First Lady Jill Biden announced on Monday that the Department of Defense will spend $500 million a year to advance women’s health research as part of a broader White House initiative.
“The Department of Defense has committed $500 million to women’s health, to women in the military, to all women,” Biden said at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting.
“This money will go towards research into arthritis, chronic fatigue and cardiovascular health. This is important and it’s timely,” added the 73-year-old, who spoke alongside Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton.
The Defense Department said in a statement that this investment is essential to meet the critical needs of women in its custody, including 230,000 active-duty military personnel and 2 million female veterans and their families.
“Compared to men, this population has more than twice the prevalence of hematological, genitourinary, endocrine, nutritional and immune-related diseases,” the report said.
The move comes after President Joe Biden signed an executive order in March aimed at eliminating gender disparities in clinical trials and treatments and dedicating $200 million in new women’s health funding in fiscal year 2025.
For a long time, medical research did not take into account the special needs of women, and it was not until 1993 that Congress passed a law requiring women to participate in government-sponsored clinical trials.
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