Trump Signs Executive Order Creating NIH Women's Health Division and White House Task Force

Published: October 20, 2026

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, October 19, establishing a new Women's Health Division within the National Institutes of Health and a White House Women's Health Task Force — a move driven by First Lady Melania Trump, who called it a "transformative moment for women in America."

At a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House, the president and first lady signed the order together, smiling as they passed it between them and exchanged pens.

What the order does

The executive order, titled "Advancing Women's Health to Improve Outcomes in All Phases of Life," directs the Department of Health and Human Services to:

• Create a dedicated Women's Health Division within the NIH focused on research into diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect women — including maternal health, mental health, endometriosis, infertility, fibroids, menopause, Alzheimer's, heart disease, osteoporosis, and stroke.
• Establish a White House Women's Health Task Force to coordinate women's health efforts across federal agencies, tasked with accelerating research, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and translating findings into clinical practice and policy.

The new NIH division will work alongside — not replace — the NIH's existing Office of Research on Women's Health, established in 1990. It will have a broader mandate, including the use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to diagnose conditions sooner.