The US federal government has initiated one of the most significant restructuring efforts in recent history within its public health institutions. On Tuesday, nearly 10,000 employees were laid off across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), while a further 10,000 accepted early retirement or voluntary separation packages.
The decision reduces the department’s workforce by nearly 25%, bringing it down to 62,000 staff. The scale of the cuts touches almost every corner of America’s health apparatus.
Agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have all reported major losses in personnel and leadership, raising concerns about the continuity of key research, surveillance and public safety functions.
FDA and CDC Lose Senior Leadership and Core Personnel
The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed it will shed 3,500 employees. According to agency sources, the layoffs include entire divisions tasked with reviewing new drugs, medical implants and tobacco regulation, as well as the press office and multiple senior officials.
The FDA’s chief tobacco regulator and several deputies were removed from their posts. Others, including officials from the drug and vaccine departments, have opted to leave rather than accept reassignment to distant regional offices.
The CDC will eliminate around 2,400 roles. Many of these are concentrated in non-infectious disease departments such as environmental health, chronic disease prevention and injury surveillance. Programs dedicated to issues including asthma, climate change, smoking and gun violence prevention are expected to be among the hardest hit.
According to individuals within the agency, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has lost most of its staff. At least nine high-level CDC directors were placed on administrative leave and offered reassignment to the Indian Health Service, a move seen by some observers as a way to prompt voluntary departures.
NIH and CMS Face Targeted Program Reductions
The National Institutes of Health is reported to have lost approximately 1,200 employees. According to internal communications, these include scientists engaged in neurological and infectious disease research, computer specialists, and almost the entirety of the communications team.
At least four directors of NIH’s 27 institutes were placed on leave. Among them is the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a prominent expert in HIV research. These dismissals come in addition to over 1,000 NIH staff previously removed under the Trump administration and coincide with the cancellation of several hundred research grants.
Meanwhile, CMS has announced the elimination of 300 jobs. The cuts have largely impacted departments dealing with civil rights, minority health and community outreach. According to internal memos, the Office of Minority Health and Office of Equal Rights and Opportunity were significantly downsized.
