Overview

• Over 20,000 HHS jobs were cut as part of a cost-saving initiative, including the dismantling of two branches of the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health.
• The eliminated branches were responsible for monitoring maternal complications, IVF cycles, and contraceptive guidelines critical to national health strategies.
• Experts warn that the loss of these programs could result in outdated reproductive health data, hindering the nation’s ability to respond to maternal and infant health crises.
• The National ART Surveillance System (NASS), which tracked 98% of IVF cycles in the U.S., was among the programs eliminated, raising concerns about oversight of the IVF industry.
• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the cuts as a realignment to focus on chronic disease prevention, despite criticism from public health experts.