Mun-Keat Looi , 2025-04-14 15:21:00
Kennedy claims ignorance of cuts in first TV interview
In his first sit-down television interview the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, claimed that he was “not familiar” with the ongoing cuts to state and local public health programs, adding that any cuts were “mainly” related to diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes.1 Recorded for CBS News just before he attended the funeral of an 8 year old who died of measles,2 he said, “People should get the measles vaccine, but the government should not be mandating those.” Kennedy then added, “We don’t know the risks of many of these products because they’re not safety tested.” Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, has called for Kennedy to resign, citing “implicit and explicit bias and complete disregard for science.”3
Trump rolls back NIH scientific integrity policy
The Trump administration has rescinded the scientific integrity policy of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), previously intended to protect research from political influence.4 Officials claim that the policy was politicised under Biden, while critics argue that the rollback could lead to weakened scientific standards, citing past pressures on agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
NIH preparing new investigation into causes of autism
The NIH is preparing a new research programme to explore the causes of autism, driven by the Trump administration’s focus on the rising number of diagnoses, the Washington Post has reported.5 Despite concerns over bolstering the debunked connection between vaccines and autism, NIH director Jay Bhattacharya expressed support for broad research to uncover the true causes of the condition. The CDC had previously announced a new study to investigate a possible link between vaccines and autism.6
Lawsuit follows abrupt terminations of NIH grants
Sixteen state attorneys general have sued the Trump administration and the NIH over the sudden termination of research grants and delays in processing applications. The lawsuit claims that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act and acted arbitrarily, particularly targeting controversial research topics. It follows a similar lawsuit filed by NIH scientists.7
Top vaccine doctor resigns amid pressure to produce non-existent data
The US’s former chief vaccine regulator, Peter Marks, who resigned from his FDA post citing demands for misinformation and lies, has told the Wall Street Journal he had faced pressure from Kennedy’s team to produce non-existent data to support antivaccination claims. Marks also said that he had been offered the choice between resigning and being fired.8
NIH blocks global researchers from key US health databases
The NIH has barred researchers in countries such as China, Russia, and Iran from accessing major health data repositories, including a key US cancer database. The 4 April ban, tied to a 2024 Biden era executive order, could hinder global scientific collaboration and affect studies on cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other disease areas.910
Trump appeals ruling blocking cuts to NIH overheads funding
The Trump administration is appealing a judge’s ruling blocking NIH cuts to university overhead costs, which threatened a $4bn funding loss.11 Earlier in the week a federal judge permanently blocked the Trump administration’s policy to cap NIH funding for indirect costs at 15%, finding that the cuts violated federal law.12 The decision, hailed as a victory for research institutions, prevents significant financial strain on medical research. Legal experts predict further battles, with the administration potentially challenging schools’ negotiated rates individually despite the injunction.
Trump rejects Medicare coverage for weight loss drugs
The Trump administration has declined to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage for anti-obesity drugs such as semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound), rejecting a proposal by his predecessor, Joe Biden. The decision prevents millions of people in the US accessing the costly treatments through the federal health programmes.13
Trump targets trans “regret”
The government has directed the NIH to fund research on the negative consequences of gender affirming care, using terms such as “regret” and “mutilation.” Critics told Nature that the decision ends most transgender health research, creating a biased research environment and leaving clinicians without comprehensive, balanced evidence.14
Government slashes aid programmes it pledged to preserve
The Trump administration has drastically cut humanitarian aid, reversing earlier pledges to preserve lifesaving programmes, the New York Times has reported.15 Cuts to US backed food, health, and disaster relief now affect countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rollback, part of dismantling USAID, has triggered concern worldwide, with millions of people facing hunger and interrupted medical support. The administration claimed that it had cut funding to some lifesaving UN food programmes in error.16
Columbia grants frozen over anti-Israel protests
The Trump administration has frozen $690m in NIH grants to Columbia University over its handling of anti-Israel protests.17 This followed an earlier $400m cut to the university, with similar actions targeting other schools such as Cornell, Northwestern, and Brown.18 The administration cited concerns over antisemitism and diversity programmes at these institutions.
Federal advisory panel on human health research ethics disbanded
The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections, an expert panel advising the Department of Health and Human Services on ethical and legal issues in health research, has been disbanded, the health news website Stat has reported. The committee, which had guided the Office for Human Research Protections for more than 20 years, was crucial in overseeing research involving human participants.19
STD, HIV, and environmental health programmes suffer cuts
The government’s staff and funding cuts have dismantled key CDC programmes, with the centre’s sexually transmitted diseases laboratory losing all 28 staff, amid rising resistance to gonorrhoea in the population.20 HIV prevention efforts and testing at home programmes have also been slashed,21 while entire environmental health divisions—critical in managing risks such as exposure to lead and radiation—have been eliminated, sparking fear and uncertainty nationwide.22
HHS has no plan to rehire, despite promises
Kennedy has no plan to rehire 20% of employees terminated in a mass staff reduction, according to the online news website Politico, despite previously suggesting that he would do so.23 The cuts eliminated 10 000 jobs, severely affecting public health offices and scientific roles at the NIH and FDA. The Trump administration justified the layoffs in a memo, claiming that they were needed to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies.24 The memo highlighted redundant departments, including IT and HR, and criticised a 40% budget increase under Biden.
Oz suggests AI avatars could replace frontline health workers
Mehmet Oz, who now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and its $1.5 trillion budget, has promoted artificial intelligence avatars as potential replacements for frontline health workers in his first all staff meeting, according to the magazine Wired.25 Elsewhere, a paper published in JAMA estimated that more than 350 000 US healthcare workers face deportation under the administration’s crackdown on immigration.26
US maternal mortality up 27%, NIH finds
An NIH paper has found that maternal mortality rose 27% between 2018 and 2022 in the US. It called the issue an “urgent public health priority.”27 The warning came amid big cuts to government services that included those at the CDC tasked with maternal health and the loss of government funding for researchers studying the subject.
Long covid advocates win reprieve
Advocates for patients with long covid have successfully pushed the Trump administration to reinstate cancelled NIH research grants, a rare win amid widespread overall cuts scientific funding, Nature has reported.28 Despite this, long covid research faces an uncertain future, with shuttered offices, staff layoffs, and terminated studies threatening progress for millions of people with the condition.