President Donald Trump established a Women's Health Division at the National Institutes of Health and created a White House Women's Health Task Force on October 19, 2026, according to a White House document obtained by USA TODAY. The move expands the federal government's focus on women's medical conditions, from menopause to maternal health, though the administration has not disclosed the amount of money designated for research or treatment.
Melania Trump led the signing event in the Rose Garden and pressed for the initiative through meetings with physicians and health officials. "Our mission must serve women at every stage of life, from young girls just starting out to mothers dealing with a complex range of responsibilities, to mature women who deserve to have vitality, dignity, and independence," she said during the ceremony.
Who leads the new task force
Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will lead the task force. Wiles has recently been vocal about her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Kennedy has served as HHS secretary for 18 months, a tenure marked by dismantling public health initiatives, changes to disease prevention and vaccine policy, and major workforce cuts, according to USA TODAY.
What health issues will the division address
The executive order highlights midlife health conditions including osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease and stroke. It also targets maternal health, mental health and endometriosis, according to the briefing document obtained by USA TODAY.
The order emphasizes using artificial intelligence to speed health discoveries and ensuring care is accessible and affordable. Melania Trump told the Rose Garden audience that "medical advances can do more than just prolong life. It should give women the freedom to live life to its fullest—to pursue our dreams, experience love, discover, create, travel, and lead."
How does this differ from existing programs
The new division will not replace the existing NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, which has operated since 1990, according to USA TODAY. Instead, the new division will have a broader mandate extending beyond research to coordinate agencies and accelerate scientific discoveries.
When Trump first learned his wife wanted to establish a women's health office, he expressed surprise at the gap. "I said, 'Are you sure they don't have that?' Who the hell wouldn't have a woman's health division?" he said at the signing ceremony.
Menopause emerges as federal priority
The announcement comes as menopause has become a focus of federal health policy. In November 2025, the FDA removed the black box warning from some hormone replacement therapy after more than 20 years, making them more accessible to women, according to USA TODAY.
The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held the first congressional hearing on menopause. The FDA also convened physicians and experts to discuss the benefits of testosterone for women, and HHS met with drugmakers about increasing the supply of estrogen patches and with doctors about expanding vaginal estrogen use among menopausal women, according to USA TODAY.
Melania Trump's expanding advocacy role
The women's health initiative positions Melania Trump as a policy advocate. During her husband's first term, she championed children's online safety through the Be Best initiative.
This term, she has focused on foster care reforms and technology access for education. In September 2026, she launched Imperia, bringing together female CEOs to network and influence policy, USA TODAY reported.
Key details remain unresolved: the White House has not announced funding levels, specific research priorities, or implementation timelines.