2LT International News

WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a significant restructuring of federal health agencies this week, including cutting 10,000 jobs and centralizing certain functions of the FDA, CDC, and other agencies under his control.

The job cuts include:

• 3,500 positions at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• 2,400 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• 1,200 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

With these cuts and 10,000 recent voluntary departures, the total number of full-time employees at HHS is expected to drop from 82,000 to 62,000.

Kennedy said the changes will make HHS more efficient and save taxpayer money, stating: “Our goal is to Make America Healthy Again.”

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who leads a government cost-cutting initiative, have been reducing federal staff as part of a broader plan to shrink government agencies. Trump recently ordered all agencies to prepare for more layoffs, and the White House is now reviewing those plans.

Experts warn that while reorganizing large agencies like HHS can be helpful, these cuts go further, potentially affecting government services. “This is not just restructuring—it’s a deep reduction in the federal workforce,” said Larry Levitt, a health policy expert.

The FDA assured that job cuts would not affect drug, food, or medical device inspectors; however, some experts warn that they could lead to delays in drug approvals.

Other Key Changes:

• The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response will be merged into the CDC.
• The NIH will see job cuts across all 27 of its institutes.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will lose about 300 employees.
• HHS’s 10 regional offices will be cut to 5, and its 28 divisions will be consolidated into 15.
• A new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) will combine multiple agencies focused on addiction, toxic substances, and workplace safety.

The restructuring will also centralize communications, human resources, IT, and policy planning across the FDA, CDC, and NIH. HHS said it will also create a new Office of Strategy to guide policy decisions.

At this time, no additional job cuts are planned.