Trump Signs Melania-Led Order for NIH Women's Health Division

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order creating a Women’s Health Division at the National Institutes of Health and a White House Women’s Health Task Force, according to a White House fact sheet dated October 19, 2026, and coverage from Reuters.

The White House posted on X that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump signed the order at the White House, aiming to close research gaps and modernize care for women. Trump War Room also posted that Trump signed the order spearheaded by the first lady to establish the NIH division and the White House task force.

TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE: President Donald J. Trump & First Lady Melania Trump sign an executive order creating a Women’s Health Division at the NIH & a White House Women’s Health Task Force, aiming to close research gaps & modernize care for women 🇺🇸

Tune in at 11 AM EST! pic.twitter.com/jqJsoceahY

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 19, 2026

Fox News reported that Melania Trump announced the order at the White House and framed it as a transformative moment for women in America, saying the focus of women’s health is shifting. Rapid Response 47 posted video of her Rose Garden remarks on the Advancing Women’s Health executive order.

What the order does

The signed order directs the secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the NIH director, to establish a Women’s Health Division within an appropriate institute or center within 90 days, according to the text posted on whitehouse.gov. The division is to work in coordination with the existing NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health, the order says.

Reuters reported that the new division will not replace that office and will have a broader mandate beyond research. A White House official told Reuters the task force will be led by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Under the order text, the task force is co-chaired by the HHS secretary and the assistant to the president and chief of staff, and includes cabinet and agency leaders such as the FDA commissioner, CDC director, and NIH director.

The White House fact sheet says the order prioritizes translating research into improved clinical care for women and girls across every stage of life, from infancy through aging. It lists research needs in areas including heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune conditions, osteoporosis, mental health, endometriosis, maternal health, and menopause. The order also revokes President Biden’s March 2024 executive order on women’s health research and a November 2023 presidential memorandum on a White House women’s health research initiative, according to the signed text.

Event and administration context

Reuters reported the White House said Trump would sign the order alongside Melania Trump on Monday. Fox News said Melania Trump laid out a five-point plan to advance women’s health as Trump prepared to sign the order in the Rose Garden, including increased research into diseases affecting women and using advanced technology to speed discoveries.

The White House fact sheet ties the order to other administration health steps, including FDA action in November 2025 to remove broad “black box” warnings on some hormone-replacement therapy products for menopause. Reuters noted that representatives for HHS, which oversees NIH, could not be immediately reached for comment when the order was announced.

Sources

• The White House on X: Trump and Melania sign women’s health executive order
• White House: Advancing Women’s Health to Improve Outcomes in All Phases of Life (order text)
• White House fact sheet on the women’s health executive order
• Reuters via 96.5 WTOU: Trump to create new NIH division, task force for women’s health
• Fox News on X: Melania Trump women’s health remarks
• Rapid Response 47 on X: Melania Trump Rose Garden clip
• Trump War Room on X: Signing of Melania-led women’s health order

Reporting by Daily Beltway.