Multiple reports from Hawaii Public Radio confirm that the University of Hawaiʻi’s Maui Wildfire Exposure Study has received nearly $6 million in federal funding to extend its post-fire health research through 2031. The grants, awarded by the National Institutes of Health, will allow researchers to continue monitoring fire-affected residents and expand the study to include children. The study has already documented persistent respiratory issues, mental health challenges, housing instability, and healthcare access problems among Lahaina and Kula survivors.
- Nearly $6 million in NIH funding will extend the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) through 2031
- The study will continue tracking 2,000 adult participants from Lahaina and Kula
- An additional 800 children (keiki) will be added to the study to examine long-term developmental, respiratory, and mental health impacts
- Three annual reports from 2024–2026 have documented ongoing respiratory problems, mental health challenges, housing instability, and healthcare access issues among fire survivors
- Researchers aim to identify health problems early enough for families, schools, and health systems to intervene
Sources
- Hawaii Public Radio: Maui Wildfire Exposure Study gets $6M in federal funding to extend post-fire health tracking to 2031
- Hawaii Public Radio: Maui Wildfire Exposure Study gets $6M in federal funding to extend post-fire health tracking to 2031
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