By Joaquin E. Moreno
The National Institutes of Health is the world’s largest medical research institution, responsible for groundbreaking discoveries that improve health and save lives. Thanks to NIH funding, we’ve developed vaccines against infectious diseases, new cancer treatments, and life-saving therapies — including those for COVID-19.
Pausing the NIH’s operations could have several negative consequences for research scientists that depend on funding to create new treatments, vaccines and medical breakthroughs. A new federal decision imposed a wide range of restrictions across the NIH, abruptly halting critical research projects. While funding interruptions may not seem like a direct concern, its effects have several implications for our community.
According to the city of El Paso’s most recent Community Health Assessment, our city faces over 100 urgent health concerns. Among them, three key priorities stand out: chronic health conditions, mental and behavioral health, and access to care.
El Paso already has a higher prevalence of heart disease (5.6%) than the rest of Texas (5.4%) and a lower life expectancy (77 years compared to 77.2 statewide). Losing NIH funding means slowing down critical research that could help improve treatments for these conditions.
The previous data and facts presented are not intended to paint a bad picture of our city, but rather serve as a reminder that a large proportion of our population depends on medical treatment and scientific knowledge that comes from NIH research.
In fact, El Paso has continued to do its part in pioneering research for our Borderplex families, as Texas Tech Health El Paso recently received close to $500,000 in research grants from the NIH.
Many aspiring scientists, doctors, and health care professionals in our city rely on these research opportunities to gain experience, contribute to scientific knowledge and develop treatments that serve our diverse population.
Although Hispanic and Latino individuals make up the largest racial/ethnic group in the United States, health inequities persist among non-white marginalized populations.
Historically, Hispanic and Latino populations have been underrepresented in research, comprising just over 5% of participants in clinical trials. This lack of representation can lead to uninformed decisions regarding diagnosis, treatment and strategies for improving health outcomes. It is our responsibility to continue advocating for our community and ensuring equitable health care for all.
The NIH freeze is not just about scientists – it’s about our families, our neighbors, and our future. Our community relies on medical breakthroughs that come from NIH-funded research and without funding, lifesaving treatments could be delayed for years.
El Pasoans deserve access to better health care, more research opportunities, and a healthier future – and that starts with protecting the science that makes it possible.
Joaquin E. Moreno grew up in Ciudad Juárez and El Paso and currently works with the Quality Management and Performance Improvement team at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is also a research collaborator focused on health equity and underserved populations, having previously contributed to NIH-funded clinical research.
The post Opinion: Why NIH funding matters to El Pasoans appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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