Trump Administration's Health Report Leaves Researchers Stumped, Concerned

The US government's 'Make America Healthy Again' or MAHA commission and its chief Robert F Kennedy Jr, find themselves in an embarrassing situation after a health report it released cited "totally fabricated" research material. The report was about children's health in America.

Two versions of the report were released over the last week - the first on May 22 and the revised and updated version on May 29, but upon scrutiny, it was revealed that the studies quoted in the report, upon which their entire findings were based, were completely fabricated. This was highlighted by the academics who were wrongly listed as the authors of those studies.

The report, which was focused on the chronic disease crisis among American children, listed its causes in detail and added its findings based on studies which were "fabricated" according to academics. The updated version of the report was also found to have used seven sources which do not even exist, US' digital news outlet NOTUS said.

But the Trump Administration tried to downplay the incident by claiming that it was due to "formatting issues". White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the country's top health panel - MAHA - will rework the report and share an update, but did not specify when. Moreover, she did not negate the substance of the report.

Make America Health Again was the brainchild of Robert F Kennedy Jr, and is based on Donald Trump's slogan 'Make America Great Again' or MAGA - which the Republican leader used widely during his electoral campaign, and even now as US President. 

Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is the person in-charge of outlining America's health policy and outlook, is an intensely controversial figure, who has for long, promoted false claims that "autism comes from vaccines".

The research behind this week's report was being carried out by Mr Kennedy Jr's panel and was initiated after President Trump signed an executive order to "study the scope of the childhood chronic disease crisis and any potential contributing causes".

According to the BBC, the authors quoted in the studies mentioned in the government report have said, that not only have they not written them, but the studies do not even exist, to begin with.

One of the named authors, Guohua Li, a professor at Columbia University, spoke with news agency AFP, saying that the study their name is linked to is "totally fabricated" and that the co-author - Noah Kreski - whose name is mentioned along with his, is a person he has never even heard of.

When AFP contacted him, Noah Kreski, who is a researcher at Columbia University, also denied being a part of any such study, and said the same about Mr Li. He added that "It doesn't appear to be a study that exists at all."

Several other authors named in the MAHA report have similar complaints and are concerned about their names being used over fictitious studies without their knowledge. Citations are a critical part of scientific research and add authenticity and credibility to scientific findings.
 

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