NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Security: Homeland Security Awards $86.1 Million in Disaster Assistance

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it awarded over $86 million in financial assistance to Tennessee, Texas, and California to support relief and recovery efforts following a series of natural disasters.

    “Our job is to get federal disaster management back on track after years of mismanagement. Disaster relief has been so inadequate there are still open applications that were submitted after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Under President Trump’s leadership, Secretary Noem is fixing that. These grants are a direct product of the Secretary’s efforts to ensure that states are getting the grants they need in a timely, efficient manner to lead disaster relief efforts from the local level up.” – DHS Spokesperson

    The awards are as follows:

    • Tennessee: $36.9M for permanent repairs from severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding which resulted in an F-3 tornado that destroyed the Grace Baptist Church and Academy of Hamilton County buildings. The church and academy provide primary and secondary educational services to approximately 600 students in Chattanooga, TN.
    • CA: $14.2M to CA Cross Creek Flood Control District for emergency protective measures following severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.
    • TX: $35M to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) for management costs as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

    These awards come as the Department is undertaking a thorough review of grant funding to ensure that all taxpayer dollars are properly allocated to focus on disaster relief and recovery efforts.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Feeling anxious before surgery? Anxiety can harm healing but innovative mental health support could help

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Renée El-Gabalawy, Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist, University of Manitoba

    Poor mental health before surgery is linked to worse outcomes. (Unsplash), CC BY

    Feeling anxious before surgery is normal — but for many patients, it goes far beyond nerves. There is a growing body of research showing that poor mental health before surgery can derail recovery in ways that extend far beyond the operating room.

    For example, in recent research, my colleagues and I found that anxiety and depressive symptoms before surgery are linked to poorer surgical outcomes. This includes higher complication rates within 30 days and even increased risk of death within a year.

    On top of this, many patients rank anxiety as one of the worst parts of their surgical experience, worse than pain or other aspects of surgical recovery.

    Both patients and clinicians identify a need for mental health support, yet this need is often overlooked. As an expert in perioperative mental health, I have some solutions to offer.

    Demand for surgery is accelerating

    The growing number of surgical patients — driven by an aging population, rising rates of chronic diseases and advancements in medicine — has intensified pressure on the health-care system.

    Rising demand has led to longer wait times and increases in surgery delays and cancellations. This situation has been made even worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients can be left suffering in limbo for weeks, months or even years.

    My colleagues and I have found these surgery delays and cancellations to be linked with even further negative impacts on mental and physical health. Patients are getting worse while they wait.

    While this growing backlog represents a significant challenge, it also presents an opportunity.

    The opportunity

    The surgical waiting period, which is too often prolonged, offers a critical window to identify patients at highest risk for poor mental health. Identifying those in need is critical to deliver targeted and scientifically supported psychological treatments. It’s a time when patients are already engaged with the health-care system, motivated to do well and receptive to guidance.

    Evidence-based psychological treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy before surgery have been shown to improve outcomes like pain and function.

    International organizations, such as the World Health Organization, highlight the importance of including mental health support into hospital settings including surgical care.

    In the United States, the Center for Perioperative Mental Health, originating from Washington University, is one of the first large-scale initiatives of its kind aiming to integrate personalized pathways to support mental health for older adults.

    As the external advisory chair for this centre, I have seen how initiatives like these can significantly enhance perioperative care and patient outcomes.

    Globally, efforts such as pre-habilitation programs — which aim to enhance surgical readiness through exercise, nutrition and mental health support — are emerging. While these represent progress, they are not routinely implemented, often lack integration of evidence-based mental-health care, and show mixed results due to variability in design and delivery.

    There is strong evidence linking poor pre-operative mental health to worse outcomes, along with clear patient demand and promising results from existing programs. Yet, perioperative mental health support in Canada remains underfunded and far from standard clinical care.

    Mental health continues to be unaddressed in surgical settings.

    Leverage technological advancements

    Given the significant shortcomings of accessible mental-health care in Canada, creative solutions are critical. One way forward is to make the most of fast-growing technology.

    For example, our team has developed an innovative virtual reality (VR) program using patient input and strategies backed by science to support mental health before surgery.

    Patients found this both acceptable and helpful. These platforms assist patients to mentally prepare for surgery, familiarize themselves with the environment and feel more in control.

    Other large-scale digital initiatives such as the Power Over Pain Portal offer free evidence-based online psychological treatments for pain management from the comfort of your home. And pain management is especially important for those waiting extended periods for many types of surgeries.

    Our multidisciplinary team at the University of Manitoba believes these types of digital approaches can be delivered at scale, relatively low cost, and with high patient acceptability and satisfaction. This is not meant to replace human care, but to extend it.

    These are not just flashy gadgets but clinical tools with real potential to integrate evidence-based mental health treatments.

    Prepare physically and mentally

    Health-care systems are often under-resourced, and Canada is no exception. To address this, surgical care should prioritize greater investment in mental health support, including integration of technology. These efforts can better prepare patients physically and mentally for surgery and aid in their surgical recovery.

    Encouraging sign made for children with cancer at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
    (National Cancer Institute/Unsplash), CC BY

    Mental health is central to surgical outcomes — not secondary. We need a national strategy to fund the research and ultimately routinely apply accessible mental health treatments for surgical patients. This is especially important for those at highest risk.

    Patients have told us what they need. The evidence is undeniable. And the opportunity for change has never been greater. We need to build a system that truly cares for the whole patient.

    Renée El-Gabalawy received research funding for virtual reality projects from the New Frontiers in Research Fund – Exploration, National Research Council New Beginning Initiative, and the Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund. She is also the external advisory chair of the Center of Perioperative Mental Health and receives an honorarium for her involvement.

    – ref. Feeling anxious before surgery? Anxiety can harm healing but innovative mental health support could help – https://theconversation.com/feeling-anxious-before-surgery-anxiety-can-harm-healing-but-innovative-mental-health-support-could-help-255354

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn John Dempsey Hospital Recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    As part of the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement, UConn, John Dempsey Hospital has achieved special recognition as an Age-Friendly Health System — Committed to Care Excellence in our ongoing efforts to ensure age-friendly care for all older adults we serve.

    Last year, John Dempsey Hospital was accepted for participation in the movement to improve health care for older adults. Over the last three months, data has been collected about the number of older adults who received a set of evidence-based elements of high-quality care, known as the 4Ms: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. We are excited to continue our ongoing commitment towards reliable practice of the 4Ms.

    As of August 2023, more than 1,900 hospitals, practices, convenient care clinics, and nursing homes have been recognized as Age Friendly Health Systems – Committed to Care Excellence. UConn John Dempsey Hospital is proud to join the growing ranks of these organizations in putting the 4Ms into practice. Globally, more than 2,480,000 older adults have been reached with 4Ms care.

    “Our commitment to sharing data and learning only grows stronger as we further our efforts to improve care delivery for those most in need. We continue to strive toward reliable implementation of age friendly best practices across emergency departments, intensive care units, medical-surgical units, and primary and specialty care settings,” said Caryl Ryan, COO, UConn John Dempsey Hospital, CNO, Vice President, Quality and Patient Care Services,

    “UConn John Dempsey Hospital has always been committed to care excellence and is proud to have achieved this external recognition” said Patrick Coll, Medical Director for Senior Health at UConn Health. We are caring for an increasing number of older adults, and that trend will continue for the foreseeable future.” “Implementing the quality improvement interventions necessary to qualify as an Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative is an important part of our overarching vision to provide every older adult with the best care possible. Above all, we aim every day to earn recognition of excellence from the older adults and carers whom we serve. This partnership with our community is our guiding star.”

    “I want to express my gratitude to the team at UConn John Dempsey Hospital for your dedication to age-friendly care,” said Leslie Pelton, MPA, Vice President, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). “Age-Friendly Health Systems and IHI celebrate your recognition as an Age-Friendly Health System — Committed to Care Excellence.” Pelton continued, “Because of your efforts, more older adults are receiving safe, high-quality care that is based on what matters most to them as individuals — their specific goals and preferences. And, we can learn from the work you are doing to help inform others across the globe. Thank you for making this happen.”

    Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the US (CHA). For more information, visit

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI can guess racial categories from heart scans – what it means and why it matters

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tiarna Lee, Doctoral Candidate, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London

    Radiological imaging/Shutterstock

    Imagine an AI model that can use a heart scan to guess what racial category you’re likely to be put in – even when it hasn’t been told what race is, or what to look for. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s real.

    My recent study, which I conducted with colleagues, found that an AI model could guess whether a patient identified as Black or white from heart images with up to 96% accuracy – despite no explicit information about racial categories being given.

    It’s a striking finding that challenges assumptions about the objectivity of AI and highlights a deeper issue: AI systems don’t just reflect the world – they absorb and reproduce the biases built into it.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Join The Conversation for free today.

    First, it’s important to be clear: race is not a biological category. Modern genetics shows there is more variation within supposed racial groups than between them.

    Race is a social construct, a set of categories invented by societies to classify people based on perceived physical traits and ancestry. These classifications don’t map cleanly onto biology, but they shape everything from lived experience to access to care.

    Despite this, many AI systems are now learning to detect, and potentially act on, these social labels, because they are built using data shaped by a world that treats race as if it were biological fact.

    AI systems are already transforming healthcare. They can analyse chest X-rays, read heart scans and flag potential issues faster than human doctors – in some cases, in seconds rather than minutes. Hospitals are adopting these tools to improve efficiency, reduce costs and standardise care.

    Bias isn’t a bug – it’s built in

    But no matter how sophisticated, AI systems are not neutral. They are trained on real-world data – and that data reflects real-world inequalities, including those based on race, gender, age, and socioeconomic status. These systems can learn to treat patients differently based on these characteristics, even when no one explicitly programs them to do so.

    One major source of bias is imbalanced training data. If a model learns primarily from lighter skinned patients, for example, it may struggle to detect conditions in people with darker skin.
    Studies in dermatology have already shown this problem.

    Even language models like ChatGPT aren’t immune: one study found evidence that some models still reproduce outdated and false medical beliefs, such as the myth that Black patients have thicker skin than white patients.

    Sometimes AI models appear accurate, but for the wrong reasons – a phenomenon called shortcut learning. Instead of learning the complex features of a disease, a model might rely on irrelevant but easier to spot clues in the data.

    Imagine two hospital wards: one uses scanner A to treat severe COVID-19 patients, another uses scanner B for milder cases. The AI might learn to associate scanner A with severe illness – not because it understands the disease better, but because it’s picking up on image artefacts specific to scanner A.

    Now imagine a seriously ill patient is scanned using scanner B. The model might mistakenly classify them as less sick – not due to a medical error, but because it learned the wrong shortcut.

    This same kind of flawed reasoning could apply to race. If there are differences in disease prevalence between racial groups, the AI could end up learning to identify race instead of the disease – with dangerous consequences.

    In the heart scan study, researchers found that the AI model wasn’t actually focusing on the heart itself, where there were few visible differences linked to racial categories. Instead, it drew information from areas outside the heart, such as subcutaneous fat as well as image artefacts – unwanted distortions like motion blur, noise, or compression that can degrade image quality. These artefacts often come from the scanner and can influence how the AI interprets the scan.

    In this study, Black participants had a higher-than-average BMI, which could mean they had more subcutaneous fat, though this wasn’t directly investigated. Some research has shown that Black individuals tend to have less visceral fat and smaller waist circumference at a given BMI, but more subcutaneous fat. This suggests the AI may have been picking up on these indirect racial signals, rather than anything relevant to the heart itself.

    This matters because when AI models learn race – or rather, social patterns that reflect racial inequality – without understanding context, the risk is that they may reinforce or worsen existing disparities.

    This isn’t just about fairness – it’s about safety.

    Solutions

    But there are solutions:

    Diversify training data: studies have shown that making datasets more representative improves AI performance across groups – without harming accuracy for anyone else.

    Build transparency: many AI systems are considered “black boxes” because we don’t understand how they reach their conclusions. The heart scan study used heat maps to show which parts of an image influenced the AI’s decision, creating a form of explainable AI that helps doctors and patients trust (or question) results – so we can catch when it’s using inappropriate shortcuts.

    Treat race carefully: researchers and developers must recognise that race in data is a social signal, not a biological truth. It requires thoughtful handling to avoid perpetuating harm.

    AI models are capable of spotting patterns that even the most trained human eyes might miss. That’s what makes them so powerful – and potentially so dangerous. It learns from the same flawed world we do. That includes how we treat race: not as a scientific reality, but as a social lens through which health, opportunity and risk are unequally distributed.

    If AI systems learn our shortcuts, they may repeat our mistakes – faster, at scale and with less accountability. And when lives are on the line, that’s a risk we cannot afford.

    Tiarna Lee receives funding from the EPSRC.

    – ref. AI can guess racial categories from heart scans – what it means and why it matters – https://theconversation.com/ai-can-guess-racial-categories-from-heart-scans-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters-254416

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Avian Influenza Prevention Zone housing measures lifted

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    Avian Influenza Prevention Zone housing measures lifted

    Mandatory housing measures for poultry and captive birds, which were introduced across various counties to prevent the spread of bird flu, will be lifted from Thursday 15 May, the Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed today.

    Mandatory housing measures for poultry and captive birds, which were introduced across various counties to prevent the spread of bird flu, will be lifted from Thursday 15 May, the Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed today.

    The latest risk assessment supported by the best scientific evidence shows that the risk of avian influenza levels in wild birds and poultry has reduced. This means poultry and other captive birds will no longer need to be housed and can now be kept outside.

    The lifting of housing measures applies to all areas unless keepers are in a Protection Zone or Captive Bird Monitoring (Controlled) Zone – these are areas where there has been a recent outbreak.

    Scrupulous biosecurity is the best deterrent to stopping the spread of avian influenza. Birdkeepers are legally required to adhere to the highest biosecurity standards with an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) mandating strict biosecurity remaining in place in England, Scotland and Wales. This includes measures such as disinfecting footwear, clothing and vehicles and equipment before and after entering premises.

    Bird gatherings, such as fairs and markets, remain banned.

    UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Christine Middlemiss, said:

    Following a sustained period of reduced risk from avian influenza, we are now able to lift the mandatory housing measures in effect in various counties, which is testament to the hard work and vigilance of bird keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.

    While the lifting of mandatory housing measures will be welcomed by bird keepers, it is imperative that keepers continue to practice stringent biosecurity and that any suspicions of disease are reported to the Animal and Plant Health agency immediately.

    Those who intend to allow their birds outside are advised to use the upcoming days to prepare their outside areas for the safe release of their birds, as ranges and outdoor areas may still be contaminated with avian influenzas virus. This will include cleansing and disinfection of hard surfaces, fencing off ponds or standing water and reintroduction of wild bird deterrents.

    As birds have been housed for several months, it may be necessary for birds to be acclimatised and gradually released over a period of days to minimise welfare issues.

    Keepers are encouraged to take action to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading. Be vigilant for signs of disease and report it to keep your birds safe.

    Check if you’re in a bird flu disease zone on the map and check details of the restrictions for further advice and information.  

    You must register within one month of keeping poultry or other captive birds at any premises in England or Wales, further information is available.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DeGette Statement on Energy & Commerce Republicans’ Harmful Reconciliation Package

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after Republicans on the Energy & Commerce Committee announced the text of their portion of the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill.’

    “House Republicans are terrified the American people will learn the details of their plan to gut Medicaid, so they want to pass this monstrosity of a bill less than 48 hours after making the bill public to distract and mislead their constituents. They want to kick at least 8.6 million Americans off their health care to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, and that is exactly what this bill will do. House Republicans are so laser-focused on pleasing Trump, they are willing to make their constituents’ lives harder and health care more expensive.

    “Throughout the markup for this legislation, I will call out Republicans for their disgraceful policies, force votes on amendments to protect Medicaid, and stand up to their brazen disregard for their constituents’ well-being while they pad the pockets of billionaires like Elon Musk.”

    The Energy & Commerce Committee will be marking up their portion of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday, May 13. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the health provisions in the bill would cause at least 8.6 million Americans to lose health care. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 12 May 2025 News release People in Gaza starving, sick and dying as aid blockade continues

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing with the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid, including food, in the ongoing blockade.

    The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death. This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time.

    The latest food security analysis was released today by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership, of which WHO is a member.

    “We do not need to wait for a declaration of famine in Gaza to know that people are already starving, sick and dying, while food and medicines are minutes away across the border,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Today’s report shows that without immediate access to food and essential supplies, the situation will continue to deteriorate, causing more deaths and descent into famine.”

    Famine has not yet been declared, but people are starving now. Three quarters of Gaza’s population are at “Emergency” or “Catastrophic” food deprivation, the worst two levels of IPC’s five level scale of food insecurity and nutritional deprivation.

    Since the aid blockade began on 2 March 2025, 57 children have reportedly died from the effects of malnutrition, according to the Ministry of Health. This number is likely an underestimate and is likely to increase.  If the situation persists, nearly 71 000 children under the age of five are expected to be acutely malnourished over the next eleven months, according to the IPC report.

    People in Gaza are trapped in a dangerous cycle where malnutrition and disease fuel each other, turning everyday illness into a potential death sentence, particularly for children. Malnutrition weakens the bodies, making it harder to heal from injuries and fight off common communicable diseases like diarrhoea, pneumonia, and measles. In turn, these infections increase the body’s requirement for nutrition, while reducing nutrient intake and absorption, resulting in worsening malnutrition. With health care out of reach, vaccine coverage plummeting, access to clean water and sanitation severely limited, and increased child protection concerns, the risk of severe illness and death grows, especially for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, who urgently need treatment to survive.

    Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are also at high risk of malnutrition, with nearly 17 000 expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition over the next eleven months, if the dire situation does not change. Malnourished mothers struggle to produce enough nutritious milk, putting their babies at risk, while the delivery of counselling services for mothers is heavily compromised. For infants under six months, breastmilk is their best protection against hunger and disease – especially where clean water is scarce, as it is in Gaza.

    The long-term impact and damage from malnutrition can last a lifetime in the form of stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, and poor health. Without enough nutritious food, clean water, and access to health care, an entire generation will be permanently affected.

    The plan recently announced by Israeli authorities to deliver food and other essential items across Gaza via proposed distribution sites is grossly inadequate to meet the immediate needs of over two million people. WHO echoes the UN’s call for the global humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality to be upheld and respected and for unimpeded humanitarian access to be granted to provide aid based on people’s needs, wherever they may be. A well-established and proven humanitarian coordination system, led by the UN and its partners, is already in place and must be allowed to function fully to ensure that aid is delivered in a principled, timely, and equitable manner.

    The aid blockade and shrinking humanitarian access continue to undermine WHO’s ability to support 16 outpatient and three inpatient malnutrition treatment centres with life-saving supplies, and to sustain the broader health system. The remaining supplies in WHO’s stocks inside Gaza are only enough to treat 500 children with acute malnutrition – a fraction of the urgent need – while essential medicines and supplies to treat diseases and trauma injuries are already running out and cannot be replenished due to the blockade.

    People are dying while WHO and partners’ life-saving medical supplies sit just outside Gaza – ready for deployment, with safeguards in place to ensure the aid reaches those who need it most in line with humanitarian principles. WHO calls for the protection of health care and for an immediate end to the aid blockade, which is starving people, obstructing their right to health, and robbing them of dignity and hope. WHO calls for the release of all hostages, and for a ceasefire, which leads to lasting peace. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA and CDC Recommend Pause in Use of Ixchiq (Chikungunya Vaccine, Live) in Individuals 60 Years of Age and Older While Postmarketing Safety Reports are Investigated: FDA Safety Communication

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    [Posted 05/12/2025]
    AUDIENCE: Patient, Health Care Professional, Pharmacy
    ISSUE: The FDA and the CDC are recommending a pause in the use of Ixchiq (Chikungunya Vaccine, Live) in individuals 60 years of age and older while the Agencies investigate postmarketing reports of serious adverse events, including neurologic and cardiac events, in individuals who have received the vaccine.
    As of May 7, 2025, 17 serious adverse events, including two that resulted in death, have been reported in individuals 62 through 89 years of age who received Ixchiq during postmarketing use globally. Six of these reports have been from the United States (U.S.). Most U.S. and foreign serious adverse events that have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), co-managed by FDA and CDC, have been in individuals with underlying chronic medical conditions. Adverse events reported to VAERS may not be causally related to vaccination. Approximately 80,000 doses of Ixchiq have been distributed globally.
    Some of the postmarketing reports include adverse events that are consistent with severe complications of chikungunya disease, resulting in hospitalization; one person died from encephalitis. The FDA-approved Prescribing Information includes a warning to inform that the vaccine may cause severe or prolonged chikungunya-like adverse reactions.
    In addition, although not commonly reported during the clinical studies, severe chikungunya-like adverse reactions that prevented daily activity and/or required medical intervention occurred in 1.6% of Ixchiq recipients and none of the placebo recipients. Two recipients with severe chikungunya-like adverse reactions were hospitalized. In addition, some recipients had prolonged chikungunya-like adverse reactions that lasted for at least 30 days.
    FDA will conduct an updated benefit-risk assessment for the use of Ixchiq in individuals 60 years of age and older. In addition, FDA and CDC will continue the evaluation of postmarketing safety reports for Ixchiq. While the safety of Ixchiq for use in individuals 60 years of age and older is being further assessed, FDA and CDC are recommending a pause in use of the vaccine in this age group. FDA and CDC will update the public when the Agencies complete their evaluation of this safety issue.
    BACKGROUND: On November 9, 2023, FDA approved Ixchiq for the prevention of disease caused by chikungunya virus in individuals 18 years of age and older who are at increased risk of exposure to chikungunya virus. Ixchiq contains a live, weakened version of the chikungunya virus and may cause symptoms similar to those of chikungunya disease.
    [FDA Safety Communication – 05/09/2025]
    Health care professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which is co-managed by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    Content current as of:
    05/12/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: For children with a rare form of dementia, music could be a powerful therapy tool

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rebecca Atkinson, Researcher in Music Therapy, Anglia Ruskin University

    Music therapy may be helpful for children with a rare form of dementia. adriaticfoto/ Shutterstock

    When we hear the word “dementia”, we usually think of memory loss in older adults. But there’s another, much rarer form of the disease that strikes far earlier in life – childhood dementia, also known as Batten disease.

    Batten disease is a rare but serious genetic disorder that affects the brain and nervous system. It is unknown how many children in the UK are living with this heartbreaking condition, but recent estimates show between 150-200 are affected.

    It often appears in early in life – usually between the ages of 12 months to 12 years. The condition can lead to problems with vision, movement and thinking. And, because the condition is genetic, it often means that more than one child in a family can be affected.

    Right now, there’s no cure for Batten disease. Sadly, many children with the condition don’t survive into adulthood. Scientists and doctors are working hard to change that, but there’s still a long way to go.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Join The Conversation for free today.

    While a promising drug has been shown to slow progression of one type of Batten disease, access to it is now under review in the UK. This leaves many children and families at risk of losing this lifesaving treatment.

    Without a viable cure, treatment for Batten disease mainly focuses on easing symptoms. Children often need physiotherapy, prescription drugs and educational support. But this care has been shown to be fragmented, with services spread across different providers. This lack of coordination makes it challenging for families to access consistent support.

    Families are open to looking for alternative forms of therapy – such as music therapy. Emerging research suggests that music and music therapy can be beneficial for children with Batten disease.

    Music therapy

    Researchers have begun exploring music therapy as a way of managing symptoms and possibly enhancing quality of life for children with Batten disease. Research in this area is still in its early stages. But if proven to be effective, music therapy could offer new opportunities and comfort to patients and their families.

    Music therapy uses music to help with emotional expression, psychological health and functional improvements. A typical music therapy session involves playing instruments, singing, listening to music or song writing to help patients improve psychological wellbeing, and cope with emotional or communication difficulties.

    For children with Batten disease, clinical researchers consider music therapy – when used alongside other standard therapies (such as physiotherapy and speech therapy) – to alleviate pain and anxiety in patients and improve their social interaction and enjoyment.

    In one case study, it was found that weekly music therapy sessions helped one ten-year-old child with Batten disease better express her feelings and memories through writing and singing songs. Not only this, these songs became a lasting legacy, helping loved ones stay connected to her after she passed away.

    An international survey of 182 parents and professionals who support children with Batten disease also found music therapy was beneficial. Around 80% of the people in the study said music helped their children communicate. In some cases, children who could no longer speak were still able to sing. Music also helped the children access memories, and generally improved their quality of life.

    Music therapy may help children with Batten disease to communicate and access memories.
    Da Antipina/ Shutterstock

    One specific strand of music therapy is neurologic music therapy. This approach can help people with neurological conditions manage their symptoms and function better in their everyday life through practical musical exercises. This is done through specific singing or rhythm exercises to help with speech, or targeted movement activities to help with mobility.

    Currently, no research has been conducted on the use of neurologic music therapy for children with Batten disease. But, research on other neurological conditions shows it can be very beneficial.

    For instance, research shows neurologic music therapy can improve speech, language, cognition and movement for some Parkinson’s sufferers and quality of life and well being for adults with dementia.



    Read more:
    Why researchers are turning to music as a possible treatment for stroke, brain injuries and even Parkinson’s

    Studies have also shown the practice can help children with neurological conditions similar to Batten disease, such as cerebral palsy and Rett’s syndrome. When added to standard rehabilitation programmes that target motor, language, movement and psychological goals, neurologic music therapy increased brain plasticity (meaning it strengthened connections in the brain).

    The children who received the therapy became more engaged and focused. These findings indicate that adding music therapy could speed up progress toward rehabilitation goals.

    For children with epilepsy, listening to music has even been shown to reduce the number of seizures over a six month period. Many children with Batten disease experience epileptic seizures which can become more unmanageable as the disease progresses. This suggests that music therapy could potentially be useful for managing seizures in children with Batten disease.

    The uniquely powerful effect of music could be explained by the fact that it activates multiple regions of the brain at once – including those linked to movement, memory, emotion and language.

    This global activation can be especially helpful for children with Batten disease, as it may stimulate areas of the brain that are still functioning. Music may also help with emotional expression and social connection, offering comfort and a sense of identity even as the disease progresses.

    While early findings from this field are promising, larger and more targeted studies are needed to confirm the benefits of music therapy for children with Batten disease and explore how it might be integrated into standard care.

    As Batten disease progresses, families face the heartbreaking reality of their child’s diminishing future. Many turn to supportive therapies and palliative care in their child’s final stages of life.

    Early findings on music therapy suggest that it may help children with Batten disease express themselves, stay connected and hold on to moments of independence for a little longer.

    Rebecca Atkinson is a board member of Chiltern Music Therapy, and has received funding from The Musicians Company to carry out research activities for children with Batten disease.

    – ref. For children with a rare form of dementia, music could be a powerful therapy tool – https://theconversation.com/for-children-with-a-rare-form-of-dementia-music-could-be-a-powerful-therapy-tool-171688

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI can guess racial categories from heart scans – they’re detecting bias not biological differences

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tiarna Lee, Doctoral Candidate, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London

    Radiological imaging/Shutterstock

    Imagine an AI model that can use a heart scan to guess what racial category you’re likely to be put in – even when it hasn’t been told what race is, or what to look for. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s real.

    My recent study, which I conducted with colleagues, found that an AI model could guess whether a patient identified as Black or white from heart images with up to 96% accuracy – despite no explicit information about racial categories being given.

    It’s a striking finding that challenges assumptions about the objectivity of AI and highlights a deeper issue: AI systems don’t just reflect the world – they absorb and reproduce the biases built into it.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Join The Conversation for free today.

    First, it’s important to be clear: race is not a biological category. Modern genetics shows there is more variation within supposed racial groups than between them.

    Race is a social construct, a set of categories invented by societies to classify people based on perceived physical traits and ancestry. These classifications don’t map cleanly onto biology, but they shape everything from lived experience to access to care.

    Despite this, many AI systems are now learning to detect, and potentially act on, these social labels, because they are built using data shaped by a world that treats race as if it were biological fact.

    AI systems are already transforming healthcare. They can analyse chest X-rays, read heart scans and flag potential issues faster than human doctors – in some cases, in seconds rather than minutes. Hospitals are adopting these tools to improve efficiency, reduce costs and standardise care.

    Bias isn’t a bug – it’s built in

    But no matter how sophisticated, AI systems are not neutral. They are trained on real-world data – and that data reflects real-world inequalities, including those based on race, gender, age, and socioeconomic status. These systems can learn to treat patients differently based on these characteristics, even when no one explicitly programs them to do so.

    One major source of bias is imbalanced training data. If a model learns primarily from lighter skinned patients, for example, it may struggle to detect conditions in people with darker skin.
    Studies in dermatology have already shown this problem.

    Even language models like ChatGPT aren’t immune: one study found evidence that some models still reproduce outdated and false medical beliefs, such as the myth that Black patients have thicker skin than white patients.

    Sometimes AI models appear accurate, but for the wrong reasons – a phenomenon called shortcut learning. Instead of learning the complex features of a disease, a model might rely on irrelevant but easier to spot clues in the data.

    Imagine two hospital wards: one uses scanner A to treat severe COVID-19 patients, another uses scanner B for milder cases. The AI might learn to associate scanner A with severe illness – not because it understands the disease better, but because it’s picking up on image artefacts specific to scanner A.

    Now imagine a seriously ill patient is scanned using scanner B. The model might mistakenly classify them as less sick – not due to a medical error, but because it learned the wrong shortcut.

    This same kind of flawed reasoning could apply to race. If there are differences in disease prevalence between racial groups, the AI could end up learning to identify race instead of the disease – with dangerous consequences.

    In the heart scan study, researchers found that the AI model wasn’t actually focusing on the heart itself, where there were few visible differences linked to racial categories. Instead, it drew information from areas outside the heart, such as subcutaneous fat as well as image artefacts – unwanted distortions like motion blur, noise, or compression that can degrade image quality. These artefacts often come from the scanner and can influence how the AI interprets the scan.

    In this study, Black participants had a higher-than-average BMI, which could mean they had more subcutaneous fat, though this wasn’t directly investigated. Some research has shown that Black individuals tend to have less visceral fat and smaller waist circumference at a given BMI, but more subcutaneous fat. This suggests the AI may have been picking up on these indirect racial signals, rather than anything relevant to the heart itself.

    This matters because when AI models learn race – or rather, social patterns that reflect racial inequality – without understanding context, the risk is that they may reinforce or worsen existing disparities.

    This isn’t just about fairness – it’s about safety.

    Solutions

    But there are solutions:

    Diversify training data: studies have shown that making datasets more representative improves AI performance across groups – without harming accuracy for anyone else.

    Build transparency: many AI systems are considered “black boxes” because we don’t understand how they reach their conclusions. The heart scan study used heat maps to show which parts of an image influenced the AI’s decision, creating a form of explainable AI that helps doctors and patients trust (or question) results – so we can catch when it’s using inappropriate shortcuts.

    Treat race carefully: researchers and developers must recognise that race in data is a social signal, not a biological truth. It requires thoughtful handling to avoid perpetuating harm.

    AI models are capable of spotting patterns that even the most trained human eyes might miss. That’s what makes them so powerful – and potentially so dangerous. It learns from the same flawed world we do. That includes how we treat race: not as a scientific reality, but as a social lens through which health, opportunity and risk are unequally distributed.

    If AI systems learn our shortcuts, they may repeat our mistakes – faster, at scale and with less accountability. And when lives are on the line, that’s a risk we cannot afford.

    Tiarna Lee receives funding from the EPSRC.

    – ref. AI can guess racial categories from heart scans – they’re detecting bias not biological differences – https://theconversation.com/ai-can-guess-racial-categories-from-heart-scans-theyre-detecting-bias-not-biological-differences-254416

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Deadly blood clots, risky treatments: The high-stakes battle against deep vein thrombosis in sports and beyond

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Peter Anthony Andrisani, PhD Candidate, Medical Sciences, McMaster University

    Seven-time NBA all-star Damian Lillard, 34, recently joined a growing list of NBA athletes to be sidelined by a diagnosis of deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT.

    The Milwaukee Bucks player joins Victor Wembanyama, 21, a rising star in the NBA who was diagnosed with the life-threatening condition earlier this season, along with Chris Bosh and Brandon Ingram, who were also sidelined with DVT during their careers.

    DVT in athletes

    DVT is caused by blood clots in the veins of the arms or legs. The condition is commonly associated with age, decreased mobility, obesity, some estrogen-containing medications and smoking, among other factors. Repetitive arm action above the head, like throwing a basketball, can also increase the risk of DVT.

    Typically, DVT causes swelling, pain and bruising in the affected limb. DVT on its own is not lethal, but left untreated, it can have serious consequences.

    Without treatment, pieces of blood clots that cause DVT can break off and travel to the lungs in a condition called pulmonary embolism (PE), which can result in severe damage to the lungs. Both DVT and PE are venous thromboembolic diseases, which are the third most common cause of deaths associated with the vascular system after heart attack and stroke.

    Tennis superstar Serena Williams developed PE twice. Like many people who develop it, she had trouble breathing, shortness of breath and chest pain.

    Although it might be scary to be diagnosed with DVT or PE, there are effective medicines to treat the conditions.

    My lab’s research focuses on identifying new blood-thinning drugs to treat blood-clotting conditions like DVT and stroke. Surgery and blood thinners are often combined to combat DVT and PE by removing the original blood clot and reducing the chances of a new clot forming.

    Despite their name, blood thinners do not literally make blood thinner. Instead, they make it harder for blood clots to form. Three general classes of blood thinners can be prescribed for DVT and PE: vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin, heparin and direct oral anticoagulants.

    Despite the help blood thinners provide, they create risks of their own, as they can increase the risk of bleeding, because blood clotting is a normal and necessary physiological process.

    Clot risks vs. bleeding risks

    Taking blood thinners is like walking a tightrope. The person taking the blood thinner is in a constant state of balance between preventing abnormal blood clots and excessive bleeding, which depends on the strength of the blood thinner. If you lean too far in either direction, you might fall off the tightrope, with serious consequences.

    The challenges of managing bleeding risk while preventing DVT was amplified in the case of Williams. Immediately after delivering her second child, Williams underwent a PE event and was placed on intravenous heparin. While heparin did prevent blood clots, Williams did have significant bleeding at the site of her C-section.

    The risk of bleeding often extends past the hospital. Typically, blood thinners are given to people with DVT for months, even years, to prevent ongoing risk of clot formation. The risk of bleeding persists as long as the person is taking the drug.

    Athletes on blood thinners playing contact sports are more vulnerable to injuries compared to others. Players commonly fall, which is more likely to cause potentially life-threatening internal bleeding.

    Due to this risk, athletes often must take to the sidelines to avoid injury after a DVT diagnosis.

    Balanced blood thinners

    The challenge of creating balanced blood-thinning drugs is of great interest to my lab at McMaster University’s Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute. A promising candidate for treating clotting disorders is ADAMTS13. It’s a protein that plays a role in the typical maintenance of blood clots but shows great potential as a blood-thinning medication.

    Previous research with this protein has found that in acute blood-clotting conditions such as ischemic stroke, ADAMTS13 is effective at breaking apart blood clots but does not result in the same risk of bleeding. Further testing on the protein in chronic conditions like DVT still needs to be performed, but there is potential for it to act as a long-term blood thinner.

    The use of safer blood thinners will not only allow athletes like Lillard and Wembanyama to continue playing their respective sports, but will also help the general population.

    Approximately seven million new blood-thinner prescriptions for DVT and other conditions are written each year in Canada, highlighting the need for better therapeutics across the board.

    Peter Anthony Andrisani receives funding from CanVECTOR.

    Colin Kretz receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (R01HL172780).

    – ref. Deadly blood clots, risky treatments: The high-stakes battle against deep vein thrombosis in sports and beyond – https://theconversation.com/deadly-blood-clots-risky-treatments-the-high-stakes-battle-against-deep-vein-thrombosis-in-sports-and-beyond-253985

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Delivers Over $13,500 Worth of Baby Formula to Rochester Families

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that her office secured more than $13,500 worth of baby formula from baby formula supplier Paragon USA & Co., LLC (Paragon) for families in Rochester. The donation is the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) into Paragon for price gouging during the national baby formula shortage in 2022. As part of a settlement with OAG, Paragon has paid a $10,000 penalty and must pay an additional $35,000 in donated baby formula or cash. Today’s donation will be distributed to families in need across Rochester by Foodlink, a community organization that serves the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes regions.

    “During a nationwide baby formula shortage, Paragon took advantage of New York families, illegally raising the price on formula to squeeze extra profits,” said Attorney General James. “My office made sure Paragon was held responsible for their illegal action and guaranteed that hard-working families in New York received relief. I thank Foodlink and all its partner organizations for distributing this baby formula to help Rochester families in need.”

    “We are thankful to Attorney General James for once again providing Foodlink and our new Health & Wellness initiative with additional baby formula,” said Julia Tedesco, President & CEO of Foodlink. “Our partners have highlighted a growing need for baby products and other essential items, especially as grocery prices remain historically high. This generous contribution will greatly benefit our members and their clients who are in urgent need of formula.”

    In 2022, Abbott Laboratories closed one of its baby formula manufacturing plants and recalled formula produced there, creating significant hardship for families throughout New York and the nation as formula supplies dwindled and prices rose. Abbott produces over 40 percent of the infant formula sold in the United States, and the plant it closed was responsible for approximately one fifth of total U.S. production.

    New York’s price gouging laws prohibit vendors from unconscionably increasing prices on goods that are vital to consumers’ health, safety, or welfare during market disruptions such as the 2022 formula shortage. In May 2022, Attorney General James issued warnings to more than 30 retailers across the state to stop overcharging for baby formula after consumers reported unreasonably high prices.

    The OAG’s investigation found that Paragon, which supplies formula to retailers in New York, generated tens of thousands of dollars in additional revenue by raising prices more than 20 percent after Abbott announced its recall.

    As a result of a settlement with OAG, Paragon must pay penalties and make formula donations with a combined value of $45,000. This includes a $10,000 penalty to the state that Paragon has already paid and an additional $35,000 that can be paid in the form of donated formula or cash that must be delivered by June 10, 2025.

    Today’s donation is the third secured by Attorney General James as part of the settlement with Paragon. In February, Attorney General James secured the donation of $1,500 worth of baby formula to families in Westchester, and in March, $6,300 worth of baby formula to families in Brooklyn. To date, Attorney General James has donated more than $21,400 worth of baby formula as a result of the settlement with Paragon.

    “No parent should be forced to choose between paying their bills or feeding their child,” said Senator Jeremy Cooney. “When businesses illegally jack up prices for goods like baby formula, they must be held accountable. I applaud Attorney General James for once again protecting consumers and ensuring Rochester families get the relief they deserve.”

    “Families are struggling to make ends meet with inflation and an economy on the brink of a recession, so this donation goes such a long way for Rochester children, who are already amongst the neediest in the nation,” said Assemblymember Jen Lunsford. “I am grateful to Attorney General James for doggedly pursuing these bad corporate actors and holding them accountable for their opportunistic money grab.”

    Attorney General James is a leader in the fight to protect New York consumers and guard against price gouging. As part of a $675,000 settlement with formula suppliers Marine Park and Formula Depot, Attorney General James secured the donation of over $344,000 worth of baby formula to families in the Bronx in March 2025 and $140,000 worth of formula to families in Rochester in December 2024. In October 2024, Attorney General James led a multistate coalition urging Congressional leaders to support a national ban on price gouging. In March and April 2024, Attorney General James distributed over 9,500 cans of baby formula in Buffalo and New York City from a settlement with Walgreens for price gouging during the formula shortage. In May 2023, Attorney General James secured a $100,000 settlement with Quality King Distributors, Inc. due to unconscionable price increases for Lysol products during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2021, Attorney General James delivered 1.2 million eggs to food pantries throughout the state which were secured as part of an agreement with the nation’s largest egg producers for price gouging in the early months of the pandemic.

    New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging to the OAG by filing a complaint online or calling 800-771-7755.

    This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Fishman, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Jane M. Azia and Deputy Bureau Chief Laura J. Levine, all of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau. Former Data Scientist Jasmine McAllister also assisted in this matter, under the supervision of Director of Research and Analytics Victoria Khan, Deputy Director Gautam Sisodia, and former Director Megan Thorsfeldt. The Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau is a part of the Division for Economic Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo and is overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MHRA approves first UK treatment for congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (cTTP) 

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    MHRA approves first UK treatment for congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (cTTP) 

    As with all products, the MHRA will keep its safety under close review.

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today (12 May 2025) approved rADAMTS13 (ADZYNMA), the first UK treatment to treat congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (CTTP) in patients of all ages.  

    CTTP is a very rare inherited blood disorder in which blood clots form in small blood vessels throughout the body. These clots can block the flow of blood and oxygen to the body’s organs, which leads to a lower-than-normal number of platelets (components that help the blood to clot) in the blood. 

    This medicine has been approved through the International Recognition Procedure (IRP). The IRP allows the MHRA to take into account the expertise and decision-making of trusted regulatory partners for the benefit of UK patients.   

    The MHRA conducts a targeted assessment of IRP applications and retains the authority to reject applications if the evidence provided is not considered sufficiently robust.  

    As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of this medicine under close review. Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.  

    Notes to editors    

    1. The marketing authorisation was granted on 12 May 2025 to Takeda UK Ltd. 

    2. More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.    

    3. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgments to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.    

    4. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.    

    5. For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DH announces latest situation of Legionnaires’ disease cases

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (May 12) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease (LD), and reminded the public of the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

         From May 4 to 10, the CHP recorded five community-acquired LD cases. The details of the cases are as follows:
     

    1. A 74-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Wan Chai District;
    2. An 86-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Tuen Mun District;
    3. A 62-year-old male patient with good past health living in Sha Tin District;
    4. An 89-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Central and Western District; and
    5. A 67-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Eastern District.

         The CHP is conducting epidemiological investigations to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any.

         As of May 10, 49 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2024 and 2023, there were 135 and 121 LD cases respectively.

         Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels.

         Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

         Immunocompromised persons should:
     

    • Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
    • Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
    • If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers’ instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily. 

         
    The public should observe the health advice below:
     

    • Observe personal hygiene;
    • Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
    • Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
    • If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer’s recommendations;
    • Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
    • Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
    • Seek and follow doctors’ professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
    • When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes: 
    1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
    2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
    3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
    4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
    5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

         â€‹â€‹The public may visit the CHP’s LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP’s risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement on Trump’s Executive Order on Prescription Drugs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, May 12 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released the following statement regarding President Trump’s executive order from this morning, which claims it will slash drug costs by tying the prices of some medicine in the U.S. to the significantly lower ones abroad:

    I agree with President Trump: It is an outrage that the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. It is beyond unacceptable that we pay, in some cases, ten times more for the same exact prescription drugs than people in other major countries. But let’s be clear: The problem is not that the price of prescription drugs is too low in Europe and Canada. The problem is that the extraordinarily greedy pharmaceutical industry made over $100 billion in profits last year by ripping off the American people.

    Further, as Trump well knows, his executive order will be thrown out by the courts. If Trump is serious about making real change rather than just issuing a press release, he will support legislation I will soon be introducing to make sure we pay no more for prescription drugs than people in other major countries. If Republicans and Democrats come together on this legislation, we can get it passed in a few weeks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Celebrating the Heart of the UConn Experience

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    This April, the Office of the Provost presented the University’s first-ever Teaching, Advising, and Mentoring Awards ceremony—an event that brought together a wide range of recognitions under one roof. The ceremony highlighted the essential work of faculty, staff, and students who support learning, foster belonging, and help others thrive at UConn.

    “By bringing these awards together in a single ceremony, we are underscoring the importance and prestige of these honors,” said Provost Anne D’Alleva. “We are celebrating the essential role that teaching, advising, and mentorship play in the life of our university.”

    Honorees were recognized for their contributions both in and outside the classroom: teaching that sparks curiosity, advising that helps students navigate challenges, mentorship that opens new possibilities, and peer support that strengthens our community.

    The event was attended by colleagues, university leaders, and the friends and family of honorees, whose presence added warmth and meaning to the celebration. They’ve been the champions of our honorees, much like our honorees have been champions for their students.

    President Maric shared, “behind every student’s success is someone who taught them, advised them, or simply believed in them. These awards honor the people who make that kind of impact every day at UConn.”

    (Photo by Dustin Corriveau at Designing Studios)

    The awards span programs across the university, including the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Office of Undergraduate Advising, First Year Programs, Honors & Enrichment, the Office of Undergraduate Research, and The Graduate School. Together, they honor a wide range of efforts that are central to the student experience at UConn.

    2024-2025 Teaching, Advising, and Mentoring Award Recipients

    Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Awards

    • Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award: Samantha Archer, Anthropology
    • Outstanding Adjunct Award: Dr. Michael Zacchera, Allied Health
    • Teaching Fellow Award: Dr. David Wagner, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
    • Teaching Innovation Award: Dr. Vindhya Pathirana, Mathematics

    Undergraduate Advising Awards

    • Outstanding New Professional Staff Advisor: Lyn Alexander, School of Pharmacy
    • Outstanding Professional Advisor: Ramón Espinoza, Center for Access and Postsecondary Success
    • Outstanding Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mary Anne Amalaradjou, Animal Science
    • Outstanding Faculty Advisor: Dr. Matthew Singer, Political Science

    Honors and Enrichment Awards

    • Honors Faculty Member of the Year: Dr. Ryan D. Talbert, Sociology
    • Tanaka Award for Innovative Undergraduate Advising: Dr. Stephanie Singe and Dr. Brian Aneskievich

    Undergraduate Research Mentorship Excellence Awards

    • Dr. Benjamin Sinder, Orthopedic Surgery
    • Dr. Mallory Perry-Eaddy, Nursing
    • Charlotte Fuqua, Graduate Student, Chemistry

    Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award (Graduate School)

    • Dr. Željko Bošković, Linguistics

    First Year Experience Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Instructor Awards

    • FYE Teaching Innovation Award: Fany Hannon, Dean of Students
    • FYE Impact Award: Daniel Facchinetti, CETL
    • FYE One UConn Award: Wiley Dawson, UConn Hartford
    • FYE Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor: Sarah Cooper, Graduate Student, Educational Leadership
    • FYE Teaching Excellence Award: Annie Casarella, Center for International Students & Scholars

    First Year Experience Peer Mentor Awards (John T. Szarlan Award)

    • Anytra Culbreath Evans, Undergraduate Student, HDFS & Sociology
    • Lucas Denucci, Undergraduate Student, Chemical Engineering
    • Stephanie Mora-Gutierrez, Undergraduate Student, Psychological Sciences

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Equasens: Q1 revenue at 31 March 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Villers-lès-Nancy, 12 May 2025 – 6:00 PM (CET)

    PRESS RELEASE

    Q1 revenue at 31 March 2025: €57.0m
    + 6.9% growth on a reported basis and + 5.9% like-for-like

    Q1 2025 REVENUE (€m) 2024
    Reported basis    		 2025
    Reported basis    		 Change /
    Reported basis    		 Of which external growth Like-for-like change
    (organic growth)
    Equasens Group 53.3 57.0 3.7 6.9% 0.5 3.2 5.9%
    Q1 2025 revenue / Division (€m) 2024
    Reported basis    		 2025
    Reported basis    		 Change /
    Reported basis    		 Of which external growth Like-for-like change
    (organic growth)
    Pharmagest 39.8 42.0 2.2 5.5%   2.2 5.5%
    Axigate Link 7.8 8.3 0.4 5.5%   0.4 5.5%
    e-Connect 2.9 3.5 0.6 21.2%   0.6 21.2%
    Medical Solutions 2.1 2.7 0.5 25.1% 0.5 0.0 0.0%
    Fintech 0.6 0.6 -0.1 -8.3%   -0.1 -8.3%
    Total 53.3 57.0 3.7 6.9% 0.5 3.2 5.9%

    As of March 31, 2025, Equasens Group, (Euronext Paris™ – Compartment B – FR 0012882389 -EQS), a leading provider of digital solutions for healthcare professionals, reported revenue of €57.0m, up 6.9% on Q1 2024 reported basis and 5.9% like-for-like.

    Revenue from CALIMED SAS, acquired by the Medical Solutions Division in December 2024, was restated to reflect changes in the scope of consolidation (€0.5m).

    Q1 2025 revenue by type of business (€m) 2024
    Reported basis    		 2025
    Reported basis    		 Change / Reported basis
    Sale of configurations and hardware 21.5 23.2 1.7 7.7%
    Scalable maintenance and professional training services 19.7 20.3 0.7 3.5%
    Software solutions and subscriptions 11.6 12.9 1.3 11.3%
    Other services (including intermediation) 0.5 0.6 0.0 7.7%
    Total 53.3 57.0 3.7 6.9%

    Q1 2025 highlights by type of business

    • Sales of configurations and hardware (+7.7%) were back on track, after one year, with a trajectory of sustained growth for Pharmagest (+5.7%) and e-Connect (+68.4%), confirming the rebound announced in Q4 2024.
    • Scalable maintenance and training services (+3.5%) display steady growth, maintaining the momentum of 2024, highlighting the loyalty of the customer base and the success of its value-added services.
    • Software solutions and subscriptions (+11.3%) continue to perform well, boosted both by the contribution of acquisitions (+4.4%) and strong organic growth (+6.9%), illustrating the relevance of the strategy of progressively transforming new solutions to a SaaS model.
    • The PHARMAGEST Division had Q1 revenue of €42.0m (+5.5%) on a reported basis (100% organic growth).
      • Investments in recruitment, R&D and continuing improvements in customer service are paying off, in a French market environment marked by positive signals from the public authorities that have contributed to renewed confidence among pharmacists.
        • In France, all business lines reported growth (+ 3.5%), driven by :
          • Mainly equipment sales, with a clear upturn. However, even if the trend is positive, certain segments remain cautious in terms of growth (e.g. electronic labels);
          • The success of innovative new offerings such as id.genius (540 sales in Q1), id.vocal+ (55 sales) and id.care+ ;
          • Digipharmacie (+41%), which is continuing to add new customers at a sustained pace and whose recently deployed new functionalities are driving the acceleration in growth that the Group has foreseen;
          • Atoopharm (+23%), which has benefited from the end of three-year training scheme for healthcare professionals and the anticipated substitution of biosimilars.
        • In Italy (revenue up 13.3%), the Division benefited from buoyant sales momentum (with almost 50 new customers in Q1), with a reinforced sales team that is now covering the entire country.
        • In Belgium, growth in revenue is back on track (+4.8%).
        • In Germany, revenue rose by 12.5%, driven by successful upgrades to existing software and the roll-out of innovative solutions, notably the id. express payment terminal.

    This Division accounts for 73.7% of total revenue.

    • The AXIGATE LINK Division recorded revenue of €8.3m in Q1 2025 (up 5.5% on a reported and like-for-like basis).
      • The Nursing Home sector (+11.9%) is still continuing this year to benefit from “ESMS Numérique” public funding in France, while the migration to TitanLink remains on course in both France and Belgium.
      • The Homecare sector (+6.5%) is maintaining a promising level of new business, buoyed by the signature of new contracts.
      • The Hospitals sector experienced a temporary downturn (-9.2%) reflecting the postponement of contracting cycles to Q2 2025 for a number of major agreements concluded in Q1 2025.

    This Division accounts for 14.5% of total revenue.

    • The E-CONNECT Division recorded revenue of €3.5m in Q1 2025 (up 21.2% on a reported and like-for-like basis).
      • The Division is benefiting from a significant rebound in sales of its Mobility solutions which are integrated by the market’s leading publishers.
      • The announcement in March 2025 that the French health insurance card app (Apps Vitale) will be rolled out nationwide, together with the adoption of the third-party payment system for dental check-ups at dentists, are a major catalyst for accelerating sales of electronic health insurance card readers.

            This Division accounts for 6.1% of total revenue.

    • The MEDICAL SOLUTIONS Division reported revenue of €2.7m in Q1 2025 (up 25.1% on a reported basis and nil like-for-like).
      • The driving force of this performance was the integration of CALIMED and its two SaaS software solutions for surgeons and physicians (with €0.5m in recurring revenues in Q1).
      • Sales of the traditional solutions for physicians, nurses and physiotherapists have remained stable, and are benefiting from the favourable reception given to new offerings such as the LOQUii voice AI consultation companion or online back-up solutions.

    The Division accounts for 4.7% of total revenue.

    • The FINTECH Division had revenue of €0.6m (down 8.3% on a reported and like-for-like basis) in Q1 2025.
      • This decline is the result of a decision to restructure the customer base in order to reduce the risk exposure and enhance the quality of the portfolio.
      • Sales activity remains dynamic, generating a stream of qualified prospects meeting the Group’s demanding criteria.

    The Division accounts for 1.0% of total revenue.

    H1 2025 outlook

    The investment and organisational efforts made are producing results, with the successful roll-out of SaaS solutions to all our healthcare professional customers. These efforts will be maintained throughout 2025.

    The level of orders received, particularly in the Pharmacy sector, reflects the renewed confidence of pharmacists, and enables the Group to be confident about growth in Q2, and is in line with the momentum of Q1.

    Backed by a solid financial structure, the Group remains attentive to opportunities for external growth, both in France and in Europe, that will strengthen its position as a leader in digital healthcare solutions.

    Financial calendar:

    • Annual General Meeting: 25 June 2025
    • Q2 2025 Revenue: 31 July 2025
    • H1 2025 results: 26 September 2025
    • Presentation of H1 2025 results to analysts (SFAF): 29 September 2025
    • Q3 2025 revenue: 5 November 2025
    • FY 2025 revenue: 5 February 2026

    About Equasens Group

    Founded over 35 years ago, Equasens Group, a leader in digital healthcare solutions, today employs over 1.300 people across Europe.
    Equasens Group’s specialised business applications facilitate the day-to-day work of healthcare professionals and their teams, working in private practice, collaborative medical structures or healthcare establishments. The Group also provides comprehensive support to healthcare professionals in the transformation of their profession by developing electronic equipment, digital solutions and healthcare robotics, as well as data hosting, financing and training adapted to their specific needs.
    And reflecting the spirit of its tagline “Technology for a More Human Experience”, the Group is a leading provider of interoperability solutions that improve coordination between healthcare professionals, their communications and data exchange resulting in better patient care and a more efficient and secure healthcare system.

    Listed on Euronext Paris™ – Compartment B
    Indexes: MSCI GLOBAL SMALL CAP – GAÏA Index 2020 – CAC®SMALL and CAC®All-Tradable
    Included in the Euronext Tech Leaders segment and the European Rising Tech label

    Eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (“Service à Réglement Différé” – SRD) and equity savings accounts invested in small and mid-caps (PEA-PME).
    ISIN: FR 0012882389 – Ticker Code: EQS

    Get all the news about Equasens Group www.equasens.com and on LinkedIn

    CONTACTS

    EQUASENS Group
    Analyst and Investor Relations:
    Chief Administrative and Financial Officer: Frédérique Schmidt
    Tel: +33 (0)3 83 15 90 67 – frederique.schmidt@equasens.com

    Financial communications agency:
    FIN’EXTENSO – Isabelle Aprile

    Tel.: +33 (0)6 17 38 61 78 – i.aprile@finextenso.fr

    Forward-looking statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements that are not guarantees of future performance and are based on current opinions, forecasts and assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions about Equasens’ current and future strategy and the environment in which Equasens operates. These involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results or other events, to materially differ from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those detailed in Chapter 3 “Risk factors” of the Universal Registration Document filed with the French financial market authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers or AMF) on April 29, 2025 under number D.25-0334. These forward-looking statements are valid only as of the date of this press release.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rep. Pfluger’s ACES Act Passed the House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    The passage of Rep. Pfluger’s legislation was celebrated by several veteran organizations and advocacy groups, who released the following statements:

    Vince Alcazar, COL, USAF, ret., MACH Coalition Founder & Director, said, “The Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH) celebrates the passage of H.R. 530, the Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act. With three major Department of Defense studies in the last four confirming and quantifying significantly elevated cancer rates among U.S. military flyers, the ACES Act goes the next step. This bill would ask the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to apply their extensive Veteran health study capacity to determine what in the operating environments of military aviation is likely causing cancer. This study is essential. Without the ACES Act, military medicine will have no practical way of mitigating risk, and Veteran flyers will have no basis to correlate their service to potential cancer. This day was five years in the making. We recognize and praise the leadership of Congressman August Pfluger in leading this bill through three Congresses to today. Congressman Pfluger is an amazing champion of this work.”

    Jose Ramos, Vice President of Government and Community Relations, Wounded Warrior Project, said, “Wounded Warrior Project is grateful to Rep. Pfluger and his fellow Members of Congress for passing the ACES Act in the House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority. This legislation represents a critical step toward safeguarding the long-term health and well-being of military aviators and support personnel. These groups are routinely exposed to unique occupational hazards, and collaborative research across the federal government will help inform cancer prevention and veteran health strategies.We urge the Senate to take up this legislation as soon as possible.”

    Rye Barcott, Co-Founder & CEO of With Honor Action, said, “With Honor Action congratulates Reps. August Pfluger and Jimmy Panetta in securing House passage of the ACES Act—comprehensive legislation that will advance research into potential links between aviator service and increased cancer rates,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder & CEO of With Honor Action. “As members of the For Country Caucus, Reps. Pfluger and Panetta built strong bipartisan support among their fellow veteran lawmakers that led to a full caucus endorsement. We look forward to seeing this critical legislation become law.”

    Theo Lawson, Assistant Director, Legislative Programs, Fleet Reserve Association, said, “The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) wholeheartedly celebrates the passage of the ACES Act in the House and extends our sincere congratulations to Congressman August Pfluger, his staff, and the bill’s cosponsors for their incredible dedication in advancing this vital legislation. Understanding cancer is the first step to defeating it, and this bill brings us closer to uncovering the critical links between aircrew service and cancer risks. Their leadership ensures our sea service aviators and all aircrew members are better equipped to identify and combat this silent enemy. We look forward to continuing the fight alongside them until the ACES Act becomes law–honoring the sacrifices of our servicemembers and safeguarding future generations.”

    Mario Marquez, Executive Director of Government Affairs, The American Legion, said, “On behalf of the 1.5 million veterans nationwide, The American Legion proudly supports the ACES Act. Research is critical to our understanding of the impacts of toxic exposures, from Agent Orange to harmful chemicals on aircraft. We applaud Representative Pfluger for prioritizing this critical issue and thank the House of Representatives for passing the ACES Act with resounding support. The American Legion urges the Senate to vote on this bill and continue to invest in research surrounding the impacts of toxic exposures.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose.  The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population and yet funds around three quarters of global pharmaceutical profits.  This egregious imbalance is orchestrated through a purposeful scheme in which drug manufacturers deeply discount their products to access foreign markets, and subsidize that decrease through enormously high prices in the United States.The United States has for too long turned its back on Americans, who unwittingly sponsor both drug manufacturers and other countries.  These entities today rely on price markups on American consumers, generous public subsidies for research and development primarily through the National Institutes of Health, and robust public financing of prescription drug consumption through Federal and State healthcare programs.  Drug manufacturers, rather than seeking to equalize evident price discrimination, agree to other countries’ demands for low prices, and simultaneously fight against the ability for public and private payers in the United States to negotiate the best prices for patients.  The inflated prices in the United States fuel global innovation while foreign health systems get a free ride.This abuse of Americans’ generosity, who deserve low-cost pharmaceuticals on the same terms as other developed nations, must end.  Americans will no longer be forced to pay almost three times more for the exact same medicines, often made in the exact same factories.  As the largest purchaser of pharmaceuticals, Americans should get the best deal.
    Sec. 2.  Policy.  Americans should not be forced to subsidize low-cost prescription drugs and biologics in other developed countries, and face overcharges for the same products in the United States.  Americans must therefore have access to the most-favored-nation price for these products. My Administration will take immediate steps to end global freeloading and, should drug manufacturers fail to offer American consumers the most-favored-nation lowest price, my Administration will take additional aggressive action.
    Sec. 3.  Addressing Foreign Nations Freeloading on American-Financed Innovation.  The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative shall take all necessary and appropriate action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in any act, policy, or practice that may be unreasonable or discriminatory or that may impair United States national security and that has the effect of forcing American patients to pay for a disproportionate amount of global pharmaceutical research and development, including by suppressing the price of pharmaceutical products below fair market value in foreign countries.
    Sec. 4.  Enabling Direct-to-Consumer Sales to American Patients at the Most-Favored-Nation Price.  To the extent consistent with law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) shall facilitate direct-to-consumer purchasing programs for pharmaceutical manufacturers that sell their products to American patients at the most-favored-nation price.
    Sec. 5.  Establishing Most-Favored-Nation Pricing.  (a)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other relevant executive department and agency (agency) officials, communicate most-favored-nation price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices for American patients in line with comparably developed nations.(b)  If, following the action described in subsection (a) of this section, significant progress towards most-favored-nation pricing for American patients is not delivered, to the extent consistent with law:(i)    the Secretary shall propose a rulemaking plan to impose most-favored-nation pricing; (ii)   the Secretary shall consider certification to the Congress that importation under section 804(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) will pose no additional risk to the public’s health and safety and result in a significant reduction in the cost of prescription drugs to the American consumer; and if the Secretary so certifies, then the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall take action under section 804(j)(2)(B) of the FDCA to describe circumstances under which waivers will be consistently granted to import prescription drugs on a case-by-case basis from developed nations with low-cost prescription drugs;  (iii)  following the report issued under section 13 of Executive Order 14273 of April 15, 2025 (Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First), the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall, to the extent consistent with law, undertake enforcement action against any anti-competitive practices identified within such report, including through use of sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act and section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as appropriate;(iv)   the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of other relevant agencies as necessary, shall review and consider all necessary action regarding the export of pharmaceutical drugs or precursor material that may be fueling the global price discrimination;(v)    the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall review and potentially modify or revoke approvals granted for drugs, for those drugs that maybe be unsafe, ineffective, or improperly marketed; and(vi)   the heads of agencies shall take all action available, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, to address global freeloading and price discrimination against American patients.
    Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii.) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(d)  The Department of Health and Human Services shall provide funding for publication of this order in the Federal Register. 
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    May 12, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Slams Trump Plan to Shutter Agency that Addresses Opioid Epidemic and Provides Mental Health Support

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are condemning the Trump Administration’s proposed dissolution of a core agency responsible for addressing the opioid crisis and providing mental health support to Wisconsin families. Under President Trump’s restructuring plan and the White House Office of Management and Budget’s budget proposal, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be shut down. The Senators expressed deep concerns about the consequences of dismantling SAMHSA, outlined the impacts on the worsening behavioral and mental health crisis, and detailed why the proposal is unlawful.

    “At a time when America is in a dual mental health and substance use crisis, a time when youth suicide is at all-time highs, a time when synthetic opioids are destroying communities and taking lives, this proposed destruction of SAMHSA will harm the American people,” wrote Baldwin and the Senators. “This proposed reorganization and your proposed cuts of over $1 billion to mental health and substance use programs threaten the lives of millions of Americans and appear to violate federal law.”

    According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 50 million Americans aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder and 58.7 million Americans aged 18 and older experienced a mental illness in 2023. The programs administered by SAMHSA are essential to addressing this national crisis. The Trump Administration’s actions harm the operations of crucial programs, including roughly $7 billion in grant distribution, access to early intervention for mental health care, and support services for crisis care, many of which are statutorily required.

    “SAMHSA, its functions, its role, and many of its positions are clearly outlined and required by federal law. Firing most of SAMHSA’s staff and breaking up SAMHSA appear to violate these statutory requirements,” continued Baldwin and the Senators. “Downsizing SAMHSA into a new ‘division’, dismantling its functions, and firing over half its workforce puts at risk the lives of the 58.7 million Americans who experience a mental health condition and 48.5 million of those who are impacted by a substance use disorder.”

    The Senators emphasized the importance of SAMHSA’s essential work in administering programs including State Opioid Response grants, the National Survey of Drug Use and Health for crucial behavioral health data collection, the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program for funding community-based care, and FindTreatment.gov for connecting people to mental health care resources, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

    Furthermore, the Senators stressed that Congress has passed multiple bills creating and expanding SAMHSA’s behavioral and mental health services, and that eliminating SAMHSA would violate the law. The bipartisan Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act (ADAMHA), signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1992, established SAMHSA and included requirements for various grant programs and roles that the Trump Administration has proposed eliminating. The ADAMHA Reorganization Act codified additional positions and transferred numerous authorities to SAMHSA.

    Moreover, the 21st Century Cures Act established the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee through 2027, which the Trump Administration terminated, and codified SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality to administer the annual National Survey of Drug Use and Health, but the team responsible for the survey was reportedly eliminated in the mass layoffs.

    The Senators concluded by demanding answers on the Trump Administration’s plans for the continuity of SAMHSA’s statutorily required roles and programs and the impacts of HHS’ restructuring.

    “We demand that HHS not unlawfully dismantle SAMHSA, which would only serve to further exacerbate a growing mental health and substance use disorder crisis,” concluded Baldwin and the Senators.

    The full letter is available here and below.

    Dear Secretary Kennedy,

    We write in strong opposition to the proposed dissolution of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) outlined in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) fact sheet on March 27, 2025, and by the proposal from the White House Office of Management and Budget. At a time when America is in a dual mental health and substance use crisis, a time when youth suicide is at all-time highs, a time when synthetic opioids are destroying communities and taking lives, this proposed destruction of SAMHSA will harm the American people. This proposed reorganization and your proposed cuts of over $1 billion to mental health and substance use programs threaten the lives of millions of Americans and appear to violate federal law, including the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) Reorganization Act and the 21st Century Cures Act.

    President George H.W. Bush signed the bipartisan ADAMHA Reorganization Act into law in 1992. This law formed SAMHSA, a new agency to be the nation’s lead on community-based mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services. In addition to creating a variety of grant programs to be administered by SAMHSA, the ADAMHA Reorganization Act created the role of the Assistant Secretary, transferred numerous authorities to SAMHSA, and created Centers and Center Director and Associate Administrator positions. Therefore, SAMHSA, its functions, its role, and many of its positions are clearly outlined and required by federal law. Firing most of SAMHSA’s staff and breaking up SAMHSA appear to violate these statutory requirements.

    SAMHSA leads the government’s efforts to promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and advance the behavioral health of people across this country. SAMHSA’s programs provide a model for behavioral health care. Downsizing SAMHSA into a new “division”, dismantling its functions, and firing over half its workforce puts at risk the lives of the 58.7 million Americans who experience a mental health condition and 48.5 million of those who are impacted by a substance use disorder.

    The White House Office of Management and Budget HHS Budget Proposal eliminates SAMHSA and creates a new “Mental Health Division”, demotes substance use from its focus, and guts budgets focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery. Amid a dual crisis, this undoes the bipartisan work that Congress and past Administrations have worked to improve. And the federal investments, the expansion of SAMHSA’s work through grant programs and expertise, have worked – for the first time in years, the U.S. has seen a decline in opioid overdose deaths. As the mental health crisis grows, as new synthetic opioids continue to surge, restructuring the agency stands to reverse this historic decline. Now is not the time to change course and risk American lives.

    Congress has passed numerous bills expanding SAMHSA services to reach more Americans. In 2014, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) was signed into law, creating the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program, which funds community-based programs for adults with serious mental illness. This program allows individuals to stay in their community and their homes while also receiving “medically prescribed mental health treatment.” For example, using SAMHSA funds, an AOT program in Montana is working to reduce homelessness and incarceration while improving health and social outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness. Because HHS is dissolving SAMHSA and firing its staff, Montana is in jeopardy of losing the ability to provide their patients with up-to-date, evidence-based services, a key SAMHSA function. Any interruption to the effective delivery of these programs has detrimental consequences.

    In 2016, Congress again prioritized SAMHSA and expanded its services and programming by passing the 21st Century Cures Act. This bill codified SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ), requiring CBHSQ to perform several functions. One of these requirements was to publish an annual report on mental health and substance use disorder , also known as the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). NSDUH is the only source of behavioral health data for people 12 and older in the U.S. and is a critical tool to combat these dual crises. Without this data, states would not be able to implement State Opioid Response grants with fidelity.

    The State Opioid Response (SOR) grant was created to address the overdose crisis, which is now driven by illicit fentanyl, and is meant to help states provide a continuum of care, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services. Funding to support states in combating this epidemic is critical, especially as the crisis is exacerbated by other synthetic opioids. States use SOR funding to purchase and distribute naloxone, test strips, buprenorphine, and much more. SOR is proven to be effective – in 2023, the percentage of people who did not use substances increased by 29.7 percent. SOR funding and NSDUH data give states the ability to purchase these medications, implement these programs, and track outcomes. Reports suggest the entire team running NSDUH was fired on April 1, 2025. Without NSDUH data, states will have inaccurate information on how opioids are affecting their communities, which will result in a lack of resources, incomplete strategies, and an increase in deaths.

    In addition to data collection, CBHSQ is responsible for operating FindTreatment.gov, a critical tool where individuals can find treatment for mental health and substance use disorder care. Launched in 2019 under the first Trump Administration, FindTreatment.gov provides individuals with resources in their communities and connects those in crisis with helplines, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Without adequate staffing of FindTreatment.gov, people across this country are left stranded, not knowing where to turn to find treatment and services. The mass terminations at SAMHSA’s CBHSQ and HHS’s announced reorganization make unclear who is operating and overseeing this program that President Trump proudly launched. It is unclear how HHS can now live up to its claim of continuing “to support people who seek substance use treatment on their journey to recovery.”

    The 21st Century Cures Act not only expanded data collection but also improved interdepartmental coordination, something that you claim to prioritize. This bill established the first ever Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) to better direct mental health services for adults and children with a serious mental illness. ISMICC is tasked with evaluating the effects of federal programs, including programs for suicide prevention and overdose reduction, so they can provide “recommendations for actions that agencies can take to better coordinate the administration of mental health services.” By law, ISMICC must be operating to achieve these goals through at least September 30, 2027. However, HHS terminated ISMICC on April 9, 2025. By dismissing ISMICC, HHS is actively putting people in crisis at risk and violating a statutory requirement to protect the American people.

    We demand that HHS not unlawfully dismantle SAMHSA, which would only serve to further exacerbate a growing mental health and substance use disorder crisis. To better understand HHS’s plans and statutory compliance, we request responses to the following questions by May 16, 2025.

    1. Per the 21st Century Cures Act, SAMHSA is required to have an Assistant Secretary, a Chief Medical Officer, and a Director, with specific qualifications, at each of its four mandated Centers – the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, the Center for Mental Health Services, and CBHSQ.
      1. Who is currently serving in these roles, and what are their qualifications?
      1. Have any of the people in these roles been subject to the reduction in force that occurred on April 1, 2025? If so, please explain why these legally mandated positions were part of the reduction.
      1. What is HHS’s plan to maintain these positions and centers under the restructuring at HHS?
    1. SAMHSA is required to have Associate Administrators for Alcohol Prevention and Treatment Policy and Women’s Services.
      1. Who is currently serving in these roles, and what are their qualifications?
      1. Have any of the people in these roles been subject to the reduction in force that occurred on April 1, 2025? If so, please explain why these legally mandated positions were part of the reduction.
      1. What is HHS’s plan to maintain these positions under the restructuring at HHS?
    1. SAMHSA is required to have a National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory to coordinate policy changes, review programs, identify duplication, and more.
      1. Please provide a list of all employees in SAMHSA’s Policy Laboratory as of January 19, 2025, and as of April 15, 2025, including job title and General Schedule rank. Please indicate which staff were part of the reduction in force that occurred on April 1, 2025.
      1. How did HHS determine that the proposed restructuring will not prevent fulfilling these statutory duties?
    1. Which Centers and Branches are overseeing each of SAMHSA’s grant programs, including AOT? Please provide the number of employees currently employed for each Center and Branch, and the number of grants each employee is required to supervise.
    1. Who is overseeing each of CBHSQ’s data collection and roles, including NSDUH and FindTreatment.gov? Please provide a list of staff working on each service and provide their qualifications.
    1. Is NSDUH data still being collected through its contract with RTI International?
      1. Does HHS plan to continue its contract with RTI International and ensure all payments are received promptly?
      1. Has there been any break in data collection since January 20, 2025? If so, why, and what did HHS do to restore any missing information?
    1. Why did HHS terminate statutorily-required ISMICC?
      1. When will ISMICC be restored?
    1. What is HHS’s long-term plan with SAMHSA under the restructuring? Please explain how HHS plans to remain in compliance with all relevant statutes under this restructure.
    1. Explain how your decision to dissolve SAMHSA into a “division” will increase efficacy and improve mental health and substance use disorder outcomes for Americans.

    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 11 May 2025 Departmental update WHO adds Serbia to its series of country case studies on local production ecosystems for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and biologicals

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) announces the publication of a new country case study examining the ecosystem for local production of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and biologicals in the Republic of Serbia. This publication marks the seventh case study in WHO’s series led by the Local Production and Assistance (LPA) Unit within the Access to Medicines and Health Products Division (MHP).

    This series is developed in support of WHO’s mandate under the landmark resolution WHA74.6 on strengthening local production of medicines and other health technologies to improve access. The country-focused assessments contribute to support low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in creating enabling environments for sustainable local production and technology transfer.

    The new Serbia case study provides a comprehensive analysis of the country’s local production ecosystem, including mRNA vaccine technology. It highlights both established infrastructure and areas in need of improvement, such as political commitment and technology readiness, while recognizing the country’s strong legal and regulatory frameworks, R&D investment, and innovation incentives.

    The study explores legislative and financing mechanisms, intellectual property frameworks, market preparedness, and regulatory oversight. This case study was developed through a rigorous assessment process that included interviews, policy reviews, and stakeholder consultations. It reflects collaboration between WHO headquarters, the WHO Country Office for Serbia, and national institutions, and was made possible through funding from the Governments of China and France.

    The WHO case study series now includes Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Serbia and Tunisia. Each country profile provides recommendations for improving sustainable, quality local manufacturing capabilities aligned with public health priorities.

    The full case study is available on the LPA websites under the “Country Case Studies” section.
    For further information, please contact Dr Jicui Dong, Head of the LPA Unit, at dongj@who.int, copying localproduction@who.int.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 12 May 2025 News release WHO Results Report 2024 shows health progress across regions overcoming critical challenges

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) Results Report 2024, shows progress on global health goals, even in times of growing financial uncertainties.

    The report, released ahead of the Seventy-eight World Health Assembly (19–27 May 2025), presents a mid-term assessment of WHO’s performance in implementing the Programme budget 2024–2025, providing a snapshot of progress towards the strategic priorities of the Thirteenth General Programme of Work, 2019–2025.

    The report highlights WHO’s work in over 150 countries, territories and provides an update on the implementation of the Thirteenth General Programme of Work, showcasing both the achievements so far and challenges ahead.

    “This report shows how, with WHO’s support, many countries are making progress on a huge range of health indicators, helping their populations to live healthier lives, giving them greater access to essential health services, and keeping them safer against health emergencies,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “In a world of multiple overlapping challenges and constrained resources for global health, these results demonstrate why the world needs a strong and sustainably-financed WHO, delivering the high-quality, trusted support on which countries and their people rely.”

    Progress on triple billion targets

    The report shows significant progress on coverage with essential health services, protection from health emergencies, and enjoyment of healthier lives. Still, the progress is insufficient to reach the health-related Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

    On the first billion – 1 billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage – an estimated 431 million more people, close to half of the goal, are estimated to be covered with essential health services without catastrophic health spending. This progress is largely driven by improvements in the healthcare workforce, increased access to contraception and expanded HIV antiretroviral therapy. However, people continue to face financial hardships and challenges in immunization programmes persist.

    Regarding the second billion – 1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies – an estimated 637 million more people are better protected through stronger preparedness, surveillance, workforce capacity, and equitable access to tools and services, supported by reforms such as the amendments to the International Health Regulations. Yet financial constraints threaten pandemic response efforts. In the face of the H5N1 avian flu outbreak, there is a continued need for pandemic preparedness. After more than three years of negotiations, WHO member states have drafted a pandemic agreement that will be up for consideration at the upcoming World Health Assembly. The draft proposal includes measures for an increased research infrastructure, emergency global health workforces and other key mechanisms to prevent and respond to pandemic threats.

    For the third billion – 1 billion more people enjoying better health and well-being – the report shows that 1.4 billion more people are living with better health and well-being, surpassing the initial goal. This is due to reduced tobacco use, improved air quality, clean household fuels, and access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Key challenges lie in addressing increased obesity and alcohol consumption.

    However, reaching the goals faces growing challenges. Pause in foreign aid and reduction of health budgets further strain already fragile health systems, especially in communities with the greatest health needs. Financial constraints threaten pandemic response efforts. Reduced funding will also undermine hard-won progress.

    WHO has taken concrete steps to become more efficient and effective, including by improving operational efficiency and transparency through digital innovation, enhanced support services, and stronger risk and security systems. In 2024, WHO strengthened its support for generating, accessing and using data paving the way for more evidence-based programming and timelier on the ground impact.

    Highlighted accomplishments

    Seven countries eliminated a neglected tropical disease in 2024, reaching 54 countries that have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease. Guinea worm disease is now closer than ever to eradication.

    WHO assigned 481 international nonproprietary names for medicines and 185 countries accessed the WHO database of medical devices nomenclature.

    Seventy million more people had access to mental health services by the end of 2024 and at least one million people living with a mental health condition received treatment.

    An emergency polio campaign in the Gaza Strip vaccinated more than half a million children.

    With support from the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO distributed 259 000 mpox tests in 32 countries. Globally, 6 million mpox vaccine doses were pledged.

    WHO coordinated responses to 51 graded emergencies in 89 countries and territories. WHO’s emergency medical teams performed more than 37 000 surgeries and supported infection prevention and control, WASH, trauma care, and mental health support.

    WHO trained over 15 000 health providers and policy-makers across more than 160 Member States on addressing the health needs of refugees and migrants.

    WHO collaboration with UNICEF and other UN agencies has resulted in multiyear funding programmes in 15 high-burden countries, reaching 9.3 million children and saving an estimated 1 million lives.

    Increasing efficiency, the global digital health certification network supported by WHO has now enabled about 2 billion people to carry digital health records.

    WHO recognizes the sustained commitment of Member States and will work with new and existing donors and partners to secure additional funding. Securing predictable, sustainable and resilient financing is the key objective of the Investment Round, which has mobilized over US$ 1.7 billion in pledges from 71 contributors, covering 53% of WHO’s voluntary funding needs.

    The Results Report is crucial to WHO’s accountability to Member States. This report ensures that funding is used to deliver impact, results are regularly measured, and future needs are correctly identified, based upon lessons-learned.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Wyden, Murray and Booker Lead Colleagues in Demanding Answers About Firings of Congressionally-Mandated CDC IVF Team Duckworth, Wyden, Murray and Booker Lead Colleagues in Demanding Answers About Firings of Congressionally-Mandated CDC IVF Team

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    May 08, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today demanded answers from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for eliminating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team responsible for making sure people who are trying to become parents have the information they need to thoughtfully and safely grow their families—despite Donald Trump’s broken promise to support families seeking IVF treatments.

    “Because IVF is a complicated and expensive process, the American people deserve access to the best information possible to inform their family building journey. Unfortunately, hollowing out National Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Surveillance System capabilities and capacity is consistent with Donald Trump’s deceitful and disingenuous rhetoric on IVF,” the Senators wrote in a letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy. “Your actions threaten hopeful parents and families’ ability to access high-quality, safe, and effective fertility care. The American people deserve assurances that their rights under the [Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992] will continue to be guaranteed, as Congress intended.”

    The Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance and Research team (ARTS) was established following a 1992 Wyden law passed by Congress aimed at guaranteeing consumer protections for people seeking to grow their family through IVF and other assisted reproductive technology. The fired team of six deeply qualified scientists and public health practitioners were responsible for carrying out the CDC’s mandated responsibilities under the Wyden law, including conducting IVF clinic data analysis related to success rates and important clinic oversight through yearly audits and site visits and the monitoring of lab certification status.

    ARTS served as a critical source of unbiased information for patients seeking fertility treatment, collecting and maintaining data on approximately 98 percent of all IVF and assisted reproductive technology cycles performed in the United States.

    In addition to Duckworth, Wyden, Murray and Booker, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-DO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Actions to Put American Patients First by Lowering Drug Prices and Stopping Foreign Free-riding on American Pharmaceutical Innovation

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    REDUCING DRUG PRICES FOR AMERICANS AND TAXPAYERS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to bring the prices Americans and taxpayers pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by similar nations.
    The Order directs the U.S. Trade Representative and Secretary of Commerce to take action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in practices that purposefully and unfairly undercut market prices and drive price hikes in the United States.
    The Order instructs the Administration to communicate price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to establish that America, the largest purchaser and funder of prescription drugs in the world, gets the best deal.
    The Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish a mechanism through which American patients can buy their drugs directly from manufacturers who sell to Americans at a “Most-Favored-Nation” price, bypassing middlemen.
    If drug manufacturers fail to offer most-favored-nation pricing, the Order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) propose rules that impose most-favored-nation pricing; and (2) take other aggressive measures to significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs to the American consumer and end anticompetitive practices.
    GETTING A BETTER DEAL FOR AMERICANS: President Trump is once again taking action to keep pharmaceutical manufacturers from charging Americans high drug prices while giving steep discounts to other wealthy nations.
    According to recent data, the prices Americans pay for brand-name drugs are more than three times the price other OECD nations pay, even after accounting for discounts manufacturers provide in the U.S.
    The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, yet funds roughly 75% of global pharmaceutical profits.
    Drug manufacturers discount their products to gain access to foreign markets and then subsidize those discounts through high prices charged in America—in essence, Americans are subsidizing drug-manufacturer profits and foreign health systems, despite drug manufacturers benefiting from generous research subsidies and enormous healthcare spending by the U.S. Government.
    In his first term, President Trump took historic action to keep Medicare and seniors from paying more for drugs than economically comparable countries, which the Biden Administration rescinded before it could take effect.
    Instead of fixing this problem, the Biden Administration’s greatest achievement was to negotiate prices that were, on average, 78 percent higher than in 11 comparable countries as part of Biden’s effort to “beat Medicare.”
    DELIVERING ON PROMISES TO PUT AMERICAN PATIENTS FIRST: President Trump is delivering on his promise to once again put America first by furthering efforts to get American patients and taxpayers a fair deal for prescription drugs.
    This Order builds on actions from President Trump’s first term to make progress on reducing price disparities at home and expands those efforts by including Medicaid in addition to Medicare. 
    President Trump recently signed an Executive Order to take additional action to lower drug prices, including by providing massive discounts to low-income patients for lifesaving medicines, facilitating importation programs, and increasing the availability of generic and biosimilar medicines.
    President Trump is also working to make drug prices radically transparent, as he recently signed an Executive Order to build on his historic price transparency efforts undertaken during his first term.
    President Trump has been relentless in his effort to address the unfair and outrageous prices Americans pay for prescription drugs:
    President Trump: “In case after case, our citizens pay massively higher prices than other nations pay for the same exact pill, from the same factory, effectively subsidizing socialism aboard [abroad] with skyrocketing prices at home. So we would spend tremendous amounts of money in order to provide inexpensive drugs to another country. And when I say the price is different, you can see some examples where the price is beyond anything — four times, five times different.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests former Massachusetts music teacher and Filipino man for sexually exploiting children

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a former private school music teacher and a Filipino man on charges alleging that the two produced videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minor boys in the Philippines.

    ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Joshua DeWitte, 50, of Cambridge on May 8 and Christopher Allan Tisoy, 27, a Filipino national residing in Baltimore, Maryland on May 7. Both were charged with one count each of sexual exploitation of minors, attempt, and conspiracy.

    According to the charging documents, at the time of the alleged conduct, DeWitte was a music teacher at a local school in Massachusetts. Tisoy, a citizen of the Philippines who lawfully entered the United States in September 2024 on a H-1B Visa, is employed as a medical technologist at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.

    According to the charging documents, in December 2024, DeWitte was allegedly identified as the owner of a Snapchat account that uploaded a file of suspected child sexual abuse material depicting the abuse of a boy who appears to be between approximately eight and 10 years old. Records obtained from Snapchat allegedly showed that, in September 2024, DeWitte engaged in multiple conversations that were sexual in nature with users who presented themselves as minors. In those conversations, it is alleged that DeWitte requested nude pictures from the purported minors; sent pictures of his penis to the purported minors; and discussed previous and potential in-person meetups for sexual relations with minors.

    Additionally, it is further alleged that DeWitte paid, and offered to pay, another Snapchat user to obtain and produce child pornography and to recruit minor boys for himself.

    Based on that information, state law enforcement obtained a search warrant for DeWitte’s Cambridge residence in January 2025. DeWitte was then arrested and charged in Cambridge District Court with six counts of disseminating obscene material to a child, one count of distribution of material depicting a child in a sexual act and one count of possession of child pornography. He was later released on conditions.

    According to the charging documents, HSI’s forensic examination of DeWitte’s cell phone seized at the time of his January 2025 arrest allegedly revealed a Telegram conversation between DeWitte and another user in which DeWitte allegedly shared three video files and stated, “I was in the Philippines. Most of my vids are from there and that’s where I was with a 10 yo and 12. 16 yo in Japan and Korea;” and “I have a contact there…He only records vids of the boys or arranges for my visit.”

    It is alleged that a separate Telegram conversation between DeWitte and Tisoy was located on DeWitte’s phone, in which they discussed four minor boys by name and arranged for the production of videos depicting the sexual exploitation of at least two minor boys in the Philippines.

    Specifically, it is alleged that in the conversations, DeWitte and Tisoy negotiated the terms of creating sexually explicit videos involving minors, including which minors should be involved; which sex acts the minors should perform; who should film, including whether a third party or one of the minors themselves should film; what angles should be filmed; and how much DeWitte should pay Tisoy for each video. The negotiation allegedly incorporated the sexual preferences of both DeWitte and Tisoy, with both agreeing on what they would each find sexually gratifying. Tisoy then allegedly relayed instructions to the minor victims to create a video.

    DeWitte allegedly paid Tisoy for each video Tisoy produced and sent. It is alleged that, between July 3, 2023, and Dec. 27, 2024, DeWitte sent 87 PayPal payments to Tisoy, in amounts ranging from $27 to $958, to film the sexual exploitation of minors in the Philippines — totaling to approximately $23,752.

    Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

    The charge of sexual exploitation of minors, attempt, and conspiracy provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    The investigation was led by HSI New England’s Child Exploitation group with valuable assistance from the Cambridge Police Department, HSI Baltimore, the Maryland Department of State Police, and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Report suspected child exploitation to the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Special Tribunal sets aside R500 million Free State health tenders

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Monday, May 12, 2025

    The Special Tribunal has ordered an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) company to pay back undue benefits gleaned from R500 million worth of unlawful tenders awarded by the Free State Health Department.

    The tribunal ruled that the tenders Buthelezi EMS and its associated companies were awarded for inter-facility emergency medical services were unlawful, unprocedural and unconstitutional.

    The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) had instituted civil proceedings in the tribunal to have tenders totalling some R532 789 770 awarded to the company and its affiliates reviewed and set aside.

    “Buthelezi and associated companies have been ordered to submit audited statements for expenses incurred, income received, and profit made under the unlawful contracts. Furthermore, the Tribunal ruling…ordered that Buthelezi pay the legal costs of the application and the SIU’s legal representatives. 

    “The SIU investigation into Buthelezi EMS contracts was initiated through Proclamation 42 of 2019. The order of the Special Tribunal is part of implementing SIU investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover financial losses suffered by State institutions because of corruption or negligence,” the SIU said.

    Furthermore, any criminality will be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority.

    “The SIU is empowered to institute a civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during investigations caused by corruption, fraud, or maladministration. In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU refers any evidence pointing to criminal conduct it uncovers to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action,” the SIU said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Health Department welcomes Tiger Brands’ listeriosis class action settlement

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Department of Health welcomes the decision by Tiger Brands to settle the listeriosis class action. 

    The department, in a statement on Monday, said it believes this represents an important milestone to bring the lengthy legal matter to finality and closure to the affected families whose loved ones succumbed to the deadly, but preventable and treatable disease. 

    The action follows an outbreak of listeriosis in South Africa in 2017 which affected more than 820 people and claimed 218 lives. This was as a result of consuming contaminated processed food products, mainly polony and viennas, produced at the Tiger Brands facility in Polokwane and distributed from their Germiston facility. 

    “The department acknowledges the roles of all parties involved, including the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Tiger Brands, Richard Spoor Inc, and LHL Attorneys, who put the sufferings of the victims and their families at the centre stage during a protracted legal process,” the statement read. 

    The company announced on Monday that the lead reinsurer, which is primarily responsible for defending the class action against Tiger Brands, had authorised the insurers’ attorneys to make settlement offers. 

    This decision was made with the support and agreement of Tiger Brands.

    The settlement offers will be directed to specific individuals who are members of the following classes of claimants who suffered damages due to listeriosis caused by the ST6 strain of Listeria monocytogenes (genotype L1-SL6-ST6-CT4148).

    Eligible claimants include individuals who contracted listeriosis caused by ST6 or whose mothers contracted the disease; dependents of legal breadwinners; and legal dependents in the care of individuals who contracted listeriosis caused by ST6.

    Meanwhile, the department said the NICD was providing the necessary medical records to enable decision-making in the process during the investigation of the listeriosis outbreak. 

    “The department is also appealing to those with enough evidence suggesting a causal link between the outbreak of listeriosis and the loss of their loved ones, to come forward so that their clinical records can be accessed for assessment to establish if indeed they have valid claims eligible for settlement, and to find lasting closure after grief.” 

    According to the department, listeriosis is a serious, but treatable and preventable disease caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. 

    The bacteria are widely distributed in nature and can be found in soil, water, and vegetation. 

    Animal products and fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables, can be contaminated from these sources. 

    “The outbreak highlighted the importance of consistent and strict adherence to food safety practices in the processing and handling of ready-to-eat foods, especially for mass supply.” 

    In addition, food safety and hygiene practices remain crucial for public health, preventing foodborne illnesses, reducing food waste, and avoiding costly food recalls. 

    “Food safety in SA is managed intersectorally by the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic). 

    “Local government is responsible for municipal health services, which include the enforcement of food safety legislation. The dtic looks after all aspects of fish and fishery products, while Agriculture manages meat safety and animal health.”

    Tiger Brands CEO, Tjaart Kruger, said today’s announcement represented an important milestone and followed shortly on measures already taken in February 2025 to offer interim relief in the form of advance payments to identified claimants with urgent medical needs.

    “It also demonstrates our commitment to continue to work closely with our insurers and their appointed attorneys to explore a resolution of the entire class action,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi, Research fellow, University of the Western Cape

    Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge in South Africa. In 2016, 13% of the country’s children were reported to be obese. This is predicted to double by 2030.

    This problem has been linked to the regular consumption of calorie-dense foods high in sugar, salt and fat.
    South African children are growing up in a food environment that tends to cause obesity.

    One of its key features is intense marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, using various channels and appealing strategies. Misleading health and nutrition claims are sometimes made.

    Children are considered lucrative consumers because they can sometimes buy food themselves, influence their parents’ food purchases (they have “pester power”, for one thing), and are future consumers.

    Marketers use several strategies that children find appealing, such as cartoon characters, brand mascots, bright colours, colourful packages, catchy songs and slogans.

    Although there is no specific regulation of marketing to children in South Africa, the Consumer Protection Act 58 of 2008 has important provisions that guide the marketing of goods and services. The law prohibits false, deceptive marketing.

    As a researcher into children’s rights and nutrition I coauthored a recent paper examining how the Consumer Protection Act could be used to address the misleading marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.

    In our view, the South African consumer protection legal framework has the necessary scope to address misleading forms of marketing of unhealthy foods to children. But there needs to be better enforcement.



    Read more:
    Profit versus health: 4 ways big global industries make people sick

    Health claims: not always the full package

    A common strategy in food marketing is the use of misleading health or nutrition claims. These are often written (“contains vitamin C”, “high fibre”, “boosts immunity”, “supports brain health”), or implied by images of fruits and vegetables on the packaging of products.

    Some studies in South Africa have demonstrated the misleading use of these claims in television and magazine
    advertisements and food packages, including products meant for children.

    For instance, fruit juices often claim to be rich in vitamin C, but they have a high sugar content. Dairy products typically boast a high calcium content, but are also high in added sugar. Breakfast cereals frequently highlight their fibre content, despite being ultra-processed and containing a high amount of total carbohydrates and added sugar.

    Packaged foods often contain nutrition labels, but the printed words are small and usually obscured by the “healthy” claims. Those are positioned more prominently to capture the attention of the consumer.

    Health and nutrition claims can strongly influence purchasing decisions, especially in the South African context. Research has shown that many South African consumers do not read nutrition labels on packaged foods.



    Read more:
    Half of all South Africans are overweight or obese. Warning labels on unhealthy foods help change that

    What the law says

    Firstly, the Consumer Protection Act recognises children as vulnerable or disadvantaged consumers who deserve special protection (section 3(1)(b)(iii). This is because they have limited capacity to understand marketing strategies or defend themselves against their persuasive effects.

    Secondly, the Consumer Protection Act, in sections 29 and 41, prohibits the marketing of goods in a way that is reasonably likely to imply a false or misleading representation of facts such as their ingredients, benefits and qualities.

    Thirdly, the Consumer Protection Act provisions do not require a consumer to show that they were actually misled by the claim or that children’s health was negatively affected by consuming the food product. It is enough that it has been marketed in a manner that is reasonably likely to mislead children or their parents or caregivers into buying the product.

    Consumers have various ways to seek redress for misleading marketing. These include the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud and the Advertising Regulatory Board, the National Consumer Commission, the National Consumer Tribunal and the courts.

    However, delays and poor compliance with decisions can put consumers off.



    Read more:
    South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing

    Food for thought: the way forward

    Mandatory front-of-pack labels are needed in South Africa. They should be easy to understand and highlight nutrients of concern – salt, fat, sugar and artificial sweeteners – to reflect the overall nutritional profile of food products. They can also override the misleading “health halo” effect generated by health or nutrition claims.

    The public should support the Draft Regulation R3337 Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs made under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetic, and Disinfectant Act 54 of 1972. It specifically prohibits marketing unhealthy food to children.

    The act needs to be used more and this requires much greater consumer activism.

    Dispute mechanisms could be stronger and the processes could be streamlined to encourage consumer participation.

    The government and public interest organisations need to create greater public awareness of consumer rights.

    Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi is a Research Fellow at the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, which receives funding from the Global Center for Legal Innovation on Food Environments at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC.

    – ref. Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it – https://theconversation.com/marketing-unhealthy-food-as-good-for-kids-is-fuelling-obesity-in-south-africa-how-to-curb-it-253994

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US funding cuts have crippled our HIV work – what’s being lost

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Glenda Gray, Distinguished Professor, Infectious Disease and Oncology Research Institute, Faculty of Heath Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Executive Director Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Chief Scientific Officer, South African Medical Research Council

    The loss of research capability means losing an understanding of how to prevent or treat HIV. Photo by sergey mikheev on Unsplash

    The Trump administration’s cuts to funding for scientific research have left many scientists reeling and very worried. At the National Institutes of Health in the US, which has an annual budget of US$47 billion to support medical research both in the US and around the world, nearly 800 grants have been terminated. The administration is considering cutting the overall budget of the National Institutes of Health by 40%.

    In South Africa, where tensions are running high with the new Trump administration over land reform and other diplomatic fault lines, scientists have had research grants from the National Institutes of Health suspended. Glenda Gray, who has been at the forefront of HIV/Aids scientific research for decades, assesses the impact of these cuts.

    How have the cuts affected your research? When did you start worrying?

    There was subliminal fear that started to percolate at the end of January. I said to my team, we need to start looking at our grants. We need to start looking at our exposure.

    The first institute to go under the Trump administration’s cuts was USAID. The multibillion-dollar agency that fought poverty and hunger around the world was the first to face the chop.

    As a result, a USAID-funded US$46 million consortium on HIV vaccine discovery and experimental medicine to evaluate first in Africa or first in human HIV vaccines was terminated.

    Then in mid-April, funding for a clinical trial in Soweto near Johannesburg in South Africa was marked as “pending”. The unit was involved in trials for HIV vaccines. On top of that,  four global research networks on HIV/Aids prevention and treatment strategies were told by the National Institutes of Health in the US that they could no longer spend any money in South Africa. The Soweto unit was affiliated with those networks.

    So basically you can’t start new studies in South Africa?

    There is a great deal of uncertainty. I’m sitting on many calls, working out how we survive in the next couple of months.

    I’m going from bankrupt to absolutely bankrupt in terms of our ability to do work.

    We’ve been doing scenario planning, looking at all our contingencies, but it’s very hard to know exactly what you’re doing until you have the relevant documentation in front of you.

    To all intents and purposes for the next period, South Africa is eliminated from the National Institutes of Health networks and its scientific agenda.

    How is the South African government responding?

    The government doesn’t have the kind of money to replace the substantial amount of finances that we got through the National Institutes of Health competitive processes. However scientists have been working together with the Medical Research Council, Treasury and various government departments to plot the best way forward.

    Everyone’s been writing grant proposals, speaking to the Gates Foundation, speaking to the Wellcome Trust, looking at public-private partnerships, talking to other philanthropists. But the bottom line is that funding is never going to be at the kind of level that will replace the research infrastructure that we’ve got.

    To get money from the National Institutes of Health we had to compete with all scientists all over the world. This wasn’t just aid being doled out to us.

    Where does this leave the future of research in South Africa for HIV vaccine trials?

    South Africa has been able to contribute to global guidelines to improve care. The loss of research capability means that you lose the knowledge or the value of understanding HIV prevention, HIV vaccines or therapeutics.

    We in South Africa have the infrastructure, we have the burden of disease, the sciences, the regulator and ethical environment and the ability to answer these questions. And so it’s going to take the world a lot longer to answer these questions without South Africa.

    If we slow down research, we slow down HIV vaccine research, we slow down cures and we slow down other HIV prevention methodologies.

    And so basically you slow down the process of knowledge generation.

    What does it feel like to be a scientist right now in South Africa?

    South African scientists are resilient. We’ve had to weather many storms, from the explosion of HIV to Aids denialism … watching people die, getting people onto treatment, having vaccine trials that have failed.

    You have to be resilient to be a scientist in this field.

    It’s going to be very hard to bring the fight against HIV/Aids back to the current level again.

    It feels now like we are deer in the headlights because we don’t know how to pivot.

    This is an edited transcript of an interview with Professor Gray aired in a podcast produced by The Conversation UK. You can listen to the full podcast here.

    Glenda Gray receives funding from US-NIH which is currently being evaluated. .

    – ref. US funding cuts have crippled our HIV work – what’s being lost – https://theconversation.com/us-funding-cuts-have-crippled-our-hiv-work-whats-being-lost-255645

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi, Research fellow, University of the Western Cape

    Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge in South Africa. In 2016, 13% of the country’s children were reported to be obese. This is predicted to double by 2030.

    This problem has been linked to the regular consumption of calorie-dense foods high in sugar, salt and fat. South African children are growing up in a food environment that tends to cause obesity.

    One of its key features is intense marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, using various channels and appealing strategies. Misleading health and nutrition claims are sometimes made.

    Children are considered lucrative consumers because they can sometimes buy food themselves, influence their parents’ food purchases (they have “pester power”, for one thing), and are future consumers.

    Marketers use several strategies that children find appealing, such as cartoon characters, brand mascots, bright colours, colourful packages, catchy songs and slogans.

    Although there is no specific regulation of marketing to children in South Africa, the Consumer Protection Act 58 of 2008 has important provisions that guide the marketing of goods and services. The law prohibits false, deceptive marketing.

    As a researcher into children’s rights and nutrition I coauthored a recent paper examining how the Consumer Protection Act could be used to address the misleading marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.

    In our view, the South African consumer protection legal framework has the necessary scope to address misleading forms of marketing of unhealthy foods to children. But there needs to be better enforcement.

    Read more: Profit versus health: 4 ways big global industries make people sick

    Health claims: not always the full package

    A common strategy in food marketing is the use of misleading health or nutrition claims. These are often written (“contains vitamin C”, “high fibre”, “boosts immunity”, “supports brain health”), or implied by images of fruits and vegetables on the packaging of products.

    Some studies in South Africa have demonstrated the misleading use of these claims in television and magazine advertisements and food packages, including products meant for children.

    For instance, fruit juices often claim to be rich in vitamin C, but they have a high sugar content. Dairy products typically boast a high calcium content, but are also high in added sugar. Breakfast cereals frequently highlight their fibre content, despite being ultra-processed and containing a high amount of total carbohydrates and added sugar.

    Packaged foods often contain nutrition labels, but the printed words are small and usually obscured by the “healthy” claims. Those are positioned more prominently to capture the attention of the consumer.

    Health and nutrition claims can strongly influence purchasing decisions, especially in the South African context. Research has shown that many South African consumers do not read nutrition labels on packaged foods.

    Read more: Half of all South Africans are overweight or obese. Warning labels on unhealthy foods help change that

    What the law says

    Firstly, the Consumer Protection Act recognises children as vulnerable or disadvantaged consumers who deserve special protection (section 3(1)(b)(iii). This is because they have limited capacity to understand marketing strategies or defend themselves against their persuasive effects.

    Secondly, the Consumer Protection Act, in sections 29 and 41, prohibits the marketing of goods in a way that is reasonably likely to imply a false or misleading representation of facts such as their ingredients, benefits and qualities.

    Thirdly, the Consumer Protection Act provisions do not require a consumer to show that they were actually misled by the claim or that children’s health was negatively affected by consuming the food product. It is enough that it has been marketed in a manner that is reasonably likely to mislead children or their parents or caregivers into buying the product.

    Consumers have various ways to seek redress for misleading marketing. These include the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud and the Advertising Regulatory Board, the National Consumer Commission, the National Consumer Tribunal and the courts.

    However, delays and poor compliance with decisions can put consumers off.

    Read more: South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing

    Food for thought: the way forward

    Mandatory front-of-pack labels are needed in South Africa. They should be easy to understand and highlight nutrients of concern – salt, fat, sugar and artificial sweeteners – to reflect the overall nutritional profile of food products. They can also override the misleading “health halo” effect generated by health or nutrition claims.

    The public should support the Draft Regulation R3337 Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs made under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetic, and Disinfectant Act 54 of 1972. It specifically prohibits marketing unhealthy food to children.

    The act needs to be used more and this requires much greater consumer activism.

    Dispute mechanisms could be stronger and the processes could be streamlined to encourage consumer participation.

    The government and public interest organisations need to create greater public awareness of consumer rights.

    – Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it
    – https://theconversation.com/marketing-unhealthy-food-as-good-for-kids-is-fuelling-obesity-in-south-africa-how-to-curb-it-253994

    MIL OSI Africa –