American Chaos: Standing Up for Health and Medicine

The executive orders issued by Donald Trump — some of which have already been challenged in court and reviewed by the U.S. judiciary — aimed at halting the research, care, and treatment activities of U.S. health institutions, together with Elon Musk’s actions to dismantle USAID, have generated anger, concern, and alarm. They have also already caused tangible and measurable harm.
The Lancet has published an editorial that is both a sharp critique of these measures and a call on the medical and scientific communities to resist and to defend a vision of health that is inclusive, equitable, and grounded in solidarity. Scienza in rete chose to support this effort and this commitment by publishing an Italian translation of the editorial, which we are republishing here.

The Lancet editorial denounces how the policies of the Trump administration have already caused profound disruption in global health and research. Among the most serious actions highlighted are the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and from the Paris Agreement, followed by the shutdown of USAID and the suspension of international aid — decisions that have brought global health programmes to a halt.

At the national level, a drastic pause was imposed on the activities of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two cornerstone institutions for research and disease control. The publication of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report was suspended — an unprecedented event in the past sixty years.

Funding was also blocked for NGOs that provide abortion counselling, undermining both freedom of expression and scientific research. Terms such as “gender,” “transgender,” and “LGBT” were banned from government websites and from articles submitted to scientific journals.

According to The Lancet, the impact of these policies has been devastating, leaving many programmes in a state of uncertainty, especially those focused on HIV prevention. The result has been the mass dismissal of health workers, the closure of care facilities, and a direct deterioration in patients’ quality of life.

Trump’s actions, The Lancet argues, represent not only a retreat from health and research policies, but also a direct attack on women’s health and on their sexual and reproductive freedom. They risk reversing decades of progress in disease control and in health equity.

In this critical context, The Lancet calls on the medical and scientific community to take an active role. Even though the current situation may appear dominated by confusion and fear, the response must be strategic and proactive. It is essential to support patients, defend healthcare programmes, and advocate for policies that promote health and overall well-being.

The current situation, The Lancet concludes, requires a joint and sustained effort to ensure that global health remains a fundamental priority, despite the political and ideological challenges imposed by administrations such as Trump’s.

Puoi leggere l’editoriale completo tradotto su Scienza in rete.