Statement: Donna E. Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, before the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives

largest clinical trial ever sponsored by NIH, it is scheduled to
last 14 years, involve 150,000 women, and cost an estimated $625
million. A study of this magnitude is essential if we are to
fill many of the knowledge gaps and redress the inadequacies of
past clinical trials.
At the same time as we are advancing our knowledge of treatments
for serious diseases, we must also learn more about effective
prevention. Regrettably, current research knowledge is not
adequate to advise women on preventive health matters such as
nutrition, hormone replacement therapy, and vitamin supplements.
Women need better information to allow them to make informed
choices about how to prevent diseases and preserve their health.
In all health care programs administered by HHS, we will place
emphasis on prevention as a critical strategy both for saving
lives and for controlling the spiraling cost of treatment.
The second area of high priority that I want to mention is AIDS.
In the 12 years since AIDS was first reported in the U.S., much
progress has been made through NIH-supported research. Numerous
products have been approved for treatment of AIDS and AIDSrelated conditions, gains have been made in providing patients
improved access to promising new treatments, and clinical trials
are underway to test possible vaccines for both prevention and
therapy of HIV infection. However, despite this progress, the
outlook for the disease over the next decade is bleak. By the