Dr. Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, professor and director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment and the EaRTH Center at UCSF issued the following statement today upon Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
We face an epidemic of chronic disease fueled by industrial polluters including the chemical, plastics, fossil fuel, and ultra processed food industries. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is part of an administration that is actively putting corporations in charge of our governmental functions that are designed to stop polluters from making us sick.
That said, we couldn’t agree more with his stated goal of making America healthy and reversing the trends in chronic disease. We welcome the opportunity to share our recommendations to achieve this by ensuring scientific integrity in research, eliminating political and financial conflicts of interest in science and regulatory decision-making, ensuring access to accurate data, using the best available science, and promoting health for all.
As Secretary of Health and Human Services in charge of the funding and activities that are designed to promote health – RFK Jr can make sure that they focus on removing harmful chemicals and pollutants from our air, food and water. But that will only happen if he follows and supports independent, unbiased science and research to ensure our health.
