New HHS Report Provides Roadmap For Making America Healthy Again
Secretary Kennedy’s 120-plus recommendations aim to combat chronic disease in children, focus on prevention, and nutrition reform.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released its highly anticipated “Make Our Children Healthy Again: Strategy Report.” The report, spearheaded by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, outlines over 120 recommendations to combat the rising tide of childhood chronic diseases and improve the health of American children. Building on the initial report in May, HHS continues to emphasize prevention over treatment.
The report points out key problems with American culture and American schools, including poor nutrition and processed foods, environmental toxins, overmedicalization, and lifestyle trends. To begin to address these issues, the National Institute of Health (NIH) is launching a Chronic Disease Initiative, “creating a Real World Data Platform” to integrate health datasets while protecting privacy. New methodologies will prioritize human-relevant studies over animal testing and will focus on areas like vaccine safety, gut microbiome health, and the long-term effects of fluoride and pesticides.
The report also calls for modernization at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including new infant formula standards and more breastfeeding support. Many of the policy reforms will necessitate cross-agency cooperation, including calls for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remake the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) toward whole foods, streamline farm regulations to aid small producers, and promote soil health to reduce chemical use. Finally, the report urges the Medicaid and CHIP programs to incorporate incentives for preventative care and embrace tools like fitness reimbursements.
Overall, the goal of the HHS report is to Make America Health Again through a “whole-of-government” effort that will require cooperation between federal agencies, state governments, and public-private partnerships – educating Americans on healthy eating, toxin avoidance, and overall fitness. States are already working with the HHS on many of these reforms—particularly those involving the SNAP, Medicaid, and CHIP programs—and this report provides legislators with a vision for moving forward.