About the NIH HEAL Initiative | NIH HEAL Initiative

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href="/resources/engagement" class="menu-link gtm-topnav-drop" tabindex="0" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/43166">Patient and Community Engagement</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav> </header> <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div> <header role="banner"> <div class="background-jumbotron masthead-jumbotron jumbotron jumbotron-fluid pattern" style="background-image:url(/files/About-Header_Senior-Man-with-Doctors.jpg);" > <div class="container-fluid"> <h1><span>About the NIH HEAL Initiative</span> </h1> <div class="row justify-content-center subtitle"> <div class="col-xl-8 col-lg-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12"> <p>The NIH HEAL Initiative<sup>®</sup> is an NIH-wide effort to improve prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction and to enhance pain management.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <main role="main"> <div class="container"> <a id="main-content" tabindex="-1"></a> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-12 breadcrumb-col col-md-7"> <div id="block-particle-breadcrumbs"> <nav aria-label="breadcrumb" role="navigation"> <ol class="breadcrumb"> <li class="breadcrumb-item gtm-breadcrumb"><a href="/" class="gtm-breadcrumb">Home</a></li> <li class="breadcrumb-item active is-active gtm-breadcrumb" aria-current="page">About the NIH HEAL Initiative</li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-12 col-md-5"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout-content"> <div> <div id="block-particle-content"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--basic-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class='basic-content content-align-left padding-bottom--1'> <div class='basic-content-grid-container ' style=''> <div class="basic-content-grid-no-media"> <div> <p>In 2018, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Helping to End Addiction Long-term<sup>®</sup> Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative<sup>®</sup>, to find scientific solutions for the opioid public health emergency.</p><p>Drivers of opioid use disorder and overdose deaths have evolved considerably over four decades. The drug overdose crisis began 40 years ago, driven by heroin and crack/cocaine use. In the 1990s, it was fueled by widespread overprescribing of opioids for pain management.</p><p>The public health crisis of opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose deaths in America has seen recent dramatic increases driven by polydrug use and powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. This situation has led to significant reductions in appropriate opioid prescribing for pain at a time when safer and effective pain management strategies are not available to millions of Americans who live with pain. To inform strategies that address the evolving opioid crisis, HEAL has two main goals:</p><ul><li>Improving the understanding, management, and treatment of pain</li><li>Improving the prevention and treatment of opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose</li></ul><p>HEAL research addresses urgent unmet needs across the lifespan – from infancy to adulthood. It encompasses prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support approaches for people at risk for or with opioid use disorder, as well as prevention and management of pain, with the goal of developing evidence-based strategies capable of providing rapid and lasting solutions to the opioid crisis.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--basic-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class='basic-content content-align-right full padding-bottom--1'> <div class='basic-content-accordion-grid-container-right basic-content-bottom-border' style=''> <h2 class='basic-content-grid-h2-right'> Why HEAL? </h2> <div class="basic-content-grid-right"> <div> <p>The NIH HEAL Initiative is an NIH-wide research effort that combines the power of science and community to address the opioid crisis that is devastating American communities.  </p> </div> <a class="btn btn-secondary gtm-content-button mb-1" href=/about/why-heal> Learn more about HEAL </a> </div> <div class="basic-content-grid-media-left"> <a href="/about/why-heal"> <div> <div class="visually-hidden field-label">Image</div> <img loading="lazy" src="/files/About-Why%20HEAL-thumbnial-510.png" width="510" height="292" alt="two people engaging in hug while discussing the opioid crisis" class="img-fluid" /> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--basic-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class='basic-content content-align-right full padding-bottom--1'> <div class='basic-content-accordion-grid-container-right basic-content-bottom-border' style=''> <h2 class='basic-content-grid-h2-right'> The Opioid Crisis </h2> <div class="basic-content-grid-right"> <div> <p>Understand how pain management and the opioid crisis are linked.</p> </div> <a class="btn btn-secondary gtm-content-button mb-1" href=/about/opioid-crisis> Learn more about the opioid crisis </a> </div> <div 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href="/about/impact"> <div> <div class="visually-hidden field-label">Image</div> <img loading="lazy" src="/files/about-making-difference-thumb.jpg" width="620" height="357" alt="Young white man and woman hiking outdoors." class="img-fluid" /> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--basic-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class='basic-content content-align-right full padding-bottom--1'> <div class='basic-content-accordion-grid-container-right basic-content-bottom-border' style=''> <h2 class='basic-content-grid-h2-right'> NIH HEAL Initiative Leadership </h2> <div class="basic-content-grid-right"> <div> <p>Meet the committees, scientists, and staff who are working to end opioid use disorder long-term.</p> </div> <a class="btn btn-secondary gtm-content-button mb-1" href=/about/nih-heal-initiative-leadership> Read more about HEAL leadership </a> </div> <div class="basic-content-grid-media-left"> <a 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class="basic-content-grid-media-left"> <a href="/about/nih-heal-initiative-annual-report-budget"> <div> <div class="visually-hidden field-label">Image</div> <img loading="lazy" src="/files/About-Budget-thumbnail-510.png" width="510" height="292" alt="collage of community behind HEAL logo and Helping to End Addiction Long-term spelled out" class="img-fluid" /> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--basic-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class='basic-content content-align-right full pattern'> <div class='basic-content-accordion-grid-container-right ' style=''> <h2 class='basic-content-grid-h2-right'> HEAL Strategic Planning </h2> <div class="basic-content-grid-right"> <div> <p>Learn about the HEAL strategic planning process toward establishing future research priorities for the next phase of the initiative.</p> </div> <a class="btn btn-secondary gtm-content-button mb-1" href=/about/strategic-plan> Learn 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