HHS awards grants to prevent opioid misuse among women, girls

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health yesterday awarded 16 organizations about $100,000 each to help prevent opioid misuse by women and girls in underserved communities. “These awards will build partnerships among community-based organizations that consider the unique needs of women and girls, with the ultimate goal of preventing and reducing the impact of the opioid epidemic,” said Vanila Singh, M.D., chief medical officer for the department’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. According to HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heroin use, overdose deaths from prescription pain killers, and opioid-related hospital stays are increasing faster for women than men. OWH recently released a report examining the impact of the opioid epidemic on women and promising practices that address their specific needs.