
The Women’s Health Office Act (WHOA) in 1994 established offices of women’s health in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Women’s health research appeared a priority for the next ten years, as funding for federal agencies engaged in trials and research grew.
However, since 2003, funding levels for these crucial programs has grown at a significantly slower pace. In 2013, the implementation of sequestration on funding landed a crushing blow to funding for medical research and women’s health, and continues to affect federal budget-making.
SWHR continues to advocate for sufficient levels of federal funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Further, SWHR supports the various women’s health related offices in NIH, FDA, CDC, AHRQ, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.