Category: Health

MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Becca Balint Introduces the Transgender Health Care Access Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Becca Balint (VT-AL)

Washington, D.C. – Today, on Trans Day of Visibility, Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) introduced the Transgender Health Care Access Act. As Republicans nationwide continue to demonize and attack trans Americans to score political points, access to health care is becoming more and more limited. Twenty-seven states have some form of ban on medical care for trans youth. The Transgender Health Care Access Act would expand access to live-saving, evidence-based health care and invest in training for health care providers. The bill funds programs to train medical providers in providing gender affirming care. This bill explicitly excludes conversion therapy from funding, which 12% of transgender people were subjected to last year. The bill is cosponsored by 30 House Democrats.

The Transgender Health Care Access Act would:

·         Train more providers in gender affirming care

·         Improve medical education curricula for gender affirming care

·         Expand capacity of Community Health Centers to provide this care and

·         Expand access in rural communities by connecting rural providers to training opportunities

In his first few months in office, President Trump has signed six executive orders targeting trans Americans. The executive orders remove funding for medical care, further limiting access to evidenced-based care. Other Trump actions include illegally banning trans Americans from military service and banning trans kids from school sports. The Trump Administration has also taken steps to erase trans Americans from history including by removing the word trans from federal websites.

“Republicans are obsessed with attacking trans people. It’s dangerous. Over and over again they use messages designed to get Americans to fear one another and to divide us,” said Rep. Becca Balint. “But I want queer and trans Americans to know you have fighters and allies in Congress. As Republicans use their power to take away health care and continue to attack and dehumanize trans folks, I’m not standing down. That’s why I’m introducing this bill to expand access and train more providers. It’s critical that trans Americans have access to appropriate and quality care no matter where they live. I’m proud to stand with trans Americans, advocates, and allies to demand equality, dignity, and accessible health care for everyone ”

The bill is endorsed by Advocates for Trans Equality, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for American Progress, the Congressional Equality Caucus, Equality California, the Human Rights Campaign, the Trevor Project, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

“Everyone — no matter their zip code or who they are — deserves access to the care they need. This legislation would play a critical role in building a strong, sustainable framework that supports the transgender community in accessing health care. When we ensure robust access to medical care, we tackle disparities across all communities and health outcomes improve. By establishing key protections and resources, this bill helps reduce stark health disparities and ensure transgender people can get the care they need without unnecessary barriers,” said David Stacy, Vice President of Government Affairs at HRC.

“Across the country, transgender people and their families have been targeted by a coordinated effort to control their lives and their bodies, banning their healthcare and uprooting the lives of thousands of families. While we wait for a Supreme Court ruling in our challenge against such a ban, it’s more critical than ever for our elected allies in Congress to stand strong in their principles and put forward a positive, proactive vision for all Americans. We applaud Congresswoman Balint for her leadership in introducing the Trans Health Care Access Act and urge more elected officials to follow her example and defend the freedom of all Americans to be themselves without fear,” said Ian Thompson, Senior Legislative Representative for the ACLU.

“CAP is proud to endorse the Transgender Health Care Access Act. In creating new funding programs for education and training in transgender health care, this bill provides a solution for providers who want to take care of their patients and trans people who haven’t been able to safely access the health care they need. Improving physicians’ competency will decrease the discrimination rates and care denials trans people often experience at the doctor’s office,” said Caleb Smith, director of LGBTQI+ Policy at CAP. “Transgender health care is best-practice, medically necessary care supported by all major medical associations in the country. We appreciate Rep. Balint’s commitment to supporting the trans community and thank her for her leadership.”

“Some of the most powerful people in the world are working around the clock to erase our community, to deny us access to lifesaving healthcare and to pretend like we don’t exist. We are here and we have always been a part of this country,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Executive Director, Advocates for Trans Equality. “Access to transition-related care is medically necessary for transgender patients, a position that is overwhelmingly supported by doctors, scientists and the medical literature. It is safe, effective and life-saving. We want to thank Congresswoman Balint for introducing this legislation and for her leadership in supporting trans families.”

“Transgender people are the same as everyone else – they need access to competent, evidence-based health care that improves their health and wellbeing. Lack of access to competent care and a shortage of well-trained providers are some of the most serious problems facing transgender people. The Transgender Health Care Access Act would greatly improve access to care, especially in the places where it is most needed: rural communities and community health centers. Congress should pass this critically-needed legislation,” said NCLR Senior Staff Attorney, Chris Stoll.

The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Ansari, Crockett, Danny Davis, Espaillat, Evans, Jacobs, Jayapal, Hank Johnson, Julie Johnson, Khanna, Krishnamoorthi, Landsman, Summer Lee, McClellan, McCollum, McIver, Nadler, Norton, Ocasio-Cortez, Pocan, Ramirez, Randall, Schakowsky, Takano, Thanedar, Tlaib, Tokuda, Tonko, Velázquez, and Watson Coleman.

Find the bill text here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: UN relief chief demands ‘answers and justice’ following killings of first responders

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

31 March 2025 Humanitarian Aid

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher on Monday called for “justice and answers” after Israeli forces killed eight Palestinian medics, six civil defence first responders and a UN staff member in an attack in southern Gaza.

The clearly identified humanitarian workers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, Palestinian Civil Defence and the UN had been despatched to collect injured people on 23 March in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, when they came under fire from Israeli forces who were advancing in the area, said the UN aid coordination office’s (OCHA) top official in the Palestinian Occupied Territory in a detailed post on X.

Jonathan Whittall said that on the day of the attack, five ambulances, a fire truck – and a clearly marked UN vehicle which arrived following the initial assault – were all hit by Israeli fire, after which contact was lost with teams.

No access for days

“One survivor said Israeli forces had killed both of the crew in his ambulance. For days, OCHA coordinated to reach the site but our access was only granted five days later,” Mr. Whittall said.

When UN staff then travelled to the area they encountered hundreds of civilians fleeing under Israeli fire.

“We witnessed a woman shot in the back of the head. When a young man tried to retrieve her, he too was shot. We were able to recover her body using our UN vehicle,” he added.

‘Devastating scene’

He said aid workers we were finally able to reach the site on Sunday, discovering “a devastating scene: ambulances, the UN vehicle, and fire truck had been crushed and partially buried. After hours of digging, we recovered one body – a civil defence worker beneath his fire truck.”

The Palestine Red Crescent Society – part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – expressed outrage on Sunday over the deaths, adding that a ninth staff member is still missing.

“These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to wounded people…They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked. They should have returned to their families: they did not,” said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain.

Humanitarian law ‘could not be clearer’

“Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules,” he added. “These rules of International Humanitarian Law could not clearer – civilians must be protected; humanitarians must be protected. Health services must be protected.”

The incident represents the most deadly attack on Red Crescent Red Cross workers since 2017.

Israeli forces said the emergency responders had been fired on after their vehicles “advanced suspiciously”, according to news reports, adding that a Hamas operative had been killed along with “eight other terrorists”.

The attack occurred following the collapse of the fragile two-month ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants on 18 March. On Monday, Israel issued a new mass evacuation order for the whole of the Rafah region.

‘This should never have happened’

OCHA’s Jonathan Whittall reiterated on Sunday that first responders should never be a target.

“Today, on the first day of Eid, we returned and recovered the buried bodies…They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives. This should never have happened.”

The UN Humanitarian Affairs chief, Tom Fletcher, on Monday send condolences to the families of all who had been killed

“They were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives. We demand answers and justice,” he said.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Social factors help explain worse cardiovascular health among adults in rural vs. urban communities

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

Media Advisory
Monday, March 31, 2025

NIH-funded study reveals variables, such as poverty and education, that may underpin higher rates of heart disease and its risk factors.
What
A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) uncovered higher rates of heart disease and worse heart health affecting adults living in rural communities compared to urban areas and the factors that likely drive these differences. They found adults living in rural areas were more likely than those living in large cities to have heart disease (7% vs. 4%), high blood pressure (37% vs. 31%), high cholesterol (29% vs. 27%), obesity (41% vs. 30%), and diabetes (11% vs. 10%). Across all age groups, the differences in high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes were largest among adults ages 20–39 living in rural areas vs. cities.
Investigators reviewed data from more than 27,000 adults who participated in the 2022 National Health Interview Survey to understand geographical differences in rates of heart disease and risk factors for conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Since higher rates of heart disease among adults in rural areas compared to cities have been established, they also sought to understand factors driving these variations.
They found that factors such as levels of income and education, having enough food to eat, and owning a home mostly explained the higher rates of people in rural areas who had high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Prior research has also shown how difficult circumstances, such as living in poverty, can affect cardiovascular health, including increasing inflammation in the body. Additionally, having access to healthcare, which is important for overall health, did not factor into these differences. Lifestyle risk factors for heart disease such as smoking and being less active also didn’t explain these differences, although adults living in rural areas were more likely to smoke and be less active.
The researchers also found that rates of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease were largest in rural areas compared to cities in the South. Rates of obesity were higher across rural areas throughout the U.S., especially in the Northeast.
More than 60 million U.S. adults live in rural communities, and heart disease remains the nation’s leading cause of death. In this study, 1 in 7 adults lived in rural areas (counties of less than 50,000 people), 1 in 2 lived in small or medium-sized cities (counties of 50,000 to less than 1 million people), and 1 in 3 lived in large cities (counties of 1 million or more).
Identifying factors driving the higher burden of heart disease and risk factors in rural regions remains a critical research priority. The authors note that insights from their study could inform public health efforts and policies to support and improve the cardiovascular health of people — especially younger adults — living in rural areas.
The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) grant R01HL174549.
Who
Sean Coady, M.A., Deputy Chief of the Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, NHLBI
Study
Liu M, Marinacci LX, Joynt Maddox KE, Wadhera, RK. Cardiovascular Health Among Rural and Urban US Adults—Healthcare, Lifestyle, and Social Factors. JAMA Cardiol. 2025; doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2025.0538.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
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MIL OSI USA News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Construction Company to Pay $191,070 to the United States to Resolve False Claims Allegations

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Claims Relate to Fraudulent Disaster Recovery Services After Devastating 2016 Flooding in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced today that Thompson Construction Group Inc., of Sumter, South Carolina, has agreed to pay the United States $191,070 to resolve civil allegations that it violated the federal False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment from federal disaster recovery grant funds and by falsely certifying that homes it had constructed were compliant with contract conditions.

On June 26, 2016, portions of central and southern West Virginia experienced extreme levels of rainfall, resulting in historic flooding over a vast swath of the region. Flood waters rushing across West Virginia’s mountainous landscape damaged or swept away thousands of homes, businesses, bridges and other infrastructure, leaving thousands of West Virginia residents homeless and at least 23 dead. Following a presidential disaster declaration issued in response to the flooding, Congress appropriated funds for disaster recovery in West Virginia to be administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the form of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. These funds were made available to fund an array of recovery needs in West Virginia including housing rehabilitation and replacement for low income homeowners.

Thompson was awarded a series of contracts to reconstruct homes that were damaged or destroyed during the catastrophic flood. Because future flooding and water intrusion was a concern, the contracts included specific requirements for water management including crawl space drainage systems and sump pumps to be installed in homes constructed in a flood plain. These requirements were detailed in pre-bid construction specifications and incorporated into the contracts awarded.

Thompson completed construction of these homes and submitted invoices certifying compliance with the contract terms and was paid from federal CDBG-DR funds. Investigators later learned, however, that crawl space drainage systems and sump pumps had not been installed as required, making Thompson’s claims and certifications false.

The Settlement Agreement announced today requires Thompson to pay $95,535 in restitution and $95,535 in double damages pursuant to the False Claims Act.

“Numerous West Virginia families devastated by the 2016 flooding relied on Thompson Construction, which received significant taxpayer dollars only to leave these families vulnerable to future flooding,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend HUD-OIG and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations for conducting the civil investigation, the Affirmative Civil Enforcement-Health Care Fraud Investigative Specialist Tyler E. Japhet in our office for assisting the investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. Neil for securing this settlement.”

“Thompson Construction Group’s actions diverted limited federal taxpayer resources that were intended to help victims rebuild homes that had been damaged by devastating floods and instead used that money to line their pockets.” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with HUD-OIG. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our prosecutorial, law enforcement, and oversight partners to aggressively pursue individuals who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.”

“The Commission on Special Investigations is committed to investigating all matters involving the misappropriation and theft of public funds,” said Commission Director Rick Eplin. “Commission investigators spent many days in the field interviewing homeowners and contractors in this matter. In addition, they collected photographic evidence that clearly supported the allegations set forth. We are thankful for the support of our federal partners with HUD-OIG and the United States Attorney’s Office who made a successful resolution of this case possible.”

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

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MIL Security OSI –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How to talk to children about the Canada-U.S. tensions

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jean-François Bureau, Professor, School of Psychology, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Mainstream public discourse in the first months of 2025 have been dominated by tensions between Canada and United States. These include references to Canada becoming annexed as the 51st American state and the trade war, with threats and the application of tariffs by the U.S. and counter-tariffs by Canada.

While this political climate brings uncertainty at an international level, it comes with fear of job loss for many Canadians at a time when the cost of living is already straining many families’ finances.

Read more:
Canadians are feeling increasingly powerless amid economic struggles and rising inequality

These topics may appear to be concerns for adults, but children may also feel the effects. As psychology researchers studying parent-child relationships and child mental health, we believe it is important to consider children’s potential fears and anxiety in the current political climate.

Here, we explain why it’s important to address this topic with children, and how parents can do so in a reassuring and informative manner.

Children’s concerns and emotions

While the economy and politics could seem like topics that children would not really care about, recent research suggests that many children and youth actually worry about these topics.

Back in 2020, American parents of children aged six to 17 years old were asked to rate their child’s anxiety about political news, in terms of voting issues covered in media since the 2016 election. According to the study by psychology researcher Nicole E. Caporino and colleagues, 36 per cent of children worried about the U.S. getting into war, and 37 per cent worried about their family’s finances.

Studies suggest children worry about issues affecting their families.
(Shutterstock)

Similarly, studies elsewhere suggest children and youth worry about issues affecting their families. Based on these numbers, we can assume that many Canadian children also worry about the current Canada-U.S. political climate.

Of course, it’s worth remembering not all families experience political and economic events in the same way. For example, children whose families face economic precarity are likely already living with stressors affecting their households like unemployment or food insecurity. Current tensions may also exacerbate children’s existing concerns.

Given that children may be concerned and worried, some parents may intuitively seek to avoid the topic with children to avoid provoking more distress. However, discussing a stressful event can actually decrease the distress felt towards it.

When children are able to talk about what concerns them with their parents, they learn important emotional regulation and coping skills. For example, they learn how to identify and understand their emotions, and how to regulate those emotions. Discussions between parents and children also help foster a climate of trust, in which children feel like they can rely on their parents in moments of need.

Noticing, tackling children’s anxiety and fears

Children may not always have the words to articulate their concerns in the same way that adults do. Parents should watch for anxiety symptoms in their children, which may manifest in various ways, including having mood changes, being more irritable or sad, having difficulty sleeping, being more clingy than usual, or withdrawing from activities. There are also signs that may be harder to spot.

We present five ways to address the situation with your children:

1. Use direct questions to understand how children feel. Direct questions can help understand how children feel. For example, you may ask: “What have you heard about what’s happening?” or “How do you feel about it?” These questions can help understand what specifically is scary to them.

Children could be worried about no longer seeing family in the U.S., or some may even fear a military clash.
(Shutterstock)

This is especially important given that children tend to worry about different things than adults. For example, younger children with family in the U.S. may worry they will no longer be able to see their family members anymore. Older children may be worried about a parent losing a job, the country’s economic instability or environmental impacts. Some children may even fear a military clash.

2. Be sensitive to how the conflict is presented. In the media, it is common to refer to the diplomatic and economic tensions as a “trade war.” While adults understand that trade wars do not involve military attacks, this concept is much more abstract for children.

Hearing the word “war” may trigger difficult images for them, including armed soldiers, weapons and devastation. This is especially true for children with lived experience of war, political conflict or displacement.

Read more:
Coronavirus isn’t the end of ‘childhood innocence,’ but an opportunity to rethink children’s rights

It’s important to reframe the conflict in ways that children can understand. For example, parents can compare the conflict between two children. Parents might say: “You know when there are two children upset with each other at school, and they have a big disagreement. Sometimes it can take a lot of time to find a solution that works for everyone. The conflict between Canada and the U.S. is a bit like that. It could take a lot of time and trouble to find a solution.”

3. Avoid misinformation. When discussing these topics, parents should seek to clarify any misinformation and provide reassurance. They should also help ensure children receive information from credible sources rather than social media or peers, who may sensationalize or misinterpret events. Providing factual but age-appropriate explanations is a key ingredient in mitigating fear and uncertainty.

4. Focus on co-operation and opportunities instead of boycotting.

Many Canadian families are choosing to boycott American products. In order to ease the emotional burden on children, it can be helpful to reframe the boycott as an opportunity for co-operation. For instance, parents can highlight how they are trying to support local businesses.

Similarly, for families with resources to travel, changes in travel plans can be framed as a way to discover new places. A parent might frame it as: “This year, instead of going to the beach, we’re going to be exploring some incredible places closer to home. We’re going to have so much fun trying new things!” This approach creates curiosity and control, not anxiety. It can also be beneficial for children’s development to learn to be more flexible with change.

Read more:
When Canadian snowbirds don’t flock south, the costs are more than financial

5. Create a sense of normalcy and routine. As important as it is to validate children’s fears, it is equally important to help them maintain a sense of normalcy. Families should strive to balance discussions about the trade war and its potential ramifications with more light, mundane topics. Similarly, limiting the time that children watch the news or when it is audible can help limit further concerns from developing.

Routines are also beneficial for children’s development and well-being. Maintaining a predictable schedule, such as a bedtime routine, can help children feel safe and less anxious. Focus on adding fun and soothing activities to the daily routine. This lets children know life goes on.

Navigating turbulent times

As the trade war with the U.S. plays out, parents should consider how it may impact their children’s emotions and sense of safety. Even serious conflicts such as this one don’t last forever, and solutions will come.

In the meantime, parents can help children cope with these challenging times by offering age-appropriate explanations and encouraging resilience.

Jean-François Bureau receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Consortium National de Formation en Santé.

Audrey-Ann Deneault receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Centre de recherche universitaire sur les jeunes et les familles.

– ref. How to talk to children about the Canada-U.S. tensions – https://theconversation.com/how-to-talk-to-children-about-the-canada-u-s-tensions-252435

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Pat Fallon Introduces Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pat Fallon (TX-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Pat Fallon (TX-04) and Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) recently introduced the Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act. America’s veterans deserve access to quick and effective care, particularly when it comes to mental health. Regardless of whether veterans choose to be seen by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provider or within the VA community care program, they should receive the best care. The bill’s provisions are as follows:
- Require the VA to commission a study on the difference in the quality of care between VA facilities and private providers.
- Specifically, the study would:
·         Examine differences in health outcomes for veterans seeking behavioral or mental health treatment at a VA facility or a private provider.

·         Determine if providers use evidence-based treatment for behavioral and mental health issues.

·         Identify potential gaps in coordination between VA facilities and private providers.

“America’s veterans deserve the best care as well as a choice in the matter,” said Rep. Fallon. “This bill would require the VA to conduct an independent study to determine whether it is in fact providing the necessary level of care when compared to private sector alternatives. It is critical that we identify proven healthcare treatment methods to address the ongoing mental health crisis afflicting our veteran community.”

“When we thank our veterans for their military service, it cannot be an empty gesture. Congress must ensure that top-notch, evidence-based practices are used to care for our veterans to support their mental health and treat conditions like PTSD and depression,” said Rep. Bishop. “Through this bipartisan bill that Congressman Fallon and I are introducing, we aim to create a stronger, better-coordinated veterans’ healthcare system. By comparing VA and non-VA providers, we can identify any gaps as well as determine best practices to deliver better mental and behavioral health care for our veterans.”

MIL OSI USA News –
April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Strengthening rural health care facilities
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To further these goals, Budget 2025’s new Rural Hospital Enhancement Program will improve rural health care facilities to better address rural health challenges and provide greater access to essential health services. If passed, Budget 2025 will provide $15 million to support project planning, which includes conducting facility and functional assessments of rural hospitals to determine what capital planning solutions and services are required to maximize each facility’s potential and better meet the needs of rural communities.

“Rural Albertans should be able to access the health care services they need close to home. The new Rural Hospital Enhancement Program will ensure we are continuing to make data-driven decisions, and that resources are being appropriately deployed to address the areas with the greatest need.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

Once project plans for each facility are developed, they will be used to inform future capital planning discussions and funding decisions for new projects. This program will expedite the time between planning and construction, so projects are completed sooner to support rural communities.

“As an MLA from rural Alberta, I know first-hand how important it is to have access to high-quality health care facilities close to home. This investment in projects in rural communities across Alberta will enhance care and strengthen our communities. I cannot wait to get to work on these critical projects.”

Martin Long, Minister of Infrastructure

Alberta’s government is also supporting existing capital programs and projects that will maximize the potential of rural health care facilities and enhance health care for rural Albertans. These investments will ensure that rural patients can receive care in the communities where they reside, reducing the need for long-distance travel to urban centres for essential medical services. By enhancing infrastructure and expanding services, the province aims to improve access to timely and high-quality care. These efforts will help alleviate pressure on larger hospitals and support the overall well-being of Albertans living outside major cities.

“Our government is investing in health facilities and programs to ensure we are meeting the needs of rural Albertans. This includes much-needed planning funds to replace the Cardston Health Centre, one of the oldest health facilities in the province.”

Justin Wright, parliamentary secretary for rural health (south)

Through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government is continuing to support capital projects that will deliver value to and maximize benefits for rural Albertans. These projects include:
- $25 million to complete projects approved under the Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program
- $20 million in planning funds for primary care centres in rural, remote and Indigenous communities
- $80 million to develop the La Crete Maternity and Community Health Centre
- $1 million in planning funds for the Cardston Health Centre
- $18 million to fund furnishings, equipment and information technology infrastructure for the Mountview Health Complex in Beaverlodge
- $170 million in capital lease costs for the Mountview facility
“More Albertans are choosing to live in rural communities, and we’re improving their access to health care services while planning for the future. We’re making major investments in northern Alberta, including in La Crete and Beaverlodge where residents travel too far to access care.”

Ron Wiebe, parliamentary secretary for rural health (north)

“Budget 2025 enables Covenant to continue partnering with the Alberta government in refocusing the health care system. We are grateful for the opportunity to develop plans to complete capital projects at our rural facilities and expand access to quality health care for every Albertan.”

Patrick Dumelie, CEO, Covenant

Through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government will continue to improve health care facilities across the province to ensure that all Albertans can get the care they need, when and where they need it.

Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

Quick facts
- More than 18 per cent of Albertans live in rural and remote communities.
  - Alberta’s rural population is expected to grow by 20 per cent, from 1.06 million in 2023 to 1.27 million by 2051.
- The first phase of planning under the Rural Hospital Enhancement Program will evaluate 20 facilities across the province:
  - Myron Thompson Health Centre in Sundre
  - Whitecourt Healthcare Centre
  - Brooks Health Centre
  - Hinton Healthcare Centre
  - William J. Cadzow – Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre
  - St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Vegreville
  - Drumheller Health Centre
  - Slave Lake Healthcare Centre
  - Edson Healthcare Centre
  - Killam Health Care Centre
  - Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre
  - Pincher Creek Health Centre
  - Athabasca Healthcare Centre
  - Valleyview Health Centre
  - Barrhead Healthcare Centre
  - Northwest Health Centre in High Level
  - Peace River Community Health Centre
  - Central Peace Health Complex in Spirit River
  - Lacombe Hospital and Care Centre
  - Milk River Health Centre
- The Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program was created in 2021 with total funding of $140 million to execute 44 projects in rural communities across the province.
  - The $25 million in 2025-26 will complete the remaining projects being supported by this program.
Related information
- Budget 2025 Capital Plan
- Rural Health Action Plan
Related news
- Refocusing emergency services (March 10, 2025)
- Budget 2025: Increasing hospital capacity | Budget de 2025 : Augmenter la capacité d’hospitalisation | alberta.ca (March 6, 2025)
- Delivering care close to home in La Crete (Feb. 25, 2025)
- Enhancing health care services in Beaverlodge (Nov. 25, 2024)
- Improving health care in rural and remote Alberta (Oct. 3, 2024)
Multimedia
- Watch the news conference
MIL OSI Canada News –
April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Patient support scheme extended

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The “Pilot Scheme for Supporting Patients of the Hospital Authority in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” will be extended for one year till March 31, 2026, the Health Bureau announced today.

Currently, the scheme is applicable to the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH).

The bureau explained that the extension aims to enable eligible patients of the Hospital Authority (HA) to choose to receive subsidised consultation services at designated collaborating healthcare institutions in the Greater Bay Area.

It added that an enhancement measure will be implemented in order to provide more targeted healthcare support to patients.

From tomorrow, for participating patients to utilise the subsidy under the pilot scheme, they are required to attend consultations at the service departments of the HKU-SZH that correspond with the HA’s outpatient service categories for which they have follow-up appointments.

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said: “The Government has long been taking forward collaborations on medical and health aspects in the bay area in accordance with the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits. The HA will continue to explore more in-depth healthcare collaborations with suitable organisations and enhance the efficiency of public healthcare services with a view to shortening patients’ waiting time.”

The scope of subsidised consultation services under the scheme will continue to cover outpatient services provided by the HA. Meanwhile, episodic illnesses, inpatient or day inpatient as well as accident and emergency services are not included.

Eligible patients who wish to continue participating in the pilot scheme may make appointments through the existing channels whereby the HKU-SZH will make appointments at the departments that correspond with the HA’s outpatient service categories for which they have follow-up appointments. They should also complete a declaration to confirm continued participation at the HKU-SZH.

Patients who wish to cease participation and return to Hong Kong for follow-up consultations at the HA’s outpatient clinics may approach the HKU-SZH which will make referral for them to arrange follow-up appointments at the HA’s corresponding outpatient clinics according to their clinical needs.

For eligible patients who have not participated in the pilot scheme before, or those who have joined the scheme but need to have their personal data updated, they may submit an application to the HKU-SZH from tomorrow onwards.

For enquiries, call the HA at 2300 7070 or the HKU-SZH at (86) 0755 86913101.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council Announces Intention to Appoint Nursing Provider for Two Liverpool Care Homes

Source: City of Liverpool

Liverpool City Council has completed a competitive tender process to appoint a new nursing care provider for Millvina nursing home in Anfield and Brushwood nursing home in Speke.

The tender, launched in February 2025, invited qualified providers to submit proposals for delivering high-quality nursing care across both homes.

The Council, which owns both buildings, took over the management of the homes last year, with Mersey Care delivering nursing care. This was because the previous provider had decided to withdraw. Mersey Care subsequently informed the Council it did not wish to continue providing nursing care after May 2025, triggering the tender process.

Following a thorough evaluation of all submissions, the Council can announce that it intends to award the contract for nursing provision to Primary Care 24 Merseyside Ltd (PC24).

In line with procurement regulations, an 8 working day standstill period is now in place allowing bidders to review the outcome and raise any questions before the contract is formally awarded.

Liverpool City Council reaffirms its commitment to residents, families, and staff by making clear assurances that health, safety, and wellbeing remains the highest priority and there will be no disruption to care services during the transition to the new provider.

Engagement with care home residents and staff has already begun and will continue throughout the standstill period and beyond, to ensure everyone is fully informed and supported.

Cllr Angela Coleman, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services, said:“As we move forward, our priority remains the same, to ensure that residents continue to receive the highest-quality, compassionate care, and that everyone feels supported every step of the way.

“Our care homes are of the utmost importance to us, and we know how much they mean to the people who live and work there. We are committed to ensuring this transition is as smooth, respectful, reassuring with everyone involved.”

Corporate Director for Adult Social Care, Health and Homelessness, Anne Marie Lubanski said: “The health and wellbeing of our residents and their families is at the heart of everything we do. We understand how important it is that people feel supported and reassured during this time of change.

“That’s why we’re committed to working together to ensure the best possible care is in place, both now and in the future.

“This decision follows a thorough and careful process, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the organisations who submitted applications to support the care of our residents.”

“In particular, I want to thank Mersey Care for their commitment and compassion in supporting Millvina and Brushwood. Their contribution has been deeply valued, and we are truly grateful for the care they have provided.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets

Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets

Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets
jwerner
Wed, 03/26/2025 – 14:29

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to prevent and eliminate the spread of rabies. Starting this week, Wildlife Services will be distributing the annual oral rabies vaccine for raccoons in Western North Carolina. This oral rabies distribution program typically takes place annually each fall but was delayed in 2024 due to Hurricane Helene.

“Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease, and this program plays a critical role in protecting both public health and animal populations across North Carolina,” said Carl Williams, DVM, State Public Health Veterinarian. “By vaccinating wildlife like raccoons, we create a barrier that helps stop the spread of the virus — keeping people, pets and communities safer.”

Beginning April 2, 2025 , baits containing the oral rabies vaccine will be aerially distributed in the following counties: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey. Additional hand baiting will take place in Buncombe County April 3-9, weather depending.

The baits consist of a sachet, or plastic packet, containing the oral rabies vaccine. To make the baits attractive to raccoons, the packets are sprinkled with a fishmeal coating or encased inside hard fishmeal–polymer blocks about the size of a matchbox. When a raccoon bites into a bait, the vaccine packet is punctured, and the animal is exposed to the vaccine. This activates the animal’s immune system to produce antibodies that provide protection against rabies infection.

Anyone who comes in contact with the liquid vaccine should wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and call the phone number listed on the bait for further instructions and referral. While the oral rabies vaccine will not harm domestic dogs and cats, it is only approved for use in raccoons and coyotes. Rabies vaccinations for your pets should be administered by a veterinarian. In North Carolina, domestic pets must be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age and routinely thereafter in accordance with state law.

In North Carolina, rabies is most commonly found in wild animals. People and their domestic animals may be exposed when they encounter infected wildlife. If you or your pet are bitten by a wild animal, please seek medical attention for a rabies risk assessment. If you are exposed to rabies, prompt administration of post exposure prophylaxis will prevent infection and disease. This disease is almost always fatal in mammals, including people, once symptoms develop. Increasing the number of vaccinated animals in the population helps establish a buffer to stop the spread of the disease to other wildlife, pets and people.

The NC Wildlife Resources Commission appreciates the assistance of the public in reporting sick or dead wild animals to the NC Wildlife Helpline at 1-866-318-2401 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) or anytime via email at HWI@ncwildlife.org.

Baiting should be completed by the end of April 2025. The USDA’s Oral Rabies Vaccination program, originally implemented in the 1990s, helps prevent the raccoon rabies epizootic from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains, where raccoon rabies does not exist. The program has been successful in that regard and the vision is to gradually move the vaccine barrier east until raccoon rabies is eliminated.

For more information, please visit the National Rabies Management Program webpage. To learn more about rabies, visit the NCDHHS Division of Public Health website.

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte está trabajando en colaboración con los Servicios de Vida Silvestre del Departamento de Agricultura de EE. UU. para prevenir y eliminar la propagación de la rabia. A partir de esta semana, los Servicios de Vida Silvestre distribuirá la vacuna oral anual contra la rabia para mapaches en el oeste de Carolina del Norte. Este programa de distribución oral de la rabia generalmente se lleva a cabo anualmente cada otoño, pero se retrasó en 2024 debido al huracán Helene.

“La rabia es una enfermedad mortal pero prevenible, y este programa desempeña un papel fundamental en la protección tanto de la salud pública como de las poblaciones de animales en Carolina del Norte”, dijo Carl Williams, DVM, veterinario de salud pública estatal. “Al vacunar a la vida silvestre como los mapaches, creamos una barrera que ayuda a detener la propagación del virus, manteniendo a las personas, las mascotas y las comunidades más seguras”.

A partir de abril 2 de 2025, los cebos que contengan la vacuna oral contra la rabia se distribuirán por vía aérea en los siguientes condados: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga y Yancey. El cebo de manos adicional se llevará a cabo en el condado de Buncombe del 3 al 9 de abril, dependiendo del clima.

Los cebos consisten en un sobre, o paquete de plástico, que contiene la vacuna oral contra la rabia. Para que los cebos sean atractivos para los mapaches, los paquetes se espolvorean con un recubrimiento de harina de pescado o se encierran dentro de bloques duros de polímero de harina de pescado del tamaño de una caja de fósforos. Cuando un mapache muerde un cebo, el paquete de vacunas se perfora y el animal se expone a la vacuna. Esto activa el sistema inmunológico del animal para producir anticuerpos que proporcionan protección contra la infección por el virus de la rabia.

Cualquier persona que entre en contacto con la vacuna líquida debe lavar bien el área afectada con jabón y agua y llamar al número de teléfono que aparece en el cebo para obtener más instrucciones y remisión. Si bien la vacuna oral contra la rabia no lesionará a perros y gatos domésticos, solo está aprobada para su uso en mapaches y coyotes. Las vacunas contra la rabia para sus mascotas deben ser administradas por un veterinario. En Carolina del Norte, las mascotas domésticas deben vacunarse contra la rabia a los cuatro meses de edad y de forma rutinaria después de acuerdo con la ley estatal.

En Carolina del Norte, la rabia se encuentra con mayor frecuencia en animales silvestres. Las personas y sus animales domésticos pueden estar expuestos cuando se encuentran con animales silvestres infectados. Si usted o su mascota son mordidos por un animal silvestre, busque atención médica para una evaluación del riesgo de rabia. Si está expuesto a la rabia, la pronta administración de la profilaxis posterior a la exposición evitará infecciones y enfermedades. Esta enfermedad casi siempre es mortal en los mamíferos, incluso para las personas, una vez que se desarrollan los síntomas. El aumento del número de animales vacunados en la población ayuda a establecer un amortiguador para detener la propagación de la enfermedad a otras especies silvestres, mascotas y personas.

La Comisión de Recursos de Vida Silvestre de Carolina del Norte agradece la ayuda del público al reportar sobre los animales silvestres enfermos o muertos a la Línea de Ayuda de Vida Silvestre de Carolina del Norte al 1-866-318-2401 (de lunes a viernes, 8 a.m. a 5 p.m. o en cualquier momento por correo electrónico a HWI@ncwildlife.org.

El cebado debería estar concluido a fines de abril de 2025. El programa de vacunación oral contra la rabia del USDA, implementado originalmente en la década de 1990, ayuda a evitar que la epizootia de la rabia de los mapaches se mueva al oeste de las Montañas Apalaches, donde no existe la rabia de los mapaches. El programa ha tenido éxito en ese sentido y la visión es mover gradualmente la barrera de la vacuna hacia el este hasta que se elimine la rabia del mapache.

Para obtener más información, visite la página web del Programa Nacional de Manejo de la Rabia. Para obtener más información sobre la rabia, visite el sitio web de la División de Salud Pública del NCDHHS.

Mar 31, 2025

MIL OSI USA News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study on association between postpartum hormonal contraceptive use and risk of depression

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

March 31, 2025

A study published in JAMA Network Open looks at postpartum hormonal contraceptive use and depression risk.

Dr John Reynolds-Wright, NES/CSO Clinical Lecturer in Sexual & Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, said:

“This retrospective registry study indicates an association between use of hormonal contraception in the first year post-partum with either being prescribed an anti-depressant or being labelled with a discharge diagnosis of depression in the Danish national healthcare electronic records.

“It does not demonstrate causation of depression by hormonal contraception.

“When examining the absolute risk of being prescribed an anti-depressant (or receiving the discharge diagnosis of depression), these risks are small and comparable for users (1.54%) and non-users (1.36%) of hormonal contraception in the twelve months following a first live birth in this cohort.

“The study excluded women who had given birth previously and did not consider previous history of depression (or anti-depressant prescription) longer than 2 years ago. Considering both of these aspects may have altered the findings of the study.

“The authors conclude that “the incidence of depression post partum may be inflated by routine HC initiation, which is important information to convey at postpartum contraceptive counseling” however this study has not convincingly shown that incidence of depression is higher – anti-depressants may be prescribed for a range of indications, not only depression – and so changing advice about postpartum contraception is not supported.

“Further, any small increased risk (0.18% higher of being prescribed an anti-depressant or being diagnosed with depression), needs to be balanced against the benefits brought by post-partum contraception to allow women to space births, which improves their and their baby’s health in multiple ways, and gives them reproductive freedom in their lives.

“We must cautiously interpret the recommendations and findings of this study, particularly given the current global political climate, where reproductive rights are continually under threat.”

‘Postpartum Hormonal Contraceptive Use and Risk of Depression’ by Søren Vinther Larsen et al. was published in JAMA Network Open at 16:00 UK time Monday 31 March 2025.

DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.2474

Declared interests

Dr John Reynolds-Wright:

–              Associate Editor, BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health

–              Evidence Advisor, British Society of Abortion Care Providers

–              I have received research funding from HRA Pharma (Perrigo) and Exelgyn (Nordic Pharma)

–              I have received support to attend international conferences from Gedeon Richter (travel, hotel, conference registration)

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The government is launching new programs in the field of creating agricultural machinery and producing veterinary drugs

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Document

Resolution of March 27, 2025 No. 395

The Government, on the instructions of the President, continues to work to achieve technological sovereignty in the field of agricultural engineering and to form a sustainable system of national biological security. A resolution has been signed supplementing the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Agriculture with two new subprograms: “Agricultural Machinery and Equipment” and “Development of Technologies for the Production of Veterinary Medicines.”

The total funding for the first subprogram, which will be implemented in 2025–2030, will amount to approximately 15.8 billion rubles. Federal budget funds will amount to over 13.1 billion rubles, and attracted investments will amount to over 2.7 billion rubles. The implementation of the subprogram activities, in particular, involves the development and creation of modern tractors, self-propelled combines for harvesting grain, potatoes, beets and other agricultural crops. It is also planned to create domestic equipment for the maintenance and harvesting of fruit and berry plantations and vineyards, modern sprayers, fertilizer spreading machines, seeders, milking systems, and egg sorting machines. It is expected that at least 27 new types of agricultural machinery will be developed by 2030.

The implementation of the second subprogram, dedicated to the development of veterinary drug production, is also planned for 2025–2030. The volume of funding from the state will amount to more than 4.4 billion rubles. Another 12 billion rubles are planned to be raised from extra-budgetary sources. The main goal of the subprogram is to create new, competitive domestic veterinary drugs and meet the domestic needs of the livestock industry for such drugs. For this purpose, it is planned to develop and clinically test new vaccines and veterinary drugs for pigs, poultry, cattle, and farmed fish, and then launch them into industrial production.

Successful implementation of the subprogram will allow achieving a 70% level of provision of livestock with domestic veterinary drugs by 2030. By the same date, the level of provision with Russian vaccines should be 61%.

During a meeting with deputy prime ministers on March 31, Mikhail Mishustin instructed Dmitry Patrushev to monitor the progress of the subprograms. “We need to ensure that all these projects go into production as soon as possible and become available to consumers,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

The signed document introduces changes toGovernment Resolution of August 25, 2017 No. 996.

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 –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Health authority review launches to ensure support for front-line services

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Details about the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) appointees are as follows:

Tim Manning has completed his term as board chair, as have board members Donisa Bernardo, Dianne Doyle, Sandra A. Martin Harris (Wii Esdes), Piotr Majkowski and Richard Short. Additional departing directors are, Dr. Morgan Price, Gary Caroline, Bill Chan, Julia Dillabough, Joanna Gislason and Gloria Morgan.

The interim board of directors are:

Maureen Maloney, OBC, KC, chair –

Maureen Maloney is a professor at Simon Fraser University’s school of public policy and former dean of law and Lam chair in law and public policy at the University of Victoria. Maloney served as British Columbia’s deputy minister to the Attorney General from 1993 to 2000, and deputy attorney general from 1997 to 2000. She has been a member of the numerous boards, including the Canadian Human Rights Foundation, the International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section), the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, and also served as a member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. She chaired the Province’s Expert Panel on Money Laundering in Real Estate from 2018 to 2019.

Heather McKay –

Heather McKay is a professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) where she is the Active Aging Research Team’s lead scientist. She has collaborated with the B.C. Ministry of Health for more than 15 years and leads a partnership between researchers, governments, health authorities and NGOs to enact Health Aging B.C. From 2006-16, McKay was the inaugural director of the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, a multidisciplinary CFI centre funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. More recently, she co-led UBC’s Health Aging Research Excellence cluster. McKay leads an Implementation Science Team at UBC. Her work focuses on healthy aging research. She also holds a position on the editorial board of the scientific journal Implementation Research and Practice. She has received a CIHR Knowledge Translation Award, a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and has been inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2018) in recognition of her academic scholarship and community engagement.

Tiffany Ma, CPA –

Tiffany Ma is the associate deputy minister of the B.C. Ministry of Health. Since joining the BC Public Service in 2006, Ma has served in progressively senior capacities across several ministries, including as chief financial officer for the Ministry of Education. Prior to joining the Ministry of Health, Ma was the assistant deputy minister and deputy secretary to Treasury Board at the Ministry of Finance. Ma also served as a trustee on the Public Service Pension Board.

MIL OSI Canada News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 31 March 2025 Departmental update WHO’s Strategic Group of Experts charts bold path to strengthen global immunization amid new challenges

Source: World Health Organisation

Vaccination remains one of the most cost-effective public health tools, but without sustained support, the gains achieved under the Immunization Agenda 2030 are at serious risk.

Global Progress Meets Budget Cuts

A report from WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals outlined major achievements and severe threats. While vaccines against HPV, malaria, and TB advance, many immunization programmes face reduced donor support and shrinking health budgets.

Measles control efforts are particularly under strain, with weakened surveillance and response capacities raising the risk of outbreaks. WHO reaffirmed its commitment to innovation, regional manufacturing, and partnerships to secure resilient immunization systems for the future.

Gavi’s Vision for the Future

Gavi previewed its 2026–2030 strategy (Gavi 6.0), focused on expanding new vaccines, strengthening national programmes, and reducing zero-dose children. Progress continues toward immunizing 86 million girls against HPV by 2025, with growing investments in malaria and polio vaccines.

Yet, Gavi also flagged vaccine supply constraints, especially amid the mpox emergency in Africa. Over 582,000 doses have been administered in DRC, underscoring the need for a sustainable vaccine stockpile.

Resurgence of Measles, Lagging Coverage

Regional updates showed rising zero-dose children in many areas, despite HPV vaccine scale-up in South-East Asia. Measles remains a serious threat where routine immunization has not recovered. The “Big Catch-Up” helped narrow gaps, but challenges remain.

New Vaccines and Smarter Strategies

SAGE reviewed updated evidence on pneumococcal, varicella, and herpes zoster vaccines, offering more flexibility in schedules. However, countries must weigh trade-offs when introducing newer, higher-valency vaccines and strengthen surveillance to guide decisions.

Mpox: Rising Again, Resources Thin

A renewed mpox emergency, declared in August 2024, is spreading across Africa. With supply constraints persisting, WHO and SAGE recommend flexible dosing and stress the need for preventive vaccination. Cuts to HIV programmes could further heighten mpox risks for vulnerable populations.

Polio: Eradication Still Elusive

Polio remains a challenge, with transmission continuing in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and vaccine-derived cases spreading, including in Europe. SAGE endorsed a revised IPV-based schedule of three doses but stressed full coverage is essential.

Looking Ahead: A Call for Global Commitment

SAGE concluded with a clear message: immunization is a major public health success, but without renewed commitment, we risk reversing the progress made. The world must act—urgently and together—to protect the next generation from preventable disease.

Click here to subscribe to the Global Immunization Newsletter.

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MIL OSI United Nations News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Lectures on the “star” graduating class of 1885 were held at SPbGASU

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

Within the framework of the V National (All-Russian) scientific and practical conference with international participation “Reconstruction and restoration of architectural heritage” (RRAN-2025), a lecture block “On the 140th anniversary of the “star graduation” was held. Its initiators were Associate Professor of the Department of Urban Development of SPbGASU, PhD in Architecture Svetlana Levoshko, PhD in Philosophy, independent researcher Elena Travina and Director of the Historical and Information Center of SPbGASU Elena Klimenko.

The reason to celebrate this date is truly loud: in 1885, the Institute of Civil Engineers (IGI, now SPbGASU) graduated a galaxy of architects and engineers who became world-class professionals and made a huge contribution to the development of our country. Among them are the director of IGI, architect, statesman Vasily Kosyakov (1862-1921), civil engineer Gavriil Baranovsky (1860-1920), architect Nikolay Sokolov (1859-1906). As the researchers who spoke emphasized, new details are still being revealed in the biographies and professional activities of these outstanding individuals.

Professor of the Department of Urban Development of SPbGASU Sergey Semenov called holding such meetings a good idea, since the accumulation and preservation of information is of great value. It is no coincidence that during the Great Patriotic War, the Nazi troops primarily sought to destroy museums, libraries and educational institutions, including our university.

“Graduates who have become outstanding engineers and architects confirm the highest level of training of specialists at our university at all times. The basic knowledge base was mastered by students even with low academic performance. Thus, Mikhail Eisenstein, the father of the famous director, worked as the chief architect of Riga and built several streets, some buildings of which are recognized as cultural heritage sites. The best graduates are a good example for students,” noted Sergey Semenov.

Moderator of the lecture block Svetlana Levoshko clarified that the discussion will be about “star” graduates who have made a great contribution to the development of the industry and the country.

The Kosyakovs’ example: talent and hard work lead to success

Doctor of Art History, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, Professor of the Faculty of Arts of Moscow State University, graduate of the Leningrad Institute of Civil Engineering (now St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering) in 1983. Sergei Savelyev initially wrote three books about Nikolai Vladimirovich Sultanov (1850–1908), Director of the Institute of Civil Engineers (1895–1903), Russian architect, civil engineer, art historian and architectural historian, restorer, teacher, and full member of the Imperial Academy of Arts.

“Vasily Antonovich Kosyakov was a student of Nikolay Vladimirovich Sultanov and a graduate of the IGI architectural and construction school, the largest in Europe at the time, comparable to German and French schools. Only thanks to such a powerful school did Kosyakov develop into a major architect and statesman: he was an elected director of the IGI and held many other posts, including a member of the economic administration of the Holy Synod. At the end of his life, he became an architect of the Imperial Court, that is, he reached heights in his professional service activities. This indicates that talented people had every opportunity for development in the Russian Empire. Vasily Kosyakov was of humble origin – his father was a master of the kitchen workshop, in other words, a cook. During his years of study at the IGI, Kosyakov wrote a petition for a scholarship and even received a certificate of poverty. In essence, a person who had neither a status nor a financial starting point, reached heights solely due to his talent and hard work. For today’s students, this is a great example,” noted Sergey Savelyev.

He added that Vasily Kosyakov is inseparable from the work of his two brothers Vladimir and Georgy. Georgy studied at the Academy of Arts, in the workshop of L. N. Benois and was an excellent artist, watercolourist, member of the society of architects and artists, artists of watercolour painting, participated in exhibitions. The ornamentation in Vasily Kosyakov’s projects appears precisely thanks to him. Their joint famous work of architecture is the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt. Vladimir Kosyakov also studied at the IGI and was a remarkable architect and artist.

“The example of the Kosyakov brothers is relevant for today’s students: you need to do graphics, draw, despite the computer programs. Each of the brothers had a certain professional profile. Vasily could do everything: he is a universal specialist in organizing construction. Georgy is a master of watercolors, an architect and artist. Vladimir was also involved in organizing construction work, a school for foremen for construction work, that is, he worked as a foreman. The qualifications of builders at that time were at a very high level largely due to the fact that the architectural community took the training of construction workers into its own hands,” explained Sergei Savelyev.

He emphasized that the Kosyakovs’ theme is inexhaustible. In the course of the research, it is possible to discover more and more new materials, since their activity falls on the “silver age”: the heyday of Russian literature and fine arts, painting and architecture of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. And these people constituted one of the important pages of the IGI school. Many beautiful churches, public buildings, engineering structures were built. By 1917, the IGI architectural and construction school was on the rise. Today, it continues the traditions and serves as a magnificent foundation for new achievements.

Engineer Baranovsky and architect Sokolov

Elena Travina recalled that civil engineer Gavriil Vasilyevich Baranovsky (1860–1920) is known for his buildings, which became “postcard views” of St. Petersburg. His creative path began in 1881 in the building of the Construction School/Institute of Civil Engineers.

“The engineer made a decent career, having risen to the rank of actual state councilor and sitting on all sorts of commissions and committees. But what do we know about the man Gavriil Baranovsky: his family, youth, friends, hobbies? Over more than ten years of research, we managed to find photographs, documents, projects that were previously unknown and not introduced into scientific circulation. They allowed us to imagine the image of Baranovsky – a son, husband, father, friend, a man who completely devoted himself to his favorite business – architecture, but at the same time a versatile personality. His son characterized his father as a mathematician, philologist, artist, lawyer and philosopher. Without all this knowledge, Gavriil Baranovsky would not have been able to publish the magazine “Builder”, create the seven-volume “Architectural Encyclopedia of the Late 19th – Early 20th Century”, work on the legal subtleties of the Construction Code and write the philosophical treatise “World Matter and Its Derivatives. Geometric Manifestation of the Ontological Problem”, explained Elena Travina.

On July 30, 1920, his funeral service was held in the Dukhovskaya Church in the village of Kellomäki (now the village of Komarovo in the Kurortny District of St. Petersburg). In 2020, a cenotaph was erected in his memory at the local cemetery (designed by architect R. M. Dayanov).

Let us recall some of Baranovsky’s famous works: the Eliseev Brothers Trading Company building on Nevsky Prospect and the Moscow Eliseevsky store on Tverskaya (together with V. V. Voeikov and M. M. Peretyatkovich).

Doctor of Architecture, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of History of Architecture, Art and Architectural Restoration at the Southern Federal University Anna Ivanova-Ilyicheva spoke about the architect Nikolai Matveevich Sokolov (1859–1906). Sokolov worked as the chief architect of Rostov-on-Don and left behind a rich architectural heritage.

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 –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: New England WSC Products in the First Quarter of 2025

Source: US Geological Survey

March 14, 2025

Model and Data Resources Supporting Water-Quality Modeling of Hydrologic Systems

This dataset provides detailed information on availability of model resources (including models and datasets) that support the modeling of six key water-quality constituents (or constituent categories) across the hydrologic system. In addition, resources associated with nine “cross-cutting” topics for modeling water quality are included, with “cross-cutting” defined herein as having…

March 11, 2025

Lidar-Derived Hydrography of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine, 2023

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), has compiled a Geographic Information System (GIS) dataset. The spatial data layer provided in this data release is derived from high-resolution lidar digital elevation models (DEM’s) for the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Penobscot County, Maine. The data provided in this release…

March 4, 2025

Geochemical Data for Coal Wastes from Historic Anthracite Coal Mining in Pennsylvania, 2024

In addition to their potential for energy generation, coal and coal byproducts may be economically important resources if they are enriched in critical minerals such as rare earth elements or if their organic carbon can be converted to gas by stimulated microbial methanogenesis. Samples of coal refuse (culm) from a historic mine site in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania were…

February 4, 2025

Water-borne electromagnetic induction, handheld thermal infrared and sediment temperature, chemical, and pressure data collected at Hen Cove, Pocasset, Massachusetts, 2022

Groundwater discharge points to coastal waters can be identified and quantified using natural electrical and temperature data. In August 2022, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected water-borne electromagnetic induction and temperature along selected transects within Hen Cove on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, following a spatial survey of bed sediment temperature. Handheld thermal infrared…

January 22, 2025

Vermont Flood of July 2023 Data

A major rain event caused catastrophic flooding from July 9 through 12, 2023, in various portions of the State of Vermont, resulting in millions of dollars of damage. The high amount of rainfall caused several rivers to peak at record levels, in some cases exceeding records set by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. President Biden approved an Emergency Declaration for Vermont on July 11, 2023…

January 16, 2025

Compilation of surficial geology datasets for southern New England

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Departments of Transportation (DOTs), gathered geospatial data to facilitate the development of a regional Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) application (Granato and others, 2023). As part of this study, the surficial geology…

February 20, 2025

Cancer risk and estimated lithium exposure in drinking groundwater in the US

Importance Lithium is a naturally occurring element in drinking water and is commonly used as a mood-stabilizing medication. Although clinical studies have reported associations between receiving lithium treatment and reduced cancer risk among patients with bipolar disorder, to our knowledge, the association between environmental lithium exposure and cancer risk has never been studied in…

Authors

Jiajun Luo, Liang Zheng, Zhihao Jin, Yuqing Yang, William I. Krakowka, Eric Hong, Melissa Lombard, Joseph D. Ayotte, Habibul Ahsan, Jayant M. Pinto, Briseis Aschebrook-Kilfoy

February 4, 2025

Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir drainage area, Rhode Island, water year 2022

As part of a long-term cooperative program to monitor water quality within the Scituate Reservoir drainage area, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Providence Water (formerly the Providence Water Supply Board), collected streamflow and water-quality data in tributaries to the Scituate Reservoir, Rhode Island. Streamflow and concentrations of chloride and sodium estimated…

Authors

Kirk P. Smith, Alana B. Spaetzel

January 24, 2025

Groundwater flowpath characteristics drive variability in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) loading across a stream-wetland system

Groundwater-dependent ecosystems in areas with industrial land use are at risk of exposure to a PFAS chemicals. We investigated one such system with several known PFAS source areas, where high and low permeability sediments (glacial) coupled with groundwater-lake and groundwater/surface-water interactions created complex ‘source to seep’ dynamics. Using heat-tracing and chemical methods…

Authors

David M. Rey, Martin A. Briggs, Andrea K. Tokranov, Hayley Gale Lind, Patrick Thomas Scordato, Ramona Iery, Henry Moore, L. Slater, Denis R. LeBlanc

January 15, 2025

Water supply in the conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, water years 2010–20

We present an assessment of water supply across the conterminous United States (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico covering water years 2010–20. Our analysis drew on two national hydrologic models, the National Hydrologic Model Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System and the Weather Research and Forecasting model hydrologic modeling system. Both models produced estimates of streamflow…

Authors

Galen Gorski, Edward G. Stets, Martha A. Scholl, James R. Degnan, John R. Mullaney, Amy E. Galanter, Anthony J. Martinez, Julie Padilla, Jacob H. LaFontaine, Hayley R. Corson-Dosch, Allen Shapiro

January 15, 2025

Status of water-quality conditions in the United States, 2010–20

Degradation of water quality can make water harmful or unusable for humans and ecosystems. Although many studies have assessed the effect of individual constituents or narrow suites of constituents on freshwater systems, no consistent, comprehensive assessment exists over the wide range of water-quality effects on water availability. Using published studies, data, and models completed at…

Authors

Melinda L. Erickson, Olivia L. Miller, Matthew J. Cashman, James R. Degnan, James E. Reddy, Anthony J. Martinez, Elmera Azadpour

January 15, 2025

The National integrated water availability assessment, water years 2010–20

Water availability is fundamentally important to human well-being, economic vitality, and ecosystem health. Because of its central importance, the U.S. Congress tasked the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other Federal agencies with conducting regular, comprehensive assessments of water availability in the United States through the requirements under the SECURE Water Act. In response to…

Authors

Edward G. Stets, Althea A. Archer, James R. Degnan, Melinda L. Erickson, Galen Gorski, Laura Medalie, Martha A. Scholl

January 5, 2025

Automating physics-based models to estimate thermoelectric-power water use

Thermoelectric (TE) power plants withdraw more water than any other sector of water use in the United States and consume water at rates that can be significant especially in water-stressed regions. Historical TE water-use data have been inconsistent, incomplete, or discrepant, resulting in an increased research focus on improving the accuracy and availability of TE water-use data using…

Authors

Melissa A. Harris, Timothy H. Diehl, Lillian Gorman Sanisaca, Amy E. Galanter, Melissa Lombard, Kenneth Skinner, Catherine A. Chamberlin, Brendan A. McCarthy, Richard G. Niswonger, Jana Stewart, Kristen J. Valseth

MIL OSI USA News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: World Tuberculosis (TB) Day: Minister West’s speech

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

Speech

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day: Minister West’s speech

To mark World TB Day, Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, spoke at a reception hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global TB.

I wanted to thank everybody in this room for their efforts to fight this terrible disease, from finding and treating patients, to working on the new drugs and methods we need to combat TB.

We know it will take strong and united efforts to stamp out this age-old disease – so thank you for the important roles you play.

Now, I’ll begin by addressing the elephant in the room – the fact that the government will be lowering its spend on international development.

At this time of profound change, with conflicts overseas undermining security and prosperity at home, the Prime Minister had to make this very difficult decision. He was clear this was not an announcement he wanted make.

We are all proud of Britain’s record on development around the world, including when it comes to fighting TB.

Our support to the TB Alliance has led to game-changing research and development with new and better treatments being rolled out around the world – including within our own NHS.

Our support to brilliant organisations like MedAccess, Unitaid and the Clinton Health Access Initiative has driven down prices and improved access to critical drugs and diagnostics. All increasing the impact of our substantial investment in the Global Fund.

As the Prime Minister said, we will do all we can to move towards rebuilding our capacity when it comes to development.

And we remain determined to help the most vulnerable people.

As Minister for the Indo-Pacific region, I am painfully aware of the devastation that TB continues to wreak, particularly in the poorest communities.

This is one of the reasons why I am so committed to supporting the Global Fund, which provides more than three-quarters of all international funding to combat TB.

This is making a real impact – deaths have fallen by 40 per cent over the past two decades in countries where the Global Fund invests.

The UK is proud to be a founding and significant donor. And we are very glad that later this year we will co-host the Global Fund’s eighth replenishment together with South Africa. That joint convening role we’re looking forward to playing very much.

Deputy High Commissioner, I am delighted that our countries are working together on this as the firmest of friends and partners on the international stage.

I know our teams will be collaborating closely behind the scenes to make the replenishment the biggest possible success.

And we want to work with all the people in this room. Everyone here has an important part to play in the fight against TB.

We know the stakes are high – we have to make this moment count.

Because the world is off-track when it comes to our goal of ending TB by the end of this decade. There is still time however, to make significant progress.

We are making big steps forward in finding the tools we need to prevent, diagnose and treat this disease. But we need much greater political will from countries with the ability to finance their own fight.

And we need a successful Global Fund replenishment to support those who need it most. There is a huge amount we can do by 2029 and we must continue to press our efforts to reduce new cases of TB by more than a quarter and deaths by more than a half, while finding and treating nearly 20 per cent more TB patients.

So, together with South Africa we will use our convening power to galvanise global efforts in this pivotal year.

I hope that by the time the world marks the next TB Day, we will have further progress to celebrate.

Thank you.

Updates to this page

Published 25 March 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Democratic Doctors Condemn Mass Layoffs at HHS, FDA, and CDC
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

Firings affect divisions that respond to disease outbreaks, approve drugs, and provide health insurance coverage
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Congressional Doctors Caucus released the following statement condemning RFK Jr.’s proposed mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warning of devastating consequences for public health and safety.

“Eliminating 25% of HHS staff, including scientists and researchers, weakens our ability to combat disease outbreaks, ensure food and drug safety, and advance life-saving medical innovations. These cuts come as we are facing active threats to our public health, including a rapidly expanding measles 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 –
April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Vascular Cannula Recall: Medtronic Removes Aortic Root Cannula Due to Unexpected Loose Material in the Male Luer

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

This recall involves removing certain devices from where they are used or sold. The FDA has identified this recall as the most serious type. This device may cause serious injury or death if you continue to use it.
Affected Product

Product Names:

DLP Aortic Root Cannula
MiAR Cannula
DLP Aortic Root Cannula with Vent Line

Unique Device Identifier (UDI)/Model:

DLP Aortic Root Cannula

20613994495451/11012
20613994495482/11014

MiAR Cannula

20613994495468/11012L
20613994495499/11014L

DLP Aortic Root Cannula with Vent Line

20613994495390/21012
20613994495406/21014

Lot Numbers: See Full List of Affected Devices below

What to Do

Do not use any unused Aortic Root Cannulas from affected lots.

On February 5, 2025, Medtronic sent all affected customers an Urgent Medical Device Recall letter recommending the following actions:
For Health Care Providers

Monitor patients who were previously supported using this device according to your normal follow-up procedures. There are no additional risks to patients who previously received support using an impacted device.

For Health Care Facilities

Review inventory for affected product lots.
Identify and quarantine all unused affected product.
Contact Medtronic Customer Service Return at 1-800-854-3570, Option 1 then Option 4, to arrange for return of unused affected product and credit.

The facility’s Medtronic sales representative can help with the return process as needed.

Complete the Customer Confirmation Form and send by email to RS.CFQFCA@medtronic.com, even if there is no affected product at the facility.
Share the notification with others at the facility and with other facilities who may have received affected product from your facility.
Keep a copy of the letter for facility records.

Reason for Recall
Medtronic is recalling Aortic Root Cannulas due to the risk for unexpected loose material in the male luer used in the cannula. The loose material has the potential to become dislodged and cause serious patient adverse health consequences, including injuries caused by delayed therapy, stroke, and death.
There have been no reported injuries and no reports of death.
Device Use
Aortic Root Cannulas are used for six hours or less during surgery with the heart-and-lung machine (cardiopulmonary bypass) . The cannula may also be used to remove air from the major artery (aorta) when a bypass procedure is finished.
Contact Information
Customers in the U.S. with questions about this recall should contact their Medtronic field representative or Customer Service at 1-800-854-3570.
Full List of Affected Devices

2022020438 2022030157 2022030297 2022030478 2022030747 2022040309 2022040902 2022050053 2022050697 2022050698 2022060347 2022061333 2022070054 2022070055 2022081070 2022081428 202209C071 202211C054 2023020719 2023020720 2023030372 2023031531 2023040161 2023040433 2023040806 2023041172 2023050066 202305C067 202307C101 2023100087 2023100234 2023100235 2023100489 2023100490 2023100876 2023111145 2023111146 2023120073 2023120484 2023120485 202312C018 2024011341 2024011342 2024011344 202401C303 202401C3042024020238 202402C163 2024030255 2024030256 2024030692 2024040471 2024040472 2024040473 2024040474 2024040475 2024040476 2024040575 2024051027 2024051028 2024051029 2024060711 2024060712 202406C113 202406C114 202407C087 2024100440 2024100441

2022010949 2022020094 2022020439 2022020440 2022031296 2022050367 2022050702 2022060276 202206C093 2022070409 2022070410 2022070411 2022070840 2022070841 2022071072 202207C093 2022080418 2022080815 2022081073 202209C066 2022110377 2022110378 2022110379 202301C158 202301C159 2023020394 2023040163 2023040435 2023040809 2023041174 2023041175 2023050068 2023050394 2023050395 2023050396 2023050790 2023051166 2023051167 202305C077 2023060413 2023060414 2023060416 2023060417 2023061123 2023061124 2023061125 2023061126 2023061327 202306C142 202306C143 202307C098 202307C099 2023080113 2023080115 2023080116 2023080118 2023080720 2023080721 2023080722 2023080724 202308C215 2023111148 2024010350 2024010351 2024010419 2024010566 2024010907 2024010908 202402C164 2024030495 2024030496 2024030693 2024030694 2024030695 2024030696 2024030964 2024030965 2024040576 2024040577 2024040807 2024050923 2024050924 202405C078 202405C088 2024060413 2024060414 2024060415 2024060416 2024071241 202407C089 202407C090 202409C108 202308C214

2022010947 2022020079 2022020081 2022020084 2022030745 2022030989 2022031294 2022040135 2022040136 2022040308 2022060274 2022070048 2022070049 2022070050 2022070051 2022070052 2022070053 2022080060 2022080414 2022090111 2022090112 2022090113 2022090114 2022090828 202209C072 202209C083 202211C036 2023021125 2023021126 2023021127 2023021128 2023021129 202304C091 2023070452 2023070455 2023070456 2023070457 2023070458 2023070461 2023070466 2023070954 2023070955 2023070956 2023070957 2023070958 2023070959 2023070960 2023070961 2023070962 2023070963 202308C216 202308C217 202310C187 2023110161 2023111071 2023111072 2023111073 2023111074 2023111075 2023111279 2023111280 2023111644 2023111645 2023111646 2023111647 2023111648 2023111649 2023111650 202312C209 202401C030 202401C031 2024030801 2024030803 2024030978 2024030979 2024030980 2024040008 2024040009 2024040029 2024040040 2024040041 2024040042 2024040043 2024040044 2024050060 202405C075 202405C076 202406C128 2024070439 2024070499 2024070501 2024080674 2024100439

2022010948 2022020086 2022020088 2022020091 2022030298 2022030479 2022030748 2022030990 2022031295 2022040310 2022050699 2022050700 2022050701 2022060275 2022061047 2022061048 2022070056 2022070408 202207C105 202207C106 2022080061 2022080415 2022080416 2022080417 2022081071 2022081072 202209C075 2022100740 2022100741 2022100742 2022100743 2022100744 2022100745 2022110052 2022110054 2022110055 2022110057 2022110714 2022110715 2022110716 202211C037 202301C133 202301C164 2023020721 2023020722 2023020723 2023020724 2023021130 2023021131 2023021132 2023030373 2023030374 2023031532 202303C270 202303C272 2023040162 2023040434 2023040807 2023040808 2023041173 2023050067 2023050391 2023050392 2023050393 2023050788 2023051165 202305C076 2023060113 2023060115 2023060116 2023060119 2023060120 2023060233 2023061326 202306C138 202306C140 202307C100 2023101327 2023101328 2023101329 2023101351 2023110217 2023110253 2023110294 2023110302 2023110318 2023110553 2023110554 2023110555 2023110556 2023110557 2023110558 2023110559 2023110560 2023111069 2023111070 2023111651 2023111652 2023111653 2023111654 2023111655 2023111656 2023120163 2023120165 2023121023 202312C210 202312C211 202312C212 202401C028 202401C029 2024020443 2024020444 2024020445 2024020446 2024020447 2024020448 2024020449 2024020450 2024020451 2024020452 2024020799 2024030344 2024030345 2024030346 2024030805 2024030807 2024030981 2024030982 202403C067 202403C068 2024050386 2024050387 2024050388 2024050389 2024050390 2024050391 2024050392 2024050753 202405C077 202406C112 2024070502 2024070503 2024070504 2024070505 2024070746 2024070747 202407C088 2024100985 2024100986 2024100987

2022011031 2022020476 2022020860 2022030187 2022030188 2022030342 2022030509 2022030796 2022040355 2022040942 2022050019 2022050095 2022050399 2022051040 2022051041 2022060388 2022060389 2022060761 2022060762 2022060763 2022060764 2022061357 2022061358 202206C139 202207C140 2022080099 2022080100 2022081112 2022081113 2022081450 2022081451 2022081452 202209C146 202209C149 202301C214 2023020764 2023020765 2023021173 2023021174 2023030170 2023030171 202303040720230309712023031039 2023031040 2023031041 2023031555 2023031556 2023031557 2023040199 2023040200 2023040201 2023040470 2023040471 2023040851 2023041219 2023041220 202304C103 2023050113 2023050114 202305C119 202305C120 202305C121 202306C184 2023070519 2023100245 2023100246 2023100511 2023100512 2023100896 2023100897 2023110464 2023110465 2023110467 2023110944 2023111164 2023111165 2023120093 2023120094 2023120095 2023120096 2023120097 2023120505 202312C034 202312C03520240113742024011375 2024011377 2024011378 202401C104 202401C136 2024020259 2024020260 2024030275 2024030276 2024030277 2024030278 2024030279 2024030502 2024030503 2024030504 202403C129 202403C130 2024040485 2024040486 2024040596 2024040597 2024051034 2024051035 2024051036 2024051284 2024051285 2024051286 2024051287 202405C115 202405C116 2024060539 2024070226 2024070519 2024080125 2024080390 2024080929 2024080930 202408C046 202408C047 202410C025 202410C026

2022011033 2022011174 2022020477 2022020861 2022020862 2022030343 2022030973 2022031019 2022031322 2022040356 2022040943 2022050026 2022050096 2022050400 2022051042 202205C067 2022060390 2022061078 2022061079 202206C140 2022070457 2022070458 2022070912 2022070913 2022071098 202207C141 2022080101 2022080102 2022080456 2022080952 202209C168 202209C171 2022110406 2022110425 2022110426 202301C208 202301C209 2023020364 2023020423 2023020424 2023020425 2023031042 202303C309 2023040202 2023040472 2023040852 2023040853 2023041221 2023041222 2023041223 2023050115 2023050116 2023050435 2023050436 2023050861 2023050862 2023050865 202305C122 2023060162 2023060163 2023060465 2023060466 2023061168 2023061169 2023061390 2023061391 2023061392 2023061393 202306C185 202306C186 202306C187 202307C133 202307C135 2023080188 2023080190 2023080723 202309C018 2023111166 2023111167 2024010335 2024010336 2024010435 2024010436 2024010578 2024010579 2024010931 2024010932 2024010933 2024010998 202403C131 202403C132 2024040598 2024040823 2024040824 2024040825 2024050941 2024050942 2024050943 2024051288 2024060291 2024060292 2024060293 2024060541 202406C117 202406C118 2024070994 202408C048 202408C049 2024090331 2024090658 2024090936 2024100069 2024100070 2024100071 2024100072 2024101042 202410C027

Additional FDA Resources

Unique Device Identifier (UDI)
The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from manufacturing through distribution to patient use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified, and problems potentially corrected more quickly.

How do I report a problem?
Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

Content current as of:
03/31/2025

MIL OSI USA News –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI: ServiceTrade Receives Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health for Second Consecutive Year

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DURHAM, N.C., March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ServiceTrade, a leading software platform designed to optimize commercial service business operations for growth and profit, is thrilled to announce its recognition as a recipient of the 2025 Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health by Mental Health America (MHA). This marks the second consecutive year the company has earned this honor. This prestigious award underscores ServiceTrade’s deep commitment to prioritizing employee well-being and fostering a mentally healthy work environment. This philosophy extends beyond its own team to the broader commercial service contracting industry.

ServiceTrade earned the Bell Seal at the Platinum level, joining a distinguished group of organizations dedicated to promoting mental health in the workplace. Since its inception in 2019, the Bell Seal has recognized hundreds of companies across a wide range of industries—including healthcare, government, nonprofit, and financial services—that have worked to improve their workplace cultures, policies, and practices based on employee feedback, benefiting millions of workers across the country.

A People-First Culture to Drive Industry Change

ServiceTrade’s focus on well-being stems from the company’s mission to support commercial contractors facing a growing shortage of skilled technicians. The ongoing skills gap presents a significant challenge for commercial mechanical, fire, and life safety contractors who rely on highly trained technicians. ServiceTrade’s software helps contractors streamline operations and create a supportive, technology-enabled work environment that helps retain their most valuable asset—their technicians.

“We understand that the success of our customers depends on the well-being and retention of their technicians,” said Amy Robertson, Chief People Officer of ServiceTrade. “By creating a positive, mentally healthy work environment at ServiceTrade, we’re investing in our team’s well-being and setting a standard for the contractors we serve. The Bell Seal reinforces a healthy workplace philosophy that provides work-life balance and opportunities to meet professional objectives and participate in collaborative teams, resulting in a thriving workforce. These values benefit not only ServiceTrade but also our customers and partners.”

ServiceTrade has surpassed the rigorous evaluation criteria set by Mental Health America in key areas to earn the Platinum level Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health. It has demonstrated excellence in workplace culture, mental health benefits, caring beyond compliance, and holistic wellness at work. ServiceTrade’s strategic focus on promoting employees’ well-being, fostering supportive management, implementing fair personnel procedures, and supporting professional development was instrumental in achieving this recognition.

Want to learn more about the ServiceTrade culture? Visit the links below:

About ServiceTrade

ServiceTrade, Inc. is a software platform for commercial mechanical, fire, and life safety contractors. During a chronic skilled labor shortage, ServiceTrade helps commercial contractors increase profit by improving service and project operations, increasing technician productivity, selling more service agreements, and growing customer loyalty. Located in Durham, North Carolina, ServiceTrade was founded in 2012 to automate and streamline the commercial mechanical and fire protection industry and has grown to have more than 1,300 customers. More than 10% of the commercial or industrial buildings in the United States are serviced by contractors using ServiceTrade. Learn more at www.servicetrade.com.

Media Contact:
Media@KTCMarketingandPR.com

The MIL Network –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI: A Survey by Spruce Reveals Social Media’s Growing Influence on Gen Z’s Financial Decisions, Highlighting a Generational Divide in Learning about Money
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Designated as National Financial Literacy Month, April is intended to raise awareness about the importance of financial education and to encourage healthy financial habits. Yet, a survey conducted by Spruce, the mobile banking app built by H&R Block¹^{, 2}, reveals many may be relying on platforms where virality is valued over validity. The findings underscore the growing role of digital content in shaping financial habits and the pressing need for reliable, accessible financial education in today’s technology-driven landscape.

The survey highlights a generational shift in financial education, with younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, increasingly turning to social media for financial tips and education, while older generations more heavily rely on traditional sources like family and banking institutions. The survey also revealed the impact of social media on their financial choices and their confidence in managing money. Despite the digital media shift, financial tools and apps remain essential across all generations.

“With nearly 70% of Gen Z influenced by financial trends on social media, it’s clear they are open to improving their financial knowledge, but it’s also imperative they have the capacity to discern fact from fiction, which is obviously difficult,” said John Thompson, Vice President, Spruce. “This Financial Literacy Month, we want to empower individuals to take control of their finances by offering a safe and accessible space to manage their money with Spruce as they learn, plan, and build a secure financial future.”

Financial Education Pivots from Tradition to Trends

The survey data paints a clear picture: traditional sources of financial education are being supplemented—and in some cases, supplanted—by newer sources, often on platforms where the origin or the validity of the guidance may not be clear.

Parents and banking institutions remain the most common sources of financial education. While the landscape is evolving, key findings highlight a critical gap in formal education:
- 31% of respondents cite family members as the main source for financial guidance
- 29% of respondents turn first to banks
- only 13% of respondents reported learning about personal finance in school, highlighting a critical gap in financial literacy programs.
Social media, however, has become an increasingly popular source of financial information, particularly among younger generations, with 16% of all respondents looking to social media for financial education.
- Gen Z leads the charge as 33% note that they look to social media for financial education
- Millennials follow closely behind at 23%
Viral Tips on Social Sway Financial Behaviors

The survey also explored the impact of social media trends on financial behavior, examining the influence of viral concepts, which includes ideas like soft saving, loud budgeting, cash stuffing, and doom spending on consumer choices.

These viral trends have proven to play a significant role in shaping financial behaviors, with 37% of respondents admitting they have been swayed by social media and tried a finance trend they discovered online.
- The influence of these trends varies dramatically across generations, with Gen Z impacted the most at 68%
- 51% of Millennials and 27% of Gen X cite being inspired to try social media finance trends
- While not as likely as other generations, 12% of Boomers still noted being influenced to partake in a financial trend
Among the platforms driving this shift, TikTok (39%) and Instagram (34%) are the most popular sources of financial information for Gen Z, followed by Facebook (23%) and even podcasts (17%). These findings highlight the growing impact of digital content on personal finance decisions, particularly among younger generations.

Digital Tools Bolster Financial Management

Online financial tools and apps have become essential for money management, with Millennials and Gen Z being the most likely to utilize them for everyday matters such as keeping track of a budget, planning for the future or establishing savings. Credit score monitoring emerged as the most common use case among respondents (38%). Budgeting was cited as a key priority, with 29% of respondents using financial tools or apps to track their expenses.

However, reliance on digital financial tools extends beyond convenience—confidence in making major financial decisions is bolstered by the use of online tools or apps. From our findings, 66% of Gen Z share that they are not confident or only somewhat confident in making large decisions without digital assistance. These findings highlight the increasing role of technology in empowering individuals across all generations to manage their finances with greater confidence and ease. Furthermore, many of the traditional rules-of-thumb for financial management are becoming out of reach, and tools to support decision-making become even more critical when thinking through more nuanced choices in a more complicated financial world.

With 70% of American households working to become “financially healthy,”³ selecting the right resources that promote sound financial practices is essential. According to John Thompson for many people this can start with selecting a mobile banking solution with no sign-up fees, no minimum balance requirements, and no monthly fees, while also offering features, such as the Watchlist budget tracker and multiple saving goals, that can aid in financial planning and management.

“We purposefully designed Spruce to remove barriers to accessing useful banking tools, such as the ability to customize saving goals, earn high-yield interest and provide access to innovative tools and features that can help improve financial wellness such as the ability to set spending guardrails, jumpstart savings with a tax refund allocation, and view credit score insights⁴ at any time,” said Thompson. “By opting into savings with 3.50% APY,⁵ you can build your savings faster than at the national average rate⁶.”

To learn more about Spruce’s saving, budgeting, spending, and other financial-planning features, and how you can make your money go further, visit sprucemoney.com. To take advantage of the many secure and innovative tools offered through Spruce, sign up here. To get access to financial articles vetted by experts, head over to sprucemoney.com/resource-center/news/.

¹Spruce fintech platform is built by H&R Block, which is not a bank. Spruce℠ Spending and Savings Accounts established at, and debit card issued by, Pathward^®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard^®. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated.

²Research conducted with Morning Consult via online research on the omnibus fielded in March 2025 among a national sample of 2,200 adults. All data are weighted to their respective representative sample on age, ethnicity/race, education, and region based on in-market available data (such as the U.S. Census). Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.

³Research conducted by the Financial Health Network: Financial Health Pulse® 2024 U.S. Trends Report.

⁴Credit score is FICO® Score 8 based on Experian data. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO Score than FICO Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. FICO® is a trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation. This is a separate service from your Spruce Spending and Savings accounts, provided by Pathward^®, N.A., Member FDIC.

⁵The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 04/02/2025. This rate is variable and can change without notice. Fees may reduce earnings. To start earning interest on your Spruce Savings Account, simply opt in through the Spruce app or at sprucemoney.com.

⁶Based on FDIC average national savings rate as of 04/02/2025.

About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News.

About Spruce
Spruce helps you stay in control of your money through spending and savings accounts backed by technology that provides budgeting tools, automatic saving options, and financial insights that help you be good with money. To learn more, see sprucemoney.com/features.

About Pathward^®
Pathward^®, N.A., a national bank, is a subsidiary of Pathward Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASH). Pathward is a U.S.-based financial empowerment company driven by its purpose to power financial inclusion. Pathward strives to increase financial availability, choice and opportunity across our Partner Solutions and Commercial Finance business lines. The strategic business lines provide support to individuals and businesses. Learn more at Pathward.com.

The MIL Network –
April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI: The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN) and Green Rain Solar Inc. Partner with Chronical Electric to Bring High-Speed EV Charging and Battery Storage to Rochester, NY
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Key Highlights:
- Transforming Urban EV Infrastructure with Smart Charging Solutions
  The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN) and Green Rain Solar Inc. have partnered with Chronical Electric to launch a high-speed electric vehicle (EV) charging station at 1600 West Ridge Road in Rochester, NY. Backed by a completed utility feasibility study and supported by Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), the project will feature Level 3 fast chargers, ensuring efficient and reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging for the community.
- Advancing Sustainability with Battery Storage Technology
  Incorporating cutting-edge battery storage solutions, this initiative aims to optimize energy usage, reduce operational costs, and prevent grid overloads. By storing renewable energy during periods of low demand and supplying it during peak hours, the project enhances grid resilience while supporting clean transportation. This innovation aligns with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), unlocking tax credits and expanding EV access in underserved areas.
- Promoting Environmental Equity and Clean Transportation
  Committed to reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality, The Now Corporation’s project directly addresses pollution-related health concerns in underserved communities. By introducing sustainable energy infrastructure, the initiative not only fosters environmental stewardship but also serves as a replicable model for clean energy adoption across the U.S.
PASADENA, Calif., March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN), through its renewable energy subsidiary, Green Rain Solar Inc., is making groundbreaking progress in expanding electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in underserved communities. The company is pleased to announce that it has completed a utility feasibility study for its flagship electric vehicle (EV) charging project at 1600 West Ridge Road in Rochester, New York, confirming the site’s ability to support Level 3 fast chargers.

This milestone was achieved through a strategic collaboration with Chronical Electric and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) Utility, ensuring the necessary power capacity for the high-speed chargers. In a major leap forward, the project will also feature battery storage technology, designed to optimize energy usage, stabilize the grid, and enhance charging reliability.

DCFC EV Charging Stations – Chronical Electric

Pioneering a New Era of Smart EV Charging

This initiative aligns with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which prioritizes clean energy investments in underserved areas by offering substantial tax credits. By leveraging the RG&E Make-Ready Program, The Now Corporation is significantly lowering infrastructure costs, making it easier and more cost-effective to deploy EV charging stations in communities that need them most.

Load Management Technologies Incentive program (LMTIP) for electric vehicle charging

“This is a transformative moment for Green Rain Solar and The Now Corporation,” said Alfredo Papadakis, CEO of The Now Corporation. “We are not just building EV charging stations—we are creating a sustainable energy ecosystem. By integrating battery storage, we’re ensuring that these chargers operate efficiently, reduce grid strain, and maximize renewable energy utilization. This is the future of clean transportation.”

Battery Storage: The Key to Sustainable EV Infrastructure

The integration of battery storage technology at the 1600 West Ridge Road project marks a major advancement in grid-friendly EV charging solutions. This innovative system will:
- Reduce demand charges, lowering operational costs for both businesses and consumers
- Enhance grid stability, preventing overloads and blackouts
- Maximize renewable energy usage, storing excess solar and wind power for peak times
By storing energy during low-demand periods and releasing it when needed, the site will ensure that EV drivers have access to reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly charging options—without overburdening the local power grid.

A Cleaner, Healthier Future for Rochester and Beyond

This project is about more than just technology—it’s about community impact. Rochester’s underserved neighborhoods, like many across the U.S., face higher levels of air pollution, contributing to asthma and other respiratory diseases. By expanding clean transportation options, The Now Corporation is actively working to reduce emissions, improve public health, and promote environmental equity.

The 1600 West Ridge Road site will serve as a national model for the future of smart, grid-optimized EV infrastructure. Moving forward, The Now Corporation and Green Rain Solar Inc. are exploring additional locations to replicate this success and further drive the clean energy revolution.

Leading the Charge Toward a Greener Future

The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN) remains committed to leveraging state and federal incentives to accelerate EV adoption, create economic opportunities, and support a nationwide transition to sustainable energy. With its innovative approach, strategic partnerships, and a focus on community-driven impact, this initiative represents a major step toward a cleaner, smarter, and more resilient future.

Stay tuned—The Now Corporation is powering the next generation of EV charging!

About The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN):
The Now Corporation is a diversified holding company focused on acquiring and developing innovative technologies and sustainable solutions. Through its subsidiaries, the company is committed to driving positive change in industries such as renewable energy, electric mobility, and advanced manufacturing.

About Green Rain Solar Inc.:
Green Rain Solar Inc., a subsidiary of The Now Corporation, specializes in the design, installation, and maintenance of solar energy systems and EV charging infrastructure. With a focus on sustainability and innovation, Green Rain Solar is dedicated to helping businesses and communities transition to clean energy.

For more information, visit: https://greenrainenergy.com/
FB: Green Rain Energy
YouTube: Green Rain Energy

Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements under the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements may include expectations for future events, financial results, and growth prospects, subject to risks and uncertainties. The Now Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable laws.

Press Contact:
Michael Cimino
Email: Michael@pubcopr.com

The MIL Network –
April 1, 2025

MIL-OSI: Investview, Inc. (“INVU”) Reports Full Year 2024 Financial Results, Operational Highlights and a Year-End Message from the CEO

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

$55.4M in Gross Revenue | $8.3M in Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities | Strong Balance Sheet |Share Repurchase Program and Strategic Expansion- for the year ended December 31, 2024

Haverford, PA, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Investview, Inc. (OTCQB: INVU), a diversified financial technology services company that offers multiple business units across key sectors, including a financial education division offering tools, products and content through a global network of independent distributors; a manufacturing division focused on proprietary aesthetics, health, nutrition, & cognitive wellness products for wholesale and retail markets, with strategic plans for global expansion; an early-stage online trading platform that intends to offer self-directed retail brokerage services; and a business unit that owns and operates a sustainable blockchain business focused on bitcoin mining, today reported its full-year 2024 financial results and shared highlights of key operational progress, strategic milestones, and forward-focused initiatives.

Summary Consolidated Financial Highlights:

Results of Operations and Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities – Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024 vs December 31, 2023

Gross Revenue (a Non-GAAP measure) decreased 24.0% to $55.4 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, as compared to $72.9 million for the comparable prior year period.
Net Revenue decreased 22.9% to $52.4 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, as compared to $67.9 million for the comparable prior year period.
Net income from operations decreased 63.2% to $1.7 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, as compared to $4.6 million for the comparable prior year period.
Net cash provided by operating activities increased 36.9%, reaching $8.3 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, as compared to $6.1 million for the comparable prior year period, reflecting the results of our disciplined business model.

Balance Sheet Data-December 31, 2024, vs December 31, 2023

Cash and cash equivalents increased by 7.4%, reaching $22.5 million for twelve months ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $1.6 million from $20.9 million at December 31, 2023, even after having repurchased $3.4 million of common stock and $1.1 million for the acquisition of substantially all the assets of Renu Laboratories Inc. during 2024. Our cash balances provide us with working capital that we can direct towards our strategic initiatives and growth investments.
Total assets at December 31, 2024 were $31.6 million, a decrease of $2.1 million from $33.7 million of assets at December 31, 2023, mainly due to non-cash depreciation and impairment charges relating to our mining servers and a decrease in deposits with vendors, partially offset by an increase our cash balance, an increase in Bitcoin holdings and the addition of a goodwill balance related to the acquisition of substantially all the assets of Renu Laboratories Inc.
Working Capital Balance increased by 30.8% to $16.2 million at December 31, 2024, an increase of $3.8 million from December 31, 2023.
Current Ratio is strong, up 14.3%, reaching 2.32 at December 31, 2024, an increase of 0.29 from our previous current ratio of 2.03 at December 31, 2023, confirming our strong balance sheet position.
Outstanding debt decreased by 10.0%, to $3.2 million at December 31, 2024, a decrease of $0.4 million, from the $3.6 million of debt at December 31, 2023, with total liabilities also decreasing by $0.5 million during the comparative period.
Total stockholders’ equity at December 31, 2024 was $17.2 million, a decrease of $1.6 million or 8.5% from the $18.8 of stockholders’ equity at December 31, 2023, mainly due to the repurchase of common shares during 2024.
Common stock issued and outstanding decreased by approximately 20.3% to 1.859 billion shares at the end of December 31, 2024, a decrease of 474 million shares from 2.333 billion shares at December 31, 2023, primarily attributable to strategic stock repurchases aimed at further reducing outstanding share count in an effort to enhance shareholder value.

Comments on our industry segments and business units

Our Financial Education and Technology Segment

iGenius recognized net revenue for the twelve months ending December 31, 2024, of $47.1 million. This reflects a decrease of 16.8% or $9.5 million less than the comparable prior year period. The decrease was largely attributable to a combination of shifts in consumer behavior and demand following the COVID-19 pandemic as individuals re-evaluated their spending priorities, lifestyle habits, and engagement preferences, as well as broader global macroeconomic changes that have caused a general slowdown in direct sales and home-based business. Despite the drop in revenue, we are hopeful that over time we can regain some of the ground that we have lost as we try to build our sales network organically and develop additional product and service offerings that we offer into our sales network. We firmly believe our direct selling model has broad scalable potential beyond financial education. As part of our strategic vision, we expect to be able to expand the product suite available through our sales network—particularly through the introduction of offerings from our myLife Wellness- health, beauty, and wellness division.

Our Blockchain Technology and Crypto Mining Products and Services Segment

SAFETek recognized net revenue for the twelve months ending December 31, 2024, of $5.2 million. This reflects a decrease of 54.2% or $6.2 million less than the comparable prior year period. The decrease in net revenue was the result of Bitcoin halving, which cut block rewards by 50%, an increase in network difficulty over 29%, and a government-mandated energy curtailment resulting from low hydroelectric reservoir levels in our host country.

Despite the challenging environment in which we now operate, in 2024, SAFETek produced 85.92 Bitcoin, navigating industry-wide headwinds including the April halving event, a sharp rise in network difficulty, and a government energy curtailment. While these factors impacted output, they also helped reduce power costs, turning a challenge into a cost-management initiative that we expect will serve us well over time.

Further, in 2024, we implemented strategic enhancements, including the retirement of older miners, deployment of next-gen ASICs, and consolidation of operations, significantly lowering our hash cost and strengthening our market position. As a result, we remain debt-free on all equipment purchases and maintain flexibility with our strong balance sheet, as we evaluate future expansion opportunities.

Despite the challenging environment, our long-term view of BTC mining remains cautiously optimistic, and we are maintaining a disciplined and strategic posture while preparing for future expansion should the economic environment return to prior levels.

Our Manufacturing and Development of Health, Beauty and Wellness Products Segment

In October 2024, we entered the over-the-counter health, beauty, and wellness market when our subsidiary, myLife Wellness Company (“myLife Wellness”), acquired the business of Renu Laboratories, Inc. (“Renu Labs”), a contract developer and manufacturer, producing both proprietary and non-proprietary health, beauty, and wellness products for third-party clients. This move creates the potential for us to extend our platform into consumer verticals, with a focus on aesthetics, nutrition, and cognitive health. Since the acquisition, we’ve strategically accelerated investment in Renu Labs’ technology, equipment, and talent, resulting in measurable improvements in production and operational efficiency.

myLife Wellness will serve as both the marketing and e-commerce platform engine for the products developed and manufactured by Renu Labs, with a focus on aesthetics, health, nutrition, and cognitive wellness. These products are expected to be distributed through both retail and wholesale channels. In addition to operating as a standalone platform, myLife Wellness also expects to be able to leverage retail, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer channels through collaboration with our affiliated business platform, iGenius, to promote and offer myLife wellness products to its global membership base and its customers, expanding reach and creating new revenue opportunities.

We plan to further the development and growth of both Renu Labs and myLife Wellness in 2025, as well as establishing our presence in the health and wellness industry and supporting our broader global growth objectives.

Our Financial Services Initiatives

March 2024 marked a major milestone in our fintech initiatives with the acquisition of Opencash Securities LLC—an early-stage registered broker-dealer. Although it has not yet achieved commercial operations, it is our objective to develop Opencash as a modern, mobile-first platform for low-cost, and commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs, and options, targeting accessibility and simplicity for retail investors worldwide. Currently, Opencash is progressing through clearing integration, infrastructure buildout, and testing in preparation for launch.

Our Opencash initiative is intended to complement our proprietary MPower Trading Systems- Prodigio trading engine, acquired in 2021, and once fully developed, may be expected to yield two synergistic platforms: Opencash for everyday users and OpencashPro for advanced traders. Together, they will offer a seamless, data-driven trading experience.

Message from Investview’s CEO – Victor Oviedo

2024 was a transformative year for Investview—one marked by strategic discipline and a focused commitment to delivering long-term shareholder value. Aligned with our capital allocation priorities, we successfully reduced our outstanding debt by 10%, or $0.4 million, bringing it to $3.2 million by year-end. Simultaneously, we advanced our shareholder-focused strategy through a significant reduction in common stock by repurchasing and retiring approximately 474 million shares, a 20.3% decrease in issued and outstanding shares, at a blended 53% discount to the market.

These actions reflect our continued focus on building intrinsic value while enhancing capital structure efficiency. Importantly, even after executing these initiatives, we concluded the year with a strong cash position of $22.5 million, providing us with both the resilience and flexibility to pursue appropriate investment opportunities, should they arise, pursue strategic acquisitions, and fund the continued development of our platforms.

Further, the Company recently announced in March 2025 the launch of a $1 million share repurchase program, reaffirming its confidence in the long-term value of its business. This initiative reflects management’s belief that the current market price of its common stock does not accurately reflect the Company’s underlying strength and growth potential.

Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment and industry headwinds, Investview continues to demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and long-term vision across its dynamic portfolio of business units—including financial education, wellness product manufacturing, sustainable blockchain mining, and a soon-to-launch online trading platform.

As we look to the future, our aspirations are clear: scale our highest-potential business segments, maintain financial strength, and unlock new sources of value across our ecosystem.

Entering the Wellness Market with myLife Wellness and Renu Labs

Our entry into the over-the-counter health, beauty, and wellness market reflects a strategic step in broadening our platform and aligning with growing consumer demand in key wellness categories. This expansion began when our subsidiary, myLife Wellness Company (“myLife Wellness”), acquired the business of Renu Laboratories, Inc. (“Renu Labs”), a contract developer and manufacturer of both proprietary and non-proprietary health, beauty, and wellness products for third-party clients.

The acquisition provides a pathway for us to extend into consumer verticals with a focus on aesthetics, nutrition, and cognitive health areas that complement our broader long-term growth objectives.

In addition to myLife Wellness operating as a standalone platform, myLife Wellness also expects to be able to leverage retail, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer channels through collaboration with our affiliated business platform, iGenius, to promote and offer myLife wellness products to its global membership base and its customers, expanding reach and creating new revenue opportunities.

Since the acquisition, we have made targeted investments in Renu Labs’ technology, equipment, and team. These enhancements have already contributed to improved production capacity and operational efficiency, laying a solid foundation for continued growth and development in this space.

Positioned for a Breakout Year in 2025 and Beyond

As we move into 2025, Investview is looking to accelerate growth and drive innovation across all verticals. Our key priorities include:

Launching the Opencash trading platform
Expanding iGenius’ global distribution network
Investing in new products and technology
Pursuing strategic and synergistic acquisitions
Maintaining a strong cash position and balance sheet discipline
We remain cautiously optimistic as to the long-term value of Bitcoin mining, and we intend to take deliberate steps to stabilize operations until favorable conditions return to support the business expansion.

We enter 2025 with a clear vision, and a strong sense of purpose. Our leadership team is aligned around innovation, execution, and long-term value creation. With $22.5 million in cash, reduced debt, and a motivated team, we are anxious to pursue new opportunities and unlock shareholder value.”

At Investview, we are not just building for today—we are shaping a future defined by possibility. We believe the best is yet to come.

About Investview, Inc.

Investview, Inc., a Nevada corporation, operates a financial technology (FinTech) services company, offering several different lines of business, including a Financial Education and Technology business that delivers a series of products and services involving financial education, digital assets and related technology, through a network of independent distributors; and a Blockchain Technology and Crypto Mining Products and Services business, including leading-edge research, development and FinTech services involving the management of digital asset technologies with a focus on Bitcoin mining and the new generation of digital assets. In addition, we are planning to create a Brokerage and Financial Markets business within the investment management and brokerage industries by, among others, commercializing on a proprietary trading platform we acquired in September 2021. For more information on Investview, please visit: www.investview.com.

About Opencash Securities LLC

Brokerage services are provided by Opencash Securities LLC, a member of FINRA and SIPC. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Please review Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options prior to engaging in options trading. Opencash Securities LLC does not provide investment advice. Please consult with investment, tax, or legal professionals before making any investment decisions. All investments involve risks, including the possible loss of capital. Check the background of this investment professional on BrokerCheck. Opencash Securities LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Investview, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statement

All statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies, and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. These forward-looking statements are based on Investview’s current beliefs and assumptions and information currently available to Investview and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements expect that we will ultimately be able to develop retail brokerage operations at Opencash, although it is currently in the pre-revenue and early stage of its operations. We plan to do this by, among others, investing the funds we believe are necessary to develop the infrastructure necessary to achieve retail operations. This includes, among others, the on-boarding of customer support personnel and software developers, the development and implementation of a marketing strategy, the securing of necessary securities clearing arrangements, and the continued development of the online Opencash trading platform and completing its integration with the proprietary algorithmic trading platform we acquired in September 2021. Despite our best efforts, there can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve these objectively on a timely basis, if at all, as the development of an early-stage securities brokerage business involves inherent regulatory and operational risks and uncertainties. Our forward-looking statements also assume that the curtailment in our hydroelectric energy supply will be addressed within the near term and will not continue to have a long-term negative impact on our Bitcoin mining operations, although we are unable to predict when our mining levels will return to pre-2024 levels. More information on potential factors that could affect Investview’s financial results is included from time to time in Investview’s public reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements made in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and Investview, Inc. assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in expectations, except as otherwise required by law.

Investor Relations
Contact: Ralph R. Valvano
Phone Number: 732.889.4300
Email: pr@investview.com

Reconciliation of Gross Revenue to Net Revenue (unaudited)

As used in this report, Gross Revenues are not a measure of financial performance under United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). Gross Revenues are presented as they are used by management to understand the total revenue before certain items such as refunds, incentives, credits, chargebacks and amounts paid to third party providers. The non-GAAP Gross Revenue measure is a supplement to the GAAP financial information. A reconciliation between Gross Revenue (non-GAAP) and Net Revenue is presented in the table below.

Gross Revenue (non-GAAP) to Net Revenue reconciliation for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 is as follows:

	Membership revenue			Mining revenue		Health and wellness product sales			Other Revenue		Total
Gross billings/receipts	$	50,086,839		$	5,186,606	$	110,856		$	23,404	$	55,407,705
Refunds, incentives, credits, and chargebacks		(3,025,549	)		–		(185	)		–		(3,025,734	)
Net revenue	$	47,061,290		$	5,186,606	$	110,671		$	23,404	$	52,381,971

Gross Revenue (non-GAAP) to Net Revenue reconciliation for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 is as follows:

	Membership Revenue			Cryptocurrency Revenue			Mining Revenue		Miner Repair Revenue		Total
Gross billings/receipts	$	60,516,836		$	990,785		$	11,348,156	$	23,378	$	72,879,156
Refunds, incentives, credits, and chargebacks		(4,480,784	)		–			–		–		(4,480,784	)
Amounts paid to supplier		–			(477,500	)		–		–		(477,500	)
Net revenue	$	56,036,052		$	513,285		$	11,348,156	$	23,378	$	67,920,871

The MIL Network –

April 1, 2025

MIL-OSI Global: 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg

A 2024 Unicef report found that 23% of South African children experience severe food poverty, eating less than two of the recommended five food groups per day. Unemployment, food insecurity, limited access to basic services and a lack of knowledge about nutrition all contribute to this. The lead researcher of this multidisciplinary study, Leila Patel, and collaborating researchers Matshidiso Sello and Sadiyya Haffejee suggest ways to tackle this dire situation.

What’s in place to protect children from poverty?

Since a call for prioritising the needs of children was adopted by the Mandela government in 1994, much progress has been made in expanding access to education, to immunisations, other primary healthcare services and social grants. Just over 13 million children now receive a child support grant. This has reduced child hunger rates from the high levels seen during the apartheid and immediate post-apartheid eras.

But the grant doesn’t get to all the children who qualify for it. Around 17.5% of eligible children still don’t receive it. Reasons include a lack of proper documentation, lack of awareness of eligibility criteria and insufficient outreach by government agencies to reach vulnerable populations.

Also, the grant isn’t close enough to the food poverty line, which is R796 (about US$43) per month per person based on the daily energy intake that a person needs. From 1 April 2025, the child support grant will increase to R560 (about US$30) per month per child.

Secondly, although school feeding schemes are in place, many children fall outside the net. Close to 10 million children in low income communities in South Africa have access to a school lunch via the National School Nutrition Programme. This programme is an excellent intervention which improves the health of children. However, in 2024, about a quarter of the children who are eligible did not receive school meals. Some of the reasons are procurement issues, funding delays, problems with provisioning, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, when school feeding ceased. Uptake has recovered to some extent but there is a need to improve the quality and effectiveness of the school feeding programme to improve nutritional outcomes.

You designed a system to help alleviate child poverty: what did it involve?

The South African Research Chairs Initiative and the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg implemented a study to strengthen social and care systems across health, education and social development. The project, which was started in 2020, involved tracking early grade learners and their caregivers in Johannesburg over a three-year period, looking at their health, material circumstances, food security, educational performance and mental health. Our research revealed a concerning picture of child hunger in Johannesburg, Africa’s wealthiest city.

The number of children in our study who went to bed hungry in the past week decreased from 13.7% in 2020 to 4.9% in 2022. Zero hunger was achieved in 2021 but it increased again in 2022 due to broader economic pressures like rising food prices and unemployment. While stunting rates showed a slight downward trend over the three years (from 13.5% in 2020 to 11.1% in 2022), we observed worrying increases in wasting, a severe form of malnutrition (from 5.6% in 2020 to 20.3% in 2022), and underweight (from 5.6% in 2020 to 11.4% in 2022).

Increases in wasting may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic and slow economic recovery. Nevertheless, the fluctuating figures underscore the complex interplay of factors contributing to severe child hunger.

The teams who worked on the project – called the Community of Practice intervention – set about creating a tighter, more supportive net around children experiencing severe and moderate risk. This integrated approach brought together government agencies, NGOs, schools, social workers, families and community leaders, to build sustainable solutions for child wellbeing.

The focus was on strengthening existing systems and fostering collaboration to ensure that children’s needs were identified and addressed effectively. On average, 157 children were reached each year over a three year period.

Read more:
COVID-19 has hurt some more than others: South Africa needs policies that reflect this

What did you find?

Several promising practices emerged from the collaborations, demonstrating the potential for positive change. These included:
- Strengthening school nutrition programmes by improving the quality and consistency of meals received and providing nutrition education through radio and WhatsApp messaging. More children had access to school meals.
- Tailored interventions: The team conducted screenings to assess the needs of children and their families. Children requiring specific interventions were referred to appropriate services such as child protection services and grants. Caregivers facing mental health challenges were connected to psychosocial support services, and families experiencing hunger were provided with food parcels by NGOs. Providing food top-ups for children resulted in zero hunger in the second year of the pandemic.
The number of children experiencing learning and social and emotional difficulties decreased between 2020 and 2022. Access to food and nutrition improved, higher vaccination rates were achieved and caregivers were more responsive to their health needs.

What does this tell you about what needs to change?

A significant barrier in addressing severe child poverty is the fragmentation of services across the Departments of Health, Basic Education and Social Development. Since the departments run standalone programmes, the synergies between the different social systems are not optimised. Children and their families who need additional support are often referred to the appropriate services, but there is poor follow-up.

The Integrated School Health Policy of 2012 makes provision for better coordination between these departments. But implementation has been uneven and poor in some instances. Improving and strengthening these inter-connected social systems of service provision across government departments is critical to improving child food poverty outcomes.

While managing food inflation, economic growth, job creation, and reduced inequality are important longer-term goals, immediate interventions are essential to address severe child food poverty. Failure to do so will compromise school progression and delay their overall health and social wellbeing. Simply improving economic indicators will not automatically translate to food on the table for every child; targeted interventions are vital.

Ending severe child hunger in South Africa demands a comprehensive and coordinated response, involving government, NGOs, community organisations, schools, and families themselves.

Leila Patel receives funding from the National Research Foundation for the Communities of Practice (CoP) study for social systems strengthening for better child wellbeing outcomes.

Matshidiso Valeria Sello receives funding from the Centre of Excellence in Human Development for a project on Household Economic Shocks.

Sadiyya Haffejee receives funding from the National Research Foundation.

– ref. 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts – https://theconversation.com/23-of-south-africas-children-suffer-from-severe-hunger-we-tested-some-solutions-experts-252566
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg

A 2024 Unicef report found that 23% of South African children experience severe food poverty, eating less than two of the recommended five food groups per day. Unemployment, food insecurity, limited access to basic services and a lack of knowledge about nutrition all contribute to this. The lead researcher of this multidisciplinary study, Leila Patel, and collaborating researchers Matshidiso Sello and Sadiyya Haffejee suggest ways to tackle this dire situation.

What’s in place to protect children from poverty?

Since a call for prioritising the needs of children was adopted by the Mandela government in 1994, much progress has been made in expanding access to education, to immunisations, other primary healthcare services and social grants. Just over 13 million children now receive a child support grant. This has reduced child hunger rates from the high levels seen during the apartheid and immediate post-apartheid eras.

But the grant doesn’t get to all the children who qualify for it. Around 17.5% of eligible children still don’t receive it. Reasons include a lack of proper documentation, lack of awareness of eligibility criteria and insufficient outreach by government agencies to reach vulnerable populations.

Also, the grant isn’t close enough to the food poverty line, which is R796 (about US$43) per month per person based on the daily energy intake that a person needs. From 1 April 2025, the child support grant will increase to R560 (about US$30) per month per child.

Secondly, although school feeding schemes are in place, many children fall outside the net. Close to 10 million children in low income communities in South Africa have access to a school lunch via the National School Nutrition Programme. This programme is an excellent intervention which improves the health of children. However, in 2024, about a quarter of the children who are eligible did not receive school meals. Some of the reasons are procurement issues, funding delays, problems with provisioning, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, when school feeding ceased. Uptake has recovered to some extent but there is a need to improve the quality and effectiveness of the school feeding programme to improve nutritional outcomes.

You designed a system to help alleviate child poverty: what did it involve?

The South African Research Chairs Initiative and the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg implemented a study to strengthen social and care systems across health, education and social development. The project, which was started in 2020, involved tracking early grade learners and their caregivers in Johannesburg over a three-year period, looking at their health, material circumstances, food security, educational performance and mental health. Our research revealed a concerning picture of child hunger in Johannesburg, Africa’s wealthiest city.

The number of children in our study who went to bed hungry in the past week decreased from 13.7% in 2020 to 4.9% in 2022. Zero hunger was achieved in 2021 but it increased again in 2022 due to broader economic pressures like rising food prices and unemployment. While stunting rates showed a slight downward trend over the three years (from 13.5% in 2020 to 11.1% in 2022), we observed worrying increases in wasting, a severe form of malnutrition (from 5.6% in 2020 to 20.3% in 2022), and underweight (from 5.6% in 2020 to 11.4% in 2022).

Increases in wasting may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic and slow economic recovery. Nevertheless, the fluctuating figures underscore the complex interplay of factors contributing to severe child hunger.

The teams who worked on the project – called the Community of Practice intervention – set about creating a tighter, more supportive net around children experiencing severe and moderate risk. This integrated approach brought together government agencies, NGOs, schools, social workers, families and community leaders, to build sustainable solutions for child wellbeing.

The focus was on strengthening existing systems and fostering collaboration to ensure that children’s needs were identified and addressed effectively. On average, 157 children were reached each year over a three year period.

Read more: COVID-19 has hurt some more than others: South Africa needs policies that reflect this

What did you find?

Several promising practices emerged from the collaborations, demonstrating the potential for positive change. These included:
- Strengthening school nutrition programmes by improving the quality and consistency of meals received and providing nutrition education through radio and WhatsApp messaging. More children had access to school meals.
- Tailored interventions: The team conducted screenings to assess the needs of children and their families. Children requiring specific interventions were referred to appropriate services such as child protection services and grants. Caregivers facing mental health challenges were connected to psychosocial support services, and families experiencing hunger were provided with food parcels by NGOs. Providing food top-ups for children resulted in zero hunger in the second year of the pandemic.
The number of children experiencing learning and social and emotional difficulties decreased between 2020 and 2022. Access to food and nutrition improved, higher vaccination rates were achieved and caregivers were more responsive to their health needs.

What does this tell you about what needs to change?

A significant barrier in addressing severe child poverty is the fragmentation of services across the Departments of Health, Basic Education and Social Development. Since the departments run standalone programmes, the synergies between the different social systems are not optimised. Children and their families who need additional support are often referred to the appropriate services, but there is poor follow-up.

The Integrated School Health Policy of 2012 makes provision for better coordination between these departments. But implementation has been uneven and poor in some instances. Improving and strengthening these inter-connected social systems of service provision across government departments is critical to improving child food poverty outcomes.

While managing food inflation, economic growth, job creation, and reduced inequality are important longer-term goals, immediate interventions are essential to address severe child food poverty. Failure to do so will compromise school progression and delay their overall health and social wellbeing. Simply improving economic indicators will not automatically translate to food on the table for every child; targeted interventions are vital.

Ending severe child hunger in South Africa demands a comprehensive and coordinated response, involving government, NGOs, community organisations, schools, and families themselves.

– 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts
– https://theconversation.com/23-of-south-africas-children-suffer-from-severe-hunger-we-tested-some-solutions-experts-252566

MIL OSI Africa –
April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Professor Galina Tokunova awarded the title of “Honored Worker of Higher Education”

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

By decree of the President of Russia, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management of SPbGASU Galina Tokunova was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Worker of Higher Education of the Russian Federation”.

Galina Fedorovna is a Doctor of Economics, author and co-author of more than 100 published scientific and educational works, including three monographs, 93 scientific articles and three educational and methodological manuals.

We congratulate Galina Fedorovna on being awarded the honorary title and wish her further success in her scientific and teaching activities.

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 –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI: iRhythm Unveils New Real-World Data at ACC.25 Demonstrating the Benefits of Zio® Long-Term Continuous Monitoring for Arrhythmia Detection
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN FRANCISCO, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRTC) today announced results from two large real-world retrospective analyses presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2025 Scientific Sessions in Chicago, IL. Drawing on data from more than 1.1 million patients who used iRhythm’s Zio^® long-term continuous monitoring (LTCM) ECG devices, these studies demonstrate that short-term (24–48-hour) monitoring, such as with Holter devices, fails to detect a significant proportion of actionable arrhythmias—even in patients reporting “daily symptoms”—and that Symptom–Rhythm Correlation (SRC) is notably low for most arrhythmias, underscoring that selection of monitoring duration based on the frequency of symptoms alone can lead to undetected (missed) actionable¹ arrhythmias. Together, these findings highlight the benefits of Zio^® long-term continuous monitoring (LTCM)² and the limitations in 24–48-hour Holter monitoring still prevalent in current clinical practices and payer policies.

Zio LTCM “Daily Symptoms” Study: Gaps in Short-Term Holter Monitoring
- 64% Undetected in the First 48 Hours: Among daily-symptom patients—those with daily or greater symptom frequency— diagnosed with actionable arrhythmias, nearly two-thirds went undetected through two days monitoring—indicating that 24–48-hour monitoring, such as with Holter, would have failed to detect them.
- Higher Yield for Non-Daily Symptom Patients: Non-daily symptom patients—those with symptoms occurring with a frequency less than once per day—had an 80.9% arrhythmia yield versus 69.1% in daily-symptom patients, demonstrating that greater symptom frequency does not necessarily reflect increased arrhythmia burden.
- Mean Time to First Episode Exceeds 48 Hours: Across all arrhythmia types, the mean time to the first detected episode was greater than 48 hours—regardless of symptom frequency—underscoring the limitations of short-term monitoring.
Zio LTCM “Symptom–Rhythm Correlation (SRC)” Study: Symptoms Alone Are Unreliable
- Less Than 20% Correlation: In most arrhythmia types, fewer than one in five patients in the analysis documented a symptom coinciding with an arrhythmic episode. Symptom-rhythm correlation was higher for patients reporting daily vs. non-daily symptoms.
- AF Often Asymptomatic: Even for atrial fibrillation (AF)—the most commonly symptomatic arrhythmia—over half of all cases were asymptomatic.
- Serious Arrhythmias Frequently Not Correlated with Symptoms: Ventricular tachycardia, AV block, and significant pauses were frequently detected by Zio LTCM without patient-reported symptoms, suggesting that selection of monitor duration should not be based on symptom frequency alone, and that long-term continuous monitoring may offer advantages over other monitoring types with shorter duration or those which rely on patient triggered events to initiate recording.
“These findings challenge the long-held assumption that frequent symptoms justify short-duration monitoring,” said Mintu Turakhia, MD, iRhythm Chief Medical and Scientific Officer and EVP of Product Innovation. “They reinforce the limitations of Holter-duration monitoring and highlight the value of Zio long-term continuous monitoring up to 14 days. Once again, iRhythm’s real-world data are contributing evidence that can help guide both clinical practice and payer policy.”

Arrhythmias: A Growing Burden for Patients and Health Systems

Up to five percent of the general population—around 16 million Americans—experience arrhythmias,³ in which the heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, or sporadically. If left untreated, certain arrhythmias can damage the heart, brain, or other organs⁴ and increase the risk of stroke or death.⁵^,⁶^,⁷ Beyond these clinical concerns, the financial toll of undiagnosed arrhythmias is substantial. It’s estimated that undiagnosed atrial fibrillation alone costs the U.S. $3 billion per year,⁸ while heart failure costs could reach $70 billion by 2030.⁹ Taken together, these figures illustrate both the clinical urgency and health-economic rationale for long-term continuous monitoring.

Implications for Clinical Care and Payer Policy

While 24–48-hour Holter monitoring is widely used in current clinical practice and historically supported by payer policies—especially for patients reporting daily symptoms—these new findings indicate that 64% of daily-symptom patients with actionable arrhythmias remain undetected following the first 48 hours of monitoring, which could lead to missed diagnoses and delayed care. In contrast, Zio LTCM provides uninterrupted, continuous monitoring for up to 14 days, enabling more accurate and timely detection of actionable arrhythmias. The Cardiac Ambulatory Monitor EvaLuation of Outcomes and Time to Events (CAMELOT) study, published in the American Heart Journal, further demonstrated that Zio LTCM service had the highest yield of specified arrhythmia diagnosis and the lowest likelihood of repeat testing compared to all other monitoring services.¹⁰^,¹¹^,¹²^,¹³ As healthcare systems increasingly adopt value-based care models, extending monitoring beyond 48 hours can improve patient outcomes, reduce missed diagnoses, and help contain healthcare resource utilization.

New Data Add to iRhythm’s Clinical Evidence Base for LTCM

These new data build on iRhythm’s comprehensive clinical evidence program, encompassing more than 125 original research manuscripts,¹⁴ insights derived from over 2 billion hours of curated heartbeat data¹⁵ and more than 10 million patient reports posted since the company’s inception—underscoring the company’s ongoing commitment to expanding evidence that supports improved patient outcomes.

About the iRhythm Studies Presented at ACC.25

“Arrhythmias in Patients with Daily vs. Non-Daily Symptoms Undergoing Long-Term Continuous Patch ECG Monitoring”

Holter monitoring of 24-48 hours remains in common use for patients with frequent or daily symptoms based on clinician or payer preferences. This retrospective cohort study sought to determine the percentage of arrhythmias detected by LTCM before and after 48 hours of monitoring in patients with daily (≥ 1/day) and non-daily (<1/day) symptoms. Researchers compared yield in patients ≥18 years prescribed a Zio^® monitor or Zio® XT LTCM worn for >7 to 14 days from June 2023 to July 2024. These devices include a patient-activated button to document symptomatic episodes. Symptom frequency was measured as button presses/day and stratified by daily (≥1/day) or non-daily (<1/day). ECG data was analyzed via a deep-learned AI algorithm and confirmed by cardiographic technicians. Nearly two thirds (64%) of daily-symptom patients with actionable arrhythmias were undetected in the first 48 hours and the man time to first detected arrhythmia was >48 hours for all arrhythmia types, regardless of symptom frequency, suggesting that Holter (<48 hour) may be inadequate even for these patients.

“Symptom-Rhythm Correlation Patterns in Patients Undergoing Ambulatory ECG Monitoring: Analysis of Over 1 Million Patients”

Symptoms are the most common indication for ambulatory cardiac monitoring, yet Symptom–Rhythm Correlation (SRC) has not been well described across various arrhythmias. Researchers assessed SRC in patients ≥18 years who wore a Zio^® monitor or Zio^® XT LTCM for >7 to 14 days between June 2023 and July 2024. These devices include a patient-activated button to mark symptomatic episodes, and episodes within ±45 seconds of a recorded arrhythmia were considered rhythm-correlated. ECG data was analyzed via a deep-learned AI algorithm and confirmed by cardiographic technicians. Atrial fibrillation (AF) and ectopic beats were the rhythms most-correlated with patient symptoms. Overall symptom-rhythm correlation was low (i.e., <20% for most rhythms), but higher for patients with Daily Symptoms than Non-Daily Symptoms.

About iRhythm Technologies
iRhythm is a leading digital health care company that creates trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease. Combining wearable biosensors and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms, iRhythm distills data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information. Through a relentless focus on patient care, iRhythm’s vision is to deliver better data, better insights, and better health for all. To learn more, please visit https://www.irhythmtech.com/.

Media Contact
Kassandra Perry
irhythm@highwirepr.com

Investor Contact
Stephanie Zhadkevich
investors@irhythmtech.com

¹ Actionable Arrhythmias defined as Atrial Fibrillation ≥30 sec, Supraventricular Tachycardia ≥90 bpm & ≥30s, Ventricular Tachycardia ≥100 bpm & ≥4 beats, any Ventricular Fibrillation, Pause ≥3 sec, and/or Atrioventricular Block (any 2nd Degree or Complete Heart Block).
² The Zio monitor is a prescription-only, single-use ECG monitor that continuously records data for up to 14 days. It is indicated for use on patients who may be asymptomatic or who may suffer from transient symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, pre-syncope, syncope, fatigue, or anxiety.
³ Desai et al. Arrhythmias. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; June 5, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32644349/
⁴ National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Arrhythmias – What Is an Arrhythmia? www.nhlbi.nih.gov. Published March 24, 2022. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/arrhythmias
⁵ Ataklte et al. Meta-analysis of ventricular premature complexes and their relation to cardiac mortality in general populations. The American Journal of Cardiology. 2013;112(8):1263-1270. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2013.05.065
⁶ Lin et al. Long-term outcome of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia in structurally normal hearts. PLOS ONE. 2016;11(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160181
⁷ Wolf et al. Atrial fibrillation as an independent risk factor for stroke: The Framingham Study. Stroke. 1991;22(8):983-988. doi:10.1161/01.str.22.8.983
⁸ Turakhia et al. Economic Burden of Undiagnosed Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in the United States. The American Journal of Cardiology. 2015;116(5):733-739. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2015.05.045
⁹ Heidenreich et al. Forecasting the Impact of Heart Failure in the United States: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation: Heart Failure. 2013;6(3):606-619. doi:https://doi.org/10.1161/hhf.0b013e318291329a
¹⁰ Reynolds et al. Comparative effectiveness and healthcare utilization for ambulatory cardiac monitoring strategies in Medicare beneficiaries. Am Heart J. 2024;269:25–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2023.12.002
¹¹ A specified arrhythmia refers to an arrhythmia encounter diagnosis as per Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) 96.

¹² Based on previous generation Zio XT device data. Zio monitor utilizes the same operating principles and ECG algorithm. Additional data on file.
¹³ Zio LTCM service refers to Zio XT and Zio monitor service.
¹⁴ Data on file. iRhythm Technologies, 2025.
¹⁵ Data on file. iRhythm Technologies, 2024.

The MIL Network –
April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Bird flu could be on the cusp of transmitting between humans − but there are ways to slow down viral evolution

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ron Barrett, Professor of Anthropology, Macalester College

Workers who are in frequent contact with potentially sick animals are at high risk of bird flu infection. Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Disease forecasts are like weather forecasts: We cannot predict the finer details of a particular outbreak or a particular storm, but we can often identify when these threats are emerging and prepare accordingly.

The viruses that cause avian influenza are potential threats to global health. Recent animal outbreaks from a subtype called H5N1 have been especially troubling to scientists. Although human infections from H5N1 have been relatively rare, there have been a little more than 900 known cases globally since 2003 – nearly 50% of these cases have been fatal – a mortality rate about 20 times higher than that of the 1918 flu pandemic. If the worst of these rare infections ever became common among people, the results could be devastating.

Approaching potential disease threats from an anthropological perspective, my colleagues and I recently published a book called “Emerging Infections: Three Epidemiological Transitions from Prehistory to the Present” to examine the ways human behaviors have shaped the evolution of infectious diseases, beginning with their first major emergence in the Neolithic period and continuing for 10,000 years to the present day.

Viewed from this deep time perspective, it becomes evident that H5N1 is displaying a common pattern of stepwise invasion from animal to human populations. Like many emerging viruses, H5N1 is making incremental evolutionary changes that could allow it to transmit between people. The periods between these evolutionary steps present opportunities to slow this process and possibly avert a global disaster.

Spillover and viral chatter

When a disease-causing pathogen such as a flu virus is already adapted to infect a particular animal species, it may eventually evolve the ability to infect a new species, such as humans, through a process called spillover.

Spillover is a tricky enterprise. To be successful, the pathogen must have the right set of molecular “keys” compatible with the host’s molecular “locks” so it can break in and out of host cells and hijack their replication machinery. Because these locks often vary between species, the pathogen may have to try many different keys before it can infect an entirely new host species. For instance, the keys a virus successfully uses to infect chickens and ducks may not work on cattle and humans. And because new keys can be made only through random mutation, the odds of obtaining all the right ones are very slim.

Given these evolutionary challenges, it is not surprising that pathogens often get stuck partway into the spillover process. A new variant of the pathogen might be transmissible from an animal only to a person who is either more susceptible due to preexisting illness or more likely to be infected because of extended exposure to the pathogen.

Even then, the pathogen might not be able to break out of its human host and transmit to another person. This is the current situation with H5N1. For the past year, there have been many animal outbreaks in a variety of wild and domestic animals, especially among birds and cattle. But there have also been a small number of human cases, most of which have occurred among poultry and dairy workers who worked closely with large numbers of infected animals.

Pathogen transmission can be modeled in three stages. In Stage 1, the pathogen can be transmitted only between nonhuman animals. In stage 2, the pathogen can also be transmitted to humans, but it is not yet adapted for human-to-human transmission. In Stage 3, the pathogen is fully capable of human-to-human transmission.
Ron Barrett, CC BY-SA

Epidemiologists call this situation viral chatter: when human infections occur only in small, sporadic outbreaks that appear like the chattering signals of coded radio communications – tiny bursts of unclear information that may add up to a very ominous message. In the case of viral chatter, the message would be a human pandemic.

Sporadic, individual cases of H5N1 among people suggest that human-to-human transmission may likely occur at some point. But even so, no one knows how long or how many steps it would take for this to happen.

Influenza viruses evolve rapidly. This is partly because two or more flu varieties can infect the same host simultaneously, allowing them to reshuffle their genetic material with one another to produce entirely new varieties.

Genetic reshuffling – aka antigenic shift – between a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza and a strain of human influenza could create a new strain that’s even more infectious among people.
Eunsun Yoo/Biomolecules & Therapeutics, CC BY-NC

These reshuffling events are more likely to occur when there is a diverse range of host species. So it is particularly concerning that H5N1 is known to have infected at least 450 different animal species. It may not be long before the viral chatter gives way to larger human epidemics.

Reshaping the trajectory

The good news is that people can take basic measures to slow down the evolution of H5N1 and potentially reduce the lethality of avian influenza should it ever become a common human infection. But governments and businesses will need to act.

People can start by taking better care of food animals. The total weight of the world’s poultry is greater than all wild bird species combined. So it is not surprising that the geography of most H5N1 outbreaks track more closely with large-scale housing and international transfers of live poultry than with the nesting and migration patterns of wild aquatic birds. Reducing these agricultural practices could help curb the evolution and spread of H5N1.

Large-scale commercial transport of domesticated animals is associated with the evolution and spread of new influenza varieties.
ben/Flickr, CC BY-SA

People can also take better care of themselves. At the individual level, most people can vaccinate against the common, seasonal influenza viruses that circulate every year. At first glance this practice may not seem connected to the emergence of avian influenza. But in addition to preventing seasonal illness, vaccination against common human varieties of the virus will reduce the odds of it mixing with avian varieties and giving them the traits they need for human-to-human transmission.

At the population level, societies can work together to improve nutrition and sanitation in the world’s poorest populations. History has shown that better nutrition increases overall resistance to new infections, and better sanitation reduces how much and how often people are exposed to new pathogens. And in today’s interconnected world, the disease problems of any society will eventually spread to every society.

For more than 10,000 years, human behaviors have shaped the evolutionary trajectories of infectious diseases. Knowing this, people can reshape these trajectories for the better.

Ron Barrett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Bird flu could be on the cusp of transmitting between humans − but there are ways to slow down viral evolution – https://theconversation.com/bird-flu-could-be-on-the-cusp-of-transmitting-between-humans-but-there-are-ways-to-slow-down-viral-evolution-250232

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Measles can ravage the immune system and brain, causing long-term damage – a virologist explains

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Peter Kasson, Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Measles infections send 1 in 5 people to the hospital. wildpixel/ iStock via Getty Images Plus

The measles outbreak that began in west Texas in late January 2025 continues to grow, with 400 confirmed cases in Texas and more than 50 in New Mexico and Oklahoma as of March 28.

Public health experts believe the numbers are much higher, however, and some worry about a bigger resurgence of the disease in the U.S. In the past two weeks, health officials have identified potential measles exposures in association with planes, trains and automobiles, including at Washington Dulles International Airport and on an Amtrak train from New York City to Washington, D.C. – as well as at health care facilities where the infected people sought medical attention.

Measles infections can be extremely serious. So far in 2025, 14% of the people who got measles had to be hospitalized. Last year, that number was 40%. Measles can damage the lungs and immune system, and also inflict permanent brain damage. Three in 1,000 people who get the disease die. But because measles vaccination programs in the U.S. over the past 60 years have been highly successful, few Americans under 50 have experienced measles directly, making it easy to think of the infection as a mere childhood rash with fever.

As a biologist who studies how viruses infect and kill cells and tissues, I believe it is important for people to understand how dangerous a measles infection can be.

Underappreciated acute effects

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases on the planet. One person who has it will infect nine out of 10 people nearby if those people are unvaccinated. A two-dose regimen of the vaccine, however, is 97% effective at preventing measles.

When the measles virus infects a person, it binds to specific proteins on the surface of cells. It then inserts its genome and replicates, destroying the cells in the process. This first happens in the upper respiratory tract and the lungs, where the virus can damage the person’s ability to breathe well. In both places, the virus also infects immune cells that carry it to the lymph nodes, and from there, throughout the body.

Measles can wipe out immune cells’ ability to recognize pathogens.

What generally lands people with measles in the hospital is the disease’s effects on the lungs. As the virus destroys lung cells, patients can develop viral pneumonia, which is characterized by severe coughing and difficulty breathing. Measles pneumonia afflicts about 1 in 20 children who get measles and is the most common cause of death from measles in young children.

The virus can directly invade the nervous system and also damage it by causing inflammation. Measles can cause acute brain damage in two different ways: a direct infection of the brain that occurs in roughly 1 in 1,000 people, or inflammation of the brain two to 30 days after infection that occurs with the same frequency. Children who survive these events can have permanent brain damage and impairments such as blindness and hearing loss.

Yearslong consequences of infection

An especially alarming but still poorly understood effect of measles infection is that it can reduce the immune system’s ability to recognize pathogens it has previously encountered. Researchers had long suspected that children who get the measles vaccine also tend to have better immunity to other diseases, but they were not sure why. A study published in 2019 found that having a measles infection destroyed between 11% and 75% of their antibodies, leaving them vulnerable to many of the infections to which they previously had immunity. This effect, called immune amnesia, lasts until people are reinfected or revaccinated against each disease their immune system forgot.

Occasionally, the virus can lie undetected in the brain of a person who recovered from measles and reactivate typically seven to 10 years later. This condition, called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, is a progressive dementia that is almost always fatal. It occurs in about 1 in 25,000 people who get measles but is about five times more common in babies infected with measles before age 1.

Researchers long thought that such infections were caused by a special strain of measles, but more recent research suggests that the measles virus can acquire mutations that enable it to infect the brain during the course of the original infection.

There is still much to learn about the measles virus. For example, researchers are exploring antibody therapies to treat severe measles. However, even if such treatments work, the best way to prevent the serious effects of measles is to avoid infection by getting vaccinated.

Peter Kasson receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the Swedish Research Council for research on other emerging viruses.

– ref. Measles can ravage the immune system and brain, causing long-term damage – a virologist explains – https://theconversation.com/measles-can-ravage-the-immune-system-and-brain-causing-long-term-damage-a-virologist-explains-252354

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 1, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Massive cuts to Health and Human Services’ workforce signal a dramatic shift in US health policy

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Simon F. Haeder, Associate Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University

The new plan will shrink the Health and Human Services workforce from more than 82,000 to 62,000 employees. Sarah Stierch via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

On March 27, 2025, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced plans to dramatically transform the department. HHS is the umbrella agency responsible for pandemic preparedness, biomedical research, food safety and many other health-related activities.

In a video posted that afternoon, Kennedy said the cuts and reorganization to HHS aim to “streamline our agency” and “radically improve our quality of service” by eliminating rampant waste and inefficiency. “No American is going to be left behind,” the health secretary told the nation.

As a scholar of U.S. health and public health policy, I have written about administrative burdens that prevent many Americans from accessing benefits to which they are entitled, including those provided by HHS, like Medicaid.

Few experts would deny that the federal bureaucracy can be inefficient and siloed. This includes HHS, and calls to restructure the agency are nothing new

Combined with previous reductions, these cuts may achieve some limited short-term savings. However, the proposed changes dramatically alter U.S. health policy and research, and they may endanger important benefits and protections for many Americans. They may also have severe consequences for scientific progress. And as some policy experts have suggested, the poorly targeted cuts may increase inefficiencies and waste down the line.

Health and science in a big-budget agency

HHS is tasked with providing a variety of public health and social services as well as fostering scientific advancement.

Originally established as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1953, HHS has seen substantial growth and transformation over time. Today, HHS is home to 28 divisions. Some of these are well known to many Americans, such as the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Others, such as the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Administration for Community Living, may fly under the radar for most people.

HHS oversees Medicare, through which 68 million Americans, primarily adults age 65 and older, receive health insurance benefits.
Richard Bailey/Corbis Documentary via Getty Images

With an annual budget of roughly US$1.8 trillion, HHS is one of the largest federal spenders, accounting for more than 1 in 5 dollars of the federal budget.

Under the Biden administration, HHS’s budget increased by almost 40%, with a 17% increase in staffing. However, 85% of that money is spent on 79 million Medicaid and 68 million Medicare beneficiaries. Put differently, most of HHS’ spending goes directly to many Americans in the form of health benefits.

A new direction for Health and Human Services

From a policy perspective, the changes initiated at HHS by the second-term Trump administration are far-reaching. They involve both staffing cuts and substantial reorganization.

Prior to the March 27 announcement, the administration had already cut thousands of positions from HHS by letting go probationary employees and offering buyouts for employees to voluntarily leave.

Now, HHS is slated to lose another 10,000 workers. The latest cuts focus most heavily on a handful of agencies. The FDA will lose an additional 3,500 employees, and the NIH will lose 1,200. The CDC, where cuts are steepest, will lose 2,400 positions.

In all, the moves will reduce the HHS workforce by about 25%, from more than 82,000 to 62,000. These changes will provide savings of about $1.8 billion, or 0.1% of the HHS budget.

Along with these cuts comes a major reorganization that will eliminate 13 out of 28 offices and agencies, close five of the 10 regional offices, reshuffle existing divisions and establish a new division called the Administration for a Healthy America.

In his latest message, Kennedy noted that this HHS transformation would return the agency to its core mission: to “enhance the health and well-being of all Americans”. He also announced his intention to refocus HHS on his Make America Healthy Again priorities, which involve reducing chronic illness “by focusing on safe, wholesome food, clean water and the elimination of environmental toxins.”

How HHS’ new reality will affect Americans

Kennedy has said the HHS overhaul will not affect services to Americans. Given the magnitude of the cuts, this seems unlikely.

HHS reaches into the lives of all Americans. Many have family members on Medicaid or Medicare, or know individuals with disabilities or those dealing with substance use disorder. Disasters may strike anywhere. Bird flu and measles outbreaks are unfolding in many parts of the country. Everyone relies on access to safe foods, drugs and vaccines.

The plan to restructure HHS will trim its budget by 0.1%.

In his announcement, the health secretary highlighted cuts to HHS support functions, such as information technology and human resources, as a way to reduce redundancies and inefficiencies. But scaling down and reorganizing these capacities will inevitably have implications for how well HHS employees will be able to fulfill their duties – at least temporarily. Kennedy acknowledged this as a “painful period” for HHS.

However, large-scale reductions and reorganizations inevitably lead to more systemic disruptions, delays and denials. It seems implausible that Americans seeking access to health care, help with HIV prevention or early education benefits such as Head Start, which are also administered by HHS, will not be affected. This is particularly the case when conceived rapidly and without transparent long-term planning.

These new cuts are also further exacerbated by the administration’s previous slashes to public health funding for state and local governments. Given the crucial functions of HHS – from health coverage for vulnerable populations to pandemic preparedness and response – the American Public Health Association predicts the cuts will result in a rise in rates of disease and death.

Already, previous cuts at the FDA – the agency responsible for safe foods and drugs – have led to delays in product reviews.

Overall, the likelihood of increasing access challenges for people seeking services or support as well as fewer protections and longer wait times seems high.

A fundamental reshaping of American public health

The HHS restructuring should be viewed in a broader context. Since coming to office, the Trump administration has aggressively sought to reshape the U.S. public health agenda. This has included vast cuts to research funding as well as funding for state and local governments. The most recent cuts at HHS fit into the mold of rolling back protections and reshaping science.

The Trump administration has already announced plans to curtail the Affordable Care Act and roll back regulations that address everything from clean water to safe vaccines. State programs focused on health disparities have also been targeted.

HHS-funded research has also been scaled back dramatically, with a long list of projects terminated in research areas touching on health disparities, women’s and LGBTQ-related health issues, COVID-19 and long COVID, vaccine hesitancy and more.

The HHS reorganization also revamps two bodies within HHS, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, that are instrumental in improving U.S. health care and providing policy research. This change further diminishes the likelihood that health policy will be based on scientific evidence and raises the risk for more politicized decision-making about health.

More cuts are likely still to come. Medicaid, the program providing health coverage for low-income Americans, will be a particular target. The House of Representatives passed a budget resolution on Feb. 25 that allows up to $880 billion in cuts to the program.

All told, plans already announced and those expected to emerge in the future dramatically alter U.S. health policy and roll back substantial protections for Americans.

A vision for deregulation

Regulation has emerged as the most prolific source of policymaking over the last five decades, particularly for health policy. Given its vast responsibilities, HHS is one of the federal government’s most prolific regulators. Vast cuts to the HHS workforce will likely curtail this capability, resulting in fewer regulatory protections for Americans.

At the same time, with fewer experienced administrators on staff, industry influence over regulatory decisions will likely only grow stronger. HHS will simply lack the substance and procedural expertise to act independently. More industry influence and fewer independent regulators to counter it will also further reduce attention to disparities and underserved populations.

Ultimately, the Trump administration’s efforts may lead to a vastly different federal health policy – with fewer benefits, services and protections – than what Americans have become accustomed to in modern times.

Dr. Simon F. Haeder has previously received funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) .

– ref. Massive cuts to Health and Human Services’ workforce signal a dramatic shift in US health policy – https://theconversation.com/massive-cuts-to-health-and-human-services-workforce-signal-a-dramatic-shift-in-us-health-policy-253316

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 1, 2025

Category: Health

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