The Battle: Cancer Project Statement on HHS Layoffs and the Impact on Cancer Research

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a sweeping restructuring that included the elimination of approximately 10,000 positions. (source) That's nearly a quarter of its workforce. Among the hardest-hit agencies is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which stands to lose about 1,200 employees. The NIH is a cornerstone of cancer research funding in the U.S., and this reduction is expected to have a ripple effect across ongoing research and new treatments. 

According to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the layoffs are intended to address what he calls a "sprawling bureaucracy" within the department. (source) His plan aims to consolidate the HHS's 28 divisions into 15 units, and he claims the department will "do more with less." Critics and experts say these cuts can stall medical progress and research. 

These layoffs directly threaten the pace and the quality of cancer research. The NIH has played a pivotal role in supporting studies that lead to life-saving treatments and therapies. With a reduced staff, the agency's ability to fund, oversee, and advance cancer research will be compromised. This will delay breakthroughs, slow clinical trials, and limit access to therapies.

This doesn't just affect people in treatment now, but the next generation of cancer fighters. 

We here at The Battle: Cancer Project are appalled at the HHS and NIH layoffs. We are going to double down on our mission that no one fights cancer alone.

In light of these changes, we are going to: 

1. Advocate Fiercely! We want to see a continued investment in cancer research and amplify the voices of patients, researchers, and doctors alike. 

2. Collaborate! We are going to begin an outreach program to collaborate with like-minded organizations to create a supportive safety net while cancer research and clinical trials face their own battle. 

3. Educate! We are going to do more to educate the public about the very real consequences of defunding science and research. This goes double for vulnerable populations such as low-income patients, rural communities, and those without healthcare access. 

   
   

Make no mistake, this is not a policy shift. It is a battlefront. We are standing with the fighters, survivors, researchers, and doctors. We will not back down. We will fight with you. 

Shields high. 

The Battle: Cancer Project Team 

For more information, please see: 

• CancerResearch.org

• FightCancer.org

• Endocrine.org