2002.02.05:President's 2003 Budget Increases Funding for Women's Health

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2002

Contact:

HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

PRESIDENT'S 2003 BUDGET INCREASES FUNDING FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced that President Bush's 2003 budget includes a $2.1 million increase for the HHS Office on Women's Health, bringing the office's total budget request to $29.1 million. The increase comes above and beyond increases for women's health in other HHS agencies and programs, including $4 billion - - a 21.5 percent increase - - for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research on women's health.

The HHS Office on Women's Health coordinates women's health activities, programs and outreach throughout the federal government and through public-private partnerships. Since taking office, President Bush has increased the Office on Women's Health's budget by 50 percent, and the President's 2003 proposed increase is in addition to the nearly $10 million increase the office received in 2002.

"Healthy women mean healthy families, and healthy families mean healthy communities. The President's 2003 budget will enable us to increase public awareness and appreciation that women have some fundamentally different health needs that need to be addressed in their own right. In addition to coordinating these vitally important services, we will expand our focus on the health issues of minority women, violence against women and women with HIV/AIDS," Secretary Thompson said.

The proposed increase will support a number of specific projects, including:

$475,000 to support new and sustain current National Community Centers of Excellence in Women's Health. These model programs at community hospitals and health clinics provide clinical services, education, research and community outreach in underserved urban and rural communities;
$426,000 to evaluate the 15 current National Centers of Excellence;
$175,000 to improve education and services to women with HIV/AIDS;
$180,000 to enhance support services for women with eating disorders;
$175,000 to begin a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs to facilitate access to HHS programs for homeless women veterans;
$70,000 to support and raise awareness of the Secretary's Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative; and
$543,000 to support current Office on Women's Health services.

In addition to the proposed increases for the Office on Women's Health and NIH research on women's health, the President's 2003 budget includes a total of $203 million - - a $9 million increase - - in funding for breast and cervical cancer screening and a $10 million increase for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs for women.

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