MAHA Commission releases federal strategy outlining next steps in childhood chronic disease prevention

Key Takeaways

On September 9, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s new Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy, following the earlier MAHA Report published in May 2025. The strategy builds on the assessment’s findings regarding four key drivers of childhood chronic disease: poor diet, chemical exposure, lack of physical activity and chronic stress and overmedicalization.

The strategy is intended to guide federal actions to better align research, incentives and public awareness efforts around children’s health and the chronic disease crisis. 

Read the MAHA Strategy

What’s in the Strategy

The MAHA Strategy focuses on four main areas:

• Advancing Research: Federal efforts are expanding to deepen understanding of chronic disease, nutrition, environmental exposures and youth mental health. New National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiatives, such as a chronic disease research effort and a “Real World Data Platform”, are paired with cross-agency collaboration to study vaccine injury, autism, microplastics and food ingredients.
• Realigning Incentives and Systems: The Administration is reforming standards and processes to strengthen scientific integrity, reduce conflicts of interest and improve efficiency across health, food and regulatory systems. Priorities include updating nutrition guidelines, defining ultra-processed foods, modernizing water and vaccine frameworks, enhancing Medicaid oversight and restructuring federal health agencies.
• Increasing Public Awareness: Education and outreach campaigns are focused on promoting healthier lifestyles, reducing risks from environmental exposures and raising awareness of pediatric mental health and technology use. New tools and communication strategies are being developed to make children’s health data more transparent and accessible.
• Fostering Private Sector Collaboration: Partnerships with schools, hospitals, agriculture and technology sectors are being leveraged to expand access to nutritious food, advance soil health and precision farming and strengthen family health initiatives. These collaborations aim to bring innovation and broader reach to children’s health efforts.

Across these areas, the strategy primarily emphasizes research, evaluation and awareness-building rather than immediate regulatory changes.

Impacts on Counties

Counties are on the frontlines of public health and chronic disease prevention. As the owners and administrators of core safety-net programs, counties are key players in the coordination of children’s health initiatives. The MAHA Strategy presents counties with opportunities to engage in federal research, data collection and public awareness campaigns related to childhood chronic disease prevention. County governments may also be called on to coordinate with federal agencies in piloting new initiatives, adapting service delivery models and sharing insights from their direct experience managing health systems. By leveraging their role as service providers and conveners, counties need to be at the table to translate federal priorities into community-level action.