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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Global: Medicare Advantage is covering more and more Americans − some because they don’t get to choose

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Grace McCormack, Research scientist of Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California

    Since the mid-2000s, the Medicare system has dramatically transformed. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to the traditional Medicare program administered by the government – has more than quadrupled. It now accounts for the majority of Medicare enrollment.

    Employers, including state government agencies, are helping drive this growth in Medicare Advantage sign-ups. The increase in people on Medicare Advantage plans burdens taxpayers and means more patients can be denied doctor-ordered care.

    At the same time, it is often difficult for people enrolled in Medicare Advantage to switch to traditional Medicare.

    Medicare insures people 65 or older and some who are younger and disabled. Attracted by lower premiums and co-pays and the promise of extra benefits, many over-65 Medicare beneficiaries are voluntarily choosing Medicare Advantage, often switching away from traditional Medicare when they’re relatively young and healthy.

    At the same time, many private and state employers have shifted their retirement plans so that the health benefit employees have earned counts only toward Medicare Advantage plans that replace traditional Medicare.

    We are health care policy experts who study Medicare, including what’s driving the changes in employer health care subsidies and why health care choices may be difficult for many people.

    Vanishing choices

    As of early 2025, health care subsidies for retired state employees in 13 states don’t include traditional Medicare supplement plans. The subsidies apply only to Medicare Advantage plans.

    In the private sector, just over half of large employers that offer Medicare Advantage have used it to replace traditional Medicare instead of offering their employees a choice.

    When private and state employers drop the option for the Medigap insurance that supplements rather than replaces traditional Medicare, retirees must choose a fully privatized Medicare Advantage plan or pay the full cost of a supplemental Medigap plan on their own. Medigap lowers or removes traditional Medicare’s co-pays and deductibles.

    When a person first enrolls in Medicare, Medigap costs US$30 to $400 a month, depending on coverage and location. But in most states, it can cost more if a person switches into the plan after the first year. There are some protections for people whose employer-sponsored plans change or are canceled. Enrollees should contact their local State Health Insurance Assistance Program advisers to understand their options.

    Altogether, 54% of people using Medicare are now using the private Medicare Advantage program, an increase from 8 million to 33 million between 2007 and 2024.

    Changing times

    After President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law in 1965, older Americans usually received health insurance through the government-administered traditional Medicare health insurance program. The Medigap private insurance for co-pays and deductibles was standardized in 1980.

    Today, a person signing up for Medicare also has, on average, more than 30 Medicare Advantage plan options – privately run alternatives to traditional Medicare and Medigap. The two largest providers, UnitedHealthcare and Humana, administered nearly half of all Medicare Advantage plans in 2024.

    Navigating the current Medicare system can be overwhelming, and the Medicare Advantage option is expensive for taxpayers. As policymakers continue to weigh potential reforms, it’s important to understand why Medicare Advantage has become so popular, who is enrolling in Medicare Advantage, and what aspects of Medicare Advantage plans may be important to them.

    Switching into Medicare Advantage

    The bulk of Medicare Advantage’s rapid growth has come from people switching from traditional Medicare into Medicare Advantage: In 2021 alone, over 7% of Americans covered by traditional Medicare switched to Medicare Advantage, but only 1.2% of those with Medicare Advantage coverage switched to traditional Medicare.

    This growth mirrors the privatization of Medicaid, the federal and state health insurance program for people with low income. About 74% of beneficiaries are now enrolled in private Medicaid plans. With Medicaid, people generally don’t have a choice – they are usually switched to a private plan by their state governments.

    But for Medicare, the privatization trend is not so simple.

    Compared with traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans are, on average, paid more by the taxpayer-funded Medicare system for covering each enrollee. Advantage plans also have more flexibility to limit their medical costs by restricting provider networks and requiring prior authorization.

    The extra benefits of Medicare Advantage

    Some of these extra funds result in higher profits for insurers, but they also partially finance benefits that are not part of regular Medicare.

    These benefits include limits to out-of-pocket costs traditionally offered by the supplemental Medigap plans and dental, hearing and vision coverage that Medicare doesn’t provide.

    In the past decade, lawmakers have introduced several bills to add this coverage, but Congress has not passed any of them.

    Medicare beneficiaries give many reasons for choosing their health plan. The most common reasons are different for people covered by traditional Medicare versus Medicare Advantage. Of people who have traditional Medicare coverage, 40% prefer to have more doctors and hospitals to choose from. A similar percentage of those with Medicare Advantage cite extra benefits or limits on out-of-pocket costs.

    Economic insecurity and advertising

    These financial protections and extra benefits are important for some older adults, given high rates of poverty and economic insecurity among people who are 65 or older. Though these supplemental benefits may not be very accessible, a quarter of surveyed beneficiaries said they were a primary reason for enrolling in Medicare Advantage. An additional fifth cited lower out-of-pocket costs.

    Medicare Advantage plans also typically include a low-cost drug plan that people who opt for traditional Medicare pay for separately as Part D.

    Compared with a traditional Medicare plan that doesn’t include a supplemental Medigap plan to limit premiums and co-pays, Medicare Advantage’s premiums and co-pays contribute to an estimated 18% to 24% lower out-of-pocket spending.

    Brokers, agents and advertisements also play an important role in which plans people choose. In a survey of people who have Medicare coverage, one-third said they used an agent or broker to choose a plan. Of those living below the federal poverty line, 12% said they relied on advertising.

    While these sources can inform beneficiaries about the many options, many policymakers have raised concerns about misleading marketing steering people into plans that don’t serve their needs. Brokers and agents may have more incentive to guide patients to Medicare Advantage because they are paid more for enrolling people in fully privatized plans than in the Medigap and Part D plans that supplement traditional Medicare.

    Retirement benefits shifted to Medicare Advantage

    Changes in retirement benefits are also contributing to the growth in Medicare Advantage.

    A majority of state employee health care retirement benefits include Medicare Advantage plans. And in 13 states, the health care benefit for retired state employees does not include a choice of Medigap: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

    In the private sector, the share of employers offering retirement health care benefits to their employees has declined since the 1990s: Only 21% of large employers offer those benefits today compared with 66% in 1988. But among private employers that still offer retirement health care benefits, those offering Medicare Advantage more than doubled between 2017 and 2024, from 26% to 56%.

    Just over half of large employers that offer Medicare Advantage have used it to replace regular Medicare instead of offering their employees a choice. This means that to remain in traditional Medicare, retirees would have to give up an employer subsidy that covers all or part of the Medicare Advantage premium and pay the full Medigap premium.

    Private employers that still offer subsidized health care insurance as a retirement benefit but offer only Medicare Advantage include IBM and AT&T.

    Employers cite the shift as a necessary response to rising health care costs, though many retirees have protested the trend. Medicare Advantage premiums are generally cheaper than Medigap premiums, saving employers money, in exchange for retirees potentially being denied care more often. New York City employees successfully prevented the switch.

    Stuck in Medicare Advantage

    For many Medicare beneficiaries, switching to Medicare Advantage is a one-way street because most states don’t offer switchers the guaranteed issue and community rating protections for Medigap supplemental coverage plans that people get when initially signing up for Medicare. These protections prevent people from being denied coverage or charged a higher price for preexisting conditions.

    This increased cost in most states of switching back to regular Medicare after age 66½ – especially for people with serious health conditions – may reduce the number of people who do so. But some switch despite the cost.

    Meanwhile, 5% of people who used Medicare Advantage plans in 2024 had to find a new one in 2025 because of a plan being discontinued. There is a silver lining, however: For the first 63 days after their coverage ends, people in failed plans can choose traditional Medicare plus a Medigap supplement with the guaranteed issue protection that in most states applies only during the first year of Medicare eligibility.

    Thirteen states and more than half of employers who offer a retiree health benefit have narrowed their benefit subsidy and only offer Medicare Advantage. This replaces traditional Medicare with a privately administered plan, removing the choice of Medigap, a supplement to traditional Medicare.
    SDI Productions/E+ via Getty images

    Who is enrolling in Medicare Advantage?

    Medicare Advantage growth has been particularly strong among people with low incomes and among racial and ethnic minorities.

    While the share of Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans has grown nationwide, the program’s popularity still varies geographically. Today, the share of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage ranges from 2% in Alaska to 63% in Alabama, Connecticut and Michigan.

    Although an increasing share of people in rural regions have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, they are still less likely to enroll in Medicare Advantage and more likely to return from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare than their urban counterparts.

    Switching from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage is more common among relatively healthy people who use less health care than expected. This trend, known as “favorable selection,” means the Medicare Advantage companies are enrolling healthier people. The Medicare system pays Medicare Advantage plans based on the expected rather than actual medical costs. This contributes to the overpayment of Medicare Advantage plans.

    These switching patterns suggest that among people who have illnesses such as diabetes, Medicare Advantage is potentially more appealing if they already face barriers to health care access or are in better health. These barriers are particularly common among racial and ethnic minorities in both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

    What Medicare Advantage enrollment growth means

    We believe that the Medicare Advantage program needs to be reformed. The high payments to Medicare Advantage providers have likely helped fund their explosive growth, exacerbating the financing issues that cost taxpayers US$83 billion a year.

    Medicare Advantage enrollment has grown particularly quickly among vulnerable populations. Many older Medicare beneficiaries are living below or near the poverty line, and a decreasing share of them are receiving subsidized retirement benefits.

    This has led some people to give up access to preferred providers or even treatments to spend less out of pocket on health care by enrolling in Medicare Advantage.

    Others who can afford extra premiums and who want more access pay extra for supplemental Medigap coverage alongside traditional Medicare. A Wall Street Journal investigation found a pattern of some Medicare Advantage patients switching to traditional Medicare when their health care expenses grew.

    In some ways, this resembles the tiered or “topped-up” health care system advocated for by some economists, where people receive a baseline plan, and those who want more coverage and can afford it pay for a more generous “topped-up” plan. Given the size and differing needs of the Medicare population, such a system can potentially be a cost-effective way to ensure health care access and financial protections.

    But it also creates inequalities in access, especially if the baseline plan is much worse than the “topped-up” plan.

    In addition, taxpayers pay more rather than less for someone enrolled in Medicare Advantage – the less expensive baseline plan that provides less health care. They pay less for someone enrolled in traditional Medicare plus additional supplemental insurance plans – the “topped-up” option.

    For Medicare to remain solvent, reforms will likely have to reduce what the federal government spends on Medicare, either by avoiding Medicare Advantage plan overpayments or making structural changes to how the plans are paid.

    We believe it’s important that, throughout any reform, people have access to an affordable plan that ensures access to health care. Projections show that under the current payment system, reductions in payments from the Medicare system to Medicare Advantage providers would likely lead to only modest decreases in plan generosity, though given the vulnerability of many who use Medicare Advantage, this would have to be monitored carefully.

    It’s also important for policymakers to consider improving traditional Medicare, whether that be allowing for an out-of-pocket maximum or covering at least the same degree of dental, vision or other benefits currently offered only under Medicare Advantage.

    This article is part of an occasional series examining the U.S. Medicare system.

    Past articles in the series:

    Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: Sales pitches are often from biased sources, the choices can be overwhelming, and impartial help is not equally available to all

    Taxpayers spend 22% more per patient to support Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to Medicare that promised to cost less

    Grace McCormack receives funding from the Commonwealth Fund and Arnold Ventures.

    Victoria Shier receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Medicare Advantage is covering more and more Americans − some because they don’t get to choose – https://theconversation.com/medicare-advantage-is-covering-more-and-more-americans-some-because-they-dont-get-to-choose-251796

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 3 April 2025 Departmental update Membership of the Expert Group on the Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Maternal Anaemia

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Anaemia remains a persistent public health issue. It affects an estimated 500 million women 15–49 years of age, including 37% of pregnant women and 30% of non-pregnant women (1). Anaemia may range from mild to severe, causing symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath, which reduce a person’s capacity for learning and physical work (2). It also significantly increases the risk of maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. During pregnancy, women with anaemia have a higher probability of pre-eclampsia and of prenatal depression. The newborn is more likely to be low birth weight, small-for-gestational age or stillborn. By preventing, diagnosing and managing anaemia, health and well-being is improved, contributing to improved economic growth and reduced gender inequalities, as anaemia affects twice as many women as men.

    Despite being a World Health Assembly Global Nutrition Target and an indicator of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, the prevalence of anaemia has not appreciably decreased over the past decade. The causes of anaemia are often complex, involving micronutrient deficiencies, infections, inflammation, chronic diseases and inherited red blood cell disorders. For adolescent girls and women, gynaecological and obstetric conditions also play a role. Interventions have focused on preventing and managing infections (e.g. malaria, soil transmitted helminths), and iron deficiency through the use of iron and folic acid supplementation. However, coverage has been low. Since 2020, the use of antenatal multiple micronutrient supplements that include iron and folic acid has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the context of rigorous research, and research on the use of intravenous iron has shown promise in some settings.

    In May 2023, WHO launched a Comprehensive framework for action to accelerate anaemia reduction, advocating for coordinated action across systems and emphasizing a broad approach to diagnosis, prevention and management. This includes addressing all main causes of anaemia and the broader social inequities related to education, poverty, food insecurity and lack of access to family planning, health and nutrition services and clean water, sanitation and hygiene. Addressing both the causes and risk factors simultaneously is essential for effective anaemia control.

    An Expert Group on the Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Maternal Anaemia meeting will be held virtually on 14–15 April 2025 to discuss findings from a state of the evidence review on maternal anaemia, identify evidence and knowledge gaps, and highlight priority areas for updating or providing new guidance on the prevention, diagnosis and management of anaemia during pregnancy and postpartum. The Expert Group will ensure that anaemia is being addressed from multiple perspectives and with a person-centred approach.

    In keeping with the requirements of the WHO Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics Office, short biographies of the expert group members will be posted online. The listed candidates have also submitted a declaration of interest form stating any conflict of interest. WHO has applied its internal processes to ensure that the performance of the above tasks by members of this group will be transparent and without any significant conflict of interests (academic, financial or other) that could affect the credibility of the guideline.

    Nevertheless, WHO invites the public to review the experts and stakeholders involved and provide feedback regarding any member deemed to have a significant conflict of interest with respect to the terms of reference for this group. Comments and feedback should be cordial and constructive, and sent to srhmph@who.int.

    This WHO meeting is by invitation only.

    NOTE:

    The Expert Group members are participating in the meeting on their individual capacity. Affiliations are presented only as a reference. The participation of experts in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WHO nor does it create a binding relationship between the experts and WHO. The biographies have been provided by the experts themselves and are the sole responsibility of the individuals concerned. WHO is not responsible for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of the information provided. In accordance with WHO conflict of interest assessment policy, experts’ biographies are published for transparency purposes. Comments and perceptions are brought to the knowledge of WHO through the public notice and comment process.

    Comments sent to WHO are treated confidentially and their receipt will be acknowledged through a generic email notification to the sender. Please send any comments to the following email: srhmph@who.int. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert with no attribution to the provider of such information. Upon review and assessment of the information received through this process, WHO, in its sole discretion, may take appropriate management of conflicts of interests in accordance with its policies.

    1. Stevens GA, Paciorek CJ, Flores-Urrutia MC, Borghi E, Namaste S, Wirth JP, Suchdev PS, Ezzati M, Rohner F, Flaxman SR, Rogers LM. National, regional, and global estimates of anaemia by severity in women and children for 2000-19: a pooled analysis of population-representative data. Lancet Glob Health. 2022 May;10(5):e627-e639.

    2. Wilson SE, Rogers LM, Garcia-Casal MN, Barreix M, Bosman A, Cunningham J, Goga A, Montresor A, Tunçalp Ö. Comprehensive framework for integrated action on the prevention, diagnosis, and management of anemia: An introduction. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2023 Jun;152 4(1):5-9.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: SINTX Technologies Announces Strategic Changes to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company positions for long-term growth in medical device markets

    Salt Lake City, UT, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SINTX Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SINT), an advanced ceramics company focused on medical device applications, today announced changes to its Board of Directors. The updates reflect the Company’s ongoing strategic transformation into a focused medical technology business.

    Key changes include the retirement of longtime Chairman Dr. B. Sonny Bal, the appointment of President and CEO Eric Olson as Chairman of the Board, and the addition of five new directors with decades of industry expertise spanning orthopedics, spine, interventional pain, cardiovascular, medical device business development and global commercialization.

    “These changes represent an exciting inflection point for SINTX,” said Eric Olson. “Our new Board brings a strong blend of industry leadership, commercial acumen, and strategic insight, all of which will be essential as we execute on our transformation and create long-term value for shareholders.”

    Retirement of Dr. Sonny Bal

    Dr. Bal has served as a Board Member since 2012, as Executive Chairman since 2014, and as President and CEO from 2015 to 2024. During his tenure, he helped establish SINTX as a biomaterials pioneer in silicon nitride and guided the company through its early evolution in orthopedic and spinal applications.

    Appointment of Eric Olson as Chairman of the Board 

    Mr. Olson has assumed the role of Board Chairman in addition to his ongoing duties as President and CEO. He previously served as CEO of Amedica Corporation, the predecessor to SINTX, and has played a key role in the company’s repositioning into the medical device space.

    Appointment of Jay Moyes as Lead Independent Director 

    Mr. Moyes served as CFO of Amedica from 2013 to 2014 and was a Board Member during the Company’s 2014 initial public offering and initial listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. He also held the position of CFO for Myriad Genetics, CareDx and Sera Prognostics. He brings extensive experience in capital markets, corporate governance, and strategic finance, and has been a board member of multiple private and publicly traded life science companies. Mr. Moyes currently serves on the board of directors of Puma Biotechnology and BioCardia.

    Appointment of New Directors

    Chris Lyons brings more than 35 years of experience in the musculoskeletal and spine markets, with a strong focus on business development, M&A, and strategic growth. He spent 15 years at Smith & Nephew in senior commercial roles before joining Medtronic Spine and Biologics, where he led global business development for over a decade. At Medtronic, he managed acquisitions, investments, and partnerships worldwide. In 2018, he founded Southern Metrics Consulting, advising emerging medtech companies on commercialization and successful exits.

    Robert (Bob) Mitchell has over three decades of executive leadership experience in global medical device organizations. At Cook Medical, he led five business units, including interventional radiology and endovascular therapies. He previously served as Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Align Technology (Invisalign) before becoming CEO of Millimed Holdings in Denmark. He also held leadership roles as COO of AngioDynamics and CEO of Nellix (acquired by Endologix). Currently, he Chairs Convi’s HR and Governance Committee, is Chairman of LifeSeal Vascular and Amecath, and an advisor to TVM Capital Healthcare in Dubai. His expertise spans operational leadership, commercialization, and strategic investments.

    Mark Anderson is a seasoned executive with over 35 years in the medical device industry, primarily with Boston Scientific, a leading medical device company. His experience crossed four divisions Cardiology, Watchman, Endoscopy, and Corporate Contracts. Additionally, he managed the #1 customer for Boston Scientific (HCA Healthcare) for nearly 9 years. Mr. Anderson is recognized for building high-performing teams, expanding global markets, and scaling businesses with a strong commercial and clinical focus.

    Gregg Honigblum has been a long-time supporter of SINTX and its predecessor, Amedica. As a former board member and early financial backer, Mr. Honigblum helped raise over $100 million in private funding for the company across multiple rounds. He currently serves as SINTX’s Chief Strategy Officer and has led recent financing efforts, including a successful ATM and PIPE transaction. His background includes investment banking, founding and scaling of medtech companies and extensive experience in capital formation and business strategy.

    “We are fortunate to welcome such a strong group of individuals to our Board,” said Olson. “Their expertise will be instrumental in executing our strategic vision and delivering results for our patients, partners, and shareholders.”

    For more information, please visit www.sintx.com

    About SINTX Technologies, Inc.

    Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, SINTX Technologies is an advanced ceramics company that develops and commercializes materials, components, and technologies for medical applications. SINTX is a global leader in the research, development, and manufacturing of silicon nitride, and its products have been implanted in humans since 2008. Over the past several years, SINTX has utilized strategic acquisitions and alliances to enter into new markets. For more information on SINTX Technologies or its materials platform, visit www.sintx.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA”) that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our ability to create long-term value for shareholders.

    Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made and reflect management’s current estimates, projections, expectations and beliefs. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, difficulty in commercializing ceramic technologies and development of new product opportunities. A discussion of other risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements can be found in SINTX’s Risk Factors disclosure in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 19, 2025, and in SINTX’s other filings with the SEC. SINTX undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this report, except as required by law.

    Business and Media Inquiries for SINTX:
    SINTX Technologies
    801.839.3502
    IR@sintx.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Meals4Moms: UConn, CT Small Business Develop Program to Support Gestational Diabetes Management

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    An interdisciplinary team of UConn and UConn Health researchers have teamed up with a Hartford-based small business, My Local Chefs, to develop a program to help pregnant persons diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (also known as GDM) navigate their diagnosis and make choices to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

    This program, Meals4Moms, provides people diagnosed with GDM free meals aligned with the American Diabetes Association recommendations for GDM management, personalized exercise support, and access to evidence-based information and resources via a website.

    Dr. Andrea Shields, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UConn School of Medicine at UConn Health, is spearheading the project team. Other members include Molly Waring, associate professor of allied health sciences in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR); Vanessa Sena, CEO of My Local Chefs; Ock Chun, professor of nutritional sciences in CAHNR; Linda Pescatello, professor of kinesiology in CAHNR; and Helen Wu, associate professor of psychiatry in the UConn School of Medicine.

    Gestational diabetes impacts 2 to 10% of U.S. pregnancies, and about 50% of patients with GDM will develop Type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Having diabetes during pregnancy can impact both the long-term health of both mom and baby. Moms may experience higher rates of blood pressure. The baby may require special care after birth and could be at risk of developing obesity.

    The Meals4Moms program offers a unique opportunity to not only help pregnant individuals with GDM make changes needed to manage their health during pregnancy, but also to prevent diabetes over the long-term and promote maternal and child health. Specifically, the program offers weekly meal delivery and specific recipes to help with managing GDM, educational videos and podcasts, and personalized fitness plans to encourage more physical activity during pregnancy.

    UConn’s Office of the Vice President for Research’s Clinical Research and Innovation Seed Program (CRISP) funded the program. CRISP supports faculty in clinical roles to launch significant research projects.

    “Patients with gestational diabetes face significant challenges in adjusting their diet. Meals4Moms offers a practical solution to help them make necessary changes swiftly and maintain optimal blood glucose control. The funding from OVPR was crucial to bringing together a cross-campus collaboration of clinical, translational, and basic science research experts to put together this important lifestyle intervention,” says Shields.

    The research team recently published results of the first phase of this research in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. In this study, the team interviewed nine pregnant adults with GDM to solicit their feedback about the Meals4Moms program.

    Participants were shown a mock-up of the Meals4Moms website, sample recipes, cooking demonstrations, exercise video, and free online yoga videos that the research team vetted. Participants were then asked about aspects of the Meals4Moms program they liked and opportunities for improvement.

    Overall, participants were enthusiastic about the Meals4Moms program. They were excited about being able to order meals for themselves and their families and felt that meal delivery would reduce the stress knowing what foods are “GDM-approved.”

    Participants also liked the idea of personalized support for exercise and access to recipes and exercise videos vetted by GDM experts. They emphasized the importance of offering meals and recipes in a variety of cuisines and that meet patients’ and families’ dietary patterns and food allergies.

    “It was really helpful to talk to women with GDM and hear from them how the Meals4Mom program would fit into their lives,” says Waring, who conducted the interviews along with graduate and undergraduate students on her research team.

    Study findings informed the project’s second phase, which consisted of a pilot randomized trial to test the feasibility of adding the Meals4Moms program to usual prenatal care for pregnant individuals with GDM.

    My Local Chefs also offers cooking demonstration videos and recipes online that are reviewed by pregnancy and nutrition experts.

    Data from these two studies will inform a clinical trial to test whether the Meals4Moms program along with usual prenatal care is more effective than usual care alone for helping pregnant individuals manage their GDM.

    The project’s goal is to support a healthier diet and lifestyle for study participants and their families. Additionally, the project seeks to evaluate whether the Meals4Moms program fits into the pregnant person’s life and improves diet and exercise over the long-term.

    The Meals4Moms program will also strengthen community engagement and improve Connecticut residents’ health by leveraging local stakeholders such as local chefs and farmers.

    “Collaborating with UConn and UConn Health has strengthened our ability to integrate evidence-based nutrition into patient care. Their research expertise has been invaluable in advancing our medically tailored meal programs,” says Sena, CEO of My Local Chefs. “We aim to expand our reach to support more expectant mothers and improve maternal health outcomes through personalized, medically tailored meals.”

    This approach has the potential to be applied to other communities within and beyond Connecticut.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Disturbance and assault police – Alice Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has made multiple arrests in relation to a large disturbance that occurred in Alice Springs earlier today.

    Just after 12pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received multiple reports of a violent disturbance involving up to 50 people occurring in Sadadeen.

    Upon police arrival, the group allegedly armed themselves with various weapons and threw rocks at police. OC spray was deployed to disperse the group, and one adult female and four adult males were subsequently arrested.

    One adult male remains outstanding after allegedly attempting to set his dogs upon one of the police officers.

    All offenders remain in custody and are expected to be charged for various offences, including Disorderly behaviour and Assault police.

    One adult female was conveyed to Alice Springs Hospital for assessment.

    No police member was injured during the incident.

    Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference P25090654. Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: eHealth App introduces new function for viewing radiology reports

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    eHealth App introduces new function for viewing radiology reports 
         Users can generally view the radiology reports through the “Investigations” function of the App 14 days after the reports are released, and the App’s information centre will also issue relevant notifications. The HHB advises citizens to first enquire whether the HCPs can deposit examination records into their personal eHealth accounts when selecting private HCPs for radiological examinations, to enable the building of a comprehensive electronic health record (eHR).
     
         Currently, all public HCPs and over 115 private HCPs with more than 550 service locations in total, including private hospitals, medical group practices and radiological examination centres, are technically ready. If citizens have given “sharing consent” to relevant private HCPs, their radiology reports can then be deposited in their eHealth accounts for access by the citizens and other authorised healthcare professionals. As at the end of February this year, a total of 40 private HCPs (involving nearly 100 service locations) have deposited radiology reports into the eHealth accounts of over 3.1 million citizens upon obtaining their authorisations.
     
         A spokesman for the HHB said, “Under the eHealth+ five-year development plan, we are committed to building a personal lifelong eHR profile and a comprehensive personal medical record for every citizen, while creating a one-stop comprehensive health portal through the eHealth App to help citizens manage their health records, access health information, monitor personal health and establish a healthier lifestyle. With the further enhancement of the App’s function, radiology reports of citizens from both public and private HCPs, as well as those from various government-subsidised healthcare programmes (such as the Project on Enhancing Radiological Investigation Services through Collaboration with the Private Sector), are consolidated for citizens’ access at any time, eliminating the inconvenience of storing paper reports and saving costs on redundant tests. This also facilitates authorised HCPs in conducting analysis and comparison, thereby providing a seamless and personalised care journey for citizens.”
     
         Since the launch of the eHealth App in 2021, the Government has progressively expanded the health records available for citizens’ viewing. Currently, eHealth users can access nine types of eHRs, namely, personal identification and demographic data, allergies and adverse drug reactions, encounters and appointments, immunisation records, medication records, laboratory and radiology reports, healthcare referrals, observation and lifestyle records, as well as medical certificates. In the future, the Government will gradually make more health records available for citizen’s viewing, including radiology images, Chinese medicine prescription records as well as dental check-ups records and dental conditions.
     
         The Government will continue to take a multipronged approach to encourage and facilitate the deposit of citizens’ eHRs into eHealth by private HCPs, thereby assisting citizens in accessing, managing and using their own eHRs during the healthcare process. Through the eHealth website (www.ehealth.gov.hk/en/index.html 
         The Government announced the rollout of the eHealth+ five-year plan in the 2023 Policy Address, with a view to transforming eHealth into a comprehensive healthcare information infrastructure that integrates multiple functions of healthcare data sharing, service delivery and care journey management. eHealth+ aims to bring about a more seamless and personalised care journey for every citizen and facilitate care co-ordination and cross-sector collaboration, as well as health management and health surveillance, thus enabling citizens to enjoy higher-quality healthcare services while effectively supporting various healthcare policies.
     
         For more information, citizens may visit the eHealth thematic website (    app.ehealth.gov.hk/index.html?lang=enIssued at HKT 11:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Swearing in of FDA Commissioner and NIH Director

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    We proudly welcome Dr. Marty Makary as FDA Commissioner and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as NIH Director. Their impeccable credentials and dedication to gold-standard science make them uniquely qualified to lead these agencies and ensure its priorities are aligned with this administration’s goal to Make America Healthy Again. We look forward to restoring trust, transparency, and excellence in public health.

    —

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | http://www.hhs.gov

    http://www.Twitter.com/HHSGov | http://www.Facebook.com/HHS http://www.Instagram.com/HHSGov
    http://www.LinkedIn.com/company/us-department-of-health-and-human-services

    HHS Privacy Policy: http://www.hhs.gov/Privacy.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD_FS6DFv4w

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025: Benefits of the Bill

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 03 APR 2025 4:16PM by PIB Delhi

    Introduction

    What is Waqf

    The concept of ‘Waqf’ is rooted in Islamic laws and traditions. It refers to an endowment made by a Muslim for charitable or religious purposes, such as building mosques, schools, hospitals, or other public institutions. Another defining feature of a Waqf is that it’s inalienable- which means it cannot be sold, gifted, inherited or encumbered. Therefore, once a property is divested from the waqif, i.e., the creator of a waqf, it vests in God and as per Islamic belief since God is ever lasting, so is the ‘waqf property’.

    Addressing Longstanding Issues

    The Waqf (Amendment) Bill aims to address issues such as –

     

    1. Lack of transparency in Waqf property management
    2. Incomplete surveys and mutation of Waqf land records
    3. Insufficient provisions for women’s inheritance rights
    4. Large number of prolonged litigations including encroachment. In 2013, there were 10,381 pending cases which have now increased to 21,618 cases.
    5. Irrational power of the Waqf Boards in declaring any property as waqf land based on their own inquiry.
    6. Large number of disputes related to government land declared as aqf.
    7. Lack of proper accounting and auditing of Waqf properties.
    8. Administrative inefficiencies in waqf management. ‘
    9. Improper treatment to Trust properties.
    10. Inadequate representation of stakeholders in Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards.        

     

    Modernizing the Waqf Bill

    The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties, with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare.

    1. Non-Muslim properties declared as Waqf– The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 aims to streamline Waqf property management while safeguarding heritage sites and individual property rights. Various states have seen disputes over Waqf property claims, leading to legal battles and community concerns. As of data from September 2024, across 25 States/ UTs Waqf Boards, a total of 5973 government properties have been declared as Waqf properties. Some examples of the same:

     

    • Tamil Nadu: A farmer in Thiruchenthurai village was unable to sell his land due to the Waqf Board’s claim over the entire village. This unexpected requirement prevented him from selling his land to repay a loan for his daughter’s wedding.
    • Govindpur Village, Bihar: In August 2024, The Bihar Sunni Waqf Board’s claim over an entire village in August 2024 affected seven families, leading to a case in the Patna High Court. The case is sub-judice.
    • Kerala: In September 2024, around 600 Christian families in Ernakulam district are contesting the Waqf Board’s claim over their ancestral land. They have appealed to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
    • Karnataka: In 2024, Farmers protested after the Waqf Board designated 15,000 acres in Vijayapura as Waqf land. Disputes also arose in Ballari, Chitradurga, Yadgir, and Dharwad. The government, however, assured that no evictions would take place.
    • Uttar Pradesh: Complaints have been raised against alleged corruption and mismanagement by the State Waqf Board.

    Further, the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill (JCWAB) had also received some communications regarding unlawful claim of properties by Waqf Boards, some of which are as under:

    • Karnataka (1975 & 2020): 40 Waqf properties were notified, including farmlands, public spaces, government lands, graveyards, lakes, and temples.
    • The Punjab Waqf Board has claimed land belonging to the Education Department in Patiala.

    Additionally, MoHUA (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) informed the JPC during their presentation in September 2024, that 108 properties under control of Land and Development Office, 130 properties under control of Delhi Development Authority and 123 properties in the public domain were declared as Waqf properties and brought into litigation.

    1. Rights of Muslim Women and Legal Heirs– The Bill also seeks to improve the economic and social status of Muslim women, particularly widows and divorced women, by promoting self-help groups (SHGs) and financial independence programs.

    Additionally, the Bill aims at achieving the following for the benefit for Muslim women-

    • Transparency in Waqf Management – Digitizing waqf records to curb corruption.
    • Legal Aid & Social Welfare – Establishing legal support centers for family disputes and inheritance rights.
    • Cultural & Religious Identity – Strengthening cultural preservation and interfaith dialogue.

    Women’s involvement ensures transparency and directs Waqf resources towards:

    • Scholarships for Muslim girls
    • Healthcare and maternity welfare
    • Skill development and microfinance support for women entrepreneurs
    • Vocational training in fields like fashion design, healthcare, and entrepreneurship
    • Establishing legal aid centers for inheritance disputes and domestic violence cases
    • Pension schemes for widows

     

    1. Upliftment of the Poor

    Waqf plays a crucial role in serving religious, charitable, and social welfare needs, especially for the underprivileged. However, its impact has often been reduced due to mismanagement, encroachment, and lack of transparency. Some key benefits of Waqf for the Poor:

     

    1. Digitization for Transparency and Accountability
    • A centralized digital portal will track Waqf properties, ensuring better identification, monitoring, and management.
    • Auditing and accounting measures will prevent financial mismanagement and ensure funds are used only for welfare purposes.
    1. Increased Revenue for Welfare and Development
    • Preventing misuse and illegal occupation of Waqf lands will boost revenue for Waqf Boards, allowing them to expand welfare programs.
    • Funds will be allocated to healthcare, education, housing, and livelihood support, directly benefiting the economically weaker sections.
    • Regular audits and inspections will promote financial discipline and strengthen public confidence in Waqf management.

     

    1. Addressing Administrative Challenges–

    The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 aims to improve governance by:

    • Enhancing transparency in property management.
    • Streamlining coordination between Waqf Boards and local authorities.
    • Ensuring stakeholder rights are protected.

     

    1. Empowerment of Backward classes & other sects of Muslim communities: The Bill aims at making the Waqf Board more inclusive having representation from different Muslim sects for better Waqf governance and decision-making-
    • The Bill mandates inclusion of one member each from Bohra and Aghakhani communities in State/UT Waqf Boards, if they have functional Auqaf.
    • Also, the Board will have representation from Muslims belonging to backward classes apart from Shia and Sunni members.
    • Includes two or more elected members from municipalities or Panchayats, strengthening local governance in waqf affairs.
    • The Board/CWC will have two non-Muslim members excluding the ex-officio members.

    Conclusion:

    The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 establishes a secular, transparent, and accountable system for Waqf administration. While Waqf properties serve religious and charitable purposes, their management involves legal, financial, and administrative responsibilities that require structured governance. The role of Waqf Boards and the Central Waqf Council (CWC) is not religious but regulatory, ensuring legal compliance and safeguarding public interest. By introducing checks and balances, empowering stakeholders, and improving governance, the Bill sets a progressive and fair framework for Waqf administration in India.

    Kindly find the pdf file 

    ****

    Santosh Kumar/ Ritu Kataria/ Kritika Rane

     

    (Release ID: 2118261) Visitor Counter : 22

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Bureau of Indian Standards Conducts Annual Convention on Sustainability and Environmental Standards

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 03 APR 2025 1:45PM by PIB Delhi

    The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) convened its Annual Convention for Deans and Heads of Departments (HoDs) from partner institutions focused on Environment and Ecology in Goa. During the two days’ convention; 45 delegates from 32 partner institutions, alongside senior BIS officials, delved into the theme “Sustainability through Standards.”

    In his welcome address, Shri Praveen Khanna, Deputy Director General (Southern Region), underscored the pivotal role of academic institutions in developing national and international standards.

    Shri Sanjay Pant, Deputy Director General (Standardization-II), highlighted the significance of standardization in addressing sustainability challenges. “Standardization is the foundation of sustainability. By collaborating with academia, we can develop research-driven standards that address environmental challenges and create a lasting impact for future generations,” said Shri Sanjay Pant.

    He introduced the newly established Environment and Ecology Department (EED), consolidating various BIS standardization activities into a dedicated division. Since its inception, the EED has released nearly 100 standards through its nine specialized committees.

    The convention included comprehensive technical sessions on ongoing initiatives within the Environment and Ecology Division Council (EEDC) where 8 expert panels are engaged in standardization across crucial areas, including Air Quality Management, Water Quality Management, Waste Management, Environmental Monitoring, Sustainable Habitat, Sustainable Agriculture, Circular Economy, and Biodiversity & Ecosystem

    Featured speakers included Dr. Alok Sinha (IIT Dhanbad), Dr. Anju Singh (IIM Mumbai), and Ms. Shabnam Bassi (GRIHA Council), who emphasized the necessity of addressing gaps in existing standards to bolster national climate initiatives such as the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC).

    Utilizing the ‘Know Your Standards’ feature on the BIS Care App, participants evaluated existing standards and pinpointed new areas for development. Key discussions included: Waste Management & Recycling; Water Quality & Management; Sustainable Construction & Materials; Environmental Monitoring & Pollution Control; Green Energy & Climate Change Mitigation; Health & Safety Standards and Campus & Industrial Sustainability

    On the second day, delegates observed a live demonstration of BIS’s digital solutions, which included the Academic Dashboard, a platform enabling partner institutions to access standards, submit research projects, and contribute to technical committees. BIS also presented tools for downloading and commenting on draft standards, facilitating involvement in international standardization efforts.

    A special session led by Shri Ritesh Baranwal (Director, Finance, BIS) concentrated on the role of standards in sustainability and sustainable finance. His presentation illustrated how financial frameworks can underpin sustainability initiatives through standardization.

    The BIS Annual Convention reinforced the organization’s dedication to collaborating with academia to formulate standards that address vital environmental and ecological issues. BIS aims to establish robust, research-driven standards that contribute to a more sustainable future by fostering partnerships among experts, researchers, and policymakers.

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

    (Release ID: 2118173) Visitor Counter : 58

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Continued decline in new HIV cases in 2024 reflects success of prevention and control efforts in Hong Kong (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Department of Health (DH) today (April 3) summarised the situation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and released the findings of a survey on HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female sex workers (FSWs) in Hong Kong in 2024. The decline in the number of new cases of HIV infection in Hong Kong for the ninth consecutive year and a prevalence rate well below the global average reflected the success of Hong Kong’s prevention and control efforts. However, due to the high proportion of late presentation, the DH encouraged the public to undergo HIV antibody testing, and to use condoms regularly and correctly to minimise the risk of HIV infection.

    “In the year of 2024, the DH received 365 new HIV cases, including 297 males and 68 females aged between 14 and 89. Among the cases with a reported route of transmission, 312 cases (99 per cent) acquired the infection through sexual contact, including 216 through homosexual or bisexual contact and 96 through heterosexual contact. Almost half of the cases (44 per cent) were reported by public hospitals, clinics, and laboratories, followed by Acquired Immuodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) service organisations. The cumulative total of locally reported HIV infections since 1984 is 12 403. The prevalence of HIV infection among the general public in Hong Kong remained at 0.1 per cent, well below the global average, demonstrating the effectiveness of AIDS control and prevention in Hong Kong,” said the Consultant (Special Preventive Programme) of the Public Health Services Branch of the Centre for Health Protection of the DH, Dr Bonnie Wong.

    “A total of 74 new AIDS cases, including 63 males and 11 females, were reported during the same period. Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2 557 confirmed AIDS cases has been reported in Hong Kong. The most common AIDS-defining illness was Pneumocystis pneumonia,” she added.

    Although the number of new HIV infection has declined for nine consecutive years since 2015, the proportion of late presenters among newly reported cases in Hong Kong has been as high as 40 to 50 per cent, with a higher proportion of late presenters among those not belonging to high-risk populations, such as men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs and sex workers.

    Late presenters refer to individuals with a very low CD4 cells (one kind of immune cell) count (less than 200 cells/mm3) or those who have already progressed to AIDS at the time of HIV diagnosis. Late presentation indicates that these individuals were not diagnosed and put on treatment in a timely manner at an earlier stage of infection, resulting in a weakened immune system. Late presentation can lead to an increased risk of opportunistic infections and malignancies, leading to a higher mortality rate. In addition, as a result of an unsuppressed viral load, late presenters contribute to an increased risk of HIV transmission in the community.

    In addition, the DH has recently completed a community survey related to transmission risk of HIV and STIs, titled “HIV/AIDS Response Indicator Survey 2024 for Female Sex Workers” (HARiS 2024 for FSWs).

    “The survey is a public health surveillance programme conducted by the DH to regularly monitor the situation of HIV infection and the related risk behaviours among female sex workers to guide the implementation of the Recommended HIV/AIDS Strategies for Hong Kong (2022-2027). The survey revealed that the proportion of respondents who had their last HIV test in the preceding year increased from 37 per cent in a similar survey in 2022 to 55 per cent, reflecting the effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions. Since the Strategies’ target of 80 per cent has not been achieved, prevention efforts should continue. The survey also revealed that condom use among respondents was generally satisfactory, with 99 per cent of respondents using condoms when having sex with non-regular clients. However, condom use when having sex with regular clients was less consistent among some respondents, indicating the need to strengthen the condom promotion programme,” Dr Wong said.

    She reminded members of the public to use condoms consistently and properly to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV and STIs. In addition, vulnerable populations at higher risk of contracting HIV and STIs (including men who have sex with men, FSWs and their clients and injecting drug users) should undergo HIV and STI testing regularly, at least once a year. People with HIV should seek specialist care and HIV treatment as soon as possible for viral suppression and health restoration. The DH will continue to collaborate with various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to raise awareness and knowledge among FSWs on HIV and STI prevention.

    There are community resources available that enable members of the public to undergo HIV antibody testing. Members of the public can reserve a free, anonymous and confidential HIV antibody test by visiting the HIV Testing Service website or calling the AIDS Hotline (2780 2211). They can also order HIV self-test kits (oral fluid-based and blood-based (finger prick) testing kits) on the HIV Testing Service website, and collect the self-test kits at various pick-up locations in Hong Kong.

    ​Dr Wong stressed that HIV infection is a manageable chronic disease. Early HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs can effectively prevent the progression to AIDS and other complications. Lifelong antiretroviral treatment is indicated for all people with HIV, and the treatment remarkably improves their health and possibility of survival. Moreover, those who achieve sustained viral suppression to an undetectable level with treatment will not transmit the virus through sex, i.e. Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).

    The public may visit the following pages for more information on HIV/AIDS: the Virtual AIDS Office, the Red Ribbon Centre, the HIV Testing Service website and the Gay Men HIV Information website.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Education Secretary keynote speech at Festival of Childhood

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Education Secretary keynote speech at Festival of Childhood

    The Education Secretary’s keynote speech at the Children’s Commissioner’s Festival of Childhood event.

    Good morning, everyone. It’s really great to be here!

    Thank you, Tristram, for hosting us today. And Hughie, what a privilege it is to speak alongside you. Thank you so much for everything you said.

    Your bravery and determination, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, all while going through that treatment yourself – you are such an inspiration.

    I’m so glad to hear about your full recovery too, and everything you’re doing to make children’s voices heard, and it’s great to see you here today continuing to lead and inspire with your journalism.

    I was interviewed back in September by your colleague Scarlett at Sky FYI – and she definitely put me through my paces! One of the toughest interviews I’ve ever had.

    And it was great to see her again at World Book Day last month.

    It’s lovely to look round this room and see so many familiar faces this morning. Rylie and Sofia – it was great to meet you at the Women in Westminster event last year.

    And Sofia – I’ve heard more and more about everything you’ve achieved, about leaving your home in Ukraine and coming to England.

    About joining school in year 11 and passing your GCSEs – despite English being your third language.

    What an amazing achievement!

    There are just so many inspiring young people here today.

    And I’d like to thank Dame Rachel for bringing together all the Youth Ambassadors. And all your amazing work making young voices heard.

    It’s their job, the job of the youth ambassadors, to make sure politicians like me listen to children and young people – and act to make their lives better.

    And that’s exactly right.

    Because as Secretary of State – children and young people are my priority.

    I want to see them, I want to see you, back at the forefront of national life, back at the centre of our national conversation.

    I want all children to have the opportunity to succeed.

    So we are on a mission as a government – to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child.

    And I mean it when I say that it has to be every child.

    Because all children deserve the chance to get on and succeed.

    It’s tempting to think that the path to opportunity begins on the first day of school.

    Nervous little girls and boys, lined up outside the school gates clinging on for dear life to their mums and dads.

    When stories of success are told, that’s often where we start.

    But that’s jumping ahead.

    Like expecting a tree to grow strong and tall without first putting down deep roots that are deep and lasting.

    Because opportunity starts early, it starts much earlier than that.

    I’d just like us to think of two babies, born in the same hospital on the same day.

    Think of all that happens before they reach those school gates a number of years later.

    One baby goes back to an anxious home.

    Her parents work hard – two, maybe even three jobs to make ends meet.

    There’s mould on the wall in their bedroom because the landlord won’t fix it – and now that’s where that baby has to sleep too.

    There’s never enough time in the day, never quite enough food in the fridge, no help from extended family.

    The council baby group her brothers went to now gone; nursery or childminders have been completely out of reach – too few spaces, too far to go, too expensive.

    So she stays at home, simply watching as her family struggle around her.

    Missing out on so much: playing with other children, sharing and taking turns, learning about her emotions, about those of others, about taking the first steps into learning.

    Now think of the other baby from the hospital. Her parents drive her back to a warm and stable home.

    Right from that first night, her needs are all that matter.

    Parents who read to her, talk to her.

    And whose first thought in the baby food aisle, isn’t can we afford it, isn’t where’s the money – it’s about buying her first coat.

    When her parents go back to work, she spends her mornings in a great nursery at the end of the road – the best early years teachers introduce her to letters and numbers, she begins to explore the world around her.

    There are afternoons in the park with grandma, bedtime stories with grandad.

    A whole network of support, with just one goal: giving her the very best start in life.

    Step by step, year by year, she grows and develops, and she leaps forward.

    So, on that first day of school, those two children, born in the same hospital, on the same day, they arrive wearing the same uniform, they might even stand together in the playground, and when the teacher asks that they walk into the classroom in pairs, they hold hands, bouncing inside towards the rest of their lives, with no idea how different their paths are likely to be.

    Because that’s where opportunity can be lost or found, those early forks in the road, where those gaps start to open up.

    And with each year that goes by, those gaps grow and grow. And closing them becomes harder and harder as the years pass.

    That’s why, when I speak to school leaders and university vice chancellors, they urge me to invest in the early years.

    And as we begin to see the generation of children born during the Covid pandemic arriving at school, many already far behind where they would normally be, the importance of early years is more clear-cut than ever.

    I’m in politics because I believe that every child deserves every opportunity to succeed.

    I’m here to make a difference in their lives.

    And because early years is where the biggest difference can be made, and it’s where my biggest priority lies.

    Giving every child the best start in life is my number one goal.

    That’s where I want to be judged, that’s where my legacy will lie.

    It’s not simply my priority.

    Children are central to the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change. It sets the target of a record share of children arriving at primary school ready to learn.

    Because we know that our success as a country begins in the earliest years of children’s lives.

    The Prime Minister gets it, I get it, and the Chancellor gets it too. That’s why, despite the toughest fiscal inheritance in a generation, she chose to invest over £8bn in early years – £2bn more than last year. 

    But we’re just getting started.

    This is the beginning of a wave of reform to lift up the life chances of all children, to give parents power and choice and freedom – and to put money back in their pockets too.

    And that means great childcare and early years education.

    There is a rich diversity of early education and childcare of all shapes and sizes right across the country that is already working hard to give children the best start in life.

    And I can’t thank them enough.

    But now is the time to go further.

    So yesterday I announced funding for 300 primary schools to expand their nurseries and set up new ones.

    Up to £150,000 each to convert unused classrooms into new nurseries for our children.

    6,000 new childcare places – most of them ready to go by September.

    It’s 300 steps on the road to 3,000 new and expanded school-based nurseries.

    An important part of how we’re delivering the childcare entitlements parents were promised.

    Giving them the power to choose the jobs and the hours that they want.

    Support for parents is so important too, saving them money as well.

    But, deep down, early education and childcare is all about children’s futures.

    And what an impact high-quality early education can have on their futures. Analysis shows that children who go to a higher-quality pre-school earn about £17,000 more over the course of their lives.

    Across 6,000 high-quality new places, it could mean a boost of over £100m in lifetime earnings.

    Now given the prize on offer, we’re still going further, to make the most of that precious time, when horizons still stretch out ahead.

    Because if those early chances are missed, they won’t come again. The lives of our children march on, so those early brushes with education are just so precious.

    That’s why we’re twinning the childcare rollout with the biggest ever uplift in the early years pupil premium for disadvantaged children.

    Because this is how we can narrow the attainment gap, and give every child, no matter their background, every opportunity to succeed.

    Children are there to learn. And the adults in the room are at heart early educators.

    So we’re fully funding initial teacher training for early years teachers and supporting them to become early years experts too.

    And we’re doubling our Maths Champions programme – to reach 800 early years classrooms.

    A really big step change.

    Helping children to feel comfortable with numbers from their youngest years, building numeracy skills early, so that by the time they reach school, maths is already a familiar friend.

    But I said before that we’re just getting started – and I meant it.

    So later this year, I’ll launch a new strategy to revitalise early years education.

    Rooted in creating positive early childhood experiences for all of our children.

    Our new nurseries in primary schools will create a positive journey of learning for all children.

    Children, beginning in nursery at 2 or 3 years old – then moving along the corridor at 4 or 5 to start primary school.

    The same faces, the same friends, the same buildings.

    Parents can build relationships with teachers, teachers can spot issues early, and when children reach school, they already feel at home in the classroom.

    And so we’re backing parents too – supporting them with joined up family services as they guide their children through those early years.

    That’s where the journey starts, with those positive, supportive early experiences.

    And that must continue through school.

    Because this is a government that puts children first.

    I want all children to love learning.

    But I should say right now exactly what I mean when I say that.

    It’s building knowledge, growing skills, reaching into a variety of topics.

    High and rising standards, exams that can capture our progress.

    I want to grow a love of learning with deep roots, that is lasting, that shapes lives.

    The type that sustains join, that builds confidence, that fosters resilience, that doesn’t come from doing what feels easy.

    Putting children first isn’t soft. It’s not a sugar-rush, ice-cream-for-dinner approach to schooling.

    It requires exposing children to a wide range of ideas.

    So that they can find what inspires them.

    It requires supporting children to persist with subjects that might feel hard, when they don’t immediately like what is in front of them, to keep going when it’s hard, not to give up at the first sign of struggle.

    So that they can discover for themselves the quiet satisfaction, the happy resilience that comes from the pursuit of learning.

    That’s how we wake children up to their own power. It’s how we plant within them a sense of purpose as they leave school and move into the wider world.

    And it’s how we raise a generation of children who can think critically and act thoughtfully. A generation ready not just for work but ready for the rest of their lives too.

    Confident, creative, kind.

    At home in our country and in the world.

    And that matters more now than ever before.

    At a time when uncertainty is rising, and trust is falling, a time when disinformation can slip quietly into the pockets of our children, and young boys can fall under the spell of toxic role models online, men who preach misogyny, who cook up resentment, who feed on hatred.

    And sadly so much of that flows through smartphones.

    They have no place in the classroom, they’re disruptive, distracting, they’re bad for behaviour.

    So we’re backing schools to rid our classrooms, corridors and playgrounds of phones.

    It’s clear the behaviour of boys, their influences, and the young men they become, is a defining issue of our time.

    That’s why this week the Prime Minister convened a roundtable on rethinking adolescent safety – to listen to the experiences of children today and to prevent young boys being dragged into misogyny and hatred.

    We need to raise a generation of boys with the strength to reject that hatred – curiosity, compassion, kindness, resilience, hope, and respect.

    But hard skills as well as soft skills.

    Because to reject disinformation, children need critical thinking skills, maths too, a proper understanding of science, history, geography, economics.

    To think analytically, children need that foundation in English – to explore different points of view, to weigh up the arguments, to consider the facts, and to come down on the side of reason.

    And above all, to become active, engaged, curious about the world – children need knowledge and skills.

    And through our review of the relationships, sex and health education curriculum we will ensure young people learn about healthy relationships, boundaries and consent right from the start.

    With toxic online influences on the rise, our boys need strong, positive male role models to look up to. At home, of course, but also at school too.

    Schools can’t solve these problems alone, and responsibility does start at home with parents.

    But only one in four of the teachers in our schools are men.

    Just one in seven in nursery and primary school.

    One in 33 in early years.

    And since 2010 the number of teachers in our schools has increased by 28,000 – but just 533 of those are men.

    That is extraordinary – over the last 15 years, for every 50 women who’ve taken up teaching – they’ve been joined at the front of our classrooms by just one man.

    Now I want more male teachers – teaching, guiding, leading the boys in our classrooms.

    But in truth I want more teachers across the board as well.

    Because if today we’re here to talk about positive early childhood experiences, about the role of education in creating and sustaining joy and confidence, about the routes for giving children a sense of purpose, about setting children up for success, then it is all about our teachers. 

    Great teachers, inspiring teachers, teachers who believe in the power of their pupils.

    That’s why we’re working to recruit 6,500 more expert teachers across our schools and colleges.

    More teachers in shortage subjects, keeping the great teachers that we already have, restoring teaching as the profession of choice for our very best graduates.

    Now a couple of weeks ago I visited Cardinal Heenan School in Liverpool.

    And the first thing I did was sit down for a chat with an amazing group of students, the same age as many of you here today.

    And they were so excited to tell me all the things they wanted to do when they left school.

    I could see them light up; I could feel their joy.

    That’s the joy of learning.

    Now up on the walls of that school were pictures of all the ex-pupils who had gone on to do amazing things.

    One of them was Steven Gerrard.

    But there was another ex-pupil who wasn’t up on the wall. And I met him outside at the end of the day as he was helping all the students on their way home. 

    He was Mr Backhouse, now the school’s assistant headteacher.

    He said he’d been given every opportunity to succeed at that school. So he became a teacher to pass that on to the next generation of kids in his community.

    He understood the power of his job – it’s about unleashing the power in all of our children.

    That’s why my job is the best job in government – because I get to work with and empower you, the young people here today and across the country.

    From those earliest years, those babies leaving hospital, the nurseries, the childcare, through school, and then on into college, university and beyond.

    It’s my job, it’s the job of childminders, teachers, support staff, lecturers and leaders, together with your parents and carers, to shape your journey, to guide you on, to spur you, to give you every opportunity to succeed. That is what you deserve.

    But it’s your job to rise to the challenge, to give it your all and to grab those opportunities with both hands.

    Looking around this room, looking at all of your faces, I have no doubt you’re up to the task.

    I think our future is in very safe hands.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Half a million appointments and operations saved by ending resident doctor strikes

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Half a million appointments and operations saved by ending resident doctor strikes

    Ending doctor strikes saved 500,000 appointments and operations, and cut waiting lists by 193,000

    • 500,000 appointments and operations saved as a result of Government action to resolve painful strikes within four weeks of office
    • Strikes contributed to an extra 140,000 increase to waiting list, causing pain and misery to patients across the country
    • Patients feeling the benefits with government delivering two million more appointments seven months early and cutting waiting lists by 193,000 through Plan for Change

    An estimated half a million appointments and operations avoided being cancelled in the second half of last year thanks to swift action from the Government to end resident doctor strikes within four weeks of office.  

    Data shows a total of 507,000 appointments and operations were cancelled and rescheduled between July 2023 and February 2024 during periods of disruptive strike action, causing pain and misery to patients across the country, and hitting an already broken NHS with more damage. This put huge pressure on hardworking staff, with NHS England analysis showing that this added 140,000 more to the waiting lists this government inherited.

    On his very first day in government, the Health and Social Care Secretary got round the table with resident doctors, securing a fair deal for patients and staff after four weeks, getting doctors back on the frontline treating patients.

    The progress the Government has made in starting to fix the NHS after 14 years of decline shows the transformatory effect of the Plan for Change.

    Since July, over two million extra appointments have been delivered – seven months early – and the waiting list slashed by 193,000, with patients up and down the country beginning to feel a real difference after a decade of neglect – and in some cases after waiting years to get the care they need.

    Cutting waiting lists is one of the government’s top priorities through its Plan for Change which is driving forward reform of the health service to put patients first, rebuild our NHS and improve living standards, which are growing at their fastest rate in two years.

    Making up around 50% of the medical workforce, resident doctors play a pivotal role for patients. When staff stood on the picket lines, waiting lists soared, leaving people in pain and out of work as a result of not being able to get the care they need. By bringing to an end months of devastating strikes, patients have significantly felt the benefits, getting the care they need without disruption.

    Since July, the government has made it a priority to get 92% of patients seen within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament. Through the recently published Elective Reform Plan, patients will begin to have more control over their care, to end the needless suffering of those stuck on a waiting list.

    The plan also makes it easier for patients to access the appointments they need, through the opening of more Community Diagnostic Centres and surgical hubs, in more convenient locations closer to their homes, keeping them out of hospital. And through bringing the NHS app into the digital era, individuals will be able to take control of their personal health plans, by accessing key documentation and appointment data online, in a timeline that works around their lives.

    With over two million extra NHS appointments including for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests already being delivered seven months early, and through its Plan for Change, the government is on its way to ending the misery felt by millions of patients up and down the country who are waiting for the appointments they need.

    Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary, said:

    Half a million operations stopped because of strike action weren’t just an inconvenience. They meant hundreds of thousands of patients living through more pain, more stress and more disappointment.

    That’s exactly why within days of coming into office, I got round the table with resident doctors and put an end to these crippling strikes.

    It was a tough negotiation, but we came out with a fair offer, and patients immediately started seeing the benefit.

    Thanks to this government putting doctors back on the frontline, we’ve cut waiting lists by 193,000. We are fixing the broken foundations of our NHS through our Plan for Change so patients can get back to work and doing what they love.

    Ends

    Notes

    • Data available here.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Event helps embed good practice around mental health

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    It saw AMHPs, NHS mental health practitioners, commissioners, police, advocacy providers, and system leaders to come together to focus on national AMHP service standards.

    The event was supported by partners in social care and health, and attended by Robert Lewis, Mental Health Social Work Lead for England.

    Andrew Wolverson, Director of Adult Social Care, opened the event by shining a light on the council’s continued commitment to partnership working. Dr Clare Dickens, Academic Lead for Mental Health and Wellbeing at University of Wolverhampton, followed by highlighting the value of all the hard work and commitment of practitioners in mental health.

    Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “AMHPs play a crucial role in mental health crisis systems and are an important legal safeguard for the rights of individuals.  

    “They provide an independent decision about whether or not there are alternatives to detention but are the primary applicants of the Mental Health Act when required, taking responsibility for complex and difficult decisions involving human rights, individual choice and public safety.

    “They require the support and co-operation of all other key partners in mental health and crisis care services and the health and functionality of an AMHP service can be seen as a barometer for the wider crisis support system.  

    “We were delighted to host this important event which provided an opportunity to hear from national and local leaders, for people to work collaboratively together to map and benchmark local services against the national AMHP service standards, and to embed good practice across Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall.”

    Sandra Wilkinson, CPD Programme Lead for the University of Wolverhampton, observed a wonderful atmosphere of collaboration and understanding, adding: “It was a delightful reflection of the commitment of key stakeholders in mental health and the invaluable contributions they make to people in mental health crisis.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 3 April 2025 Years of research are poised to dramatically alter the course of maternal mortality

    Source: World Health Organisation

    “You never forget the experience when a woman just slips away in your hands, and you know it is too late,” said Dr Hadiza Galadanci, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Bayero University, on the experience of a woman dying as she delivers a baby.

    Excessive bleeding is a common complication of childbirth that millions of women experience and survive. However, thousands of women are still dying due to haemorrhage every year, making up 27% of all maternal deaths. Nearly all these women are from sub-Saharan Africa, where a number of challenges persist, including a lack of access to prenatal care, skilled birth attendants and high-quality medicines in health facilities.

    Dramatic change

    However, this is primed to change. More women are surviving childbirth than ever before, in part thanks to years of research that led to a highly effective and affordable clinical protocol called the Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) bundle. This new way of detecting and treating postpartum haemorrhage early combines the most effective interventions into a quicker, life-saving method that is being scaled up in the places that need it the most.

    “In the last year or two, we’ve seen a real difference. Even the cleaners and staff in the labour ward say the new way is a great innovation. Before, blood would flow onto the beds and floors. Now, with the drape, the blood is collected in a pouch,” said Dr Galadanci.

    This plastic pouch, or drape, is the first step in the new approach that takes the guesswork out of estimating blood loss. The drape itself is not new, but its consistent use is, and the difference has been immediately felt.

    “You cannot accurately assess blood loss by just looking. By the time we decide to intervene, many women are already in shock – thirsty, disoriented, fading away before our eyes,”​ said Dr Zahida Qureshi, principal investigator of the E-MOTIVE trial in Kenya and Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Nairobi.

    Simulation exercises for training at the ACEPHAP simulation lab, 2025. © Stephen Mohammed Abu

    Scaffolding progress

    Finding affordable and effective interventions that work to detect, treat and prevent life-threatening complications in resource-poor settings takes years of iterative research, testing and refinement. Dr Quresh explained that throughout her career she took part in multiple trials that laid the groundwork for where we are today – on the brink of altering the course of maternal mortality.

    Studies like the WOMAN trial on tranexamic acid and the CHAMPION trial on oxytocic drugs, generated useful evidence that was foundational to the components of the E-MOTIVE package, or PPH bundle. Scientists and doctors at WHO, the UN’s Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP) and the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, built off the foundation of these trials and devised the PPH bundle to address the very specific needs of women who are most at risk of dying in childbirth.

    Once proven effective through a large-scale study, WHO convened a Guideline Development Group to rapidly formulate a WHO recommendation so that the solution would be taken to scale as fast as possible.

    Now, doctors and midwives who are implementing and scaling up the innovative approach report drastic reductions in cases of severe bleeding and deaths. Adesida Odunayo, a midwife in Ondo State, Nigeria, said the impact of the E-MOTIVE trial has ultimately helped her save lives.

    “To carry out research on your own is not easy. Without WHO, we would not know that this E-MOTIVE bundle could really reduce maternal mortality due to postpartum haemorrhage,” said Odunayo. “Somebody made the proposal and said, ‘Let’s do this together.’ That really helped us.”

    What’s next

    Now that the effectiveness is known, the next step is ensuring it is widely put to use.

    “E-MOTIVE is more than the drape; it is a full package. We need to train people to use it effectively,” said Dr Alfred Osoti, Associate Professor at the University of Nairobi. “We need to invest in what we know works. When we have scarce resources, we cannot afford to ignore proven solutions.”

    Another pressing issue is drug quality and availability. In the E-MOTIVE trial, researchers had to test brands and identify those that were effective. “Countries need systems to routinely check drug quality, not just once at registration, but on an ongoing basis,” Dr Osoti added. In the absence of such systems, facilities risk relying on poor-quality medications that fail when they are needed most.

    To address maternal mortality now that resources are scarce, it is essential to put funding into solutions that we know work. This means training health workers on the complete PPH bundle, regular monitoring on drug quality and consistent monitoring and evaluation of the intervention, which helps ensure that success in one hospital can be replicated in others.

    A woman still dies due to maternal causes every two minutes. With scalable solutions at hand the question is no longer what should be done, it is whether or not such solutions will make it to women everywhere.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FOR TOMORROW: Congressman DeSaulnier to Hold Roundtable on Local Impact of Republican-Proposed Medicaid Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California

    Walnut Creek, CA – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) announced he will host a roundtable discussion on the harm of Republicans’ proposed cuts to Medicaid on Tuesday, March 18that 4:00 p.m. PT at the George Miller Center-Concord. He will be joined by medical experts and advocates to discuss how these cuts would harm the 130,000+ people on Medicaid in the district he represents who are at risk of losing their health care under the Republican budget. The roundtable is open to press.

    Immediately following the roundtable, Congressman DeSaulnier and the roundtable participants will hold a press conference at 4:20 p.m. to take questions. 

    WHO: Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
    Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston, Contra Costa County District 5
    Sascha Bittner, Disability Advocate, Member of the National Council on Disability
    Dr. Brian Blaisch, Pediatrician, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center
    Kausha King, Director of Leadership and Programs, Family Resource Navigators
    Dr. Gabriela Sullivan, Contra Costa Health Ambulatory Medical Director
    Dr. Josie Urbina, UCSF Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology 

    WHEN: TUESDAY, March 18, at 4:00 p.m.

    WHERE: George Miller Center-Concord, 3020 Grant St, Concord, CA 94520

    RSVP: Please RSVP to Mairead Glowacki at (202) 760-1365 or mairead.glowacki@mail.house.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Ami Bera, Democratic Doctors Condemn Mass Layoffs at HHS, FDA, and CDC

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ami Bera (D-CA)

    Today, the Congressional Doctors Caucus released the following statement condemning RFK Jr.’s proposed mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warning of devastating consequences for public health and safety.

    “Eliminating 25% of HHS staff, including scientists and researchers, weakens our ability to combat disease outbreaks, ensure food and drug safety, and advance life-saving medical innovations. These cuts come as we are facing active threats to our public health, including a rapidly expanding measles outbreak and a deadly bird flu outbreak. Weakening these agencies at such a critical time threatens public health, slows medical innovation, and puts millions of American lives at risk. The American people deserve a government that protects them, not one that abandons them.”

    Background

    According to an HHS fact sheet, the 20,000 eliminated positions include:

    • 3,500 FDA employees, reducing the agency’s capacity to review and approve life-saving medications, monitor food safety, and regulate medical devices.

    • 2,400 CDC employees, with the agency’s role drastically narrowed to epidemic response, undermining efforts to prevent chronic diseases, track opioid overdoses, and address vaccine hesitancy.

    The Congressional Doctors Caucus is calling for an immediate reversal of these dangerous layoffs and for the Republican leadership in Congress to take action to protect Americans’ public health.

    Members of the caucus include:

    • Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) – Internal Medicine

    • Herb Conaway Jr., M.D. (NJ-03) – Internal Medicine

    • Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) – Pulmonary & Critical Care 

    • Kelly Morrison, M.D. (MN-03) – Obstetrics & Gynecology

    • Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25) – Emergency Medicine 

    • Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) – Pediatrics

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Costa, Kaine, Padilla, Gray Introduce Legislation to Build Medical Schools and Curb Physician Shortage in Underserved Areas

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21) and Adam Gray (CA-13), alongside Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the Expanding Medical Education Act, legislation that would authorize federal grants to establish medical schools in underserved regions like California’s San Joaquin Valley.”The shortage of doctors in the San Joaquin Valley and across rural America has been a serious issue for far too long, and we must continue to address it,” said Congressman Costa. “My legislation will help build a medical school in the Valley and strengthen our healthcare system. Training and retaining local doctors are key to tackling this crisis and ensuring people access to quality healthcare.”“Communities of color and Virginians in rural and underserved areas have long faced serious challenges in accessing health care and finding providers that look like them or offer services nearby,” said Senator Kaine. “Research indicates physicians are more likely to practice in the areas they’re from—so supporting medical schools at HBCUs, MSIs, and in underserved areas is a commonsense way to help improve care in those communities. This legislation would help do that and improve recruitment and retention of talented individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds, creating a health care workforce that more accurately reflects the communities they serve.”  “Expanding opportunities for students of color in medical fields is an essential public health priority,”said Senator Padilla. “By creating more pathways at minority-serving institutions for diverse groups to enter the health care workforce, the Expanding Medical Education Act would help improve access to culturally competent health care providers and address critical workforce shortages.”“The San Joaquin Valley is experiencing one of the worst physician shortages in the country,” said Congressman Gray.“I’m proud to have secured over $200 million in funding for development at UC Merced, including for the joint medical school program with UCSF, but there is still work to be done to make sure our communities have reliable access to medical care. The Expanding Medical Education Act would deliver much-needed support to medical education programs in rural and underserved areas like the Valley and improve access to care.”BACKGROUNDThe U.S. healthcare workforce shortage, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has pushed an already strained system to the brink. According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States will have a projected shortage of up to 125,100 physicians by 2034. Despite being the fastest-growing region in the state, the San Joaquin Valley has the lowest supply of physicians at a ratio of 47 doctors per 100,000 residents, significantly lower than the state average.The San Joaquin Valley, a majority Hispanic region with already high rates of chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease has been hit the hardest. In counties like Fresno, Merced, and Tulare, where over half the population is Latino, many areas are federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), making it harder to access timely, quality care. These shortages, combined with language barriers often lead to worse health outcomes.The Expanding Medical Education Act would provide federal grants to institutions of higher education by prioritizing minority-serving institutions (MSI) and those located in rural and underserved areas to establish schools of medicine or osteopathic medicines where none currently exist. This would open the door for eligible Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and MSIs, including UCSF-Fresno and UC Merced. Funding could be used for planning, construction, accreditation, faculty hiring, student recruitment, and modernizing infrastructure, with a focus on underserved areas. UCSF-Fresno and UC Merced have laid the foundation with its San Joaquin Valley (SJV) PRIME+ BS/MD program, which builds off the existing program that trains medical residents at local hospitals like Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. This legislation would build on that momentum by providing financial resources to assist with the establishment of a medical school in the Valley.
    Link to the livestream is available HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jim Costa Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Dairy Products in SNAP

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21) and Nick Langworthy (NY-23), along with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025, bicameral, bipartisan legislation to expand dairy access for SNAP/food stamps recipients while supporting local farmers.  “Dairy products play a vital role in a healthy diet, providing essential nutrients that support strong bones and healthy outcomes,” said Congressman Costa.  “Tulare County is the top dairy-producing county in the nation and state, yet too many families struggle to access these essential products. This bill expands incentives to make dairy more accessible, supports our local farmers, and delivers comprehensive solutions to improve nutrition across the board.”  “I’m proud to join Congressman Costa to introduce this legislation to expand access to dairy products and promote the long-term health of Americans. This effort will help to put healthy dairy options from farms in Western New York on more dinner tables across the country,” said Congressman Langworthy (NY-23).  “As a doctor who practiced medicine for more than 25 years, I cannot stress enough the importance of drinking whole milk, which serves as an excellent source of critical nutrients and contributes to a healthier cardiovascular system,” said Senator Marshall (R-KS). “The Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025 is a no-brainer and would provide common-sense updates to increase incentives for dairy purchases in SNAP – ensuring all American families can benefit from this superfood.” “A SNAP dairy incentive program is a reliable investment in improving our nation’s health and reducing hunger and chronic food insecurity among low-income Americans,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are nutritional powerhouses that promote healthy immune function, hydration, bone health, and lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. IDFA applauds U.S. Sens. Klobuchar and Marshall, and U.S. Reps. Costa and Langworthy for their leadership on the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025, which would help our nation’s most vulnerable people afford wholesome, nutrient-dense dairy products for their families.” “Dairy foods provide critical nutrients for healthy lives, but nearly 90 percent of Americans don’t meet dairy intake recommendations. We commend Representatives Jim Costa, D-CA, and Nick Langworthy, R-NY, and Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, and Roger Marshall, R-KS, for their bipartisan Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program Act, which would expand SNAP participant access to healthful dairy products at the grocery store. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors and ensuring all Americans have access to healthy dairy products.” said Gregg Doud, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation BACKGROUNDThe Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive Projects were established by the 2018 Farm Bill to promote milk as part of a healthy, balanced diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The latest DGA report shows that over 90% of Americans do not consume enough dairy to meet daily nutrition requirements.  The Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act would expand the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives program (HFMI) to include all milk varieties, cheese, and yogurt. Under this plan, SNAP participants would receive a coupon for additional cheese or yogurt when they purchase these items with their groceries. This legislation is endorsed by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), and the National Grocers Association (NGA).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REPRESENTATIVES SWALWELL AND CRENSHAW INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO PREVENT ADVERSE DRUG EFFECTS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—This week, U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (CA-14) and Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), introduced bipartisan legislation to better address drug-gene interactions to ensure that all Americans have access to treatment that is personalized to their needs.

    The Right Drug Dose Now Act will enable the use of evidence-based pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing to prevent adverse drug events and help ensure that patients receive medications tailored to their genetic makeup. PGx is the study of how genes affect the body’s response to certain medicines, which is critical to understanding how safe and effective a particular drug can be for individual patients.

    The Right Drug Does Now Act aims to update the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention by integrating advancements in pharmacogenomic research and testing. The bill enhances electronic health records (EHRs) with pharmacogenomic information to reduce adverse drug events. The Right Drug Dose Now Act represents a significant step forward in integrating cutting edge PGx research into clinical practice. By updating enhancing EHR systems, this act will reduce adverse drug events, improve patient care, and pave the way for more personalized medicine approaches. 

    “Adverse drug events are a leading cause of death in this country,” said Congressman Eric Swalwell, co-founder of the Personalized Medicine Caucus. “By factoring genetic testing results into medical prescription decisions, we can improve treatment a range of conditions while reducing adverse drug events. PGx will give medical professionals and patients the information they need to choose effective treatments for each clinical case.”

    “More personalized care means better health outcomes for patients,” said Congressman Dan Crenshaw. “This bill will ensure drugs are tailored to each person’s unique needs, it will save on health care costs, and improve lives.” 

    “We applaud Reps. Swalwell and Crenshaw for introducing the Right Drug Dose Now Act,” said Cynthia A. Bens, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Personalized Medicine Coalition. “By streamlining activities across multiple federal agencies and health care delivery, this bill would spark more widespread utilization of genetically informed prescribing practices that keep American patients out of the hospital.” 

    “If we are truly committed to reducing waste, the timing couldn’t be more critical. In 2016, the cost of non-optimized medications reached $528 billion – more than what was spent on the drugs themselves or any major chronic disease.  Pharmacogenomics has the potential to cut that waste by 30% or more. I encourage others to join Swalwell and Crenshaw in crossing the aisle to address this public health crisis head-on,” said Kristine Ashcraft, President of YouScript and steering member of STRIPE, the FDA Collaborative Community for Pharmacogenomics.

    This legislation is supported by the Personalized Medicine Coalition, American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, American Society of Pharmacovigilance, OneOme, GenXys, YouScript, Aranscia, AccessDx, 2bPrecise, GTMRx Institute, Labcorp, Biocom, Pharma GenLabs, Association for Molecular Pathology, Sanford Health, and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Pelosi Reflects on “Opportunity of a Generation” Affordable Care Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

    Washington, D.C. – This week, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi sat down with Karen Tumulty at The Century Foundation to mark the 15th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), calling its passage the “opportunity of a generation” and reflecting on the historic, hard-fought path that led to its enactment.

    “We came here to do a job, not keep a job.  Despite protests, despite vicious yelling in the Capitol, it was such a joy,” Speaker Emerita Pelosi said.  “We thought we were joining the ranks of those who passed Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.”

    Read coverage of the event below:

    The Century Foundation: Speaker Emerita Pelosi, President Obama Join Hundreds at TCF Event to Commemorate ACA 15th Anniversary
    [Staff Writer, 3/27/25]

     Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Congressional champion of the law, offered insight into the ACA’s passage, including the “atmospherics” the day the legislation passed in the House. Despite protests, yelling that could be heard in the Capitol that she described as “vicious,” she said, “It was such a joy. We thought we were joining the ranks of those who passed Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid.”

    Moderator Karen Tumulty, associate editor and columnist at the Washington Post, asked Speaker Pelosi to describe getting the votes in the first place:

    For 100 years, presidents had tried to bring health care reform into play, into the lives of the American people, from Teddy Roosevelt on, Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, LBJ with Medicare and Medicaid, and then the Clintons. But, when Barack Obama became president, it was clear, and we had the majority, that we had an opportunity of a generation and we were not going to let another hundred years go by before we passed affordable health care.

    She discussed overcoming seemingly intractable issues like abortion (with allies and opponents in nuns and bishops); regional disparities in costs assuaged through late-night negotiations and a letter from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius committing to action outside of the legislation; and leading the House to support the Senate bill. She described a different letter from “the saintly, remarkable, wonderful” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that had the signatures of fifty-one senators supporting changes to the Senate bill necessary for passage in the House. “He made it happen, Harry did.”

    One of the most memorable quotes from the fight to pass the ACA was Speaker Pelosi’s statement of her strategy in January 2010 after a special election made the prospects for health reform dim: “You go through the gate. If the gate’s closed, you go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in. But we’re going to get health care reform passed for the American people.“ At a press conference after passage, she said she was asked, “which one did you do?”

    I said we did the first one: we pushed open the gate because it was not just the courage of my members who were there strongly and knew why they were there, to push open that gate to pass this bill. It was the outside mobilization, it was … all the groups that represented people with one diagnosis or another, it was people who just wanted health care.

    The history of the ACA hardly ended with its passage. Speaker Pelosi said “one of the hardest jobs I had in leadership” was preventing repeals of parts of the law. She also discussed the repeal effort in 2017 led by President Trump and the Republican-led Congress: “The thumbs down heard round the world by John McCain really saved the Affordable Care Act but it was saveable because of this outside mobilization.”

    Speaker Pelosi also drew from the ACA saga lessons for current debates. She discussed the potential cuts to Medicaid in the current Congress:

    We can’t let it happen. It’s just too big a burden for individuals to pay and their families. If you know any people with a child born with other abilities, but not all of them, you would know how important Medicaid is to those children and how it makes a difference in how they can learn and grow and the rest.

    Tumulty asked about members of Congress who voted for the bill, knowing that it would likely prevent their reelection in conservative districts, comparing it to current times. She said, “We came here to do a job, not keep a job.”

     

    # # #

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pelosi Statement on Reported Closure of HHS Regional Office in San Francisco

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

    Washington D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the Trump Administration’s reported decision to close the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 9 Office in San Francisco:

    “The HHS Region 9 office in San Francisco directly serves the needs of millions of Americans in the Bay Area, the state of California and beyond. By closing our regional office, the Trump Administration would choose to put the health and safety of Bay Area residents and all Californians in jeopardy, gut vital public health initiatives like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and potentially axe hundreds of career civil servant jobs held by hardworking Californians.

    “This shortsighted office closure would lead to critical service slowdowns for San Franciscans to get the resources they need and detrimental impacts to our public health response capabilities – all in the name of so-called ‘government efficiency.’  It is notable that this reported decision was made by the Trump Administration’s leading vaccine denialist, Secretary Kennedy, whose extreme views on public health are out of step with the vast majority of the American people.  

    “Make no mistake: the reported plans to restructure HHS and close the San Francisco regional office would directly harm our most vulnerable communities and make America sicker.  In coordination with my colleagues in the Congress, I am examining all possible avenues to fight back against these irresponsible cuts – and I strongly urge the Administration to reconsider its plans to devalue the public health of our constituents.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HIV cases drop in 2024

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    A total of 365 HIV infection cases were reported last year, the ninth consecutive year of declines since 2015, the Centre for Health Protection announced today.

    Despite the continuing drop in the number of HIV infection cases, the centre said the proportion of late presenters among newly reported cases has reached as high as 40% to 50% in recent years, and advised the public to use condoms consistently and properly to reduce the risk of infection.

    Of last year’s HIV cases, 297 were reported in males and 68 in females.

    A total of 216 cases involved homosexual or bisexual contact, 96 were via heterosexual contact, and the transmission route of the remaining cases was not reported.

    The cumulative total of infection cases is 12,403 since 1984.

    Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2,557 confirmed AIDS cases have been reported in Hong Kong.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Members of the Consumer Council for Water reappointed

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Members of the Consumer Council for Water reappointed

    Rachel Onikosi and Bev Keogh will be reappointed for a further four-year term

    Rachel Onikosi and Bev Keogh have today (3 April 2025) been reappointed as Board Members of the Consumer Council for Water.

    Rachel Onikosi and Bev Keogh will be reappointed for a four-year term commencing on 1 June 2025.

    The reappointments have been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments published by the Cabinet Office.

    Biographies

    Rachel Onikosi

    • Rachel Onikosi is a Panel Chair with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), where she leads quasi-judicial hearings. She also holds a similar role at the UK Council for Psychotherapy. In addition to her regulatory work, Rachel is an elected [since 2014] Councillor in the London Borough of Lewisham, representing residents of the Bellingham ward.
    • Previously, Rachel worked as a civil servant in the then Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS), where she advised ministers on consumer policy.
    • Locally, Rachel is a school governor and a presiding magistrate.

    Bev Keogh

    • Bev is an experienced utility executive whose career spans over 35 years in the regulated electricity and water industries. Having led operational engineering, customer experience and business assurance teams, she has a diverse knowledge of utility regulation, legislation, customer and people transformation, compliance, audit, and risk.
    • Bev contributed to the UK’s first skills strategy paper for Energy and Utilities addressing gaps in future skills to support UK Net Zero targets and ambitions.

    Notes to editors:

    • The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is the independent, statutory body that represents all water and sewerage consumers across England and Wales. It provides advice and information on water matters and investigates complaints. It is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 3 April 2025 Departmental update Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) became a member of the Primary Registry Network of ICTRP

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Today the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) became a member of the Primary Registry Network of ICTRP. It provides information on individual clinical trials in the European Union and European Economic Area since its launch on 31 January 2022 and has been a data provider to ICTRP since 2023.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castor, Hudson Reintroduce MISSION ZERO Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Richard Hudson (NC-09) reintroduced the MISSION ZERO Reauthorization Act to allow the Department of Defense (DoD) to continue assigning trauma surgeons to civilian trauma centers to assist in filling gaps in emergency care.

    “The MacDill Air Medical Group and Tampa General Hospital have led the way in ‘full team’ training—bringing together military and civilian nurses, surgeons and specialists to hone their trauma care skills. Their innovative approach inspired me to introduce the bipartisan MISSION ZERO Act in 2018 to expand these vital partnerships nationwide,” said Rep. Castor. “The law provides ongoing support for military and civilian medical teams to train side-by-side in high-pressure environments, ensuring they are always ready to assist our service members and communities. This is a win-win for improving our nation’s civilian emergency response capacity and keeping military provider’s skills sharp off the battlefield. I take pride that Tampa General was among the first in the nation to receive a MISSION ZERO grant, and I am committed to promoting this initiative that fosters these life-saving collaborations.”

    “As Fort Bragg’s Congressman, I know how important it is for our military trauma teams to retain their unique medical skills off the battlefield,” said Rep. Hudson. “This commonsense legislation will continue to support partnerships between our military and civilian trauma providers to ensure critical, life-saving care is always readily available for patients.”

    “I applaud Representatives Castor and Hudson for introducing legislation to reauthorize the MISSION ZERO Act,” said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director and CEO of the American College of Surgeons. “The military-civilian trauma care partnerships allow military trauma care teams to gain exposure to treating critically injured patients and increase readiness for when these units are deployed, providing greater patient access and further advancing high quality trauma care.”

    “In times of war, America’s trauma centers will play a pivotal role in saving the lives of those wounded on the front lines,” said Jennifer Ward, president of the Trauma Center Association of America.  “Through MISSION ZERO, military healthcare providers refine their skills in real-world trauma settings, while civilian trauma teams benefit by learning best practices from their military counterparts. We are deeply grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Reps. Kathy Castor and Richard Hudson for introducing legislation that would reauthorize this essential public-private partnership, which ensures that stateside military personnel maintain peak readiness before deployment.”

    “The MISSION ZERO Act is a vital investment in trauma readiness that strengthens emergency care on both the battlefield and at home,” said Dr. Alison Haddock, MD, FACEP president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “By embedding military trauma teams in civilian trauma centers, we can enhance the care for severely injured patients, share knowledge and hands-on experience, and foster invaluable collaboration between military and civilian clinicians, ensuring military trauma teams can maintain their skills and team cohesion between deployments. We thank Representatives Castor and Hudson for their leadership in reintroducing this lifesaving legislation.”

    “MISSION ZERO is mutually beneficial for emergency departments (EDs) and military trauma teams across the country – military members are able to keep their skills sharp and EDs can have additional staff available while learning battlefield techniques from the trauma team members,” said Emergency Nurses Association President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC. “The Emergency Nurses Association has been a supporter of MISSION ZERO since its inception and thanks Reps. Kathy Castor and Richard Hudson for their work getting this bill reintroduced.”

    BACKGROUND:

    Castor and Hudson led the original MISSION ZERO Act, signed into law in 2019, which established grant programs for eligible trauma systems and centers to incorporate full military trauma teams or individual military trauma providers into their hospitals. This mutually beneficial partnership has afforded civilians the chance to learn more about military best practices and gives military trauma care providers the opportunity to utilize their cutting-edge expertise without leaving the military. 

    The MISSION ZERO Reauthorization Act would continue funding for this vital initiative for an additional five years. 

    Tampa General Hospital, one of the nation’s leading trauma centers, received an $80,000 federal grant in 2022 to fund military doctors to provide trauma care at their hospital. 

    View the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carter champions bill improving health care access in rural America

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Carter champions bill improving health care access in rural America

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Shomari C. Figures (D-AL), Michael Rulli (R-OH), and Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA) today introduced the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025, a bill extending critical programs that increase access to health care services in rural communities.


    Rural residents often encounter barriers to accessing health care, including workforce shortages, distance and transportation issues, facility closures, and health insurance coverage. These roadblocks result in unmet health care needs, leading to a 43 percent higher mortality rate for rural Americans compared to those living in cities and suburbs. By reauthorizing Rural Health Services Outreach programs, this bill will lead to increased access to health care services and preventive screenings, improved chronic disease management and health outcomes, expanded telehealth services, and reduced emergency department visits for the nearly 500,000 individuals who receive direct services for these programs annually.


    “Health care outcomes should not be dependent on a patient’s zip code. We must ensure that vitally important health services are able to reach people in all communities, which is exactly what the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Programs do. Reauthorizing these programs will continue President Trump’s legacy of supporting rural communities’ chronic health care needs through flexible, community-driven solutions,”     said Rep. Carter.


    “Improving rural health care is one of my top priorities, and I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation,”     said Rep. Figures. “This bill reauthorizes critical programs that will strengthen access to quality health care in my district and other communities across the country.” 


    “Week after week, we hear ridiculous stories of taxpayer money being sent to shadowy organizations overseas. Meanwhile, rural communities here at home are left behind, struggling to access the care they deserve. That’s why I’m proud to stand with Congressman Carter today in sponsoring the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025. This reauthorization ensures that grants supporting healthcare in our underserved communities will continue—and taxpayer dollars will go where they’re needed most: to the American people,”     said Rep. Rulli.


    “The Eighth District is nearly 10,000 square miles, with many of my constituents living in rural communities that depend on a scarce number of medical providers in their area. In Congress, I’m focused on supporting rural health care to ensure that Americans can get care close to home,”     said Rep. Schrier. “As a doctor, I understand the importance of rural clinics and hospitals. Without them, patients, including those in my district, would have to drive even farther to seek medical care. That’s dangerous in an emergency. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to extend key federal grants that strengthen rural health care.”


    In FY 2022, over 85 percent of grant recipients through these programs demonstrated improvement in one or more clinical measures, such as controlled A1cs and blood pressure.


    “Rural residents often encounter barriers to accessing healthcare including workforce shortages, distance and transportation issues, healthcare facility closures. The Rural Health Care Services Outreach programs seek to break down these barriers by supporting community-driven initiatives to promote care coordination, chronic disease prevention, and sustainable health solutions in underserved rural areas. NRHA applauds Representatives Carter, Figures, Rulli, and Schrier for their efforts to reauthorize these critical programs and for their continual support of the health of rural communities.” –     Alan Morgan, Chief Executive Officer, National Rural Health Association


    Background

    In 2020, President Trump signed into law legislation reauthorizing rural health outreach services programs under the 2020 CARES Act through FY 2025. The Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025 will extend these critical programs through 2030. Further, bill changes will ensure that local rural needs are prioritized in grant awards. 

    Read full bill text here. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Carter Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Hearing on Over-the-Counter Drug Regulation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Chairman Carter Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Hearing on Over-the-Counter Drug Regulation


     Subcommittee Chairman Carter’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:


     “I want to welcome everyone to today’s hearing on the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program, referred to as ‘OMUFA.’ I’m especially pleased that we’re talking about the reauthorization of this program as almost 5 years to the date, the initial bill – sponsored by my good friend from Ohio, Representative Latta, as well as one of Georgia’s finest, Senator Johnny Isakson – was signed into law by President Trump in March 2020.


     “The enactment of this program reformed and modernized the regulation of OTC monograph drugs and authorized the FDA to assess and collect user fees dedicated to OTC monograph drug activities. Industry and public health stakeholders supported these reforms, which have provided the FDA with additional resources and tools to streamline the monograph process to increase access to quality commonly used drugs and self-care products for the American consumer. This program is designed to improve innovation, while maintaining the FDA ‘gold-standard’ of safety.


     “The current legislative authority for OMUFA expires September 30th, 2025 – at which point, new legislation will be required to reauthorize the Over-the-Counter Monograph User Fee program for another five-year term.


     “Over-the-counter medications are widely used to treat common ailments such as colds, headaches, and seasonal allergies. In fact, nearly 9 out of every 10 Americans use OTC medications regularly and trust these affordable remedies to get well and stay healthy. Safe, reliable, and affordable OTC drugs allow consumers to treat common ailments at home, usually without visiting a health care provider, saving the health care system billions annually.


     “Of particular note is a company called Symrise. They own and operate a manufacturing plant in Georgia’s First Congressional District. Symrise manufactures aroma molecules and fragrance ingredients, which are used in various consumer products across a number of product categories. They also manufacture two of the key UV filters that are commonly used in many OTC sunscreens on the market today.


     “Sadly, Symrise’s Colonel’s Island plant experienced a serious fire in 2022. Symrise made the strategic decision to re-invest in the site and restore its capacity in my community, at a time when other companies were leaving. They successfully completed renovations and today, the plant is again fully operational, back at its pre-fire capacity. This is a real success story, and we are grateful for their commitment to Georgia.


     “We are also fortunate to have Mr. Kevin Menzel before our Committee today. Mr. Menzel is President of Focus Consumer Healthcare, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kobayashi Healthcare. Kobayashi was founded as a family company in 1886 in Japan. They established a presence in the United States in 1998, and maintain manufacturing and operations in Dalton, Georgia – employing 270 people with products ranging from OTC medicines and supplements, to recreational products like Hot Hands Hand Warmers. Georgia’s pro-business climate and infrastructure make it an ideal location for companies such as Kobayashi. In fact, just recently, Kobayashi began expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint even further, with a significant announced investment in Georgia — doubling its capacity to support ongoing growth and expand employment.


    “Success stories such as Symrise and Kobayashi highlight why it is critical for this Subcommittee to reauthorize the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program in a timely manner. This program demonstrated the ability to bring more jobs back to America, while increasing access to safe, reliable, and affordable OTC drugs.


     “I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today and working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reauthorize this program on time and through regular order.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU hosted a medical tournament for schoolchildren

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    From March 21 to 24, the final stage of the competition was held at NSU and “Boiling Point – Novosibirsk”. 45 teams from 10 regions of Russia participated in the competitive selection. The 15 best from Novosibirsk, Tyumen and Yaroslavl reached the final.

    The very name of the Schoolchildren’s Medical Tournament encodes the essence and format of the event: it is a tournament in the “speaker-opponent-reviewer” format for schoolchildren who want to realize themselves in the field of medicine. The roles of the participants allow them to fully demonstrate their abilities in solving clinical or fundamental problems: the skill of finding the necessary information in scientific sources, oratorical skills, the presence of basic fundamental knowledge, the ability to conduct a discussion.

    The ITS includes a Selection and Final Stage: in the first, participants must solve two or more problems in the form of a presentation, where the children mainly use diagrams and illustrations to answer questions, and in the second, there is a face-to-face competition, where they must solve at least 8 problems out of 10.

    The top three teams in the final included teams from the city of Tyumen, the national team SUNC NSU took fourth place.

    — I would like to note one feature of the teams in this year’s tournament. Despite the fact that most of the participants were beginners (i.e. they were participating for the first time or represented grades 9-10), their level of knowledge was almost equal to that of medical students. They were very well versed in the material and reasoned like real specialists, — commented Maria Shperling, a fourth-year student. Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, NSU and the chairman of the organizing committee.

    The medical tournament of schoolchildren appeared and still exists due to the active work of the organizing committee, consisting of proactive medical students, with the support of the administration of the Faculty of Medicine and Psychology of NSU. The first season of the project took place back in 2019, and three tournaments, including this year’s MTS, have already been implemented with the support of Rosmolodezh.Granty.

    — What do schoolchildren get by participating in the tournament? As the Chairman of the Methodological and Expert Commission, I would like to say first of all about acquiring the skill of working with information, new useful acquaintances and knowledge received from the expert commission. It is also important that the guys get a chance to get in touch with the unusual student life of our faculty, their career guidance in a rather unusual and therefore as close to medicine format as possible also plays a role. At the MTS, we always say that medicine is only for love, so we really want to show this world of endless knowledge, experience and discoveries in its real form: complex, controversial, but full of love and teamwork, — shared Evgeniya Kholdina, a 4th-year student of the specialty “General Medicine” and the Chairman of the Expert and Methodological Commission of the MTS.

    In addition to practical skills, participants can count on additional advantages when entering NSU in the form of points for individual achievements:

    3 points – for all participants of the Final Stage,

    7 – for prize winners,

    10 – for the winners.

    Points are valid for two years for prize winners and winners of both individual and team competitions.

    Students of all years participate in the organization of the Medical Tournament of Schoolchildren direction “General Medicine” Faculty of Medicine and Psychology of NSU and residency.

    As Evgeniya Kholdina says, there are participants, prize winners and winners of the tournament in more than one course of our faculty, and the organizing committee is almost half made up of MTShat. With the right competencies, anyone can become an organizer, an expert, a task writer and a volunteer.

    — We try to create comfortable conditions for the guests of our university every year, but we never forget that we are an Olympiad, after all, so a revolution of consciousness, a couple of new convolutions and a wagon of knowledge await each participant. For NSU students, this is a unique chance to prove themselves, we all have warm feelings for this event and are preparing to meet future NSU students, as well as bright minds of the scientific and medical community, — added Evgeniya Kholdina.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Congressman Johnson Holds Press Conference on GOP Healthcare, Medicaid Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

    STONECREST, GA – On Thursday, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) held a press conference at a senior care facility in South DeKalb to highlight the dangerous consequences of House Republicans’ Rip Off reconciliation budget legislation and its drastic cuts to Medicaid.

    WATCH HERE

    Joined by Nadine Johnson, Director of Care One Franchise, Inc. (COFI), residents and family members who receive care at COFI and Protect Our Care Georgia State Director, Joe Binns, the Congressman raised the alarm about the pending cuts to the social safety net for the poor and elderly.

    “President Trump and House Republicans promised they would lower costs for everyday Americans,” Rep. Johnson said. “They lied. Instead, they just announced a new push to cut Medicaid and take health care away from kids, parents, and seniors. The Trump-Musk-House Republican budget includes hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid and food assistance for kids, seniors, and veterans.”

    Nadine Johnson (no relation), whose residents depend on Medicaid to help receive her services, said cuts to Medicaid would deeply impact the community.

    “If we’re not able to access the supplemental funding from Medicaid that we receive now, we’d have to close our business,” she said. “And that would mean many more seniors and disabled individuals would be facing homelessness. It would wreak havoc in our communities.”

    “The consequences of cuts to Medicaid would touch nearly every household in America including people in this room today,” said Binns. “Medicaid provides health care to over 72 million people — six in 10 nursing home residents, 30 million children, 9 million adults with disabilities, and 14 million adults with mental illness. If they slash Medicaid, it will wreak havoc on state budgets and services. Rural Hospitals will close and the Americans who rely on them will be left behind. America’s skyrocketing mental health crisis will be exacerbated, and the nation’s maternal health crisis will get significantly worse.”

    From the Congressman’s full statement: 

    Co-President Trump and his MAGA Republican allies who control Congress have proposed another tax cut for Trump and his billionaire buddies. They propose $2-4 trillion in  permanent tax cuts for billionaires and corporations, and they plan to pay for it by cutting Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and SNAP benefits for women and their babies.

    This is straight up war on poor and regular working people, which  will raise the cost of everything — including healthcare and medicine. It will also drive nursing homes and personal care homes out of business. These are places and people who we depend on to take care of our elderly, many of whom are suffering from dementia. MAGA wants to gut vital programs like Medicaid that help people survive, so that they can give billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg another big fat tax cut.  

    With that, I’m pleased to be here with my constituents to highlight the human side of all these drastic cuts. It’s folks like Nadine, her residents and their families who will be impacted the most. With that, I’m pleased to introduce Nadine Johnson, the director of Care One Franchise, Inc., where we are today – Nadine.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Hank Johnson Honors ‘Trailblazers’ During Annual Women’s History Month Ceremony

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

    STONECREST, GA– On Saturday, March 22, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) hosted his fifth annual Trailblazer Awards, recognizing 11 outstanding women who have made significant contributions in their respective professions and communities and have become pioneers in their careers.

    Held during Women’s History Month, the event honored leaders in business, education, public service, arts and entertainment, and beyond – those who have broken barriers, uplifted others, and paved the way for future generations.

    This year’s honorees include:

    o   Dr. Syreeta Ali McTier – Education, DeKalb County Schools
    o   Florence Battle Shafiq, MD – Healthcare & Community Advocacy, Retired Physician
    o   Mrs. Susan McGhee Crawford – Arts & Culture, Founder, Trendsetters Dance Company
    o   Mrs. Cynthia Dorsey Edwards – Higher Education & Leadership, Executive Director, Storehouse of Solutions, Inc.
    o   Ms. Jackie Davis – Arts & Entertainment, Founding Owner, UniverSoul Circus
    o   Mrs. Shelbia L. Jackson – Film & Entertainment, Director, DeKalb Entertainment Commission
    o   Mrs. Claudette Leak – Public Service, DeKalb County Government
    o   Ms. India Pullin – Nonprofit & Community Advocacy, Founder, Step Up in Georgia, Inc.
    o   Ms. Sandy Purkett – Public Service & Education Advocacy, Retired Federal Investigator
    o   Dr. Charlene Spurlock – Education, DeKalb County Schools
    o   Ms. Rachel R. Zeigler – Education, DeKalb County Schools

    Additional special guests included: GA-04 Poet Laureate Hank Stewart, nationally renowned trumpeter Melvin M. Miller, recording artist ARIA, and violinist Clarissa Walker.

    View the livestream HERE. Photos available upon request. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –