The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a significant restructuring, resulting in the layoff of approximately 10,000 workers across several health agencies, AFP reports.
Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. revealed the decision last week, as part of a broader strategy to shift the department’s focus toward chronic disease prevention. Employees were informed of their layoffs early on Tuesday, with some receiving dismissal notices via email, while others discovered their access badges had been deactivated.
The layoffs will affect multiple agencies under HHS, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additionally, senior officials such as Jeanne Marrazzo, who succeeded Anthony Fauci at NIH, have been offered reassignments to remote locations like Alaska or Oklahoma.
Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf expressed concern about the restructuring, noting that the agency’s leadership has been severely diminished, with a significant loss of institutional knowledge. “The FDA as we’ve known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed,” he stated.
This restructuring occurs amidst ongoing public health challenges, including a severe measles outbreak and growing concerns about a bird flu pandemic. Kennedy’s stance on vaccines and infectious diseases, particularly his remarks on avian influenza, has raised alarm among health experts.
Kennedy emphasized that the restructuring is aimed not only at cutting bureaucracy but also at realigning the department with its new priorities. The layoffs are expected to save the department around $1.8 billion annually, a fraction of its $1.8 trillion budget.
As part of the restructuring, HHS’s 28 divisions will be consolidated into 15, with the creation of a new agency called the Administration for a Healthy America.
