After criticism, HHS reverses plan to cut funds for a landmark study on women’s health

In an abrupt reversal, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it no longer plans to cut funding for the Women’s Health Initiative, a groundbreaking research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The move comes after a wave of concern and criticism about the threat to the long-standing study.

In an abrupt reversal, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it no longer plans to cut funding for the Women’s Health Initiative, a groundbreaking research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The move comes after a wave of concern and criticism about the threat to the longstanding study. For decades, the initiative – conducted by the National Institutes of Health – has tracked the health of tens of thousands of women to understand how to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and more in women after menopause. Seminal findings from the project have included the risks of using certain kinds of hormone therapy for menopause – helping prevent an estimated 126,000 breast cancer diagnoses – and the finding that vitamin D does not help prevent bone loss. The work has led to more than 2,400 scientific publications overall, shaping clinical practice and public health policies across multiple disciplines in the US. On Monday, the program announced that HHS planned to terminate contracts with its regional centers in September, a move that would “significantly impact ongoing research and data collection.” Investigators were awaiting more details Thursday when an update from HHS indicated that plans had changed. “These studies represent critical contributions to our better understanding of women’s health,” HHS told CNN in a statement. “While NIH initially exceeded its internal targets for contract reductions, we are now working 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.”