On February 13, 2025, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as the 26th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), marking a significant shift in the nation's health policy landscape. This appointment was immediately followed by a major executive order from President Donald Trump, establishing the "Make America Healthy Again Commission" under Kennedy's leadership.
The commission is tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s health crisis, with a particular focus on childhood chronic diseases. It has four key policy directives: to ensure all federally funded health research is transparent and free from conflicts of interest, to prioritize "gold-standard" research on the causes of illnesses, to expand treatment options and health insurance coverage, and to work with farmers to ensure healthy, abundant, and affordable food.
The commission will be composed of officials from various federal departments, including Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, Education, as well as representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Economic Council (NEC), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Notably, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is not included in the list of members.
The executive order emphasizes the need for public hearings, roundtables, and other events to gather expert input from leaders in public health and government accountability. This approach aims to restore trust in medical and scientific institutions by ensuring transparency and accountability in health research and policy-making.
Kennedy's appointment and the subsequent executive order come at a time when the U.S. is grappling with rising rates of mental health disorders, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. President Trump highlighted during the swearing-in ceremony that despite the U.S. spending more on healthcare than any other country, the nation's health outcomes are not commensurate with the expenditure. He expressed confidence in Kennedy's ability to lead a national mission to improve American health.
The new HHS secretary has a challenging task ahead, given the alarming statistics such as a more than 40% increase in childhood cancer since 1975 and a significant rise in autism rates among children. The commission's work will be critical in advising the president on strategies to address these health crises and in informing the public about the scope and causes of these diseases.
In addition to his role in leading the commission, Kennedy will oversee the broader health policies and reforms initiated by the Trump administration, which have been the subject of considerable debate and scrutiny in recent days. The administration's actions, including cuts in federal health worker positions and changes in health-related funding, have raised concerns about the nation's preparedness to handle future public health crises[1][3][5].
