Trump administration releases MAHA strategies to combat chronic illness

The Department of Health and Human Services released a report on Tuesday outlining the Trump administration’s strategic plan to Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA. The MAHA Commission emphasized the importance of research so doctors can understand the root causes of America’s chronic illness crisis, according to HHS.

The National Institutes of Health planned to realign its research to focus on chronic disease and yield actionable research results based on a whole body approach, according to the report. HHS also said it planned to work with various health organizations to study the root causes of autism, possible injuries from vaccines, and the risks from microplastic and synthetic textile exposure.

Officials also planned to evaluate mental health diagnosis and prescription patterns related to children, specifically evidence-based solutions for improving mental health with diet and school-based intervention. The strategy listed additional research initiatives to better repurpose drugs to treat chronic diseases, understand how gut microbiomes impact the development of chronic illness, and assess the safety of electromagnetic radiation.

Beyond research, what kinds of strategies will be used to improve American health? The MAHA strategy included a push for various deregulation plans, like streamlining organic certifications and reducing roadblocks for farm-to-school programs. For public education, fitness and nutrition campaigns were planned for schools, along with surgeon general actions around screen time and prioritizing pediatric mental health.

HHS also planned collaborations with the private sector, like having restaurants feature healthier menu options. Officials also planned important executive actions, like removing harmful chemicals from the food supply chain, raising standards for infant formula, and improving labels on food products.

HHS described the MAHA strategy as the most ambitious national effort to confront childhood chronic disease. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released the strategic plan days after a group of Democratic senators called for his resignation, slamming what they characterized as his lack of medical experience and accusing him of endangering Americans’ health.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report on RFK Jr. vowing to identify the root causes of autism earlier this year.