the work will not be terminated.
The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) said it was informed that the Department of Health and Human Services is terminating its regional center contracts at the end of September, while funding for its clinical coordinating center remains uncertain after January. However, HHS said the work will continue and it is working to restore funding to the programs in full.
“We are aware of reports in the media that this decision to terminate Regional Center contracts was reversed. At this point, we have not received confirmation from NIH in any form that this is the case. This leaves us in a place of uncertainty,” WHI wrote in a statement posted on its website.
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy responded to the reports in a post on X.
“We are not terminating this study. @NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has himself used this study in his own research. We all recognize that this project is mission critical for women’s health,” he wrote.
“The work of the Women’s Health Initiative will not be terminated as we work to fully restore funding to these essential research efforts. NIH remains deeply committed to advancing public health through rigorous gold standard research and we are taking immediate steps to ensure the continuity of these studies,” an HHS spokesperson said in an email to NBC10 Boston.
WHI’s work has a significant impact on research and data collection for future scientific discoveries.
One local WHI researcher spoke about the work they do and her concerns about any threat to their funding, saying that 30 years of scientific advancement on chronic diseases in women’s health could be at risk.
“It’s heartbreaking and really would be a devastating loss to women’s health,” said Dr. JoAnn Manson, the chief of Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Preventive Medicine.
Focused on answering many of the most pressing questions about women’s health, more than 160,000 post-menopausal women enrolled nationwide participate in studies to help identify the risk factors for chronic disease, improve aging and extend lifespans.
“We also have hundreds of thousands of blood collections, biospecimens in a repository,” Manson said. “We want to be able, again, to leverage these resources to learn as much as we can.”
Manson said much of the research looks at cardiovascular disease, cancers, preventing fractures, cognitive decline and mobility loss.
The findings have influenced clinical guidelines and improved public health.
According to the WHI, it has prevented about 126,000 cases of breast cancer and 76,000 cases of cardiovascular disease over the last decade.
Manson said there are hundreds of researchers and more than 5,000 enrolled women in Boston alone.
“There are estimates that one of the clinical trials actually saved $36 billion in medical costs by improving the clinical decision-making for related to hormone therapy. Prevented many chronic diseases, clinical events, and also led to more appropriate use of medications,” she said.
Manson noted that the WHI has a major role in training and mentoring the next generation of researchers in women’s health and prevention.
