HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s stated goal of ending what he calls a chronic disease epidemic is in conflict with some of the Trump administration's early regulatory rollbacks and DOGE-directed cuts.
Why it matters: Some 129 million Americans suffer from diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and other chronic diseases, with tens of millions more expected to develop chronic illness in the next five years. A disproportionate number are low-income or otherwise disadvantaged.
- Funding freezes on chronic disease research, the relaxation of environmental standards, and other recent moves are raising questions about whether the administration is squandering an opportunity to reverse the tide.
Catch up quick: Kennedy has homed in on "safe, wholesome food, clean water, and the elimination of environmental toxins" as the keys to preventing chronic disease and has repeatedly said he wants to see more research focused on determining the "root causes" of chronic illness.
Yes, but: Health experts point out that there's already a compendium of research on what causes chronic diseases and how to prevent them. Many are questioning the administration's priorities and say recent proposals for ending chronic disease aren't incorporating evidence-based information.
- The American Public Health Association on Wednesday called for Kennedy to resign, citing "implicit and explicit bias and complete disregard for science."
What they're saying: An HHS spokesperson told Axios that the agency is "taking swift action through gold-standard, evidence-based science" and that the media cherry-picks expert sources.
- Kennedy has said that the U.S. health system is broken, citing the country's massive spending on health care and comparatively poor outcomes.
No comments:
Post a Comment