US HHS drops advisory labeling gun violence a public health crisis

(Reuters) -The former U.S. surgeon general's 2024 advisory calling gun violence a public health crisis has been take down by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) following orders from the Trump administration.

A spokesperson for the health agency said "HHS and the Office of the Surgeon General are complying with President Trump's Executive Order on Protecting Second Amendment Rights", referring to the right to bear firearms under the U.S. Constitution.

The web page that previously had information on gun violence in America as well as a 40-page advisory issued by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in June no longer exists on the HHS website.

The page with the advisory has been down since Saturday, according to internet archive Wayback Machine.

The advisory had called for more research funding, better mental health access and other steps such as secure storage to reduce harm from gun violence.

Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the attorney general to review orders, specific documents and other actions taken by former President Joe Biden's administration regarding firearms.

Under the executive order, Trump's administration has to "deliver a plan of action to the president to eliminate all infringements on Americans' Second Amendment rights."

(Reporting by Sneha S K and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)