Federal Health Data Removed From Websites Raises Alarm Among Experts

Public health officials and researchers warn of risks after federal agencies delete or restrict access to key datasets under new executive orders.

Federal agencies, including the CDC and NIH, have removed or restricted access to over 80,000 pages of public health data, citing compliance with new executive orders targeting diversity and gender-related materials.
Key datasets on topics such as HIV, sexually transmitted infections, youth behavioral health, and gender-affirming care have been taken down, with some partially restored but often in less robust forms.
Health experts and researchers are working to archive deleted data, fearing its permanent loss could hinder public health decision-making, particularly in rural areas and underserved communities.
The temporary halt on federal health agency communications has disrupted the flow of critical updates, including CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which resumed after a two-week pause but with notable omissions.
Concerns grow over the politicization of public health data, with experts warning that gaps in tracking health disparities and emerging diseases, such as bird flu, could endanger effective responses and interventions.