A recent study reveals that a single dose of Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos vaccine demonstrated 58% overall effectiveness in preventing mpox infection. Among the participants without HIV, effectiveness rose to 84%, while those with HIV showed only 35% effectiveness. These findings underscore the critical need for enhanced mpox prevention strategies for vulnerable, high-risk populations, particularly those with HIV, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The study, which was carried out at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, marks the first comparison of effectiveness between individuals with and without HIV.
Stephanie Kurdach, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Mpox is a viral illness, spread through close contact with another infected individual, contaminated objects, or infected animals. Symptoms can include a blistering rash, fever, muscle aches, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. While mpox symptoms are often mild, immunocompromised patients, such as those with uncontrolled HIV, are at a greater risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from this infection.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the ongoing clade II 2022 mpox outbreak has been responsible for over 100,000 infections among 122 countries to date across North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Clade II mpox has a >99% survival rate. Conversely, clade I is more likely to cause severe illness and death, particularly among immunocompromised individuals. A clade I outbreak has been ongoing in Central and Eastern Africa since 2024 and has been responsible for over 21,000 infections to date.
Jynneos, also marketed under the name Imvanex, is approved in the US and Canada as a 2-dose vaccine for the prevention of mpox and smallpox in high-risk individuals 18 years of age and older, and in Europe for high-risk individuals 12 years of age and older. The reduced effectiveness of Jynneos in HIV-positive patients is likely attributable to a reduced T-cell response following vaccination in comparison to HIV-negative individuals, according to the study researchers. Ensuring patients receive the full 2-dose vaccination regimen is therefore particularly important for those with HIV.
Kurdach continues: “According to GlobalData, there are currently only two other vaccines approved for the prevention of mpox, KM Biologics’ mpox LC16m8 vaccine, and Emergent BioSolutions’ ACAM2000. Of these, the LC16m8 vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in people with well-controlled HIV.”
In the Jynneos study, over 3,600 participants received two doses of the mpox vaccine to analyze vaccine safety. Local reactions occurred in 70% of individuals after the first dose and 57% of individuals after the second dose. Systemic reactions occurred in 22% of individuals after the first dose and 18% of individuals after the second dose. Severe local and systemic reactions were rare.
Kurdach concludes: “The recent safety and effectiveness data regarding mpox vaccination by Jynneos is important and timely given the ongoing, global outbreak. Unfortunately, there are still clear unmet needs for more research on mpox in patients with HIV and increased, effective vaccination options for this at-risk population.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)
New Hampshire will lose $80 million in crucial public health funding from this decision by the Trump administration
Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) led 50 of his colleagues in urging Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse the cancellation of over $12 billion in federal grants for state health services from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This funding is critical for states and community health departments’ ability to strengthen public health infrastructure and provide life-saving health services, including mental health care and substance use disorder treatment.
The members wrote,“You have dangerously framed this as a cost saving measure that pulls back funds no longer necessary, when instead this funding provides invaluable public and mental health services that keep our communities healthy and safe. A cessation of these funds, especially done so hastily, hinders the ability of states and awardees across the nation to protect and serve our fellow Americans.”
“To this day, these funds are used for public health infrastructure like treatment and testing for respiratory diseases, like bird flu, and wastewater surveillance systems, which are helping us monitor the current measles outbreak. While the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended on May 11, 2023, the need for public health infrastructure did not,” they said, underscoring the risks that the bird flu and measles currently pose to the American public.
The members stressed the importance of this funding for mental health services and substance use disorder treatment, saying, “In 2023, 49,316 Americans died by suicide – nearly one death every 11 minutes. Clawing back SAMHSA funds aimed at addressing the substance use crises we are facing and supporting those living with mental illnesses will prove a death sentence for some.”
“We must put politics aside and invest, rather than divest, in evidence-based solutions. Supporting our communities’ mental health needs and services requires a sustained, long-term strategy. It requires a multi-pronged approach that includes robust funding for prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts… We urge you to reverse this decision and resume the flow of funds that help save lives,” they concluded.
Read the letter below or here:
Dear Secretary Kennedy,
We write to you regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) abrupt cancellation of $11.4 billion in federal grants that our states have been using for public health services and the cancellation of $1 billion in funds from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
You have dangerously framed this as a cost saving measure that pulls back funds no longer necessary, when instead this funding provides invaluable public and mental health services that keep our communities healthy and safe. A cessation of these funds, especially done so hastily, hinders the ability of states and awardees across the nation to protect and serve our fellow Americans.
The CDC funds, originally allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic for use toward testing, vaccination, and monitoring programs – among other uses – remain in use for important public health initiatives across the country. To this day, these funds are used for public health infrastructure like treatment and testing for respiratory diseases, like bird flu, and wastewater surveillance systems, which are helping us monitor the current measles outbreak. While the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended on May 11, 2023, the need for public health infrastructure did not.
In 2023, 49,316 Americans died by suicide – nearly one death every 11 minutes. Clawing back SAMHSA funds aimed at addressing the substance use crises we are facing and supporting those living with mental illnesses will prove a death sentence for some. These funds were allocated, and states were rightfully depending on them to support the mental health services and supports available to their residents.
On February 25, 2025, the CDC released its prediction that there was a “nearly 24% decline in drug overdose deaths in the United States for the 12 months ending in September 2024, compared to the previous year.” One month later, the careless decision to revoke $1 billion in SAMHSA funding that goes toward reducing overdose deaths and other mental health services was announced. The predicted decrease in overdose deaths is promising and shows that now is the time to build on that momentum and continue investments in mental health services, not pull the rug out from underneath our communities.
For all too many American families, the addiction epidemic and support for mental health services are deeply personal. We must put politics aside and invest, rather than divest, in evidence-based solutions. Supporting our communities’ mental health needs and services requires a sustained, long-term strategy. It requires a multi-pronged approach that includes robust funding for prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts.
This administration’s callous actions to reduce government spending are once again reckless and done without regard to the communities they will harm. We urge you to reverse this decision and resume the flow of funds that help save lives.
The genetic condition was a severe, albeit rare, form of retinal dystrophy. It causes severe sight impairment and can be caused by defects in many different genes.
In this case, the four young patients had mutations in the gene encoding AIPL1. This accounts for up to 5% of infants affected by this condition, and has no treatment.
The story of this incredible breakthrough actually begins 132 years ago. It highlights the importance of research done not for any clear application in the world – just curiosity. But around the world, this kind of research is under threat.
Understanding the world – just for the sake of it
Curiosity-driven research is exactly what it sounds like: research driven by the goal of understanding nature without regard for application. It has many aliases. “Blue-sky research”, “discovery science” and “basic science” are all terms commonly used to describe this approach.
This kind of research differs from “mission-directed research”, which focuses primarily on practical applications and whose goals are set by governments and industry.
The logic behind curiosity-driven research is that understanding how things work will inevitably lead to discoveries that will fuel innovation.
Historically, this has led to transformational discoveries. Another recent example is the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which was awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID.
The recent study in The Lancet follows more than a century of curiosity-driven discoveries culminating in these four children receiving their life-changing injections.
Sketching the structure of the retina
The kind of medical intervention used on these patients is called a gene therapy.
In this case, the cause of the condition is a defect in a single gene. This defect leads to the malfunction of an individual protein in the eye that is required for vision. The approach essentially is to provide a working copy of that gene to the eye, to restore function. This requires not only the technology to deliver the therapy, but the underlying knowledge of how AIPL1 functions in normal vision.
In 1893, the pioneer of modern neuroscience Santiago Ramon y Cajal exquisitely sketched the structure of the retina. Santiago Ramon y Cajal/Wikipedia
This knowledge dates back to 1893, when the pioneer of modern neuroscience, Santiago Ramon y Cajal, exquisitely sketched the structure of the retina – the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
In the 132 years since, our knowledge of how this tissue converts light into an electrical signal for our brain to interpret as vision has significantly advanced. We now understand a lot about how this works.
This foundational knowledge also means we know precisely why a dysfunctional AIPL1 gene leads to severe vision impairment. It also enables us to predict that providing a working version could improve vision. Armed with this knowledge, we have an engineering problem. How do we get a working copy into the eye?
In this case, the working copy of AIPL1 was delivered by an adeno-associated virus, or AAV. These were first discovered in the mid-1960s, and without realising their therapeutic potential, several research groups dedicated themselves to understanding their biology.
An AAV was first used in a human patient in 1995 for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Without this curiosity-driven research they would not have been developed into a gene therapy platform. This is how most modern therapies have emerged.
Curiosity-driven research is driven by the goal of understanding nature without regard for application. Trust Katsande/Unsplash
Protecting curiosity-driven research
This is one of hundreds of therapies taking a similar approach. We will likely see many more stories like this in the coming decades. But I am certain we won’t see any examples where we don’t understand the underlying biology.
Curiosity-driven research, focused on understanding how biology works, is essential for the development of therapies to treat human disease. The history of medical advances shows us this time and time again.
Curiosity-driven breakthroughs include the discovery of X-rays as well as the antibiotic penicillin. The discovery of CRISPR/Cas9, an ancient bacterial defence, has enabled the editing of DNA with unprecedented precision. This has already led to an FDA-approved therapy to treat sickle cell disease.
Australia has punched above its weight in this arena for many years. But this is no longer the case.
Funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, our largest funder of medical research, has been falling since 2020. More broadly, this coincides with a decline in the proportion of basic research being funded in Australia and directly threatens our capacity for curiosity-driven innovation.
In Australia, and globally, we must protect curiosity-driven research at all costs and not underestimate the vital contribution it will make to our future.
Sean Coakley receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
April 03, 2025
As the Trump Administration continues to ax critical research funding, Durbin and Foster introduce legislation that would bolster research funding at five federal research agencies
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today reintroduced the bicameral American Innovation Act, which would provide annual budget increases at a rate of five percent, indexed to inflation, for cutting edge research at five federal agencies: the Department of Energy Office of Science; the National Science Foundation; the National Institute of Standards and Technology Scientific and Technical Research Services; the Department of Defense Science and Technology Programs; and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Directorate. The American Innovation Act would position the U.S. as a leader in development and discovery for decades to come by creating steady, sustained funding for breakthrough research at America’s top research agencies.
“In its crusade to damage essential government infrastructure, the Trump Administration has failed to recognize that sustained support for basic scientific research has enabled the United States to put a man on the moon, build the internet, and produce a COVID-19 vaccine in record time. If we want to maintain our status as a world leader in research and technology, we must empower and fund our federal research agencies and retain their top talent,” said Durbin. “I’m introducing the American Innovation Act to ensure our nation’s scientists and researchers have access to critical funding to push our world forward while also creating jobs, growing our economy, and improving our national security.”
“I’m proud to work with Senator Durbin on this legislation to expand federal investment in scientific research,” said Foster. “Since World War II, investments in science and technology have helped expand our economy, create millions of jobs, and advance our national security. As we confront new and existing challenges, it’s critical that our scientists have the resources they need to ensure our nation remains at the forefront of research and innovation.”
The introduction of the American Innovation Act comes as the Trump Administration continues to gut federal research agencies by slashing programs and firing scientists conducting critical research. These moves only harm the future of the U.S., as investments in scientific research have helped the nation lead the world in new technologies, create millions of jobs, grow the economy, and advance national security. Further, without serious federal investment in research, the U.S. could fall behind its competitors, particularly China.
Basic science funding in the U.S. has lagged in recent decades. Since the 1970’s, the United States investment in basic science has decreased by tenfold to about 0.1 percent of GDP. Meanwhile, China’s research intensity (GDP expenditures on R&D) has increased by 500 percent since 1996– if this trend continues, China will soon surpass the U.S. in investment in science.
The American Innovation Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).
The legislation has earned the endorsement of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Association of American Universities; American Mathematical Society; Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities; Council on Undergraduate Research, Institute for Progress; Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation; American Physical Society; Federation of American Scientists; American Geophysical Union; and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Matheson, Associate Professor in Public Health and Policy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Governments like to boast that “data-driven” policies are the best way to make fair, efficient decisions. They collect statistics, set targets and adjust strategies to suit.
But while data can be useful, it’s not neutral. There are biases and blind spots in the systems that produce the data. Worse, data often lacks the depth, context and responsiveness needed to drive real-world change.
The real questions are about who decides which data matter, how it’s interpreted – and what the change based on the data might look like.
Take the Social Investment Agency, for example. One of New Zealand’s best-known data-driven initiatives, it was established to improve the efficiency of social services using data and predictive analytics to identify individuals and families most at risk, directing funding accordingly.
The model is intended to guide early interventions and prevent long-term harm. And on paper, this appears to be a smart, targeted strategy. Yet it has also faced criticism over the risk of data-driven policies reducing individuals to measurable statistics, stripping away the complexity of lived experiences.
The result is that decision making remains centralised within government agencies rather than being shaped by the communities most affected.
What data can’t tell us
The Social Investment Agency also relies on Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure, a database of anonymised administrative information. While a rich source for longitudinal research and policy development, this too has limitations.
It relies heavily on government-collected data, which may embed systemic bias and fail to represent communities accurately. Without accounting for context, some populations may be underrepresented or misrepresented, leading to skewed insights and misguided policy recommendations.
This kind of data is completely separate from the lived reality of the people the data describes. Māori in particular have been concerned about a lack community ownership and that the Integrated Data Infrastructure does not currently align with their own data sovereignty aspirations.
Given this greater likelihood of misrepresentation, Māori and Pasifika communities worry that data-driven funding models, on their own, fail to account for more holistic, whānau-centered approaches.
For instance, a predictive algorithm might flag a child as “at risk” based on socioeconomic indicators. But it would fail to also measure protective factors such as strong cultural connections, intergenerational knowledge and community leadership.
This is where the kaupapa Māori initiative Whānau Ora provides an alternative model. Instead of viewing individuals in isolation, it prioritises the needs of families to provide tailored housing, education, health and employment support.
A Whānau Ora COVID vaccination campaign in 2021 funded Māori health providers to reach at-risk communities in the North Island. Getty Images
Change from the ground up
Funded by Te Puni Kōkiri/Ministry of Māori Development, Whānau Ora has been criticised in the past for the lack of measurable outputs data-driven systems can offer. But research has also shown community-led models produce better long-term outcomes than traditional, top-down, data-driven welfare and service delivery models.
A 2018 review found Whānau Ora strengthened family resilience, improved employment outcomes and increased educational engagement – for example, through supporting whānau into their own businesses and off social assistance.
Whānau Ora’s work strengthening community networks and building self-determination migh be harder to measure using standard metrics, but it has long-term economic and social benefits.
Similarly, data-driven approaches to disease prevention can fall short. While governments might rely on obesity rates or physical activity levels to shape interventions, these blunt measurements fail to capture the deeper social and economic factors that affect health.
Too often, strategies target individual behaviours – calorie counting, exercise tracking – assuming better data leads to better choices. But we know local conditions, including what financial and community resources are available, matter much more.
An example of this in action is Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora’s Healthy Families NZ division. With teams in ten communities around the country, it works to create local change to improve health.
Instead of simply telling people to eat better and exercise more, it has supported community action to reshape local environments so healthier choices become easier to make.
In South Auckland, for example, Healthy Families NZ has worked with local businesses to improve access to fresh, affordable food. In Invercargill, it has helped transform urban planning policies to expand green spaces for physical activity.
Data in perspective
Such initiatives recognise health is about more than just individuals. It is a shared outcome that results from systemic processes. Data-driven approaches by themselves struggle to capture these less measurable pathways and relationships.
That is not to say government-led, data-driven methods don’t often diagnose the problem correctly – just that they frequently fail to provide solutions that empower communities to make lasting change.
Rather than over-relying on data analytics to dictate funding, or on national health targets to guide the system, cross-sector and place-based initiatives such as Whānau Ora and Healthy Families NZ can teach us a lot about what works in the real world.
Data will always have an important role to play in shaping policy, but this requires a broader perspective. Data offers a tool for communities, not a substitute for their leadership and voice. Real system change happens when we fundamentally rethink how change happens, and who leads that change in the first place.
Anna Matheson has been leading the evaluation of Healthy Families NZ which is funded by Health New Zealand.
Baltimore, Maryland– Today, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Idrissa Bagayoko, 59, of New York, New York, to one year of supervised release with three months of home confinement and restitution in the amount of $5,640, for illegally transporting and selling an unregistered toxic pesticide, SNIPER DDVP.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; and Chief Carolyn Rogers, Elkton Police Department (EPD).
In November 2024, after a four-day trial, a federal jury found Bagayoko guilty of recklessly transporting a dangerous probable carcinogen, the unregistered pesticide known as SNIPER DDVP, without proper documentation and knowingly selling SNIPER DDVP in Maryland. Bagayoko was convicted under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Hazardous Material Transportation Act.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 29, 2021, Bagayoko drove from New York to Maryland and sold two boxes of the unregistered pesticide SNIPER DDVP to an individual. He was later stopped by police in Elkton, Maryland, with 18 additional boxes of SNIPER DDVP. Bagayoko, who owns and operates Maliba Trading LLC, procured a total of 1,920 bottles of SNIPER DDVP and drove from New York to Maryland to sell the illegal pesticide.
Laboratory testing revealed Bagayoko was transporting SNIPER DDVP containing the chemical dichlorvos, which has been classified by the federal government as a probable human carcinogen. The defendant transported more than 330 pounds of dichlorvos, without requisite shipping papers, which are required to alert first responders that they are dealing with a toxic chemical compound and probable carcinogen, in the event of an accident. He subsequently sold two boxes of this unregistered pesticide to a distributor in Takoma Park, Maryland.
“Illegally transporting and selling an illegal pesticide that is a known probable carcinogen puts public health at serious risk,” Hayes said. “The District of Maryland is committed to rooting out criminal actors that brazenly violate federal transportation and environmental laws while simultaneously putting Maryland’s first responders and residents in harm’s way.”
“The defendant illegally distributed, sold and transported a toxic pesticide across state lines and lied to local police, claiming he was only transporting tea,” Landsman said. “Today’s sentencing reflects the dangerous nature of illegal pesticides being transported and sold in the United States and the serious consequences that flagrant offenders face for this egregious conduct.”
“Recklessly transporting hazardous materials without proper documentation as required by federal regulations is illegal and poses a danger to the traveling public,” Thompson said. “Together with our federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to pursue individuals and companies that circumvent laws designed to safely move goods and products throughout the United States.”
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the EPA, DOT-OIG, and EPD for their help with the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Phillips and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kertisha Dixon and David Lastra who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md.
Spurring Innovation: Shapiro Administration Celebrates Historic Investment in GSK’s Growth in Pennsylvania
The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger highlighted Pennsylvania’s $21 million investment in GSK at a groundbreaking ceremony for the global biopharma company’s expansion. GSK’s $800 million project, announced by Governor Josh Shapiro in October, will create at least 200 new jobs and retain 4,622 employees while boosting the life sciences industry in the Commonwealth.
GSK is growing its R&D (research and development) and manufacturing footprint at its existing Lancaster County operation – building new facilities to manufacture lifesaving vaccines and medications. Currently, one in four Americans are administered a vaccine supplied from the company’s Marietta location, which will increase in size and capacity.
In addition to its historic expansion in Lancaster County, GSK will retain at least 4,622 jobs statewide and keep its U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia.
Speakers in Order: Matteo Leardini – Site Director, GSK Regis Simard – President Global Supply Chain, GSK Rudy Rosolen – Senior Vice President, Vaccines Manufacturing, GSK Rick Siger – Secretary, PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development (DCED)
It’s that time of year when flu vaccines are becoming available in Australia. You may have received an email from your GP clinic or a text message from your pharmacy telling you they’re in stock.
So far in 2025 in Australia, there have been more flu notifications compared to the same period in previous years.
Elsewhere, many northern hemisphere countries have reported intense flu activity during the 2024–25 winter season. This has included several deaths in children.
Although it’s difficult to make predictions about the intensity and timing of the upcoming flu season, it’s a good time to start thinking about vaccination.
Who should get vaccinated, and when?
In Australia, flu vaccines are available for everyone over the age of six months. Flu vaccines don’t work well in young infants, but they can be protected if their mothers are immunised during pregnancy.
The National Immunisation Program provides free vaccines for people at higher risk, including specific age groups (adults older than 65 and children between six months and five years), those with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
For healthy adults and children outside these groups, a flu vaccine costs around A$20–30. The vaccines are widely available at GPs and pharmacies, and through workplace programs.
Flu vaccines reduce the risk of GP presentation with influenza by around 30–60% and hospitalisation with influenza by about 50–70%.
There’s some evidence the protection from flu vaccines wanes over several months. Ideally, everyone would get vaccinated within a few months of the peak of the flu season. But in reality, we can’t easily predict when this will occur, and since the COVID pandemic, flu seasons have arrived unusually early in the year. So, some time in the next month or so is a good time to get vaccinated.
In general, flu vaccines can be given at the same time as most other vaccines, including COVID vaccines, but check with your vaccination provider about whether this is appropriate for you.
Influenza vaccines are regarded as safe. While some people may get a sore arm or fever, these symptoms are usually mild and short lived. Serious side effects, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, are rare, and are thought to be less common than after influenza infection.
Why do we need a flu vaccine every year?
Influenza is a difficult virus to make vaccines for, as the virus changes frequently, and vaccines generally only provide protection against a limited range of strains. Some studies suggest mutations in the influenza virus are 20 times more common than with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.
This means, each year, experts need to predict the likely circulating strains in the next season, so vaccines can be manufactured in preparation.
The World Health Organization coordinates two meetings each year – in February to decide on vaccine strains for the following northern hemisphere season, and around September for the southern hemisphere.
Although all current influenza vaccines contain strains from four influenza subtypes (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B Victoria and B Yamagata), one of the strains appears to have disappeared during the pandemic. So next year’s vaccines will probably drop the B Yamagata strain.
Seasonal flu vaccines don’t provide protection against avian influenza (bird flu) strains, but vaccination is still recommended for people who may be at risk of bird flu, such as poultry workers. This is to reduce the chance that a new virus could result from the combination of both seasonal and avian influenza strains.
Which vaccines are available?
There are a variety of vaccines you may be offered when you book in or turn up for a flu vaccine.
Over the past few years, new types of vaccines have been developed. Some of these attempt to improve the body’s immune response to vaccines. For example, Fluad Quad contains an adjuvant called MF59, an additional substance designed to attract immune cells to the site of vaccination.
Other vaccines, such as Fluzone High-Dose, use a larger dose of the vaccine strains to improve the immune response. These vaccines are recommended for older people, as immune responses tend to decline with age.
Certain vaccines use alternative production methods to try to improve the match between vaccine strains and the circulating strains. Standard flu vaccines are produced using influenza viruses grown in chicken eggs. One weakness of this method is that viral mutations can occur during the production process, known as “egg adaptation”. During some of the seasons between 2014 and 2019, this was shown to reduce the effectiveness of flu vaccines.
The avoid this issue, cell-based vaccines, such as Flucelvax Quad, use influenza vaccine strains grown in mammalian cells rather than eggs.
Flu vaccines are free for certain vulnerable groups, such as children under five. SeventyFour/Shutterstock
The key takeaways are:
older people are recommended to receive an enhanced vaccine (Fluad Quad for >65 years or Fluzone High-Dose for >60 years), with Fluad Quad provided free under the National Immunisation Program
other people are recommended to receive a standard vaccine (egg-based or cell-based), with vaccines provided free for high-risk groups and children between six months and five years.
Looking to the future
There are several new flu vaccines currently under development. Recombinant vaccines, such as Flublok, use insect cells to produce a specific component of the virus.
With the success of mRNA vaccines for COVID, there is interest in using a similar process for influenza. In theory, this could shorten the time to develop vaccines, for both seasonal influenza and pandemic influenza.
There’s also interest in combination vaccines – for example, a single shot could provide protection against both COVID and the flu.
The “holy grail” of influenza vaccines is one that could provide long-lasting protection against many different strains. Although we’re not there yet, you’re at lower risk of influenza and its complications if you get a flu shot.
Allen Cheng is a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. He receives funding from the Australian Department of Health and the National Health and Medical Research Council.
The pandemic amplified existing fractures and inequities in New Zealand and elsewhere. It also revealed new fissures in society.
The early effects of the pandemic were clear. There were lockdowns, economic downturns, disrupted education and public health challenges. But as the country moves further into the post-pandemic era, the true consequences of the government’s emergency measures have become more evident.
Work became flexible – for some
The shift to flexible work has improved work-life balance and productivity for some.
But its impact has been uneven. Many remote workers, especially parents, have reported worsened mental health due to social isolation and blurred work-life boundaries.
Working from home can also lead to overwork and stress. The lack of in-person environments has hindered on-the-job training, particularly for younger employees. Managers have also struggled with monitoring performance and building team culture.
The pandemic fundamentally changed how New Zealanders work, shop, study and interact with each other. Lakeview Images/Shutterstock
Shopping shifted online
The pandemic shifted consumer behaviour towards increased online spending. Small and medium-sized businesses rapidly adapted by launching online platforms or boosting their digital presence.
This digital shift helped many businesses survive during lockdowns. But it also created a competitive landscape that favoured those who could invest in a strong online presence.
These measures were essential in maintaining economic stability, given the pandemic and pandemic-related policies. But this persistent stimulus injected cash into a country already struggling with efficiency and productivity.
What made things worse was that this fiscal stimulus was debt-financed, raising questions about whether it was fiscally sustainable.
In the post-pandemic period, policymakers have faced the delicate task of balancing economic recovery with the need to reduce debt levels over time. This requires careful adjustments, either via tax increases or reductions in spending.
The government has actively sought to reduce spending, especially on low-value programs (such as cutting contractor and consultant spending) and non-essential spending (for example, cuts to public sector back-office functions). It’s also targeted “fiscal adjustments”, such as delaying or phasing some infrastructure projects or adjusting the timing of capital expenditure. Overall, their policy-mix appears to be right for the current economic environment.
In the long-run, the high debt levels may limit the government’s ability to respond to future crises or invest in other critical areas such as infrastructure, education and healthcare.
The need to manage inflation and debt simultaneously has necessitated difficult trade-offs. This could potentially influence future government priorities and policy decisions.
In March 2020, New Zealand entered its first lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Five years on, the country is still feeling the effect of the former government’s policies. Mark Mitchell/Getty Images
Falling trust in institutions
The pandemic highlighted the importance of trust in government, science and media. Early on, New Zealanders supported the government’s measures, benefiting from high levels of trust in politicians, scientists and journalists.
However, with prolonged lockdowns in cities such as Auckland and the imposition of vaccine mandates, cracks began to appear in this trust. This contributed to resistance against some policies, even non-COVID related ones, and an erosion of trust.
This erosion of trust has far-reaching consequences. For example, we have already seen a drop in childhood immunisation rates with concerns about measles and other preventable diseases resurfacing.
This distrust can have long-term implications for future policy responses across various sectors, potentially affecting areas such as public health, economic growth, trade and social cohesion.
Risks of entrenching inequality
The long-term impact of COVID-19 policies on inequalities in education, unemployment and health, to name a few, is likely to persist well beyond the immediate recovery.
In education, the shift to online learning during the lockdowns exposed deep inequalities in access to technology, digital literacy and home learning environments, particularly for lower-income students. Over time, these disparities could affect future career opportunities and limit social mobility for marginalised groups.
The shift towards more digital and remote work models may further disadvantage those that don’t have the skills or resources to participate in these new economies, entrenching existing inequality.
Given that socioeconomic status is an important determinate of health outcomes, the former effects could result in increased physical and mental health inequalities in the long-run.
The long tail of the pandemic
In essence, the pandemic has amplified existing vulnerabilities. But it has also revealed emerging fissures between those who have the capacity to adapt to the new digital world, and those that don’t.
It is not enough for New Zealand to simply move on from the pandemic-era policies. Policymakers need to address the consequences of both COVID-19 and the decisions made in responses to the health emergency.
At an economic level, the government needs to embrace policies that will increase the productivity and efficiency of the economy.
But five years on from the pandemic, it is clear that rebuilding trust in institutions is vital. Clear communication, transparency and true expert involvement will help restore public confidence – helping the country to truly move on from the global pandemic.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to limit judges’ power to issue what legal experts call ‘nationwide preliminary injunctions.’Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
When presidents try to make big changes through executive orders, they often hit a roadblock: A single federal judge, whether located in Seattle or Miami or anywhere in between, can stop these policies across the entire country.
These court orders have increasingly become a political battleground, increasingly sought by both Republicans and Democrats to fight presidential policies they oppose.
This explains why the Trump administration recently asked the Supreme Court to limit judges’ power to issue what legal experts call “nationwide preliminary injunctions.” Congress also held hearings on curtailing judges’ ability to issue the injunctions.
But what exactly are these injunctions, and why do they matter to everyday Americans?
Immediate, irreparable harm
When the government creates a policy that might violate the Constitution or federal law, affected people can sue in federal court to stop it. While these lawsuits work their way through the courts – a process that often takes years – judges can issue what are called “preliminary injunctions” to temporarily pause the policy if they determine it might cause immediate, irreparable harm.
A “nationwide” injunction – sometimes called a “universal” injunction – goes further by stopping the policy for everyone across the country, not just for the people who filed the lawsuit.
Importantly, these injunctions are designed to be temporary. They merely preserve the status quo until courts can fully examine the case’s merits. But in practice, litigation proceeds so slowly that executive actions blocked by the courts often expire when successor administrations abandon the policies.
Legislation introduced by GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley would ban judges from issuing most nationwide injunctions. Sen. Chuck Grassley office
More executive orders, more injunctions
Nationwide injunctions aren’t new, but several things have made them more contentious recently.
Second, lawyers who want to challenge these orders have gotten better at “judge shopping” – filing cases in districts where they’re likely to get judges who agree with their client’s views.
Third, with growing political division, both parties aim to use these injunctions more aggressively whenever the other party controls the White House.
Affecting real people
These legal fights have tangible consequences for millions of Americans.
Take DACA, the common name for the program formally called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects about 500,000 young immigrants from deportation. For more than 10 years, these young immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” have faced constant uncertainty.
That’s because, when President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012 and sought to expand it via executive order in 2015, a Texas judge blocked the expansion with a nationwide injunction. When Trump tried to end DACA, judges in California, New York and Washington, D.C. blocked that move. The program, and the legal challenges to it, continued under President Joe Biden. Now, the second Trump administration faces continued legal challenges over the constitutionality of the DACA program.
More recently, judges have used nationwide injunctions to block several Donald Trump policies. Three different courts stopped the president’s attempt to deny citizenship to babies born to mothers who lack legal permanent residency in the United States. Judges have also temporarily blocked Trump’s efforts to ban transgender people from serving in the military and to freeze some federal funding for a variety of programs.
While much of the current debate focuses on presidential policies, nationwide injunctions have also blocked congressional legislation.
In early 2025, the Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect, but the Trump administration announced it simply wouldn’t enforce it – showing how these legal battles can become political power struggles.
A polarized Congress rarely passes major legislation anymore, so presidents – including Donald Trump – have relied on executive orders to get things done. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Too much power or necessary protection?
Some critics say nationwide injunctions give too much power to a single judge. If lawyers can pick which judges hear their cases, this raises serious questions about fairness.
Supporters argue that these injunctions protect important rights. For example, without nationwide injunctions in the citizenship cases, babies born to mothers without legal permanent residency would be American citizens in some states but not others – an impossible situation.
Congress is considering legislation to limit judges’ ability to grant nationwide injunctions.
The Trump administration has also tried to make it expensive and difficult to challenge its policies in court. In March 2025, Trump ordered government lawyers to demand large cash deposits – called “security bonds” – from anyone seeking an injunction. Though these bonds are already part of existing court rules, judges usually set them at just a few hundred dollars or waive them entirely when people raise constitutional concerns.
Under the new policy, critics worry that “plaintiffs who sue the government could be forced to put up enormous sums of money in order to proceed with their cases.”
Another way to address the concerns about a single judge blocking government action would be to require a three-judge panel to hear cases involving nationwide injunctions, requiring at least two of them to agree. This is similar to how courts handled major civil rights cases in the 1950s and 1960s.
My research on this topic suggests that three judges working together would be less likely to make partisan decisions, while still being able to protect constitutional rights when necessary. Today’s technology also makes it easier for judges in different locations to work together than it was decades ago.
As the Supreme Court weighs in on this debate, the outcome will affect how presidents can implement policies and how much power individual judges have to stop them. Though it might seem like a technical legal issue, it will shape how government works for years to come – as well as the lives of those who live in the U.S.
Cassandra Burke Robertson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The current socio-political environment has created a context where conspiracy narratives about COVID-19, vaccines, election fraud and other misinformation appear to be flourishing everywhere.(Shutterstock)
If you’re in a relationship with someone who believes in a conspiracy theory, you might find yourself feeling like you don’t know the person you’re in a relationship with anymore. And you might be thinking about whether things will get better or wondering if you should leave them.
The World Health Organization has declared we are living in an infodemic, where misinformation is spreading like an infectious disease. A Leger opinion poll conducted in November 2023 found that nearly 80 per cent of Canadian respondents and almost 85 per cent of Americans believed at least one conspiracy theory.
While older adults often struggle to detect online misinformation, the poll found people between the ages of 18 and 34 were also likely to believe some conspiracies. Recent research has also found youth aged 13-17 are more susceptible to misinformation than adults.
The current socio-political environment has created a context where conspiracy narratives about COVID-19, vaccines, election fraud and other misinformation appear to be flourishing everywhere. However, there are steps you can take if you see your partner going down a conspiratorial rabbit hole.
No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.
Conspiracy theories refer to beliefs relating to secret plots orchestrated by groups who are considered to hold power and have bad intentions. Misinformation refers to information that contradicts the best expert evidence available at the time. Lastly, political polarization describes ideological conflict between two (or more) opposing groups. Political polarization can create antipathy and prejudice among groups that don’t agree with one another.
One of the authors of this article, Kara Fletcher, is a couples and family therapist. In her practice, she has noticed an increase in clients sharing their confusion and hopelessness at their partner’s gradual adoption of conspiracy theories and misinformation. They’ve shared that their partners’ viewpoints initially became more conservative and then escalated into believing misinformation and conspiracy theories over time.
Clients have reported that their romantic partner has started to follow movements like QAnon, a far-right American political conspiracy theory. Or, more insidious and less obvious initially, their partners have started to consume podcasts like Infowars, Joe Rogan’s podcast or conservative websites like the Daily Wire. These podcasts and news sites have all come under scrutiny for spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Our research team has undertaken multiple projects to better understand the impact of misinformation and conspiracy theories on couple well-being. While existing research is slim, there is some evidence of relationship disruption and harm.
We are currently conducting a scoping review of studies assessing the impact of QAnon involvement on interpersonal relationships. Participants in one research study described QAnon as a “malignant force in their relationship” which caused distance and distress. Participants however, reported a desire to understand their loved one and attempt to heal the relationship.
Similarly, emerging research also indicates that loved ones experienced emotional distress and a negative impact on their relationship since their “QPerson” started following the beliefs of QAnon. Anecdotally, the Reddit forum QAnonCasualties has more than 280,000 members.
A Leger opinion poll conducted in November 2023 found that nearly 80 per cent of Canadian respondents believed at least one conspiracy theory. (Shutterstock)
What you can do
So, what can you do if you just don’t recognize your romantic partner anymore? If this sounds like a familiar experience for you, or someone you love, here are a few tips to try:
Keep your feet on the grass. Stay connected to family and friends. Living with or dating someone who espouses conspiracy beliefs and misinformation can be confusing and disorienting. You may start to question your own belief system when your partner is so convinced of theirs. Maintain your social supports and relationships outside of your romantic relationship. This will help keep you connected with other viewpoints and ideas and ground you.
Model and maintain a healthy social media and news diet. If your partner is only listening to far-right news sources, put on the radio, leave a newspaper on the table. Expose them gently to a wide range of ideas, while maintaining your own exposure to legitimate news sources.
Try not to shame and blame. Emotional arguments do not work and may cause the opposite intended effect. Your partner may feel that you are unsupportive and judgmental and not understand your well-intentioned concern. Individuals who feel judged for their beliefs may double down on adherence to those beliefs while under pressure.
Prevention. Where possible, encourage and practise critical thinking skills. One study found that teaching critical thinking to college students for a period of three months lowered students’ beliefs in conspiracy theories. Teaching critical thinking appears to be the best inoculation against adopting conspiracy theories and misinformation.
Get support if needed. You may love your partner deeply but find navigating this situation alone to be too much. You can speak to a therapist or connect with supports such as the Evolve Program and Life After Hate.
As our research develops, we hope to offer support that will bring couples with these experiences together to find solutions for their divergent belief systems and experiences.
Kara Fletcher receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.
Carlos Alberto Rosas-Jiménez and Jiaxing Li do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Trump administration laid off thousands more employees at the CDC on April 1, 2025, as part of its workforce reduction.Anadolu/Getty Images
The job of director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention carries immense responsibility for shaping health policies, responding to crises and maintaining trust in public health institutions.
As a teaching professor and public health educator, I appreciate the importance of evidence-based public health practice and the CDC director’s role in advancing public health science, disease surveillance and response and a host of other functions that are essential to public health.
But in March, Trump withdrew Weldon’s nomination less than an hour before his confirmation hearing was set to begin, after several Republicans in Congress relayed that they would not support his appointment.
The CDC relies on its director to provide scientific leadership, shape policy responses and guide the agency’s extensive workforce in addressing emerging health threats.
Prior to January, the CDC director was appointed directly by the president. The position did not require Senate confirmation, unlike the other HHS director positions. The selection was primarily an executive decision, although it was often influenced by political, public health and scientific considerations. But as of Jan. 20, changes approved in the 2022 omnibus budget require Senate confirmation for incoming CDC directors.
In the past, the appointed individual was typically a highly respected figure in public health, epidemiology or infectious disease, with experience leading large organizations, shaping policy and responding to public health emergencies. Public health policy experts expect that requiring Senate confirmation will enhance the esteem associated with the position and lend weight to the person who ultimately steps into the role. Yet, some have expressed concern that the position could become increasingly politicized.
Prior to stepping into this role, she had been serving as deputy director for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, since January 2023, a newer initiative established in 2022 through a US$1 billion appropriation from Congress to advance biomedical research.
Monarez has not yet laid out her plans, but she will no doubt have a challenging role, balancing the interests of public health with political pressures.
Reactions to her nomination
Reactions to Monarez’s nomination among health professionals have been mostly positive. For instance, Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, remarked that he appreciates that she is an active researcher who respects science.
While some have commented on the fact that she is the first nonphysician to head the agency in decades, that may actually be an advantage. The CDC’s primary functions are in scientific research and applying that research to improve public health. Doctoral scientists receive significantly more training in conducting research than medical doctors, whose training rightly prioritizes clinical practice, with many medical schools providing no training in research at all. Monarez’s qualifications are well-aligned with the requirements of the director role.
Now, in 2025, the U.S. is again at a time of change, with the advent of powerful technologies that will affect public health in still unforeseeable ways. New and emerging infectious diseases, like measles, COVID-19 and Ebola, are sparking outbreaks that can spread quickly in population-dense cities.
All these factors pose real threats to health in the U.S. and globally.
The next CDC director will undoubtedly play a key role in how these changes play out, both at home and abroad.
This story is part of a series of profiles of Cabinet and high-level administration positions.
Jordan Miller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Tattoos of crowns and roses are popular among everyone – not just members of Tren de Aragua, as law enforcement has claimed. Marc Atkins/Getty Images
The United States deported 238 Venezuelan men on three flights to El Salvador on March 15, 2025, claiming that they were members of the Tren de Aragua gang that originated in Venezuela.
A lawyer for Jerce Reyes Barrios, a professional soccer player who is among the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador, says the government detained and deported her client because he has a tattoo of a soccer ball with a crown on top, which resembles the logo of his favorite soccer team, Real Madrid. The tattoo and a photograph of Barrios making a hand sign that means “I love you” in sign language are the only two pieces of evidence the government has presented of his gang ties, according to the lawyer.
Meanwhile, deported Venezuelan makeup artist Andry José Hernández Romero has a tattoo of a crown on each wrist, one with “Dad” and one with “Mom” written next to each crown. Immigration authorities indicated in his file that these tattoos were “determining factors to conclude reasonable suspicion” of his membership in the Tren de Aragua gang. Some government sources list crowns as a tattoo common for Tren de Aragua members, but other government sources cast doubt on that claim.
The tattoos on the wrists of Andry José Hernández Romero, who says he was wrongly identified as a gang member by the Trump administration. David Alandete/X
Whether or not the Trump administration used tattoos as a sole criteria for deportation, I’ve found in my own research that simply using tattoos as any sort of criteria can lead law enforcement astray.
In 2023, I analyzed the reliability of tattoos as markers of gang membership in the Washington Law Review.
The bottom line: While many people in gangs have tattoos that demonstrate their membership, many people who have absolutely no gang ties also get similar tattoos.
There are some types of tattoos that can be especially misleading.
Geographic origins
In 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Daniel Ramirez Medina, who was lawfully in the United States under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. The government attempted to strip his status and deport him, claiming he was a gang member due to a tattoo that read “La Paz BCS.” La Paz is the capital of the Mexican state Baja California Sur, which is abbreviated “BCS.” The only evidence of gang membership that ICE agents presented in immigration court was this tattoo.
But they overlooked the fact that tattoos depicting the names or area codes of hometowns or countries of origin are a common way for people to honor where they came from.
This is particularly the case for people who migrate or move away from their homelands. For example, tattoos of “503” and “504” – the country codes used to dial El Salvador and Honduras, respectively – have been relied upon to allege gang membership, even as many people who have these tattoos deny any gang ties and have no criminal records. Law enforcement has also relied on tattoos of the words “Mexican,” “Chicano” or “Brown Pride” as evidence of gang membership.
Some gangs, such as the Mexican Mafia, include a reference to nationality in the name of the gang. And in the U.S., street gangs are often based in specific neighborhoods, with many gangs incorporating the city or street where they’re based into gang names and associated tattoos. For this reason, tattoos celebrating a city or country can only lead to confusion.
Tattoos of Mayan or Aztec images have also been used to designate people as gang members, even though these tattoos are clear expressions of cultural identity and do not necessarily have any nexus to gang membership. While some gangs do use specific Aztec symbols to identify members, it’s virtually impossible to distinguish a tattoo of cultural or geographic significance from a tattoo indicating gang association.
In the case of Medina, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, a George W. Bush appointee, ordered that his DACA status remain in place and that he be protected from deportation because ICE’s “conclusory findings” that he was a gang member were “contradicted by experts and other evidence.” Furthermore, an immigration judge who reviewed all the evidence had already concluded that he was not in a gang.
Martinez was clearly disturbed by ICE’s claims, writing, “Most troubling to the Court is the continued assertion that Mr. Ramirez is gang-affiliated, despite providing no evidence specific to Mr. Ramirez to the Immigration Court in connection with his administrative proceedings, and offering no evidence to this Court to support its assertions four months later.”
Religious imagery and pop culture
Tattoos of popular Catholic religious images, such as the Virgin of Guadalupe, praying hands and rosaries, have also been used to label people as gang members, a move that would seem to be clearly overbroad.
While some gang members may be Catholic, no one would even try to allege that all Catholics are gang members. At least one of the deported Venezuelan men had a tattoo of a rosary, along with tattoos of a clock and the names of his mother and niece with crowns atop the text.
Tattoos have also become an important way for people to celebrate popular culture. Tattoos of a woman’s lips, for example, have become popular among gang members and non-gang members alike. A number of professional athletes, including soccer phenom Lionel Messi, have tattoos of their partner’s lips. However, this is also a tattoo law enforcement uses to categorize people as gang members.
The issue, of course, is that these symbols are also popular among people with no connection to the gang.
Imprecise methodology
Understanding the problem really comes down to math. While it may be true that many gang members have tattoos of the images listed above, it is also true that many non-gang members have similar tattoos.
The Bayesian mathematical approach involves making inferences about probabilities based on available information. The probability that a gang member has a certain tattoo isn’t the same as the probability that an individual who has a certain tattoo is a gang member.
The U.S. government seems to be wrongfully equating the two.
Writing about the broader problems of discerning gang membership in 2009, sociologist David Kennedy argued that the law’s inability to devise rules “that clearly distinguish a gang and a football team, or a gang member and his mother” suggests that taking “legal action, based on imprecise language [is] something of a problem.”
This problem becomes magnified when there’s no due process for the accused – which is exactly what happened to the Venezuelan men whisked off to El Salvador.
The air in Kamrangirchar hangs thick with dust and rings with the clang of machinery. Located in Bangladesh, southeast Asia, just across the river from Dhaka’s towering skyline, this four-square-kilometre enclave is a world unto itself. Here, in the labyrinth of makeshift factories, hundreds of thousands of people labour in the shadows.
“It’s like people are born, live, and die here without ever seeing Dhaka,” says Masud Kaiser, an Médecins Sans Fropntières (MSF) health educator who grew up in Kamrangirchar. “This [place] is a gateway to a new life for many, a chance to escape rural poverty. But the cost is often unbearably high.”
Occupational healthcare
Behind the blue gates and down narrow, alleys, a hidden world of sweatshops thrives. Over 10,000 unregulated factories — crammed into basements, perched on rooftops, squeezed into single rooms — churn out goods for the domestic market. Men, women, and even children endure gruelling hours in hazardous conditions, their families their only safety net when illness or injury strikes.
Hanif has spent a decade in a metal cabinet factory, his hands calloused and scarred. “If I get sick, I don’t get paid, but I keep my job,” he says. Like many, he’s paid by piece rate, his income fluctuating with his output. A bad injury can devastate his family, plunging them into deeper poverty.
“Every time I have gone to MSF’s clinic and received care there, it has been very good because you get help quickly, and it doesn’t cost anything,” says Hanif.
Our clinic opened in 2009, initially addressing the rampant malnutrition among children and evolving to tackle the most pressing needs: occupational health, sexual and reproductive health, and support for survivors of gender-based violence.
“The difference between the formal and informal sectors in Bangladesh is like heaven and hell,” explains Gayathrie Sadacharamani, MSF’s medical activity manager. “Here, there’s no oversight. Workers are worn out and discarded, their labour fuelling a system that often disregards their basic human dignity.”
The impact is far-reaching, rippling through families and communities. Housna Ara sews tunics for ten hours a day, her body aching, her eyes burning. “I have to work, or we won’t eat,” she says. Her fading eyesight, a direct consequence of her work, threatens her livelihood.
MSF staff member prepares a vaccination for a factory worker in Kamrangirchar. Bangladesh, January 2025.MSF
Children, too, are trapped in this relentless cycle. Robin, 15, and his 13-year-old brother are the sole breadwinners for their family, their childhoods stolen by necessity. Suma, also 15, works twelve-hour days in a textile factory, her dreams of school and a better life overshadowed by the immediate need to survive.
Our clinic was nestled in the heart of Kamrangirchar. From first aid training to vaccinations and mental health support, it addressed the multifaceted needs of the community, understanding that health is inextricably linked to economic stability and social well-being.
“In the last ten years, we provided occupational health services to about 77,000 workers in Kamrangirchar, of which 53 per cent were men and 47 per cent were women, and we provided occupational health services to more than 10,000 children,” says Dewan Muhammad Miskatul Mishnad, an MSF occupational health doctor.
Care for sexual and gender-based violence
The clinic provided care to women in Kamrangirchar facing the hardship of sexual and gender-based violence. Initially, reaching these women meant overcoming stigmas and actively seeking them out in their homes and workplaces.
“We’ve witnessed a profound shift in the community’s awareness and willingness to seek help,” Gazi Farzana Srabony, mental health activity manager in Kamrangirchar. “At the end, women came to us on their own, often secretly, driven by desperation and the hope they see in their neighbours who have received our care. They would say, ‘I came here because I can’t tell my family’.”
“We’ve seen firsthand the impact of accessible services; and we are hopeful that other organisations will continue to build on what we’ve started,” says Srabony.
MSF’s outreach team in Kamrangirchar visiting door-to-door to share health messages to the community. Bangladesh, September 2024.Farah Tanjee/MSF
More support is needed
The challenges in Kamrangirchar are immense. The sheer number of factories, the continuous influx of new labourers, and systemic issues mean that the impact of MSF’s interventions, while valuable, was limited in scale. We provided essential support, like first aid and safety training, which offered crucial relief in a community where survival is a daily struggle. As we hand over this programme, local organisations and authorities plan to do their best to ensure that workers continue to receive necessary medical care.
Due to a global review and financial reprioritisation, after more than a decade working in partnership with the community in Kamrangirchar, by the end of March 2025, MSF handed over our Kamrangirchar projects.
In Kamrangirchar, MSF provided medical services through clinics in Ali Nagar and Madbor Bazar, supported the 31-bed government hospital with staff and resources, and conducted outreach to improve healthcare access and occupational health awareness in local factories.
Elsewhere in Bangladesh, MSF remains present in the Cox’s Bazar district which hosts Rohingya refugees who have fled targeted violence in neighbouring Myanmar’s Rakhine state since 1978. More than 1 million Rohingya are estimated to live in the confined camps of Cox’s Bazar district, where they arrived after fleeing violence in Myanmar. This includes the more than 60,000 people estimated to have arrived since January 2024, after renewed clashes between armed groups in Myanmar.
Our current intervention in Cox’s Bazar started in 2009, when Kutupalong field hospital was established to serve both refugees and the local community. In August 2017, we scaled up activities and now run nine health facilities across Cox’s Bazar district, including three hospitals, three health centres and two specialised clinics.
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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed “Fastrack”, “Greenlane”, “Lightshadow” and “Twilight”, for three consecutive days from March 31 to yesterday (April 2). A total of 14 suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested.
During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD Task Force officers raided 55 target locations, including commercial buildings, massage parlours, residential buildings and restaurants. Fourteen suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised four men and 10 women, aged 34 to 59. Among them, three women were suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card. Two men, aged 35 and 67, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested.
An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”
The spokesman warned, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years. Under the prevailing laws, it is an offence to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.”
The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman reminded all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ami Bera (D-CA)
Today, the Congressional Doctors Caucus released the following statement condemning RFK Jr.’s proposed mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warning of devastating consequences for public health and safety.
“Eliminating 25% of HHS staff, including scientists and researchers, weakens our ability to combat disease outbreaks, ensure food and drug safety, and advance life-saving medical innovations. These cuts come as we are facing active threats to our public health, including a rapidly expanding measles outbreak and a deadly bird flu outbreak. Weakening these agencies at such a critical time threatens public health, slows medical innovation, and puts millions of American lives at risk. The American people deserve a government that protects them, not one that abandons them.”
Background
According to an HHS fact sheet, the 20,000 eliminated positions include:
3,500 FDA employees, reducing the agency’s capacity to review and approve life-saving medications, monitor food safety, and regulate medical devices.
2,400 CDC employees, with the agency’s role drastically narrowed to epidemic response, undermining efforts to prevent chronic diseases, track opioid overdoses, and address vaccine hesitancy.
The Congressional Doctors Caucus is calling for an immediate reversal of these dangerous layoffs and for the Republican leadership in Congress to take action to protect Americans’ public health.
Members of the caucus include:
Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) – Internal Medicine
Herb Conaway Jr., M.D. (NJ-03) – Internal Medicine
Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) – Pulmonary & Critical Care
Kelly Morrison, M.D. (MN-03) – Obstetrics & Gynecology
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California
Washington D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the Trump Administration’s reported decision to close the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 9 Office in San Francisco:
“The HHS Region 9 office in San Francisco directly serves the needs of millions of Americans in the Bay Area, the state of California and beyond. By closing our regional office, the Trump Administration would choose to put the health and safety of Bay Area residents and all Californians in jeopardy, gut vital public health initiatives like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and potentially axe hundreds of career civil servant jobs held by hardworking Californians.
“This shortsighted office closure would lead to critical service slowdowns for San Franciscans to get the resources they need and detrimental impacts to our public health response capabilities – all in the name of so-called ‘government efficiency.’ It is notable that this reported decision was made by the Trump Administration’s leading vaccine denialist, Secretary Kennedy, whose extreme views on public health are out of step with the vast majority of the American people.
“Make no mistake: the reported plans to restructure HHS and close the San Francisco regional office would directly harm our most vulnerable communities and make America sicker. In coordination with my colleagues in the Congress, I am examining all possible avenues to fight back against these irresponsible cuts – and I strongly urge the Administration to reconsider its plans to devalue the public health of our constituents.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)
Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Lois Frankel, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP); Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force; and Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in conjunction with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Assistant Leader Joe Neguse, and the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force, led an amicus brief joined by 202 House Democrats standing up to the blatant executive overreach and illegal dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump Administration in the matter of American Foreign Service Association, et al. v. Trump, et al.
As the House Leaders argued in their brief, the President’s directive blatantly violated Congress’s lawmaking and spending powers as explicitly outlined in Article I of the United States Constitution, by dismantling a federal agency authorized and repeatedly funded by acts of Congress. The unlawful shuttering of USAID undermines national security and causes irreparable harm to America’s global competitiveness.
“At less than one percent of our federal budget, U.S. foreign assistance strengthens national security, prevents pandemics, expands markets for American businesses and farmers, and promotes democracy worldwide,” said Ranking Member Frankel. “The Trump Administration’s reckless, secretive dismantling of USAID—without Congressional review or a public hearing, is dangerous and a violation of federal law that requires the involvement of Congress before any such moves.”
“Elon Musk didn’t establish USAID and he doesn’t have the power to destroy it,” said Ranking Member Raskin. “Trump and Musk’s lawless attempt to dismantle USAID is seriously dangerous. It would give free rein to authoritarian powers, like China and Russia, to spread their influence over the globe. For more than 40 years, USAID has stopped crises and epidemics from spreading to our shores by promoting stability and strong democracy around the world with humanitarian assistance, health programs and vaccines, water projects and economic development. House Democrats are joining the fight now to ensure Trump and Elon don’t plunge the world into more chaos and misery while trampling our Constitution.”
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s destruction and dismantling of USAID is not only disastrous foreign policy and counter to our national security interests; it is plainly illegal. Congress wrote a law establishing USAID as an independent agency with its own appropriation, and only Congress can eliminate it. I have met with USAID workers around the globe and they are patriotic, hardworking Americans promoting our interests abroad while aiding some of the most vulnerable people on this planet. I am honored to lead this brief and to stand with USAID workers,” said Ranking Member Meeks.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk are unlawfully dismantling the United States Agency for International Development. Decimating this critical agency is morally corrupt, weakens our national security and is wildly inconsistent with the United States Constitution. USAID was authorized by Congress, and only Congress has the power to close it. I am grateful to Rep. Greg Meeks, Rep. Lois Frankel and the Litigation Working Group for their leadership intervening in this urgent matter. House Democrats will continue to forcefully and successfully push back against the illegal actions of the Trump administration,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“House Democrats and the Litigation Task Force are working to vindicate the Constitution, and will not turn our heads to the Trump Administration’s illegal directives to gut agencies and programs proven to keep Americans safe. We will continue to ensure this president and this administration are held accountable to the rule of law,” saidAssistant Leader Neguse.
The amici curiae are lawmakers well-versed in the drafting of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998—which established USAID as an independent agency—and the recent Appropriations Acts. Their brief asserts that USAID is required to be funded as provided by statute and states that any unilateral attempts to dismantle the agency, such as efforts to “feed[]USAID to the wood chipper” and “[c]lose it down,” are prohibited by Article I of the Constitution, as recently reaffirmed by the Continuing Resolution enacted by Congressional Republicans on March 15, 2025.
The shuttering of USAID, including placing thousands of workers on leave and halting nearly all congressionally approved foreign aid, undermines a critical component of the federal government responsible for global stability and American security. For nearly 40 years, USAID has played a central role in preventing crises, fostering economic opportunities abroad, and mitigating the conditions that contribute to violent extremism and instability. Scaling back its work not only weakens these efforts but also creates a vacuum for global competitors like China, Russia, and Iran to expand their influence.
The Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) vaccine, also known as the 3 in 1 teenage booster which is offered to children in Year 9 and above. This booster is the last routine dose that provides young people with long lasting protection into adulthood.
The Meningococcal (Men ACWY) vaccination for children in Year 9 and above which helps protect young people against 4 types of meningococcal disease which can cause both meningitis and septicaemia.
The MMR vaccination, to provide long lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella for all school aged children who have missed doses.
Clinic will be held on Monday 14 April at Biz Space, Room 2, Planetary Road WV13 3SW from 10am to 2pm and on Saturday 26 April at Whitmore Reans Family Hub, Lansdowne Road WV1 4AL from 9.30am to 2pm. Appointments must be booked in advance by contacting Vaccination UK on 01902 200077.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “These vaccines offer the best protection for teenagers as they start their journey into adulthood and start mixing more widely – whether that’s going to college, starting work, travelling or going to festivals.
“So, if your child has missed out on their vaccinations, maybe because they were off school or are home educated, please come along to one of the catch up clinics being delivered by Vaccination UK over the coming weeks.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)
Firings affect divisions that respond to disease outbreaks, approve drugs, and provide health insurance coverage
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, the Congressional Doctors Caucus released the following statement condemning RFK Jr.’s proposed mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warning of devastating consequences for public health and safety.
“Eliminating 25% of HHS staff, including scientists and researchers, weakens our ability to combat disease outbreaks, ensure food and drug safety, and advance life-saving medical innovations. These cuts come as we are facing active threats to our public health, including a rapidly expanding measles outbreakand a deadly bird flu outbreak. Weakening these agencies at such a critical time threatens public health, slows medical innovation, and puts millions of American lives at risk. The American people deserve a government that protects them, not one that abandons them.”
Background
According to an HHSfact sheet, the 20,000 eliminated positionsinclude:
3,500 FDA employees, reducing the agency’s capacity to review and approve life-saving medications, monitor food safety, and regulate medical devices.
2,400 CDC employees, with the agency’s role drastically narrowed to epidemic response, undermining efforts to prevent chronic diseases, track opioid overdoses, and address vaccine hesitancy.
The Congressional Doctors Caucus is calling for an immediate reversal of these dangerous layoffs and for the Republican leadership in Congress to take action to protect Americans’ public health.
Other members of the caucus include:
Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) – Internal Medicine
Herb Conaway Jr., M.D. (NJ-03) – Internal Medicine
Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) – Pulmonary & Critical Care
Kelly Morrison, M.D. (MN-03) – Obstetrics & Gynecology
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today led all House Democrats from New Jersey in sending a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging him to reverse the Trump Administration’s decision to rescind $11.4 billion in federal public health funding—including $350 million allocated to New Jersey. Pallone’s letter was signed by NJ Representatives Menendez, Watson Coleman, Sherrill, Conaway, Pou, McIver, Gottheimer, and Norcross.
The lawmakers warned that the cuts would severely weaken New Jersey’s public health infrastructure, including efforts to prevent disease outbreaks, expand access to addiction and mental health treatment, and support a stable health care workforce. The funding, originally authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a critical lifeline for state and local health departments.
“If these cuts are allowed to proceed, the consequences will be severe and immediate. Health programs will be dismantled, services will be terminated midstream, and the burden of these cuts will fall disproportionately on low-income communities, seniors, and individuals struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. In addition, closing regional HHS offices and laying off thousands of public health professionals will weaken the federal government’s ability to respond to future health crises,” the delegation wrote.
New Jersey is already seeing the consequences of eroded public health protections. On March 28, the state Department of Health issued a warning that a person infected with measles may have exposed others at a Mercer County emergency room—one of hundreds of new cases reported nationwide this year. Measles, once declared eliminated in the U.S., is now back, fueled by anti-vaccine misinformation and public distrust sown by Donald Trump and Secretary Kennedy himself.
Pallone is the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal public health programs.
A full copy of Pallone’s letter is availablehereand below:
We write to express our deep concern and strong opposition to the recent decision to revoke $11.4 billion in federal funding for health programs across the United States, including $350 million in critical public health funding for New Jersey.[1]These cuts will have severe consequences for addiction treatment, mental health services, and infectious disease prevention in our state. We urge the Administration to reverse this decision and restore the funding to ensure the health and well-being of our communities.
These federal funds have been instrumental in strengthening our public health infrastructure, which was critically under-resourced before the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]Contrary to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) assertion that these funds were exclusively for pandemic-related responses, they are used for a wide range of essential health programs in New Jersey, including:
Infectious Disease Monitoring and Prevention: These funds have enabled state and local health departments to track and respond to outbreaks of flu, RSV, measles, tuberculosis, and bird flu. The sudden elimination of this funding will severely weaken our ability to monitor and contain infectious diseases, placing vulnerable populations at significant risk.
Mental Health and Addiction Treatment: At a time when opioid overdoses remain a leading cause of preventable death, New Jersey has used these funds to expand access to counseling, treatment, and harm reduction services. These efforts have contributed to a decrease in overdose deaths from 3,171 in 2022 to 2,816 in 2023[3]. Cutting these funds threatens to reverse this progress and exacerbate the opioid crisis.
Public Health Workforce and Infrastructure: The loss of $350 million in funding will likely lead to job losses within the New Jersey Department of Health, Department of Human Services, local health departments, and contracted health service providers. These cuts will not only impact employment but will also reduce the capacity of health professionals to respond to ongoing and emerging health threats.
These cuts are occurring alongside anticipated reductions in Medicaid funding and medical research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), further compounding the strain on New Jersey’s health care system. Medicaid provides critical health care access to low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.[4]Any reduction in funding will place an additional financial burden on hospitals and health care providers, forcing them to cut services or shift costs to state and local governments.
The Department of Health and Human Services has justified these cuts by stating that ”the COVID-19 pandemic is over.”[5]However, this funding has long since evolved and has been approved beyond pandemic response and become a cornerstone of public health programs that protect the most vulnerable and ensure public safety. The reality is that infectious disease outbreaks, mental health crises, and addiction epidemics are ongoing public health emergencies that require sustained investment.
If these cuts are allowed to proceed, the consequences will be severe and immediate. Health programs will be dismantled, services will be terminated midstream, and the burden of these cuts will fall disproportionately on low-income communities, seniors, and individuals struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. In addition, closing regional HHS offices and laying off thousands of public health professionals will weaken the federal government’s ability to respond to future health crises.[6]
We strongly urge you to reconsider this decision and reinstate this funding in full. Public health should not be a partisan issue—investments in health infrastructure save lives, reduce long-term health care costs, and ensure that states have the resources necessary to address ongoing and emerging health threats. New Jersey, like many other states, cannot afford to bear the consequences of these ill-advised cuts.
We hope you will recognize the critical need for this funding and take immediate action to reverse this decision. We stand ready to work together to ensure that all Americans have access to the health care services they need and deserve.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today slammed the Trump Administration’s decision to rip away $11 billion in public health funding — including $350 million already promised to New Jersey — calling it a “political stunt” that will endanger lives and destabilize the state’s health system.
“Trump is stealing $350 million in approved funding from New Jersey without warning at the height of a measles outbreak and devasting fentanyl overdoses,” Pallone said. “This isn’t just a political stunt. It’s lawless. These funds were already budgeted and, in many cases, spent by local health departments to keep vaccination clinics running, respond to outbreaks, and support addiction and mental health services. Stripping that money now means doctors go unpaid and critical care stops in its tracks. It’s a dangerous preview of what public health looks like under another Trump term — gutted on a whim, with no regard for the people who will suffer.”
The funding was originally authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic, but states like New Jersey had received federal approval to use the funds for other urgent public health needs. The Trump Administration’s abrupt move to claw the funding back blindsided state officials and puts essential health services at risk just as New Jersey confronts new disease threats and ongoing overdose spikes.
Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he’s working closely with Governor Phil Murphy and congressional leaders to pursue all available options to block the clawback and restore the funds.
“This fight is not over,” Pallone said. “We’re going to do everything we can to stop Trump from sabotaging New Jersey’s public health system.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Democrats across the country, as well as health care providers and advocates, are highlighting the negative impacts that face seniors, children, and working parents if the House Republican budget becomes law. Republicans’ budget sets up billions of dollars of cuts to Medicaid in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and large corporations.
“House Republicans are using their majority to serve their wealthy donors at the expense of working families, children, and seniors,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “The budget Republicans passed in February could cut Medicaid by as much as $880 billion, which would weaken a critical healthcare lifeline that over a million Minnesotans rely on.”
“Nearly 1.3 million Minnesotans—about one quarter of our state—rely on Medicaid,” said Congresswoman McCollum in a statement following a vote on the budget in February. “A cut of this magnitude would have severe consequences for our entire population. Here in the Fourth District, 54,000 Minnesotans rely on SNAP to put food on the table. 172,000 rely on Medicaid for healthcare access, including nearly 90,000 children on CHIP. The health and well-being of our communities are under attack by this Republican majority. I will continue to oppose all Republican efforts to take away food, healthcare, and basic government services that Minnesotans rely on.”
To highlight the importance of Medicaid to East Metro residents and Minnesotans living in every corner of the state, Congresswoman McCollum called upon leaders in healthcare, homecare, labor unions, and disability advocacy to share how Medicaid cuts would impact their work and harm Minnesotans who rely on Medical Assistance.
“Cutting federal Medicaid funding will have a significant impact on Minnesota children with complex medical conditions and disabilities,” said Barbara Joers, President and CEO of Gillette Children’s Hospital. “These children often rely on Medicaid for access to necessary healthcare services, therapies, medications, medical equipment, and home-based care. Cuts to Medicaid would result in reduced coverage, limited access to specialists, longer wait times for services, and decreased quality of care for these at-risk populations.”
Congresswoman McCollum visited President Joers at Gillette Children’s on Tuesday morning for a discussion on how Medicaid cuts could impact patients.
Click here to watch.
“Medicaid plays a crucial role in ensuring that every child has access to the quality healthcare they need,” said Dr. Marc Gorelick, President and CEO of Children’s Minnesota. “At Children’s Minnesota, we see firsthand the profound impact of Medicaid. Nearly half of the patients we serve rely on Medicaid, which helps set up kids for a lifetime of success by providing access to essential preventative care, such as check-ups and vaccines, and effective treatment for chronic conditions. This proactive approach prevents more serious health issues that ultimately cost society more in the long run. Cutting Medicaid threatens access to these essential services for the kids and families we serve. An investment in Medicaid is an investment in our children, and ultimately an investment in a healthier future for all.”
“Many older adults and people with disabilities count on support through the Medicaid program when they’re unable to receive life-sustaining supports elsewhere,” said Kathy Messerli, Executive Director, MN Home Care Association (MHCA). “Chronic underfunding of these essential home and community-based services has already led to the closure of agencies in Minnesota and resulted in worse and at times no access to care for people who need it. Further cuts will lead to more Minnesotans without access to care or turning to safety net hospitals, which shifts the government costs to a more expensive setting.”
Medicaid is a lifeline for Minnesotans with disabilities. Sumer Spika, a mother and home care worker from St. Paul with SEIU Healthcare MN & IA, shared what Medicaid cuts would mean to thousands of families like hers.
“As a mother and a longtime home care worker who provided support for a wonderful young woman named Jayla for over a decade, when I think of potential cuts I think, ‘what would Jayla do without Medicaid?’ If there was no funding, it would mean there would be no care for her and no access to equipment that allowed her to live her life,” said Spika. “Medicaid meant not just a person to help with her care, it meant things like hearing aids and fire alarms that have flashing lights because she can’t hear. It meant getting care for a heart disorder. It means a lifeline and coverage for millions of people. The thought of cutting even one penny to give tax breaks for billionaires is so offensive I can’t believe it is even being considered.”
“Medicaid allows people with disabilities to work, participate in community activities, volunteer and do everything other people often take for granted,” said Linda Wolford, M.S., Government Relations Director at the Minnesota Council on Disability. “Also, the direct care workers who provide care to people with disabilities contribute to the economy as Medicaid funding provides them with jobs. The unemployment rate would also likely increase if Medicaid payments are reduced or cut off as there are thousands of people who work in the service delivery system for people with disabilities and seniors.”
MINNESOTA MEDICAID SNAPSHOT:
1,184,597 Minnesotans are enrolled in Minnesota’s Medicaid program, known as Medical Assistance
33% of births in Minnesota are covered by Medicaid
1 in 3 Minnesota children are covered by Medicaid
5 in 9 nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid
1 in 3 working age adults are covered by Medicaid
In MN-04, the 172,477 people on Medicaid are at risk of losing their health care under Republican budget. This includes 89,871 children under the age of 19 and 14,000 seniors over 65 in MN-04.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Democrats across the country, as well as health care providers and advocates, are highlighting the negative impacts that face seniors, children, and working parents if the House Republican budget becomes law. Republicans’ budget sets up billions of dollars of cuts to Medicaid in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and large corporations.
“House Republicans are using their majority to serve their wealthy donors at the expense of working families, children, and seniors,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “The budget Republicans passed in February could cut Medicaid by as much as $880 billion, which would weaken a critical healthcare lifeline that over a million Minnesotans rely on.”
“Nearly 1.3 million Minnesotans—about one quarter of our state—rely on Medicaid,” said Congresswoman McCollum in a
statement
following a vote on the budget in February. “A cut of this magnitude would have severe consequences for our entire population. Here in
To highlight the importance of Medicaid to East Metro residents and Minnesotans living in every corner of the state, Congresswoman McCollum called upon leaders in healthcare, homecare, labor unions, and disability advocacy to share how Medicaid cuts would impact their work and harm Minnesotans who rely on Medical Assistance.
“Cutting federal Medicaid funding will have a significant impact on Minnesota children with complex medical conditions and disabilities,” said Barbara Joers, President and CEO of Gillette Children’s Hospital. “These children often rely on Medicaid for access to necessary healthcare services, therapies, medications, medical equipment, and home-based care. Cuts to Medicaid would result in reduced coverage, limited access to specialists, longer wait times for services, and decreased quality of care for these at-risk populations.”
Congresswoman McCollum visited President Joers at Gillette Children’s on Tuesday morning for a discussion on how Medicaid cuts could impact patients.
Click here to watch.
“Medicaid plays a crucial role in ensuring that every child has access to the quality healthcare they need,” said Dr. Marc Gorelick, President and CEO of Children’s Minnesota. “At Children’s Minnesota, we see firsthand the profound impact of Medicaid. Nearly half of the patients we serve rely on Medicaid, which helps set up kids for a lifetime of success by providing access to essential preventative care, such as check-ups and vaccines, and effective treatment for chronic conditions. This proactive approach prevents more serious health issues that ultimately cost society more in the long run. Cutting Medicaid threatens access to these essential services for the kids and families we serve. An investment in Medicaid is an investment in our children, and ultimately an investment in a healthier future for all.”
“Many older adults and people with disabilities count on support through the Medicaid program when they’re unable to receive life-sustaining supports elsewhere,” said Kathy Messerli, Executive Director, MN Home Care Association (MHCA). “Chronic underfunding of these essential home and community-based services has already led to the closure of agencies in Minnesota and resulted in worse and at times no access to care for people who need it. Further cuts will lead to more Minnesotans without access to care or turning to safety net hospitals, which shifts the government costs to a more expensive setting.”
Medicaid is a lifeline for Minnesotans with disabilities. Sumer Spika, a mother and home care worker from St. Paul with SEIU Healthcare MN & IA, shared what Medicaid cuts would mean to thousands of families like hers.
“As a mother and a longtime home care worker who provided support for a wonderful young woman named Jayla for over a decade, when I think of potential cuts I think, ‘what would Jayla do without Medicaid?’ If there was no funding, it would mean there would be no care for her and no access to equipment that allowed her to live her life,” said Spika. “Medicaid meant not just a person to help with her care, it meant things like hearing aids and fire alarms that have flashing lights because she can’t hear. It meant getting care for a heart disorder. It means a lifeline and coverage for millions of people. The thought of cutting even one penny to give tax breaks for billionaires is so offensive I can’t believe it is even being considered.”
“Medicaid allows people with disabilities to work, participate in community activities, volunteer and do everything other people often take for granted,” said Linda Wolford, M.S., Government Relations Director at the Minnesota Council on Disability. “Also, the direct care workers who provide care to people with disabilities contribute to the economy as Medicaid funding provides them with jobs. The unemployment rate would also likely increase if Medicaid payments are reduced or cut off as there are thousands of people who work in the service delivery system for people with disabilities and seniors.”
MINNESOTA MEDICAID SNAPSHOT:
1,184,597 Minnesotans are enrolled in Minnesota’s Medicaid program, known as Medical Assistance
33% of births in Minnesota are covered by Medicaid
1 in 3 Minnesota children are covered by Medicaid
5 in 9 nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid
1 in 3 working age adults are covered by Medicaid
In MN-04, the 172,477 people on Medicaid are at risk of losing their health care under Republican budget. This includes 89,871 children under the age of 19 and 14,000 seniors over 65 in MN-04.
Lorna Awo Renner (left) is seen discussing paediatric care as part of the imPACT Review team at work at Primary Health Care Centre Primerio Maio.
“The rising numbers of cancer cases in Mozambique is of great concern,” said Mozambique’s Minister of Health, Armino Tiago, speaking of his decision to invite the IAEA, World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, to carry out an imPACT review in the country in 2024. “The government is taking action to expand access to diagnosis and treatment,” he added.
Mozambique, in common with many low- income countries (LICs) around the world, is facing a growing cancer challenge. Cancer is now the second leading cause of death globally, and many health systems in LICs are least prepared to manage this burden.
How do ImPACT Reviews Help Countries with Cancer Control?
Each year, the IAEA, together with its partners the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), conducts around ten ImPACT Reviews, designed to support countries in their efforts to improve comprehensive cancer control.
ImPACT Reviews assess a country’s cancer control capacities and needs in order to prioritize interventions and help governments effectively respond to their country’s cancer burden. This response could involve creating a national cancer control plan, producing feasibility documents – often called ‘bankable documents’- that justify the funding of cancer care facilities to donors, or deciding to join WHO cancer initiatives, such as those on cervical, breast and childhood cancer.
“Controlling cancer in Mozambique is a significant challenge, compounded by limitations in infrastructure, human resources, and access to adequate diagnostics and treatments,” said Tiago, Mozambique’s Minister of Health.
“The imPACT Review represents a valuable opportunity to identify critical gaps and outline concrete strategies to strengthen our capacity to address cancer. We are confident that this collaboration will provide essential guidance to improve cancer care in our country,” the Minister of Health added.
What Goes On Behind the Scenes of an ImPACT Review?
Experts participating in the Mozambique mission came from countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America, bringing expertise from fields ranging from palliative care, pathology and public health to oncology and epidemiology. Many were also native speakers of Portuguese, which is widely spoken in Mozambique.
As in other imPACT Reviews, the Mozambique mission experts were nominated by the IAEA, IARC and WHO. IARC recommended experts in cancer registry, an information system that collects, manages and analyses data on people diagnosed with cancer. The IAEA nominated experts in radiation medicine, diagnostic imaging and radiation safety and the WHO nominated experts on all other aspects of cancer control.
The experts met online several times in the run-up to the mission to discuss their findings.
Three months before setting foot in Mozambique, the imPACT Review international experts started meeting online to assess the needs of the country. The experts researched the latest available evidence on public health policies and cancer control, provided by IARC, WHO and IAEA, including experts from the IAEA human health programme. They also gathered reports and data from UN staff, professionals from Mozambique’s Ministry of Health and other national cancer stakeholders to gain a good understanding of the country’s cancer-related infrastructure and capacity. Professionals and stakeholders in cancer control in Mozambique completed questionnaires to help the imPACT Review experts identify needs, challenges and opportunities. A preliminary report was produced ahead of the in-country mission to determine its scope.
Arsen Juric, Mozambique imPACT Review Coordinator said: “These preparatory meetings are part of a strategic process. They help the experts make evidence-based recommendations that aim to strengthen and embed cancer control in Mozambique’s national health system, better serving patient needs across the country.”
The imPACT review is designed to give a broad overview of cancer care in the host country, determining the gaps and needs which are most urgent, to inform decision makers when formulating health policy regarding cancer.
What is Cancer Control?
Prevention includes factors such as diet, smoking cessation and vaccinations against infectious disease. It is estimated it is currently possible to prevent 40 per cent of all cancers.
Detection includes screening and early diagnosis. Early detection means many cancers have a high potential for cure.
Treatment aims to cure disease, prolong life, and improve the quality of remaining life
Palliative care involves addressing the needs of patients and their families from the time of cancer diagnosis to improve quality of life and the ability to cope effectively.
On the Ground in Mozambique
At the beginning of May, the imPACT Review team experts arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to visit hospitals and public health centres. They met cancer care experts, policy and decision makers and technical staff from Mozambique’s Ministry of Health, and the staff of the WHO country office, as well as representatives of civil society organizations
In addition to experts from IARC and WHO, the mission also included an expert from MD Anderson Cancer Center, an IAEA nuclear safety expert, an IAEA cancer control expert and the IAEA’s National Liaison Officer for Mozambique.
ImPACT reviews look at every aspect of cancer control, including how data on cancer is managed, and financing, as well as prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. During the review, the experts visited hospitals, primary health care facilities, and met with civil society, patient and cancer advocacy groups in Mozambique to obtain as much data as possible on the cancer control situation in the country.
The imPACT Review team visited Primeiro Maio to find out more about the country’s national cervical cancer screening programme
Prioritizing Women and Children’s Cancers
While imPACT Reviews look at all aspects of cancer control, the Mozambique review gave the team to focus on WHO cancer initiatives, such as those on cervical, breast and childhood cancer.
Severin von Xylander from Mozambique’s WHO Country Office said the WHO was also working with the National Cancer Control Programme in Mozambique to prioritize the prevention and early detection of cancers affecting women and children, in line with global cancer control initiatives.
At the Primeiro Maio healthcare centre, the imPACT Review team learned more about the scope of services in primary care, such as prevention and early detection, particularly in terms of cancers that affect women and children.
Speaking of positive outcomes, Celina Mate, of the Mozambique Ministry of Health, said that interactions with the imPACT review team during the in-country mission had helped realize that their cervical cancer screening coverage was more comprehensive than they had previously thought.
“In addition to this aspect, we were able to look at our needs and the need to advocate for financial support to increase screening capacity using a high-standard test such as the HPV DNA test,” said Mate.
Paintings by children at Maputo Central Hospital.
Lorna Awo Renner, an international expert in paediatric oncology from Ghana taking part in the imPACT Review, used her time in Mozambique to observe and make recommendations on how the country is addressing childhood cancer.
“Over 80 per cent of childhood cancers are curable, but at a global level we are at about 30 per cent, you take the low- and middle- income countries, they have even lower rates,” she says.
The WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancers, aims to improve long term cure outcomes for childhood cancer globally to over 60 per cent by 2030. Renner said she hoped Mozambique would also join the initiative.
At the end of the mission, a report was produced for the Mozambican government, which will support the next national cancer plan to address the growing cancer situation in the country.
The IAEA’s Support to Mozambique
The imPACT Review team are shown imaging equipment by Narciso Sitoe,a radiation oncologist trained under the IAEA technical cooperation programme.
The IAEA has supported Mozambique in providing cancer care at Maputo Central Hospital for over a decade. A Brazilian team of consultants carried out the training and implementation of radiotherapy at Maputo Central Hospital with the support of the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme. Since 2009,14 specialists at Maputo Central Hospital have been trained in radiation oncology and medical physics through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme, with the aim of strengthening radiotherapy services.
Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All
While around half of all cancer patients can benefit from some form of radiotherapy, countries such as Mozambique have only limited access to this technology. As just one radiotherapy unit in the capital city of Maputo is available for a population of over 30 million people, many cancer patients in Mozambique are unable to access this life-saving treatment.
Establishing new radiotherapy facilities is a complex project, requiring new infrastructure and equipment (or better use of existing infrastructure and equipment) as well as training to ensure professionals are available to work in the new facilities, and that radiation safety protocols are followed.
In 2023 Mozambique joined the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to help bridge the gap in cancer care around the world by expanding access to radiotherapy.
“Through Rays of Hope the IAEA will continue to support the expansion of radiation medicine capacities in Mozambique, in diagnosis as well as treatment, including through support for the development and training of the national cancer care workforce,” said Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation.
ImPACT Reviews are a vital step in helping countries to improve national radiotherapy services, along with cancer control in general, as they allow international teams of cancer control experts to support national counterparts with cancer control planning and investments.
Disinfectant Wipes/Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
Trials
United States v. Don M. Rynn
No. 2:24-CR-00653 (District of South Carolina)
AUSA Winston Holliday
AUSA Amy Bower
On March 20, 2025, a jury convicted Don M. Rynn of making false statements to federal agents and falsifying fishing records (18 U.S.C. §§ 1001, 1519).
Rynn managed several commercial fishing vessels in the McClellanville area, including the Maximum Retriever and the Crystal C. The vessels docked at Carolina Seafood, a federally licensed dealer.
On March 21, 2023, the Maximum Retriever embarked on a commercial fishing trip captained by the defendant’s son, who Rynn instructed to catch as many fish as he could (ignoring federally imposed quotas). Rynn told his son he would “take care of things” when he returned.
The Maximum Retriever returned to McClellanville shortly after midnight on March 27, 2023, with almost three times the legal limit of snowy grouper on board, and one and a half times the allowable number of grey tilefish. Rynn was waiting for the boat to arrive. Once the Maximum Retriever was in place, the Crystal C was maneuvered so that the two boats were side-by-side.
Rynn then directed deckhands to move fish from the ice hold of the Maximum Retriever to the Crystal C. They removed additional fish from the Maximum Retriever to Rynn’s truck to take to another seafood dealer in Georgetown.
In the mandatory trip report filed shortly thereafter, Rynn reported his catch only up to the limit, hiding the fact that the Maximum Retriever had vastly overfished. He attributed a substantial portion of the catch to the Crystal C, which had remained moored at the dock.
On March 27, 2023, law enforcement officers received an anonymous tip alerting them to the excessive catch. The Georgetown seafood dealer that had received some of the overage initially lied to cover for Rynn. When he realized the agents were closing in, the dealer threw the fish in the river to get rid of them.
In October 2023, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) agents interviewed Rynn about the incidents in March. Rynn lied, saying the snowy grouper and tilefish had been contaminated by a fuel spill while at sea, and that he had disposed of them in a dumpster. Rynn further implied that a U.S. Coast Guard report addressing an unlawful discharge into Jeremy Creek was inaccurate and should have been attributed to the Crystal C, which would have bolstered his fuel spill story.
In total, the Maximum Retriever caught approximately 560 pounds of snowy grouper and 450 pounds of tilefish. The legal limit for grouper is 200 pounds and 300 for tilefish.
NOAA, the U. S. Coast Guard, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Saltwater Team conducted the investigation.
Photo from dock surveillance camera showing Rynn on back of boat directing two individuals to carry a tote of federally protected fish to his truck.
On March 14, 2025, a court unsealed a complaint charging the chief executive officer of a Georgia-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) company with illegally importing 500 cylinders of potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Peru.
William Randolph Hires is charged with violating the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) by unlawfully importing 500 cylinders of HFCs (42 U.S.C. §§ 7675, 7413).
In April 2022, on behalf of his company, Hires purchased 500 cylinders of HFCs in Peru. Over the next several months, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials explained to Hires’s employees that, under the AIM Act and its implementing regulations, Hires’s company could not lawfully import the HFCs into the United States because it did not have the required EPA-issued allowances. In a July 22, 2022, email to one of Hires’s employees, an EPA official stated “it is not possible to import bulk HFCs without consumption allowances.”
Hires’s employees conveyed this information from the EPA to Hires on several occasions. On one occasion, an employee forwarded an email to Hires that the employee had received from an EPA official which stated, “[t]he HFC you listed (R-410A) is a regulated substance. So, if you do not have allowances, you cannot import those bulk HFC refrigerants.” In another email exchange between Hires and an employee, the employee informed Hires that, based on a video conference the employee had with EPA officials, shipping without the necessary allowances would violate import laws so “[i]t is out of our hands.”
Hires nevertheless instructed his employees to illegally import the HFCs into the United States. In a July 28, 2022 email, Hires stated to his employees: “[y]eah you have to be careful what agencies you’re reaching out to because the EPA . . . can create a hassle and they can hold our stuff up in customs there[.]” In a subsequent email, Hires instructed his employees to “get [the HFCs] on the ship and get it out to sea . . . don’t care what it takes[.]” Hires later instructed his employees via email: “Do not call the EPA please do not.”
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
United States v. Leshon E. Johnson
No. 6:25-CR-00012 (Eastern District of Oklahoma)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy
ECS Trial Attorney Sarah Brown
AUSA Jordan Howantiz
ECS Law Clerk Amanda Backer
On March 20, 2025, Leshon E. Johnson was arraigned on an indictment charging him with violating the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. § 2156(b) & 18 U.S.C. § 49). Specifically, Johnson possessed 190 pit bull-type dogs for the purpose of having the dogs participate in an animal fighting venture, and for selling, transporting, and delivering a dog for use in an animal fighting venture. Federal authorities seized the 190 dogs from Johnson in October 2024 as authorized under the Animal Welfare Act. This is believed to be the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog fighting case.
Johnson ran a dog fighting operation known as “Mal Kant Kennels” in both Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. He previously ran “Krazyside Kennels,” also out of Oklahoma, which led to his guilty plea on state animal fighting charges in 2004. Johnson selectively bred “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs — dogs that have respectively won three or five fights — to produce offspring with fighting traits and abilities desired by him and others for use in dog fights. Johnson marketed and sold stud rights and offspring from winning fighting dogs to other dog fighters looking to incorporate the Mal Kant Kennels “bloodline” into their own dog fighting operations. His trafficking of fighting dogs to other dog fighters across the country contributed to the growth of the dog fighting industry and allowed Johnson to profit financially. Trial is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Guilty Pleas
United States v. Terrell Williams
No. 4:23-CR-00692 (Eastern District of Missouri)
AUSA Jillian Anderson
On March 7, 2025, Terrell Williams pleaded guilty to an Animal Fighting Venture violation for hosting dog fights in his home and training dogs to fight (7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)-(c); 18 U.S.C. § 49(a)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2025.
Between September 2020 through May 2022, Williams hosted fights in a wooden “box” setup in the basement of his home in Riverview, Missouri. He also owned and bred bull terriers and terrier mixes that were used for fights. On June 22, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s home and seized eight bull terrier mixes and three Yorkshire terriers. The dogs bore scars consistent with fighting. Agents also removed equipment used to train and condition dogs, including weighted vests and a canine treadmill.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Dog rescued from defendant’s home during execution of search warrant. Photo included with detention motion filed with the court.
On March 11, 2025, Nicholas Dryden pleaded guilty to creating and distributing videos depicting the torture of monkeys (known as animal “crush” videos) (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 48(a)(3)). Co-defendant Giancarlo Morelli entered a similar plea in December 2024.
Dryden commissioned videos from a 17-year-old in Indonesia who was willing to commit specified acts of torture on video in exchange for payment. Dryden utilized Telegram, a cross-platform messaging app that includes encrypted group messaging and private chats, to advertise the animal crush videos and solicit funding for additional videos. Within these private groups, Dryden shared snippets of videos that he commissioned and advertised that the full content was for sale. Co-defendants Morelli and Philip Colt Moss each sent money to Dryden more than a dozen times in exchange for monkey torture videos.
Thereafter, they frequently gave feedback on the videos and Morelli sometimes suggested torturous acts he’d like to see in future videos.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jose Manuel Valenzuela
No. 3:24-CR-01037 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
AUSA Laura Sambataro
On March 18, 2025, Jose Manuel Valenzuela pleaded guilty to intentionally failing to present refrigerant tanks for inspection (19 U.S.C. §§ 1433, 1436). Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2025.
On April 22, 2024, Valenzuela (an HVAC technician) attempted to enter the United States from Mexico without declaring four 24-pound tanks of 404A refrigerant (a hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant) in his vehicle.
Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Robert C. Schmid
No. 3:25-mj-00011 (Eastern District of Virginia)
AUSA Carla Jordan-Detamore
On March 25, 2025, Robert C. Schmid pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(A), 1361(b)(1)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2025.
Schmid owned the Atlantic Manufacturing Group, LLC (AMG), which manufactured and sold cleaning and janitorial products. AMG marketed and sold its products via various means, including a website, as well as through outside sales representatives. In September 2017, AMG entered into an agreement with “Company 1” to purchase a product called “Maquat 64-PD” for which Company 1 had obtained a registration from the EPA. AMG entered into this Agreement because it wanted to distribute and sell its liquid ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant, made with Company 1’s Maquat 64-PD.
In October 2017, the EPA approved the label for AMG’s ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant. The label made clear that the product was hazardous to humans and animals and was not for use on clothing or on skin.
Beginning in May 2020, and acting on behalf of AMG, Schmid began manufacturing and selling AMG “Hygienic Facility Wipes” that purportedly protected users from COVID-19. Schmid sold these wipes to janitorial services that supported government entities, gyms and health clubs, universities, and janitorial product retailers. AMG manufactured these wipes by applying the ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant to dry wipes and packaging the wipes in plastic buckets or plastic packages. These wipes, however, were not registered with the EPA pursuant to FIFRA and did not have EPA approved labels or safety guidance. Investigators also determined that Schmid, his employees, and outside sales reps made unauthorized claims about the efficacy and safety of these wipes to potential customers.
After Company 1 issued Schmid a cease-and-desist email in August of 2020 about the unauthorized use of its product, Schmid switched to “Company 2” to use its liquid, which was not registered with the EPA, in its wipes. Schmid, however, continued to claim that his wipes were an EPA-registered product. AMG also generated product labels claiming the wipes eradicated corona viruses, in addition to other falsified information (to include the ingredient list).
Between March and November 2020, AMG sold approximately 5,000 cases of the wipes, taking in close to $415,000 in sales and making approximately $33,000 in gross profit.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Robert J. Bullock, Sr.
No. 1:24-CR-10056 (District of Massachusetts)
AUSA Benjamin Tolkoff
On March 26, 2025, Robert J. Bullock, Sr., pleaded guilty to violating the Safe Drinking Water Act for tampering with public water systems (42 U.S.C. § 300i-1(a)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2025.
On the evening of November 29, 2022, Bullock, a former Stoughton Water Department employee, went into one of the Water Department’s pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water. As a result, water that had not been properly disinfected was introduced into the drinking water system.
When questioned by investigators, Bullock claimed to not have tampered with the water system. Specifically, Bullock said that he had not knowingly turned off the chlorine pump at Goddard Pumping Station 7 on the night of November 29, 2022, when in fact he had; and that he did not set the alarms for the chlorine level to zero that night, when he did.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and the Stoughton Massachusetts Police Department conducted the investigation.
Sentencings
United States v. National Water Main Cleaning Company
No. 3:25-CR-00002 (District of Connecticut)
AUSA Hal Chen
RCEC Man Chak Ng
On March 4, 2025, a court sentenced the National Water Main Cleaning Company (NWMCC) to pay a $500,000 fine, complete a three-year term of probation, and implement an environmental compliance program. The company will also employ an independent outside consultant to perform a compliance audit and identify an environmental compliance manager for its Connecticut facilities. NWMCC will also make a payment of $500,000 to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) to fund aquatic ecosystem enhancement projects in the South-Central Coastal Watershed.
The company pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) for knowingly discharging a pollutant into Cuff Brook while refurbishing a large culvert pipe in Cheshire, Connecticut, in July 2019 (33 U.S.C. §§ 1319 (c)(2)(A); 1311(a)). The unauthorized discharge of uncured geopolymer mortar killed more than 150 fish and contaminated Cuff Brook.
At the time of the incident, NWMCC was operating under a Code of Conduct as part of a 2014 settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to resolve civil allegations involving environmental pollution.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
United States v. Fidelity Development Group LLC
No. 3:24-CR-00077(Southern District of Ohio)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
On March 4, 2024, a court sentenced Fidelity Development Group LLC (Fidelity) to pay a $100,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Fidelity pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for failing to inspect for the presence of asbestos (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(1)).
In 2015 or 2016, Fidelity purchased a building and planned to renovate it into a mixed-use property. Fidelity failed to perform or acquire an asbestos survey for the building prior to renovations. Around April 2020, a certified asbestos company conducted an asbestos survey in the Fidelity Building and identified more than 12,000 linear feet of 80% chrysolite asbestos pipe wrap insulation in friable condition.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc.,et al.
Nos. 1:24-CR-00235, 00250 (Middle District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA William Behe
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc., to pay an $80,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Mechanic Leon Martin will complete a two-year term of probation, to include three months’ home detention, and pay a $500,000 fine.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) for tampering with the emission control systems for several heavy-duty diesel trucks (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Between 2018 and October 2023, Martin provided “tuning” or “reprogramming” services by modifying the engine control modules (ECMs) on diesel trucks. The ECM is a computerized system that manages and controls the engine’s performance. During that time, Martin tampered with the emissions diagnostic systems on the vehicles for many companies to prevent the diagnostic system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware.
Frock, a long-distance trucking company based in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, transports a variety of goods, including snack foods, refrigerated items, and produce. Ed Frock owned the company until his death in August 2022.
Between November 13, 2018, and December 28, 2018, Frock contracted with co-defendant Martin to disable and/or remove emission control components from eight of their diesel trucks. Frock removed the vehicles’ ECMs from their engines and shipped them to Martin for reprogramming. Once the devices were “tuned,” Martin shipped them back to Frock, where they were reinstalled on the trucks. Martin also tampered with the onboard diagnostic equipment (OBD) to delete factory-installed emission controls from Frock’s heavy duty diesel trucks. Martin’s tunes enabled those deleted trucks to operate without emission control devices, which are required by federal law.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On March 6, 2025, a court sentencedBenjamin Gathercole to complete a one-year term of probation, after he pleaded guilty to violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for illegally transporting hazardous waste without a manifest (42 U.S.C. § 6928(d)(5)).
Gathercole lived in Tappahannock, Virginia, and worked at a local brake manufacturing facility. In 2019, a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) inspector determined that the brake manufacturing facility failed to make an accurate waste determination for 32 55-gallon drums stored on site. Some of the drums displayed labels noting they contained hazardous waste, but not in accordance with RCRA requirements. The DEQ issued a notice of violation to the facility in May 2019.
In September and October 2019, Gathercole removed 31 of the 55-gallon drums from the facility and transported them to his residence. He dug a hole near his property and buried the drums in the ground. He crushed some of them in the process, causing their contents to spill onto the ground.
In December 2020, a citizen tipped off the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the illegal burial. In November 2021, agents executed a search warrant on the defendant’s property. Gathercole admitted to burying the drums at the request of his employer and directed authorities to where he had buried them. Further testing confirmed the waste was ignitable hazardous waste. The EPA finished excavating the site in November 2022.
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division and the EPA National Enforcement Investigation Center conducted the investigation.
United States v. Keidrick D. Usifo, et al.
No. 24-CR-00040 (Eastern District of Arkansas)
AUSA Edward Walker
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced Keidrick Usifo to pay a $5,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Co-defendant Deon Johnson will pay a $1,000 fine and complete an 18-month term of probation. Usifo and Johnson previously pleaded guilty to violating the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA)(16 U.S.C. §§ 3372 (e)(1)(A), 3373 (d)).
Lawmakers enacted the BCPSA in December 2022 to protect the public by prohibiting the private ownership of big cats (such as tigers and lions) as pets and by prohibiting exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including tiger cubs. This law places new restrictions on the commerce, breeding, possession, and use of certain big cat species.
In April 2023, a citizen tipped off local game authorities after seeing a tiger cub in a residential neighborhood in Conway, Arkansas. Further investigation confirmed that Usifo purchased a tiger in March 2023 from a broker in Dallas, Texas, and brought it back to his residence in Arkansas.
After receiving a second complaint about the tiger cub, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on April 21, 2023, arresting Usifo on a felony state warrant. The Conway Police Department then executed a search warrant at Usifo’s residence. The animal was not there, but they found evidence of its presence, including the fact that rooms in the house matched those in photos of the tiger that Usifo posted on Instagram.
While in the Pulaski County Detention Facility (PCDF), Usifo made several calls to Johnson, asking him to take care of the tiger while Usifo was held in detention. Johnson concealed his knowledge of the tiger when questioned by agents.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Conway Police Department, and the Little Rock Police Department.
Tiger cub, now named Fred, rescued by the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Photo taken by case agent June 2024.
United States v. Frankluis Carela De Jesús, et al.
No. 3:24-CR-00174 (District of Puerto Rico)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
AUSA Seth Erbe
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced the final two Dominican nationals who attempted to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. Frankluis Carela De Jesús will serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Domingo Heureau Altagracia will complete eight months of incarceration and three years of supervised release. Waner Balbuena and Juan Graviel Ramírez Cedano were each previously sentenced to serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. All the defendants pleaded guilty to Lacey Act trafficking and to smuggling wildlife from the United States (18 U.S.C. § 554; 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), (a)(4), 3373(d)(1)(B)).
On May 3, 2024, the four Dominican nationals traveled in a flagless vessel departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. They intended to smuggle various species of tropical birds to the Dominican Republic for financial gain. When the vessel was approximately 30 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) approached the vessel and witnessed the crew tossing objects overboard. Following the boarding of the vessel, USCG authorities recovered several of the jettisoned objects, which were wooden cages containing tropical birds. Approximately 113 birds drowned as a result.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
On March 10, 2025, a court sentenced Travis Larson to pay a $40,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Larson will also pay $2,400 in restitution, to be divided between the State of Alaska and the Port Graham Authority. Larson will forfeit $150,000 and is prohibited from hunting anywhere in the world or providing any big game commercial services while under supervision. Larsen pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally transporting four black bears and making false records (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B); (d)(3)(A)).
Larson worked as a licensed big game transporter since 2010, and provided transport services through his company, Alaska Premier Sportfishing LLC (APS). Larson and APS offered paying clients transportation for multi-day hunting and fishing trips aboard a 65-foot liveaboard vessel, Venturess.
In May 2018, Larson transported eight hunters on a black bear hunt in the Nuka Bay area of the Kenai Peninsula. Each hunter paid $3,500 to participate in the hunt. The group included four Norwegian nationals. Larson knew all four people were not U.S. residents, nor were they accompanied by a licensed hunting guide or assistant guide, as required under state law.
On May 9, 2018, one foreign hunter was transported to a beach adjacent to Surprise Bay to hunt a black bear. The hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On May 10, 2018, Larson transported three foreign hunters to a beach adjacent to Beauty Bay to hunt black bears. Two of the hunters each shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the Port Graham Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation, and the other hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On both days, Larson transported the hunters and the illegally harvested black bears back to his vesselvia the smaller motorboat.
On May 11, 2018, Larson transported the four foreign hunters and the four illegally harvested black bears to Homer, Alaska, where he knew the black bears would be transported in interstate and foreign commerce following the hunt. The government dismissed the charges against Larson’s business.
The National Park Service Investigative Services Branch and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
On March 10, 2025, a court sentenced Dugan Paul Daniels to six months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release, for falsifying fishing records in violation of the Lacey Act and illegally taking a sperm whale in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(d)(2), 3373(d)(3)(A), 1583(a)(1)(C), 1540(b)(1)). Daniels will also pay a $25,000 fine and perform 80 hours of community service, and is banned from commercial fishing for one year.
Daniels is a commercial fisherman with 20 years of experience. Between October and November 2020, he submitted falsified fishing records to make it appear that he lawfully caught sablefish, aka “black cod,” in federal waters on two separate occasions. In fact, Daniels illegally harvested the fish in State of Alaska waters, specifically, in Chatham Strait and Clarence Strait. The total market value of the illegally harvested fish was $127,528.
In March 2020, Daniels and three crew members were fishing for sablefish southwest of Yakobi Island in the Gulf of Alaska when they came upon a sperm whale. During the encounter, Daniels directed a crewman to shoot the whale multiple times and also tried to ram the whale with his fishing vessel. Daniels documented the encounter in writing and through text messages sent from a GPS communication device. Some of the messages stated he wished he “had a cannon to blow” the whale out of the water and that he hoped “to be reeling in a dead sperm whale.” It is a violation of the ESA to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct involving an endangered species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
No. 2:23-CR-00177 (Eastern District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA Christopher Parisi
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Bien King and Khalil King to each complete three-year terms of probation, to include six months’ home confinement. Bien King was also sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine. The defendants pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for selling a misbranded pesticide and for violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for selling misbranded animal drugs (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(E); 21 U.S.C. § 331(a)).
Bien King started “Little City Dogs” (LCD) a New York corporation with office space in New York City. Bien King also created a website that sold various products intended to treat diseases or pests in animals. Bien King’s son, Khalil, worked in the New York office. Khalil King was responsible for mixing ingredients and packaging various products for shipment. The defendants obtained the ingredients for these products from various suppliers in China. They knew that these suppliers routinely mislabeled shipments of these products to avoid detection by customs officials.
When LCD received orders from online sales, Khalil King and others shipped the products from the New York office to customers throughout the United States. An undercover agent placed several orders for various products through the LCD website. These purchases included a January 17, 2020, order for fipronil drops and ivermectin. Fipronil is designed to treat external parasites such as fleas and ticks. Ivermectin is designed to control heartworms in dogs and cats.
The defendants shipped the fipronil drops and ivermectin from New York to an address in Springfield, Pennsylvania. The labeling and packaging material accompanying the fipronil drops did not include information required by law. The labeling and packaging material accompanying the ivermectin likewise did not include required information. Furthermore, LCD’s facility in New York City was not registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jose V. Fernandez
No. 1:24-CR-00071 (District of Rhode Island)
AUSA John McAdams
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Jose V. Fernandez to complete a two-year term of probation. Fernandez pleaded guilty to making false statements for distributing false asbestos abatement training certifications (18 U.S.C. § 1001 (a)(3)).
Fernandez owned the Rhode Island Safety Environment Training Center. The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDH) accredited the facility to provide asbestos abatement training. On multiple occasions between 2021 and 2023, Fernandez submitted false documentation to the RIDH attesting that nearly two dozen individuals paid for, attended, and successfully completed an Environmental Protection Agency-approved abatement training program when, in fact, no one attended any classes.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Rhode Island Department of Health conducted the investigation.
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Pedro Luis Bones-Torres to 12 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Bones-Torres pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act for illegally constructing and depositing material into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (the “Jobos Estuarine Reserve”) and Las Mareas community of Salinas, Puerto Rico (33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), 403).
Starting in January 2020, Bones-Torres engaged in construction and land clearing activities on a property to the South of Camino de Galileo in the Las Mareas area of Salinas, Puerto Rico (the “Property”). Much of the Property supported mangrove trees with an open area that was occasionally partially submerged by the sea tides. This wetland area was within the Jobos Estuarine Reserve.
Between January 2020 and October 2022, Bones-Torres removed mangroves from the Property, depositing fill material onto the wetland area using excavation and earth moving equipment. After he filled the wetlands, he built a concrete pad, a concrete gazebo with an outdoor kitchen, a wooden gazebo, and a dock extending into Mar Negro. Bones-Torres did not seek or receive approval to fill the wetlands and was at no point permitted to fill wetlands on or near the Property.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
United States v. Royce Gillham
No. 2:24-CR-14046 (Southern District of Florida)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
AUSA Daniel Funk
On March 13, 2025, a court sentenced Royce Gillham to 37 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Gillham, the former General Manager of a biofuel producer based in Fort Pierce, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to make false claims (18 U.S.C.§ 371).
This biofuel company produced and sold renewable fuel and fuel credits and claimed to turn various feedstocks into biodiesel. When reporting the number of gallons produced to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Gillham and his employer vastly overstated their production volume in an effort to generate more credits. When auditors sought more information from the company, Gillham and his co-conspirators gave them false information about their fuel production and customers.
The scheme generated more than $7 million in fraudulent EPA renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to the purported production of biodiesel.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
No. 2:24-CR-00161 (Central District of California)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors
ECS Trial Attorney Lauren Steele
AUSA Dennis Mitchell
ECS Law Clerk Maria Wallace
ECS Law Clerk Tonia Sibblies
On March 14, 2025, a court sentenced Sai Keung Tin, also known as Ricky Tin, to 30 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Tin will also pay a $5,000 fine for his role in smuggling protected turtles from the United States to Hong Kong. Tin pleaded guilty to four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law (18 U.S.C. § 554).
Between February 2018 and June 2023, Tin, a Chinese citizen, assisted turtle smugglers in the United States. During that time, Tin aided and abetted the trafficking of approximately 2,100 turtles to Hong Kong. The turtles were intended to be sold as part of the illegal Asian pet trade. Based on a conservative, contemporary market valuation of $2,000 per turtle, the smuggled reptiles were valued at $4.2 million.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agents arrested Tin in February 2024 as he arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
USFWS agents obtained a search warrant to seize Tin’s cell phones, and found evidence that Tin came to the United States to smuggle turtles. He planned to travel to New Jersey, Texas, and Washington — familiarizing himself with tourist locations to present a false story if apprehended. His ultimate plan was to pay for turtles in cash, ship them around the country, and eventually illegally export them to Hong Kong.
Tin was associated with international turtle smuggler Kang Juntao, of Hangzhou City, China, who was extradited from Malaysia in 2019 and later sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to money laundering. Kang caused the shipment of approximately 1,500 turtles (with a market value exceeding $2.25 million) from the United States to Hong Kong, which included shipments to Tin.
The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the common box turtle and native to the United States. Turtles with colorful markings are highly prized pets, particularly in China and Hong Kong, and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
On March 19, 2025, Hino Motors, Ltd. (HML) was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $521.76 million, serve a five-year term of probation, during which it will be prohibited from importing any diesel engines it has manufactured into the United States, and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program and reporting structure. Additionally, the court entered a $1.087 billion forfeiture money judgment against the company.
Prosecutors charged HML in a single conspiracy count with five objects: to defraud the Environmental Protection Agency, to defraud the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, to violate the Clean Air Act, to commit wire fraud, and to smuggle goods into the United States, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
Between 2010 and 2019, HML submitted and caused to be submitted false applications for engine certification approvals. Company engineers regularly altered emission test data, conducted tests improperly, and fabricated data without conducting any underlying tests. HML submitted fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data, which resulted in the calculation of false fuel consumption values for its engines. Company engineers also failed to disclose software functions that could adversely affect engines’ emission control systems. As a result of the fraud, HML imported and sold more than 105,000 non-conforming engines between 2010 and 2022.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Nos. 1:24-CR-00124, 1:21-CR-00016 (Northern District of New York)
AUSA Benjamin Clark
On March 20, 2025, a court sentenced Kyle Offringa to pay a $100,000 fine for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). His company, Highway and Heavy Parts, LLC (HHP), was sentenced on December 3, 2024, to pay a $25,000 fine. As part of the sentencing, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will monitor the company for ongoing compliance for a two-year period. HHP and Offringa pleaded guilty to conspiring to tamper with a required monitoring device in violation of the CAA (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Between June 2017 and March 2019, HHP and Offringa conspired with a diesel truck operator, and others, including co-conspirators Daim Logistics, Inc., and Patrick Oare, to remove, delete, and tamper with monitoring devices that were required under the CAA to be installed on heavy-duty diesel trucks. Truck operators delete the emissions control hardware on heavy-duty diesel trucks to allow them to run at higher horsepower, with greater fuel efficiency, and with reduced maintenance costs. HHP charged its customers a fee for Offringa to reprogram the vehicles’ on-board detection equipment so regulators would not discover the tampering. Customers paid HHP between $1,000 and $1,500 for each truck Offringa altered.
Oare and Daim Logistics were sentenced in November 2024 for tampering with a monitoring device or method in violation of the CAA (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)). Oare was sentenced to time served and to pay a $15,000 fine; the company will pay a $13,000 fine. In addition, prior to sentencing, the EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation monitored Daim for approximately 18 months to ensure the company complied with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding the emission control devices installed on diesel vehicles owned or operated by the company.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ14: Prevention and treatment of hepatitis Question:
It is learnt that hepatitis is one of the common diseases in Hong Kong, and it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people in Hong Kong are affected by hepatitis. Hepatitis may further develop into cirrhosis of the liver or even liver cancer if it is not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, which will bring about a serious impact on the health and finances of patients and their families, and place a burden on the public healthcare system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) in respect of education on the prevention of hepatitis, whether the Government has organised preventive educational programmes to promote the importance of keeping the liver healthy in schools and in the community in 2024; if so, of the relevant expenditure, the number of programmes organised, as well as the respective numbers of students or members of the community who have participated in such programmes; whether it will increase the relevant estimated expenditure for this year; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) in view of the Government’s commitment in the 2024 Policy Address to implement hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer, whether the Government has formulated the relevant implementation plan; if it has, of the budget and target number of people to be screened; whether it will accord priority to screening for high-risk persons, and introduce primary healthcare networks and the public-private partnership approach to expand the screening capacity, e.g. carrying out blood monitoring for liver cancer in high-risk groups; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) whether it knows the respective numbers of new cases of liver cirrhosis diagnosed by the Hospital Authority (HA) and patients with liver cirrhosis who continued to receive treatment in public hospitals under HA in each of the past five years;
(4) whether it knows the respective numbers of cases of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer among the oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy services provided in public hospitals in each of the past five years; whether the relevant data reflects the incidence trends of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer in Hong Kong; whether the Government has adjusted its prevention strategies on the basis of such data; and
(5) in order to provide more treatment options for patients and effectively relieve the pressure on public hospitals, whether the Government will consider using the public-private partnership approach or expanding the scope of the “Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme” to arrange, under the risk-based principle, for low-risk patients to receive treatment at healthcare institutions in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can be classified into acute or chronic disease. Serious hepatitis cases will lead to liver failure, cirrhosis or liver cancer Hepatitis is the most commonly caused by the hepatitis virus infection worldwide. In Hong Kong, the major risk factor leading to liver diseases including liver cancer is chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. The Government is strongly committed to the prevention and treatment of hepatitis and liver cancer. Among which, in 2018, the Government established the Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis (SCVH) to provide advice on overall policy, targeted strategies and effective resource allocation related to prevention and control of viral hepatitis. In October 2020, the SCVH formulated the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2020 – 2024 and all the new initiatives outlined in the plan have been fully implemented.
The Government has been adopting a series of effective and free-of-charge measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) which may lead to CHB, including:
(i) universal neonatal hepatitis B vaccination since 1988; (ii) universal antenatal screening for hepatitis B; (iii) administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin for babies born to mothers with hepatitis B; (iv) using antivirals to further minimise the risk of MTCT of HBV among pregnant women with CHB and high viral load since August 2020 under the steer of the SCVH; and (v) post-vaccination serologic testing arranged for babies born to mothers with hepatitis B since January 2022. The reply, in consultation with the DH, the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) and the Hospital Authority (HA) to the question raised by the Hon Joephy Chan is as follows:
(1) Viral Hepatitis Control Office (VHCO) of the DH co-ordinates the actions and programmes related to prevention and control of viral hepatitis, including health education, and surveillance and prevention of viral hepatitis, and provides secretariat support to the SCVH. The VHCO has been providing health education related to viral hepatitis for the public through various channels, including social media, health talks and themed exhibitions. The VHCO also collaborates with community partners to launch promotion activities.
Currently, the Maternal and Child Health Centres under the DH provide hepatitis B vaccination services for infants and young children from birth to five years old. For those primary school children who have not completed the hepatitis B vaccination, the School Immunisation Team under the Centre for Health Protection of the DH provides mop-up vaccination services to ensure that local school children are protected by the hepatitis B vaccine. The current vaccination rate for school children is 99 per cent while the prevalence of HBV infection among those under 35 years old is below 1 per cent. Hence, the health promotion efforts of the VHCO focus on reminding adults at higher risk of infection in the community to undergo early testing and treatment for hepatitis B, including those who have not been benefited from vaccination.
In 2024, the VHCO conducted nine public health talks and 11 themed exhibitions, reaching over 7 000 attendances. Over 33 000 health education materials were distributed to community health promotion partners, healthcare institutions and the general public. The related expenditure cannot be separately identified given that they have been subsumed into the viral hepatitis control programmes provided by the DH.
The Government will closely keep in view local and international situation of hepatitis B, promulgate the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2025 – 2030 this year, and continue to enhance health promotion and educational activities.
Meanwhile, District Health Centres and District Health Centres Expresses (collectively referred to as DHCs) in all 18 districts across the city are promoting the Life Course Preventive Care Plan along with family doctors to enhance citizens’ self-management ability. Family doctors and primary healthcare professionals will provide vaccination information and education (such as Hepatitis B vaccine), guidance on healthy lifestyles, as well as recommendations and services for chronic disease and cancer screening, according to personal factors like age, sex and family history. DHCs also organise talks on liver health, providing the public with related education and information.
(2) The DH has been enhancing the focused risk-based testing service for viral hepatitis for people at a higher risk of HBV infection in its Services in recent years. With effect from April 2022, all men who have sex with men and sex workers attending Social Hygiene Clinics of the DH are offered with HBV screening as part of the comprehensive screening for sexually transmitted infections. With effect from July 2023, the DH has launched risk-based viral hepatitis screening services at its Elderly Health Service, Woman Health Service, Families Clinics and methadone clinics.
As announced in the 2024 Policy Address, the Government will roll out a new programme to subsidise hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer. The PHC Commission will provide hepatitis B screening and continued management to groups with higher risk via DHCs and family doctors through strategic purchasing and co-payment model. The programme enables early detection of people infected with HBV in the community and early identification and treatment of CHB to reduce the risk of complications (such as cirrhosis and liver cancer). The PHC Commission will announce the programme details within 2025.
(3) The number of in-patient and day-in-patient discharges and deaths with the principal diagnosis of chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis at various hospitals under the HA in the past five years is set out as follows:
Yeardischarges and deaths with the principal diagnosis of chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis(Provisional figures) (4) Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (commonly known as gastroscopy) is not a mandatory examination for the diagnosis, assessment, or treatment of liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. The HA provides appropriate examination and necessary treatment to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer patients based on clinical needs. The HA does not maintain statistics on the number of cases diagnosed with liver cancer or liver cirrhosis among those undergoing gastroscopy. The relevant data is not related to the trends of liver disease incidence in Hong Kong.
According to data from the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, there were 1 612 new cases of liver cancer in 2022, accounting for 4.6 per cent of all new cancer cases in Hong Kong. Liver cancer ranks as the fifth most common types of cancer and is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in Hong Kong. Based on the crude incidence rate, there are 22 new cases per 100 000 population in Hong Kong. Males are more susceptible to liver cancer than females, with a male-to-female incidence ratio of 2.7 to 1 in 2022. Compared with ten years ago, the number of new cases of liver cancer has dropped by about 10 per cent.
The number of liver cancer cases diagnosed each year and its percentage in the total number of new cancer cases from 2012 to 2022 are set out below:
Year On prevention and control strategies, key measures of the Government include:
(i) continuing to closely monitor the hepatitis situation locally and internationally; (ii) formulating the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2025-2030 within 2025; (iii) preparing for the launch of a pilot programme for hepatitis B in the community in a risk-based approach by the PHC Commission with reference to the screening strategy recommended by the SCVH; and (iv) apart from the three clusters currently piloting the collaborative service model for the management of hepatitis B, the HA will continue to pilot the service model concerned in the Medicine Specialist Out-patient Clinics and Family Medicine Specialist Clinics of other clusters, as well as collaborate with the DH and the PHC Commission to promote hepatitis B management to family doctors. Through the above measures, it is expected that the overall management capability for hepatitis B and service volume in Hong Kong will be further enhanced, thereby reducing the transmission of hepatitis B and its associated disease burden.
In addition, the Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening (CEWG), established under the Cancer Coordinating Committee chaired by the Secretary for Health, regularly reviews local and international scientific evidence with a view to making recommendations to the Government on formulating evidence-based measures for cancer prevention and screening programmes applicable to the local population. Currently, the CEWG does not recommend routine liver cancer screening for asymptomatic individuals at average risk.
Primary prevention (i.e. reducing exposure to cancer risk factors) is the most important strategy for reducing the risk of developing cancer. The DH has long been encouraging citizens to adopt healthy lifestyles, including avoidance of smoking and alcohol, healthy diet, regular physical activities and maintenance of a healthy body weight and waist circumference to reduce the risks of non-communicable diseases including cancer.
(5) In terms of primary healthcare, the Government is establishing a “Family Doctor for All” system and a multidisciplinary public-private partnership model with DHCs as the hub through the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Pilot Scheme) to subsidise citizens in the diagnosis and management of chronic diseases in the private medical sector. As mentioned above, the Government is planning to implement a subsidised hepatitis B screening programme through family doctors and DHCs using the same multidisciplinary public-private partnership model to encourage citizens to understand their health status through early screening to achieve the goals of “early prevention, early detection, and early treatment”. The DH will also continue to strengthen the Government’s different vaccination programmes, such as exploring the best use of public-private partnership arrangement where appropriate.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been following the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits to enhance the cooperation with various cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), on the premise that the development of Hong Kong and the Mainland’s healthcare system will be benefited. This is to promote the medical professional standard in the region in general and provide convenience for Hong Kong citizens travelling to and from the Mainland in terms of choices of medical services. Among which, in collaboration with designated collaborating healthcare institutions in the Mainland cities of the GBA, the Government gradually launched the Pilot Scheme for Supporting Patients of the Hospital Authority in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme, the Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-boundary Ambulance Transfer in Greater Bay Area, as well as the new functions under the five-year plan of eHealth+, which enables citizens to keep and use their personal medical records from within and outside Hong Kong across the boundary.
As a member of the GBA, the HKSAR Government, in formulating cross-boundary healthcare measures, will not only focus on meeting the needs of Hong Kong citizens, but will also consider the potential impact of the policies on the social resources and livelihood of citizens on the Mainland. The healthcare resources and needs, relevant laws and regulations, as well as regulatory regimes for healthcare professions are different in Hong Kong and the Mainland. Upholding the important role of protecting the health of Hong Kong citizens, the HKSAR Government will continue to provide quality healthcare services to Hong Kong citizens, including the above-mentioned strategies and work in the prevention and treatment on hepatitis B. The Government will also explore cross-boundary healthcare measures under the premise that these measures are feasible and mutually beneficial. Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government is exploring the strategic purchase of healthcare services for Hong Kong citizens from suitable healthcare institutions in the GBA to alleviate the pressure on service demand of our public hospital services and shorten the waiting time of Hong Kong residents. Issued at HKT 19:58
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in Nature looks at the effect of the shingles vaccine (Zostvax) on dementia risk.
Comments provided by our friends at the Australian Science Media Centre:
Dr Joseph Doyle, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Monash University and President of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases, said:
“The paper [by Eyting and colleagues in Nature] presents results of a natural experiment in Wales, United Kingdom, on the effect of shingles vaccination on new diagnosis of dementia. The study observed that older adults appeared to have less chance of dementia diagnosis in the seven years after receiving live-attenuated shingles vaccination (Zostavax). The authors estimate there were 3.5% fewer dementia diagnoses among people who received the live-attenuated shingles vaccine.
“This study had an observational design, so we need to be cautious in assuming the vaccine itself caused this decline in dementia diagnoses. It is plausible that episodes of infection, immune system changes, or health care engagement are among the factors behind this association, but further research is needed to help determine whether there is a causal link.
“Importantly, we don’t know whether these findings apply to both the live-attenuated shingles vaccine (Zostavax) used in their study and the newer recombinant subunit shingles vaccine (Shingrix) now used widely in Australia.
“Australia approved and subsidised Shingrix on the National Immunization Program in 2023. This newer shingles vaccine is available for older adults and is safer for people who are immunocompromised.
“While we do not know whether the newer shingles vaccine used locally has the same association with less dementia yet, we do know the shingles vaccine provided free in Australia is very effective and protective against episodes of shingles.
“Older adults and people with weak immune systems at higher risk of shingles are encouraged to see their doctor to talk more about vaccination.”
Professor Anthony Hannan, Group Head of the Epigenetics and Neural Plasticity Group at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, said:
“This new research article in Nature adds to the evidence that the nervous system and immune system closely interact, and that this has implications for dementia risk, as well as potentially new approaches to dementia prevention and treatment. Furthermore, it provides evidence that vaccination has the potential to impact positively on human health, beyond the particular disease that the vaccine was intended to prevent.
“A key question, not answered by this new study, is how the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine may have helped protect (reducing risk by 20%) against dementia. We now know that, despite the blood-brain barrier, the brain has its own immune cells, which serve many roles including removal of specific toxic molecules that accumulate with age (particularly in the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease).
“It is possible that the vaccine had direct effects on these brain immune cells, but it is also possible that the vaccine acted indirectly, for example, by slowing brain aging and/or enhancing brain resilience to the ravages of age. The next step is to work out exactly how this vaccine exerts its protective effects against dementia and to use that information to develop new ways to prevent and treat dementia. It also increases the likelihood that in future there may be specific vaccination programs whose primary aim is to prevent dementia.”
Dr Henry Brodaty, Scientia Professor of Ageing and Mental Health and Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of New South Wales, said:
“They examined the effect of a live virus to prevent shingles administered to people aged 79 to 80. The researchers took advantage of a decision in Wales that 79-80-year-olds born before 2nd September 1933 were ineligible for life to receive the shingles vaccine, whereas those born on or after that day were eligible for at least one year to receive the vaccine. There were 16,595 adults who had become eligible for the vaccine from a total sample of 282,541 adults in the sample.
“They compared people who were one week too old with those who were one week younger. Those who received the vaccine had an absolute reduction of 7% of developing dementia over the next seven years. Compared to those who were unvaccinated, their risk of dementia was 20% lower. The benefits were stronger for women than men.
“The authors examined multiple competing hypotheses to explain the results. There were no differences in dementia diagnoses for those who had and had not received influenza vaccines. Other possible explanations were also discounted. The authors considered the possible mechanism maybe preventing the reactivation of the shingles of the herpes varicella virus. The authors confirmed their findings in a different population by combining a different type of data from England and Wales and using deaths certified as being due to dementia.
“Limitations include that these results only pertained to 79-80-year-olds in Wales and to the use of the live vaccine.
“There has been evidence for some time that older people who receive their vaccinations in general are less likely to develop dementia. This is the best evidence yet to show this. Future research will determine whether the newer non-live virus, Shingrix will provide the same benefit and whether immunisation at younger ages may be just as effective.”
‘A natural experiment on the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on dementia’ by Markus Eyting et al. was published in Nature at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 2 April 2025.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08800-x
Declared interests
Professor Anthony Hannan: No COI’s.
Dr Henry Brodaty: is or has been an advisory board member or consultant to Biogen, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Medicines Australia, Roche and Skin2Neuron. He has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Prof Joseph Doyle: is a board member of the Australian Society for Infectious Diseases and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. The views expressed here are personal opinions and are not necessarily those of his employers or professional bodies.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Department of Health (DH) today (April 2) released the “Student Health Service (SHS) Annual Health Report for 2023/24 School Year”, which summarised the key findings of the annual health assessment service provided to primary and secondary school students in Hong Kong during the school year. Among these findings, there has been an improvement regarding the overweight condition of primary school students but the proportion of students spending two hours or more using the Internet or electronic screen products for recreational purposes has increased, which is a situation that warrants attention.
In the 2023/24 school year, around 257 000 primary school students and 173 000 secondary school students received annual health assessment services at the DH’s Student Health Service Centres (SHSCs). Students were provided with a series of health services, including growth monitoring, physical examinations, screenings for vision, hearing and scoliosis, health assessment questionnaires on health behaviours and psychosocial well-being, individual health counselling, health education and mop-up vaccinations.
The health assessment revealed that the weight problems and dietary patterns among Hong Kong students remain unsatisfactory. The prevalence of being overweight (including obesity) among primary school students has decreased from 19.5 per cent in the 2022/23 school year to 16.4 per cent in the 2023/24 school year, which was a record low since the 2014/15 school year. However, the prevalence of being overweight (including obesity) among secondary school students remained high at 20.0 per cent. In the 2023/24 school year, 94.4 per cent of students reported insufficient physical activity, meaning that they were not able to engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity per day. About 89.9 per cent of students (83.5 per cent primary and 97.0 per cent secondary school students) reported an inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables per day (i.e. an average of less than four servings for primary school students and less than five servings for secondary school students).
“To prevent childhood and adolescent obesity from developing into a lifelong threat to health, the DH encourages students to adopt healthy lifestyles and maintain a balanced diet. The DH will continue to offer weight management advice through the SHSCs to students in need. Dietitians of the SHS will provide dietary counselling to individual students if indicated,” the Consultant Community Medicine (Family and Student Health) of the DH, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, said.
The inappropriate use of electronic screen products should not be overlooked. The DH recommends children aged between 6 and 12 years old to limit recreational screen time to less than two hours a day. The health assessment questionnaire revealed that 43.3 per cent of primary school students indicated that they spent two or more hours in using Internet or electronic screen products (including computers, tablets, smartphones, video games and television) for recreational purposes on a typical school day. The proportion was higher than in the pre-COVID years of around 30 per cent. For secondary school students, the proportion was higher at 80.9 per cent, which is a cause for concern.
Dr Chuang noted that, apart from reminding students of the appropriate recreational screen time, the DH has set up a webpage on Healthy Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products to assist parents and teachers in handling related issues.
The state of vision among Hong Kong students remains less than ideal. The proportion of primary one students wearing glasses was 14.3 per cent which was similar to that of the previous school year (14.8 per cent), but still much higher than that of the pre-COVID years of about 11 per cent. The proportion of students wearing glasses was higher among students at higher grades, up to 53.8 per cent among Primary Six students. Among the primary and secondary school students with a visual acuity test done in the 2023/24 school year, 18.5 per cent required further assessment by optometrists in the SHS or private sector due to a failed preliminary visual acuity test, other eye or visual problems.
Regarding psychosocial health, a majority of students reported they very much enjoyed family life (94.3 per cent) and school life (92.4 per cent). However some students were identified to have psychosocial problems warranting attention. In the 2023/24 school year, 2.2 per cent and 1.0 per cent of students reported that they had planned or attempted to commit suicide in the past 12 months respectively, which were slightly lower than that in the previous school year (2.8 per cent planned and 1.3 per cent attempted to commit suicide) and are similar to the levels in the 2018/2019 school year. Professional staff of the DH promptly provided the students concerned (including some with emotional or mental health problems) with an immediate risk assessment, support or arranged referrals for further evaluation and management. In the 2023/24 school year, 1.4 per cent of students receiving annual health assessment services at the SHSCs were referred to the clinical psychologists of the SHS or other organisations, for further assessment and management of their psychosocial and behavioural problems.
The Government has set up the 18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline to provide one-stop, round-the-clock support for people with mental health needs. The Government has also implemented the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism through cross-departmental collaboration of the Education Bureau, the Health Bureau and the Social Welfare Department in all secondary schools in Hong Kong to ensure early identification and support for students at high risk, and provide timely assistance and seek professional counselling or treatment services for them.
Furthermore, “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” announced that the Whole School Health Programme (WSHP) will be strengthened. Besides publishing this territory-wide health report, health reports will be compiled for each participating school to recommend targeted school‑based health promotion measures for physical activities, diet and other matters, to improve students’ physical and psychological wellbeing. So far, more than 760 schools have joined the WSHP, covering over 65 per cent of all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. The DH will continue to encourage more schools to join through various channels and work towards realising the vision of “Making every school a health-promoting school”.
At the same time, the Primary Healthcare Commission is actively promoting the Life Course Preventive Care Plan via the District Health Centres (DHCs), DHC Expresses and family doctors. A personalised preventive care plan will be formulated to address the health needs of citizens, including vaccinations required by children as well as prevention of infectious diseases, cancers and chronic diseases. The DHCs and DHC Expresses also provide children-targeted services, such as emotion management, weight management and healthy diet classes as well as collaborate with schools to provide outreach health education, health-risk factors assessment, low salt and sugar diet education and promotion activities. In the long run, the Government will integrate some of the DH’s primary healthcare services into the primary healthcare system, in order to enhance children’s healthcare services in Hong Kong and create a better environment for children’s medical care and healthy development.
“The DH has been safeguarding both the physical and psychological health of school children through health promotion and disease prevention services. The annual health assessment service aims to identify students with health problems at an early stage for timely advice and intervention, including referrals to appropriate organisations for further assessment or management. Enrolment is now open for the annual health assessment service of the 2024/25 school year. Students who have not yet enrolled are encouraged to enrol through their school or directly with the SHSCs,” Dr Chuang said.
For more information on a healthy lifestyle, members of the public are welcome to browse the “@DH mobile application“, DH’s social media accounts, and scan the QR codes attached.
As per the information provided by Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), surveillance data on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in food animals including poultry is compiled and published as part of the Indian Network for Fisheries and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance (INFAAR) annual report, which is accessible to the public. The study conducted by ICAR – Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) examined various factors like agro climatic zones, pathogen phylotypes and host characteristics including utilization of machine learning algorithms to identify key drivers of AMR in poultry.
The measures and advisories are outlined as follows:
Department under Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) scheme, 100% central assistance is provided to States/UTs for vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Brucellosis, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Lumpy Skin Disease, Black Quarter, Haemorrhagic Septicaemia etc. including disease surveillance, monitoring and capacity building. Vaccination reduces the use of antibiotics, hence reduce the AMR.
Department has developed The ‘Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTGs) for Livestock and Poultry’ for best practices in veterinary care to enhance livestock health and disease control while ensuring the responsible use of drugs including antimicrobials.
DAHD has formulated the Poultry Disease Action Plan, which emphasizes proactive disease management through biosecurity measures, enhanced surveillance, and vaccination protocols, thereby safeguarding both poultry population and public health.
Bharat Pashudhan application under National Digital Livestock Mission provides management of nearly 29 common ailments of dairy animals e.g. mastitis, indigestion, diarrhoea etc. using Ethno-Veterinary Medicine (EVM).
Department has constituted the Empowered Committee on Animal Health-Regulatory, a subcommittee to ‘Assess and provide recommendations on submission of veterinary vaccines/biological/drugs for policy input’ to examine the proposals received from DCGI regarding import and manufacturing of drugs and vaccine including antibiotics.
Department has formulated the National Action Plan on Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) in consultation with MoH&FW and other stake holders for judicious use, surveillance and monitoring of antibiotics in animal health sector. MoA&FW is also one of the stakeholder in respect to use of pesticides and antibiotics in agriculture sector keeping in view the One Health Initiative and provisions under NAP-AMR.
Department has issued advisories to all State/UTs for judicious use of antibiotics in treatment of food producing animals, for stopping the use of antibiotics in animal feed and for general awareness.
As per information received from the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) import, manufacture, sale, distribution of drugs including antibiotics are regulated under the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules there under. Further, it is mandatory that the container of the medicine for treatment of food producing animals requires to be labelled with the withdrawal period of the drug for the species on which it is intended to be used.
On the recommendations of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Colistin and its formulations have been prohibited to be manufactured, sold and distributed for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplement
ICAR has strengthened the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by initiating All India Network Programme on AMR (AINP-AMR) involving 31 centres across different states of the country. Further, INFAAR is a nationwide initiative that comprises 20 animals science centres establishing a strong frame work for monitoring and surveillance.
The Central Government has notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Egg laying Hens) Rules, 2023 to ensure the welfare of poultry specifically for the space requirement for sheltering the poultry bird. As per the Rule 10 of the said Rules following shall be prohibited for feeding of laying hens:
Feeding of laying hens with remains of dead chicks.
Use of antimicrobial growth promoters.
Use of antimicrobials, if required, may be administered for therapeutic purposes (disease treatment) and only under supervision of a veterinarian and
Withdrawal of feed to induce a molting.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 2nd April, 2025.
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