Cuts to NIH Funding Raise Concerns for Maternal Health Research Amid Rising Mortality Rates

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The Trump administration's recent decision to slash funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has sparked alarm among maternal health researchers in the U.S., particularly as maternal mortality rates have significantly increased, especially among Black and Indigenous women. Officials indicated that the NIH will only reimburse 15% of researchers' indirect costs, compared to the standard of approximately 50% for elite institutions, which could severely hinder research capabilities.

Dr. Meghan Lane-Fall, a University of Pennsylvania professor, warned that this cut could lead to a decline in the maternal health workforce and impair ongoing research aimed at reducing maternal mortality, which has nearly doubled from 2018 to 2022. According to Dr. Jennifer E Johnson from Michigan State University, the situation could disrupt critical community engagement and funding promised to local health initiatives.

Although a federal judge has ordered the administration to suspend the cuts temporarily, the uncertainty raises fears of a long-term impact on women's health research. The NIH spent over $35 billion on grants in 2023, and researchers fear that the proposed cuts could jeopardize billions in future funding, especially in states with the highest mortality rates.

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