First Lady Jill Biden visits North Carolina to talk women's health

ByAkilah Davis KGO logo
Thursday, March 21, 2024
First Lady Jill Biden visits North Carolina to talk women's health
Jill Biden delivered remarks today on women's health research in Durham.

DURHAM, N.C. -- First Lady Jill Biden was in North Carolina as part of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research.

She delivered remarks on women's health research in Durham.

"So many of us and so many of the women in our lives suffer from health conditions for which we simply don't have the answers or solutions," she said.

In her remarks, Biden called women's health a top priority for her husband's administration. She even announced that the administration would allocate $200 million in fiscal year '25 toward women's health research.

"Together we can write a new future for healthcare. A future where women leave doctor's offices with more answers than questions," she said.

UNC School of Medicine's Dr. Genevieve Neal-Perry said for many years there has been little funding for understanding women's health conditions, such as menopause. But she hopes this new infusion of funds will help change that trend.

"When you consider nearly 2 million women a year in the United States will transition into menopause -- and we don't understand what it means for one's life trajectory and what are the things we can do to improve health outcomes -- it means a lot to have this funding," Neal-Perry said. "I think with this funding we can understand what it means to have a healthy aging, in terms of health menopause, (and) what it means to have intervention."

President Joe Biden and Vice Present Kamala Harris are also making a trip to the Tar Heel state next week on March 26. One of their stops will be in Raleigh for a private fundraiser event.

The White House said there are more details to come.

Harris already made a trip to the state earlier this month ahead of Super Tuesday. She spoke in Durham about strengthening entrepreneurship and supporting small businesses, specifically focusing on the city's historic Black Wall Street to help black entrepreneurs launch and scale their businesses.

Harris also announced awards of $92 million in minority and women-led venture capital firms in the state through funding by the American Rescue Plan -- $32 million is from the federal government and another $60 million is from venture capitalists.

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