Washington, Oct 2026 : US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the creation of a dedicated women’s health division within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a White House task force to accelerate research into diseases and medical conditions affecting women. Indian-American NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya was among the senior officials present at the announcement.
The initiative was unveiled at a White House ceremony on Monday alongside First Lady Melania Trump. It aims to address longstanding gaps in women’s healthcare research, promote the use of advanced technologies and improve access to effective medical treatments.
Titled “Advancing Women’s Health to Improve Outcomes in All Phases of Life”, the executive order establishes a White House Women’s Health Task Force to coordinate research and policy efforts across federal agencies.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will lead the task force, which held its first meeting later on Monday.
Trump said several diseases and health conditions that disproportionately affect women had not received sufficient attention from the medical research community despite advances in science and technology.
“Despite amazing advances in medical science, many diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect women remain chronically understudied,” the President said.
He added that the new NIH division would help expand research into these conditions and encourage the development of technologies that could support earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments and better health outcomes.
“The executive order I'll sign in just a moment will direct the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a new women's health division within the National Institute of Health,” Trump said.
The President credited Melania Trump with developing the initiative, saying the administration would support efforts to improve healthcare for women and girls throughout their lives.
Outlining the programme’s priorities, the First Lady called for directing research funding towards diseases that uniquely affect women and conditions whose effects on women require greater scientific understanding.
She also emphasised the potential of artificial intelligence to improve knowledge of female biology, strengthen medical research and accelerate the discovery of new treatments.
Other priorities include moving promising therapies from laboratories to patients more quickly while maintaining safety standards, ensuring that medical advances remain affordable and encouraging more open discussion of women’s health issues.
“Beginning today, we will change the reality of women's health,” Melania Trump said.
She described the initiative as an opportunity to use emerging scientific capabilities, including advanced biotechnology and artificial intelligence, to address persistent gaps in medical research and treatment.
The First Lady stressed that the programme should serve women at every stage of life, from childhood and motherhood to their later years. She also called for ensuring that advances in healthcare are accessible regardless of a woman’s financial circumstances.
The ceremony was attended by NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, Second Lady Usha Vance, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz and other senior administration officials.
Trump acknowledged Bhattacharya during his remarks and thanked him for his work at the NIH. He also welcomed Usha Vance, who attended the event with her infant child.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was also recognised during the ceremony, with the President referring to her recovery from breast cancer.
The announcement coincided with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, observed annually in October, which highlights the importance of awareness, screening, research and treatment.
The National Institutes of Health is the United States’ principal biomedical research agency, supporting scientific investigations into diseases, potential treatments and public health. Its work includes reproductive health research and studies examining how sex-related biological differences influence disease risks, symptoms and responses to treatment.
The new initiative is intended to strengthen these efforts and improve understanding of conditions affecting women, while encouraging scientific innovation and broader access to medical advances.
