Latest news with #USHealthandHumanServices
RTHK
4 days ago
- Health
- RTHK
Trump pulls US from World Health pandemic reforms
Trump pulls US from World Health pandemic reforms US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy is a long-time critic of vaccines. Photo: Reuters US President Donald Trump's administration said on Friday the United States was rejecting changes agreed last year for the World Health Organization on its pandemic response, saying they violated US sovereignty. Trump, on returning to office on January 20, immediately began the withdrawal of the United States from the UN body, but the State Department said the language from last year would still have been binding on the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy, who is a longtime critic of vaccines, said that the changes "risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy." "We will put Americans first in all our actions, and we will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans' speech, privacy or personal liberties," they said in a joint statement. Rubio and Kennedy disassociated the United States from a series of amendments to the International Health Regulations, which provide a legal framework for combating diseases, agreed last year at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. The amendments included a stated "commitment to solidarity and equity" in which a new group would study the needs of developing countries in future emergencies. Countries have until Saturday to lodge reservations about the amendments. Conservative activists and vaccine sceptics in Britain and Australia, which both have left-leaning governments, have waged public campaigns against the changes. The amendments came about when the Assembly failed at a more ambitious goal of sealing a new global agreement on pandemics. Most of the world finally sealed a treaty this May, but the United States did not participate as it was in the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization. The United States, then under President Joe Biden, took part in the May-June 2024 negotiations, but said it could not support consensus as it demanded protections for US intellectual property rights on vaccine development. Rubio's predecessor, Antony Blinken, had welcomed the amendments as progress. (AFP)
RTHK
4 days ago
- Health
- RTHK
Trump pulls US from World Health pandemic reforms
Trump pulls US from World Health pandemic reforms US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy is a long-time critic of vaccines. Photo: Reuters US President Donald Trump's administration said on Friday the United States was rejecting changes agreed last year for the World Health Organization on its pandemic response, saying they violated US sovereignty. Trump, on returning to office on January 20, immediately began the withdrawal of the United States from the UN body, but the State Department said the language from last year would still have been binding on the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy, who is a longtime critic of vaccines, said that the changes "risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy." "We will put Americans first in all our actions, and we will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans' speech, privacy or personal liberties," they said in a joint statement. Rubio and Kennedy disassociated the United States from a series of amendments to the International Health Regulations, which provide a legal framework for combating diseases, agreed last year at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. The amendments included a stated "commitment to solidarity and equity" in which a new group would study the needs of developing countries in future emergencies. Countries have until Saturday to lodge reservations about the amendments. Conservative activists and vaccine sceptics in Britain and Australia, which both have left-leaning governments, have waged public campaigns against the changes. The amendments came about when the Assembly failed at a more ambitious goal of sealing a new global agreement on pandemics. Most of the world finally sealed a treaty this May, but the United States did not participate as it was in the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization. The United States, then under President Joe Biden, took part in the May-June 2024 negotiations, but said it could not support consensus as it demanded protections for US intellectual property rights on vaccine development. Rubio's predecessor, Antony Blinken, had welcomed the amendments as progress. (AFP)
CNN
6 days ago
- Health
- CNN
RFK Jr. fires top aides in HHS shakeup
Federal agenciesFacebookTweetLink Follow US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired two of his top aides in an abrupt shakeup of the leadership at the nation's sprawling health department, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. Kennedy this week ousted chief of staff Heather Flick Melanson and deputy chief of staff for policy Hannah Anderson, dismissing them after only a handful of months on the job. The decision came after Kennedy lost confidence in them as part of his leadership team, one of the people familiar with the matter said, although it was unclear whether there was a single triggering event that prompted the firings. In a statement, an HHS spokesman confirmed the moves and said the department's White House liaison, Matt Buckham, would serve as acting chief of staff. 'He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role,' the spokesman said. 'Secretary Kennedy thanks the outgoing leadership for their service and looks forward to working closely with Mr. Buckham as the Department continues advancing its mission to Make America Healthy Again.' Kennedy has not yet decided on permanent replacements for Flick and Anderson, the people familiar said. The move leaves Kennedy needing to fill key senior positions at HHS just months into his tenure, and at a moment when the department has come under growing scrutiny over its efforts to overhaul the nation's vaccine policies and advance a range of major health and food priorities. Flick was among Kennedy's most experienced Washington hands, having served at HHS during President Donald Trump's first term, first as its acting general counsel and then as acting secretary for administration and a senior adviser to then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Anderson joined HHS after stints on Capitol Hill as a GOP staffer, including as health policy adviser to Republicans on the Senate's main health committee. She had most recently headed up health care issues at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute think tank.
CNN
6 days ago
- Health
- CNN
RFK Jr. fires top aides in HHS shakeup
Federal agencies FacebookTweetLink US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired two of his top aides in an abrupt shakeup of the leadership at the nation's sprawling health department, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. Kennedy this week ousted chief of staff Heather Flick Melanson and deputy chief of staff for policy Hannah Anderson, dismissing them after only a handful of months on the job. The decision came after Kennedy lost confidence in them as part of his leadership team, one of the people familiar with the matter said, although it was unclear whether there was a single triggering event that prompted the firings. In a statement, an HHS spokesman confirmed the moves and said the department's White House liaison, Matt Buckham, would serve as acting chief of staff. 'He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role,' the spokesman said. 'Secretary Kennedy thanks the outgoing leadership for their service and looks forward to working closely with Mr. Buckham as the Department continues advancing its mission to Make America Healthy Again.' Kennedy has not yet decided on permanent replacements for Flick and Anderson, the people familiar said. The move leaves Kennedy needing to fill key senior positions at HHS just months into his tenure, and at a moment when the department has come under growing scrutiny over its efforts to overhaul the nation's vaccine policies and advance a range of major health and food priorities. Flick was among Kennedy's most experienced Washington hands, having served at HHS during President Donald Trump's first term, first as its acting general counsel and then as acting secretary for administration and a senior adviser to then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Anderson joined HHS after stints on Capitol Hill as a GOP staffer, including as health policy adviser to Republicans on the Senate's main health committee. She had most recently headed up health care issues at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute think tank.
Tom's Guide
01-07-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
RFK Jr. wants every American to be wearing a fitness tracker within 4 years — here's what we know so far
The best fitness trackers can tell you a lot about your overall health — designed to be worn 24/7, they'll track your heart rate, daily activity levels, calories burned, and how well you sleep. And now, US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he'd like to see every American wearing some form of health or fitness device by 2029. 'My vision is that every American is wearing a wearable within four years,' he said at a congressional hearing last week. It was announced, his department will soon begin one of 'the biggest campaigns in HHS history,' which it says will help Americans 'take control over their own health.' We don't know the details just yet. It isn't clear, for example, whether the government will subsidize existing devices to make them more affordable or release a Trump-branded health tracker, following the recent Trump phone. During the congressional hearing, Kennedy Jr. said that his agency, which is behind the 'Make America Healthy Again', or MAHA, movement, is exploring ways to make the cost of blood glucose monitors more accessible. He also suggested that an $80 wearable might be a better solution to the weight-loss drug Ozempic for controlling diabetes and weight, describing friends who 'lost their diabetes' after wearing glucose monitors. Evidence shows diet and exercise changes can reverse Type 2 diabetes, and that glucose monitoring can be effective in motivating patients to make better decisions. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. At the time of writing, we don't have a lot of information about what this campaign might look like, but questions have been raised about the safety of users' health data. Would the government or insurance providers have access to our fitness tracker data? And how would our privacy be protected? It's also worth noting that while fitness trackers are an excellent resource, they won't be suitable for everyone. It's estimated that 28.8 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder in their lifetime, and psychologists have tracked a recent rise in orthorexia, body dysmorphia, and anxiety. These disorders can all be aggravated by the influx of data you receive while wearing a fitness tracker. On the surface, however, fitness trackers have the potential to help you make healthier choices and gain a deeper understanding of your overall health. Trackers like the Apple Watch will alert you if it detects an irregular heart rhythm, which could save your life. But this isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, and a fitness tracker can never replace guidance from medical professionals. Ultimately, fitness trackers are only a piece of the health puzzle, and right now, we have more questions than answers
