Health
Trump Signs Order to Create Women’s Health Division at NIH and White House Task Force
President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a dedicated women’s health division within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a White House task force on the topic. The signing ceremony took place in Washington on Monday, where First Lady Melania Trump described the initiative as a “transformative moment for women in America.” She said the new division would be set up within 90 days and would accelerate scientific discoveries, expand clinical access, and modernize care across all stages of a woman’s life. The division will not replace the NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health but will have a broader mandate. Melania Trump highlighted five pillars for innovation, including funding research for diseases that affect women such as endometriosis and speeding the delivery of promising therapeutics to female patients. The White House task force will be co‑chaired by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who is cancer‑free, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The order requires the HHS to cover the administrative costs of the task force but does not specify funding amounts. Critics note that the order’s effectiveness may be limited by federal workforce cuts, including thousands of layoffs at the NIH, and a 35 percent spending cut across all NIH divisions, amounting to a $2.6 billion reduction. In April 2025, the HHS faced backlash and a multi‑state lawsuit after terminating regional contracts for the Women’s Health Initiative, the nation’s largest longitudinal study on older women’s health, raising concerns about the impact on research into cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporotic fractures for senior women.
Frequently asked questions
What will the new NIH women's health division do?
It will accelerate scientific discoveries, expand clinical access, and modernize care across all stages of a woman’s life, and it will not replace the existing Office of Research on Women’s Health but will have a broader mandate.
Who co-chairs the White House women's health task force?
Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
What concerns have critics raised about the effectiveness of the order?
Critics note that federal workforce cuts, including thousands of layoffs at the NIH and a 35 percent spending cut across all NIH divisions amounting to a $2.6 billion reduction, may limit the order’s effectiveness.