NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Global: Doctor shortages have hobbled health care for decades − and the trend could be worsening

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rochelle Walensky, Bayer Fellow in Health and Biotech, American Academy in Berlin, Senior Fellow in the Women and Public Policy Program, Harvard Kennedy School

    Specialists across numerous fields of medicine are in short supply. sudok1/iStock via Getty Images

    Americans are increasingly waiting weeks or even months to get an appointment to see a health care specialist.

    This delay comes at a time when the population of aging adults is rising dramatically. By 2050, the number of adults over 85 is expected to triple, which will intensify the strain on an already stretched health care system. We wrote about this worsening challenge and its implications for the health care workforce in a January 2025 report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

    We are health care scholars who are acutely aware of the severe shortfall of specialists in America’s health care system. One of us, Rochelle Walensky, witnessed the consequences of this shortage firsthand as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from January 2020 to June 2023, during the critical early years of the pandemic.

    The COVID-19 pandemic brought the physician and overall health care workforce shortage to the forefront. Amid the excess daily deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19, many people died of potentially preventable deaths due to delayed care for heart attacks, deferred cancer screenings and overwhelmed emergency departments and intensive care units.

    Even before the pandemic, 80% of U.S. counties lacked a single infectious disease physician. Before going to the CDC, I – Dr. Walensky – was chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. When COVID-19 hit our hospitals, we were in desperate need of more infectious disease expertise. I was just one of them.

    At the local level, these infectious disease-trained subspecialists provide essential services when it comes to preventing and controlling transmissible outbreaks, carrying out diagnostic testing, developing treatment guidelines, informing hospital capacity planning and offering resources for community outreach. Each of these experts plays a vital role at the bedside and in systems management toward effective clinical, hospital and community responses to infectious disease outbreaks.

    Uneven health care outcomes and access

    For decades, experts have warned of an impending decline in the physician workforce.

    Now, Americans across all regions, specialties and socioeconomic backgrounds are experiencing that decline firsthand or personally.

    The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects a national shortage of 140,000 physicians by 2036, with that shortfall spanning multiple specialties, including primary care, obstetrics, cardiology and geriatrics.

    However, some geographic areas in the country – especially some of those with the poorest health – are disproportionately affected. The brunt of the effect will be felt in rural areas: An estimated 56% shortage is predicted in nonmetro areas, versus only 6% in metro areas.

    States such as Massachusetts, New York and Maryland boast the highest density of physicians per 100,000 people, while states such as Idaho, Mississippi and Oklahoma rank among those with the lowest. And even in states with the highest physician density, demand may still overwhelm access.

    Although doctor shortages do not necessarily cause poor health outcomes, regions with fewer physicians tend to have lower life expectancy. The mean life expectancy in Mississippi is six years lower than that of Hawaii and more than four years below the national average. This underscores the substantial differences in health outcomes depending on where you live in the U.S.

    Notably, areas with fewer doctors also see higher rates of chronic conditions such as chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes and poor mental health. This crisis is further exacerbated by the aging baby boomer population, which places increasing demand on an already strained health care system due to rising rates – especially among those over 85 – of multiple chronic diseases, complex health care needs and the concurrent use of multiple medications.

    Rural areas have always had lower access to medical care compared with urban centers, and this divide could get far worse with the looming physician shortage.
    Chalabala/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    How the US reached this point

    Some of these workforce challenges stem from the unintended consequences of policy changes that were originally aimed at improving the rigor of medical education or curtailing a once-anticipated physician glut.

    For example, the 1910 Flexner Report was commissioned to restructure American medical education with the goals of standardizing curricula and improving quality. While the report succeeded at those goals, it was shortsighted in important ways. For instance, it recommended closing rather than strengthening 89 of the 155 existing medical schools at the time. This created medical school deserts that persist in some U.S. regions to this day.

    Additionally, the report further divided the study of medicine, focused on disease, from the study of public health, which is focused on health care systems, populations and society. This separation has led to siloed communication and data systems that continue to hinder coordinated responses to public health crises.

    Decades after the Flexner Report, in 1980, policymakers anticipated a physician oversupply based on medical school enrollment projections and government investments in the medical workforce. In response, funding constraints were introduced by Congress to limit residency and fellowship training slots available after medical school.

    But by the early 2000s, discussions shifted to concerns about physician shortages. Despite the calls for reforms to address the issues more than a decade ago, the funding and training constraints have remained largely unchanged. These have created a persistent bottleneck in postgraduate medical training that requires acts of Congress to reverse.

    Primary care doctors provide continuity for patients; without them, people tend to experience more complex health care needs and poorer outcomes.

    Forces shaping the physician bottleneck

    In the wake of the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, states with restrictive abortion policies are now facing an emerging and troubling workforce challenge: It may get more difficult to recruit and retain tomorrow’s medical school grads.

    Research surveys suggest that 82% of future physicians, not just obstetricians, prefer to train and work in states that uphold abortion access. While it may seem obvious that obstetricians would want to avoid the increasing liabilities associated with the Dobbs decision, another point is less obvious: Most medical trainees are between the ages of 25 and 35, prime childbearing years, and may themselves want access to a full range of obstetric care.

    And given that 20% of physicians are married to other physicians and an additional 25% to other health professionals, marriage within the health care workforce may also play a substantial role. A physician choosing not to practice in one of the 14 states with limited abortion access, many of which already rank among the poorest in health outcomes and lowest in physician densities, may not only take their expertise but also their partner’s elsewhere.

    Shifting the trajectory

    The doctor shortage requires a combination of solutions, starting with addressing the high cost of medical education and training. Medical school enrollment has increased by only 10% over the past decade, far insufficient to address both the shortage today and the projected growth of the aging population needing care.

    In addition, many students carry large amounts of debt, which frequently limits who can pursue the profession. And existing scholarship and compensation programs have been only modestly effective in incentivizing providers to work in high-need areas.

    In our New England Journal of Medicine report, we laid out several specific strategies that could help address the shortages and the potential workforce crisis. For instance:

    Rather than the traditional medical education model – four years of broad medical training followed by three to seven years of residency – medical schools could offer more specialized training pathways. These streamlined programs would focus on the skills needed for specific medical specialties, potentially reducing training duration and costs.

    Reforming physician compensation could also help address imbalances in the health care system. Specialists and subspecialists typically earn substantially more than primary care doctors, despite the high demand for primary care. Raising primary care salaries and offering incentives, such as student loan forgiveness for physicians in high-need areas, could encourage more doctors to practice where they are needed most.

    Additionally, addressing physician burnout is crucial, particularly in primary care, where administrative burdens such as billing and charting contribute to stress and attrition. Reducing these burdens, potentially through novel AI-driven solutions, could allow doctors to focus more on patient care and less on paperwork.

    These are just an assortment of strategies we propose, and time is of the essence. One thing is certain: The U.S. urgently needs more doctors, and everyone’s health depends on it.

    Dr Rochelle P. Walensky is the Bayer Fellow in Health and Biotech, American Academy in Berlin. She reported receiving personal fees from Madryn Asset Management for serving as a senior policy advisor, Consonance Capital for serving as a senior advisory board member, and Doris Duke Foundation for serving as a trustee; consulting fees from Infectious Diseases Society of America; and nonfinancial support from The Carter Center for being a member of the board of directors outside the submitted work.

    Nicole McCann 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. Doctor shortages have hobbled health care for decades − and the trend could be worsening – https://theconversation.com/doctor-shortages-have-hobbled-health-care-for-decades-and-the-trend-could-be-worsening-251222

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Autistic stimming explained – and why stopping it can lead to burnout

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aimee Grant, Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow, Swansea University

    Many autistic people use everyday objects in repetitive ways. engagestock/Shutterstock

    Stimming – short for “self-stimulatory behaviour” – is a form of self-soothing commonly seen in autistic people. It can involve repetitive movements, sounds, or actions and is commonly regarded in medical literature as part of “rigid and repetitive behaviour”.

    This type of framing tends to cast stimming in a negative light, leading health professionals, teachers and even parents to try to stop it. But stimming is a vital self-protective strategy for autistic people, and suppressing it can have serious consequences.

    While stimming isn’t unique to autism, autistic people tend to stim more frequently and sometimes in more noticeable ways. It often involves physical movements such as hand-flapping, rocking, spinning or tiptoeing. Many autistic people also use different objects in repetitive ways, such as lining them up in patterns or keeping their hands busy with everyday items or stim toys.

    But stimming goes beyond movement – it can involve any of the senses. Some people stim through sound, repeating words or phrases because they are satisfying to say or hear. Others engage in “scripting,” like having conversations that follow a set pattern or re-watching favourite films for the comfort of predictability. Oral stims, such as chewing on pens, clothing or “chewllery” are also common.

    When considered in this broader sense, many people – autistic or not – have at least one form of stimming. Yet autistic children are often encouraged to stop theirs, with alternatives like keeping their hands in their pockets suggested instead. These substitutes don’t offer the same sensory input, however, and can make self-regulation more difficult.

    Many autistic adults report having lost their natural stims over time. This is either through conscious suppression or because they were conditioned to stop in childhood. Some still suppress stimming out of fear of negative reactions from others, despite it being beneficial to their wellbeing. There is also evidence that some autistic people are discouraged from stimming in the workplace.

    Masking

    The exact mechanisms behind stimming aren’t fully understood yet. But it is widely acknowledged that it provides soothing sensory input, helping autistic people cope with overwhelming environments. Suppressing stimming is uncomfortable and is one aspect of “masking”, which is the conscious or unconscious act of not doing natural autistic traits to avoid negative social consequences.

    Masking is particularly common among autistic women and has been linked to increased anxiety, burnout and even suicide. It can also affect education, work, relationships and overall quality of life.

    It’s crucial for society – especially parents, teachers and employers – to become more accepting of stimming. Research shows that greater understanding leads to greater acceptance.

    The only instances where intervention might be necessary are when stimming is self-injurious or poses a risk to others, in which case a safer alternative stim should be encouraged. Otherwise, the best response is simple – let people stim freely. And if you’re autistic, research shows you can use it to bond with other autistic people.

    So, if you see an autistic child or adult stimming, there’s no need to comment or intervene. My mum used to say that “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” – that principle that applies here too.

    Aimee Grant receives funding from receives funding from UKRI, the Wellcome Trust and the Morgan Advanced Studies Institute. She is a non-executive director of Disability Wales.

    – ref. Autistic stimming explained – and why stopping it can lead to burnout – https://theconversation.com/autistic-stimming-explained-and-why-stopping-it-can-lead-to-burnout-252088

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 31 March 2025 Departmental update WHO calls for urgent action on dementia among refugees and migrants

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new report, Dementia in refugees and migrants: epidemiology, public health implications and global health responses, which synthesizes the latest global evidence on the factors affecting the health and care of displaced populations and offers policy considerations to address these challenges. This is the sixth report in the Global Evidence Review on Health and Migration (GEHM) series.

    Dementia: A growing public health challenge

    Dementia affects over 57 million people worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases each year. It is the seventh leading cause of death and a major driver of disability among older people. While no cure exists, physical activity, social engagement, and some medications can help manage symptoms. However, people with dementia frequently face discrimination and barriers to care, highlighting the need for robust policies that safeguard their rights and ensure access to support services.

    Refugees and migrants with dementia face greater barriers to care

    For refugees and migrants, these challenges are even more pronounced. Many face limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care, disrupted support networks, and the compounded effects of migration-related stressors. A lack of cross-cultural assessment tools and limited specialist training for health care professionals contributes to underdiagnosis and undertreatment among refugees and migrants.

    As migration and forced displacement due to economic factors, conflict, climate change, and food insecurity intensifies, the number of older refugees and migrants is rising. Yet dementia in these populations remains largely overlooked in health policies and crisis response plans.

    Data and research on dementia prevalence and risk factors among refugees and migrants are scarce, making it difficult to design effective interventions. Without comprehensive, disaggregated data, health systems cannot tailor services to meet the needs of refugees and migrants.

    “Dementia care must be an integral part of migration and public health policies. Refugees and migrants have the same right to health as everyone else, yet too often face systemic barriers to care” said Dr Santino Severoni, Director of WHO’s Department of Health and Migration. “Urgent action is needed to ensure timely diagnosis, effective treatment, and appropriate support for both individuals and their carers.”

    Urgent action needed to address dementia in refugees and migrants:

    “Refugees and migrants, already vulnerable due to displacement, face additional risks when it comes to dementia” said Dévora Kestel, Director of WHO’s Department of Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use. “The report highlights the critical need for health systems and emergency responses to be equipped to address the unique barriers these populations face in accessing timely and appropriate dementia care”.

    The report synthesises available global evidence on dementia in refugees and migrants and puts forward a series of policy considerations to governments, policymakers, and programme managers in Ministries of Health and other ministries.

    • Policy and legislation: Ensure inclusion of refugees and migrants in national and regional dementia-related policies, legislation, and frameworks, and position dementia within broader health agendas addressing refugee and migrant populations.
    • Awareness and inclusion: Launch national and local campaigns and policy engagement to raise awareness of dementia in refugee and migrant communities. Develop dementia-friendly and dementia-inclusive environments, including in emergency displacement settings.
    • Risk reduction: Design and implement culturally and linguistically sensitive, evidence-informed interventions to lower dementia risk among refugees and migrants. Integrate dementia risk reduction into broader noncommunicable disease prevention policies and strengthen research on risk and protective factors.
    • Diagnosis, treatment, and care: Improve access to healthcare by addressing barriers to dementia diagnosis and treatment, particularly among refugees and migrants. Develop integrated care pathways and provide training for health and social care professionals working with refugees and migrants.
    • Support for carers: Implement training and legal protections for carers of refugees and migrants with dementia. Ensure access to care and support services, particularly in emergency settings, and involve family caregivers in care planning and policymaking.
    • Health information systems and monitoring: Strengthen national surveillance and monitoring systems to include data on dementia in refugees and migrants. Expand the evidence base on dementia prevalence and its public health implications in these populations, including addressing the priority evidence gaps brought forward in this Global evidence review.
    • Research and innovation: Prioritize dementia in refugees and migrants within the global research agenda. Increase investment and collaboration to develop innovative solutions tailored to their unique needs.

    This sixth report of the GEHM series was developed by WHO Health and Migration, in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health, Brain Health, and Substance Use. The GEHM series provides policymakers with evidence-based insights and policy considerations to address the health needs of refugees and migrants

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CAMHS Annual Report 2024 published31 March 2025 The Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service, CAMHS, Annual Report 2024 has been published and can be viewed here. Minister for Children and Families, Connétable Richard Vibert said: “I… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    31 March 2025

    The Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service, CAMHS, Annual Report 2024 has been published and can be viewed here. 

    Minister for Children and Families, Connétable Richard Vibert said: “I am pleased to present the 2024 CAMHS Annual Report. As Minister for Children and Families, I remain committed to ensuring that Children and Young People in Jersey are supported to enjoy the best mental health and wellbeing.

    “The Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) continues to be extremely busy and in-demand. The statistical performance compared with UK data is pleasing, and progress described in JCC inspection reports also shows a clearly improving and evolving service. 

    “I hope, as an island, we continue to work collectively to create an environment where every child and young person feels empowered to seek help, share their experiences, and know they are not alone. Together, we will continue to work hard to build a healthier, more resilient future for all.” 

    Key highlights within the report: 

    • The team has expanded and now includes 75 full-time members of staff 
    • The Duty and Assessment team will be fully operating as an 8am to 8pm, seven days a week service from April 2025 
    • Total of 1145 referrals in 2024, with 934 new referrals 
    • The CAMHS target for the completion of routine referrals is 36 days from the date received. Despite the significant volume of referrals, initial assessments of routine referrals were completed on average in 31 days 
    • In 2025, for the first time local staff will be part of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology through Southampton University 
    • The Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ) had 218 responses (97 from parents / carers and 121 from children and young people), an increase from 181 in 2023. Responses in each category were extremely positive.​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MHRA showcases next phase of regulatory science to bring innovative treatments to patients sooner

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    MHRA showcases next phase of regulatory science to bring innovative treatments to patients sooner

    Seven new CERSIs came together to showcase how partnerships will modernise regulation in AI, clinical trials, and advanced therapies, bringing innovations to patients sooner.

    Last week, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) hosted an event for the seven newly established Centres of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSIs) to showcase how their projects will help drive advancements in healthcare.

    The event held in Westminster, London, brought together for the first time the MHRA and its fellow funding partners – Innovate UK, the Office for Life Sciences, and the Medical Research Council (MRC) – MHRA project sponsors, and key representatives from government, industry and academia to hear directly from the CERSI leads about how their projects had developed since launch at the beginning of the year.

    Discussions centred on:

    • AI and MedTech – Making sure AI-powered tools are safely developed and integrated into patient care and the wider healthcare system.
    • In silico trials – Exploring new approaches to streamline development while maintaining safety.
    • Pharmacogenomics and diagnostics – Shifting healthcare from sickness to prevention.
    • Cell and gene therapies – Developing laboratory approaches to shared challenges in advanced therapies.
    • Modernising manufacture – Using new digital tools to the full in the production of medicines and medical devices.

    The session also provided the opportunity to focus on cross-cutting issues, covering:

    • Data sharing – A fundamental enabler for all CERSI projects, ensuring responsible and effective use of health data.
    • Skills and expertise – Training regulatory scientists to keep pace with rapid medical advancements.
    • Patient and public involvement – Embedding patient perspectives in innovation to understand and shape how it impacts their experience of healthcare.

    The collective impact of the CERSI initiative will help to ensure patients benefit from innovation and new treatments sooner.

    Science and Innovation Minister Lord Vallance and MHRA Chief Executive Dame June Raine led keynote speeches, highlighting the programme’s role in shaping the future of regulatory science.

    June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive, said:

    “At our CERSIs event this week, the depth of expertise was impressive and there was real excitement about the progress being made. The discussions highlighted a strong commitment to improving access to innovation for patients, shared with our partners Innovate UK, Office of Life Sciences and the MRC. Through the CERSIs, we have a major opportunity to drive advances in regulatory science in the UK – now is the time to turn that potential into action.”

    Notes to editors 

    1. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. 
    2. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. 
    3. For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic students reach the final of the All-Russian competition “INTEGRAPH”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The finalists of the All-Russian Youth Competition of Strategic Communications “INTEGRAPH”, founded on the basis of the School of Communications of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, have been determined. The Polytechnic team was shortlisted. In the final, it will present its solution to leading experts in the field of communications. The jury includes representatives of leading companies: VK, Avito, Unilever Rus and Health

    A total of 714 students from 64 universities and 24 cities of Russia took part in the competition. Five teams in each direction from St. Petersburg, Kirov, Saratov, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh, Krasnoyarsk and Moscow made it to the finals.

    The Polytechnic team consists of fourth-year students of the Higher School of Industrial Management of IPMEiT: Yulia Mikhailova, Nikita Nikolaev, Ksenia Sergeeva and Fyodor Cherukhin.

    “INTEGRAPH” is held in two stages – at the first, correspondence stage, student teams developed a communication campaign strategy for a partner brand and sent it to experts for evaluation. The teams were presented with four business tasks from the largest Russian brands to solve. Ahead of the students is the second stage of the competition – open defenses, which will be held on April 22 in Moscow.

    Participation in the competition was a great opportunity for us to test our strengths and immerse ourselves in real cases. The final is not only a joyful event, but also confirmation that our efforts were not in vain. We are looking forward to an interesting exchange of experience, new acquaintances and, of course, vivid impressions from the final, – shared Yulia Mikhailova.

    The finalist teams will present their solutions to industry experts and also complete additional tasks prepared by the competition organizers.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Enlight Announces the Financial Close for Project Country Acres

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The debt financing package includes $773 million of construction loans

    Country Acres consists of 403 MW of solar generation and 688 MWh of energy storage capacity, and is expected to reach full COD during the second half of 2026

    TEL AVIV, Israel, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd. (“Enlight”, “the Company”, NASDAQ: ENLT, TASE: ENLT.TA), a leading global renewable energy platform, announced today that the Company has received debt financing (the “Debt Financing”) for project Country Acres (“Country Acres” or “the Project”), located near Sacramento, California, USA.

    As part of the Debt Financing, Enlight, through its subsidiary Clenera Holdings LLC, has secured construction financing commitments with a consortium of four leading global banks including BNP Paribas Securities Corp, Crédit Agricole, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, and Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale (Nord/LB), totaling $773 million.Upon the Project’s COD, the construction loan is expected to convert into a $376 million term loan.

    The Project has a 30-year solar generation busbar PPAand 20-year energy storage busbar purchase agreement with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (“SMUD”).The Company expects to conclude a tax equity transaction during the construction period, noting that the Project has met the terms required to achieve safe harbor status for beginning of construction.

    Country Acres consists of 403 MW solar generation and 688 MWh of energy storage capacity, and is expected to reach full COD during the second half of 2026. Construction at the 966-acre site has already begun, and all procurement contracts have been signed. The Project is expected to provide clean electricity equivalent to the average annual consumption of approximately 80,000 California households.

    “We are grateful to once again be partnering with leading banks on one of our largest projects,” said Adam Pishl, President and CEO of Clenera. “The American-generated, reliable energy produced at Country Acres will fueling the homes and businesses in central California for decades to come.”

    After the completion of Apex in Montana and Atrisco in New Mexico, Country Acres is one of several major solar and energy storage projects that Enlight and Clenera are now constructing in the U.S. These include Quail Ranch (128 MW and 400 MWh) and Roadrunner (290 MW and 940 MWh). Along with additional projects planned to be built in the years to come, these projects are driving Enlight’s massive expansion into the U.S. renewable energy market. This is best illustrated by the growing run rate of Enlight’s U.S. revenue base, which is expected to reach $195-207 million annually after the completion of the projects now under construction.

    The Company’s next projects in the western Unites States are Snowflake (600 MW and 1,900 MWh) and CO Bar (1,211 MW and 824 MWh). The two mega projects have almost completed their development phase, and are scheduled to begin construction in the coming months. Each of the two projects employs a grid connection of 1.0 GW, one of the largest in the US. These grid connections generate potential additional development opportunities in the future through the Company’s “Connect and Expand” strategy, which seeks to leverage existing interconnect infrastructure with additional generation capacity.

    “Country Acres is the second financial closing that we have accomplished with the same group of lenders in the past three months, illustrating the extent of our partnership and cooperation,” said Ilan Goren, GM of Enlight USA. “We look forward to further deepening this relationship as Enlight and Clenera continue the build out of our large US project portfolio.”

    “After the successful closing of Roadrunner, BNP Paribas is proud to once again support Clenera and Enlight as Coordinating Lead Arranger on their new landmark project financing of Country Acres,” said Aashish Mohan, Co-Head of Energy, Resources & Infrastructure Americas, at BNP Paribas. “Supporting premier platforms like Clenera squarely fits our energy infrastructure ambitions, and we look forward to growing our partnership with Clenera as they continue to execute on their high-quality U.S. renewables pipeline.”

    Nasir Khan, Managing Director & Head of Real Assets and Global Trade Americas at Natixis Corporate & Investment Bankng said, “Natixis is thrilled to close our second transaction with Clenera on another robust renewable energy project financing, which aligns perfectly with our commitment to the energy transition. As Clenera continues to expand its pipeline of large-scale energy projects, we look forward to further strengthening our partnership and providing innovative capital solutions to meet its long-term financial needs.”

    “CACIB is proud to partner with Clenera and Enlight once again on a landmark project which will deliver reliable, clean power to SMUD, underscoring our collective objective to provide long term sustainable and affordable power,” said Julien Tizorin – Head of Power and New Energy at CACIB

    Sondra Martinez, Managing Director and Head of Originations Nord/LB’s said “Nord/LB is extremely excited to support Clenera and Enlight on the Country Acres financing. This deal demonstrates our commitment to supporting recurring clients as they advance the energy transition and provide affordable power to local communities.” 

    About Enlight Renewable Energy

    Founded in 2008, Enlight develops, finances, constructs, owns, and operates utility-scale renewable energy projects. Enlight operates across the three largest renewable segments today: solar, win energy storage. A global platform, Enlight operates in the United States, Israel and 10 European countries. Enlight has been traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since 2010 (TASE: ENLT) and completed its U.S. IPO (Nasdaq: ENLT) in 2023. Learn more at www.enlightenergy.co.il.

    Investor Contact

    Yonah Weisz
    Director IR
    investors@enlightenergy.co.il 

    Erica Mannion or Mike Funari
    Sapphire Investor Relations, LLC
    +1 617 542 6180
    investors@enlightenergy.co.il 

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s expectations relating to the Project, the PPA and the related interconnection agreement and lease option, and the completion timeline for the Project, are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “possible,” “forecasts,” “aims” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our ability to site suitable land for, and otherwise source, renewable energy projects and to successfully develop and convert them into Operational Projects; availability of, and access to, interconnection facilities and transmission systems; our ability to obtain and maintain governmental and other regulatory approvals and permits, including environmental approvals and permits; construction delays, operational delays and supply chain disruptions leading to increased cost of materials required for the construction of our projects, as well as cost overruns and delays related to disputes with contractors; our suppliers’ ability and willingness to perform both existing and future obligations; competition from traditional and renewable energy companies in developing renewable energy projects; potential slowed demand for renewable energy projects and our ability to enter into new offtake contracts on acceptable terms and prices as current offtake contracts expire; offtakers’ ability to terminate contracts or seek other remedies resulting from failure of our projects to meet development, operational or performance benchmarks; various technical and operational challenges leading to unplanned outages, reduced output, interconnection or termination issues; the dependence of our production and revenue on suitable meteorological and environmental conditions, and our ability to accurately predict such conditions; our ability to enforce warranties provided by our counterparties in the event that our projects do not perform as expected; government curtailment, energy price caps and other government actions that restrict or reduce the profitability of renewable energy production; electricity price volatility, unusual weather conditions (including the effects of climate change, could adversely affect wind and solar conditions), catastrophic weather-related or other damage to facilities, unscheduled generation outages, maintenance or repairs, unanticipated changes to availability due to higher demand, shortages, transportation problems or other developments, environmental incidents, or electric transmission system constraints and the possibility that we may not have adequate insurance to cover losses as a result of such hazards; our dependence on certain operational projects for a substantial portion of our cash flows; our ability to continue to grow our portfolio of projects through successful acquisitions; changes and advances in technology that impair or eliminate the competitive advantage of our projects or upsets the expectations underlying investments in our technologies; our ability to effectively anticipate and manage cost inflation, interest rate risk, currency exchange fluctuations and other macroeconomic conditions that impact our business; our ability to retain and attract key personnel; our ability to manage legal and regulatory compliance and litigation risk across our global corporate structure; our ability to protect our business from, and manage the impact of, cyber-attacks, disruptions and security incidents, as well as acts of terrorism or war; changes to existing renewable energy industry policies and regulations that present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to renewable energy projects; the reduction, elimination or expiration of government incentives for, or regulations mandating the use of, renewable energy; our ability to effectively manage our supply chain and comply with applicable regulations with respect to international trade relations, tariffs, sanctions, export controls and anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws; our ability to effectively comply with Environmental Health and Safety and other laws and regulations and receive and maintain all necessary licenses, permits and authorizations; our performance of various obligations under the terms of our indebtedness (and the indebtedness of our subsidiaries that we guarantee) and our ability to continue to secure project financing on attractive terms for our projects; limitations on our management rights and operational flexibility due to our use of tax equity arrangements; potential claims and disagreements with partners, investors and other counterparties that could reduce our right to cash flows generated by our projects; our ability to comply with tax laws of various jurisdictions in which we currently operate as well as the tax laws in jurisdictions in which we intend to operate in the future; the unknown effect of the dual listing of our ordinary shares on the price of our ordinary shares; various risks related to our incorporation and location in Israel; the costs and requirements of being a public company, including the diversion of management’s attention with respect to such requirements; certain provisions in our Articles of Association and certain applicable regulations that may delay or prevent a change of control; and other risk factors set forth in the section titled “Risk factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and our other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC.

    These statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as may be required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: People affected by violence and cholera in South Sudan arrive exhausted in Ethiopia

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • In South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, people are affected by violence and cholera, causing them to seek safety across the border in Ethiopia’s Gambella region.
    • MSF teams are on both sides of the border, providing critical care to people.
    • Urgent support is needed to provide safe water, implement widespread cholera vaccination campaigns, and reinforce treatment capacity for both cholera patients and trauma cases. 

    A humanitarian crisis is rapidly unfolding on both sides of the South Sudan–Ethiopia border, as escalating violence, displacement and a widespread cholera outbreak are pushing communities to the brink, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warns.

    Clashes between government forces and armed groups, which initially began in Upper Nile state, South Sudan, now risk spreading to other parts of the country. Across the border, Ethiopia’s Gambella region is experiencing the effects of this violence. According to the United Nations, approximately 10,000 displaced people have crossed into Ethiopia since the beginning of March.

    “We have already witnessed how this violence has fuelled the spread of cholera in several areas, but a larger, escalating conflict could push the entire country into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” says Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission in South Sudan. “We urgently call on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians, healthcare workers, and medical facilities, and to grant unhindered access for humanitarian and medical assistance, in line with international humanitarian law.”

    A map of MSF’s response on both sides of the border in March 2025.

    South Sudan has been grappling with cholera outbreaks across the country since last year. The latest wave, which began in Upper Nile state, is now spreading further into neighbouring Jonglei state, the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, and across the border into Ethiopia’s Gambella region, where MSF teams are working to treat patients amid the surge in cases.

    In Upper Nile state, MSF is treating people wounded in the violence and supporting cholera treatment facilities in Ulang, Malakal and Renk counties. In Jonglei state, MSF is responding in Lankien as well as in Akobo, where a 100-bed cholera treatment unit set up by MSF in Akobo County hospital has treated over 300 patients in just over two weeks. MSF is also responding in Pibor town in the Greater Pibor Administrative area. Since the beginning of March, MSF teams have treated over 1,000 cholera patients across South Sudan and received over 30 patients wounded in the violence.

    Ruach Riek Chuol was admitted to MSF hospital in Ulang with injuries he sustained in the violence. “My goods and property for my business were all burned inside the house,” he says. “Everything was destroyed in the fire, including the house where I was.”

    In Ethiopia’s Gambella region, MSF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has treated over 560 cholera patients since the start of the response in early March, in its cholera treatment centre and units in Mattar, Moan and Burbeiye with a capacity of 100 beds. MSF is also running oral rehydration points and conducting water, sanitation, and hygiene and community-based activities including door-to-door cholera awareness and water purification efforts, reaching over 5,000 people across multiple locations. In addition to cholera treatment, MSF teams have also provided medical care to 160 patients wounded in the clashes in South Sudan. 

    A cattle market in close to MSF’s cholera treatment unit in Ethiopia’s Gambella region. Ethiopia, March 2025.
    Metasebia Teshome/MSF

    “I came here because back home in Nasir, people are being killed,” said a South Sudanese mother who recently arrived in Burbeiye, Ethiopia. “There was nothing to eat, and when we arrived at the areas where we took respite, my kids became sick. There were no health facilities that we could run to.”

    The situation is rapidly deteriorating as thousands fleeing violence in South Sudan are crossing the border to seek safety. In Wanthoa Woreda, a new encampment in Burbeiye has emerged almost overnight, with over 6,500 new arrivals reported by local administrators — many of them women, children, and the elderly, arriving after days of travel. 

    “The displaced people are arriving in Gambella with little more than what they can carry,” said Joshua Eckley, MSF head of mission in Ethiopia. “Our teams are responding to the cholera outbreak and providing care to those arriving exhausted and in poor condition. There are significant needs, and without additional support, the situation could worsen.”

    This crisis comes at a time when South Sudan and Ethiopia are facing major reductions in donor funding, including the recent USAID cuts. While MSF does not accept funding from the US government, the cuts in the humanitarian and health assistance would severely reduce capacity of other organisations to respond to such crises.

    “In places like Akobo in Jonglei state, the cholera response has been highly impacted by funding cuts, including closure of critical health services,” says Mwatia. “A number of mobile clinics have already shut down following US funding cuts, and some organisations that supported health facilities, including cholera treatment units, have suspended all activities. This is part of a broader trend across the country.”

    The healthcare system in South Sudan suffers from chronic underfunding, shortages of skilled health staff, medicines and supplies, and has limited capacity to respond to emergencies. The country, already struggling to meet its own medical and humanitarian needs, is further burdened by the arrival of over one million people fleeing war in neighbouring Sudan. Urgent support is needed to provide safe water, implement widespread cholera vaccination campaigns, and reinforce treatment capacity for both cholera patients and trauma cases. 

    “Disruptions in cholera treatment services, combined with reduced actors’ capacity to support oral vaccination campaigns, heighten the risk of further spread,” says Mwatia. “We urge donors to allocate emergency funds for emergency response in South Sudan and neighbouring Ethiopia amid this escalating crisis.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Samsung Solves: Tips To Recover From The Clocks Going Forward

    Source: Samsung

    Do you find yourself feeling more tired once the clocks spring forward for British Summer Time? Well, you’re not alone. Although losing an hour the night of Daylight Saving Time (DST) may seem insignificant, a study of the sleep patterns of Samsung Health users[1] across the world including 40 European countries reveals disruptions to sleep patterns can be felt weeks later, hitting younger age groups the hardest.
     
     
    Clock Changes Takes a Toll on Sleep, With Younger Generations Most Disrupted
     
    When looking into how much of an impact the clock change has on people the morning after, one thing is clear: everyone’s sleep patterns are affected. In fact, people fall asleep on average 37 minutes later than the previous night, and wake up 34 minutes earlier. While losing sleep isn’t easy at any age, those in their twenties likely felt it the most, losing half-an-hour more than everyone else thanks to an extremely late bedtime and a seeming inability to sleep in.
     

     
    Sleep patterns remained inconsistent in the days following the time change as people struggled to return to their regular bedtimes and wake times, and those in their twenties again seemed to be affected the most. Unable to get their sleep patterns under control, this cohort continued to fall sleep more than 20 minutes later than normal, yet woke up only 5 minutes later – missing critical rest. By the third week, sleep patterns for all age groups were still not back to normal, with bedtimes 3 minutes later and wake up times still 14 minutes earlier than average.
     

     
    Sleep Score – calculated based on an evaluation of a user’s total sleep time, time awake, sleep cycle, plus physical and mental recovery – was at the worst level for weeks after – and again, people in their twenties appeared to be most affected. When looking at the seven-day Sleep Score average, the twenties age group demonstrated the slowest score recovery rate, while older age groups adapted much quicker.
     
     
    Useful Tips to Help You Recover for a Good Night’s Sleep
     
    The time transition clearly affects the sleep patterns of all age groups long after the clocks change, but for younger generations, prioritising sleep management during this time couldn’t be more important. Sleep is essential for rest and repair of our body, as well as good physical and mental health[2].
     
    In recognition of the clock changes, Sleep scientist and Samsung Wellness Council member, Vanessa Hill, shares useful tips in collaboration with Samsung Health on how to harness technology to understand your sleep patterns and habits for a better night’s rest as the clocks change.
     
     

     
    Creating an ideal sleep environment is critical to a good night’s sleep.
    Later this month, a Samsung Health app update[3] will make this possible by receiving insights into the key factors that influence sleep quality, including temperature, humidity, air quality and light intensity via a Sleep environment report[4] – leveraging Samsung’s home-based technology and the power of its extensive device ecosystem. With a better understanding of how your environment affects sleep, you can easily optimise your room conditions for an improved night’s rest.
     
     
    In addition to perfecting your sleep environment, understanding how activity levels can impact sleep quality is key.
    Samsung Health updates also bring enhancements to Energy Score, which provides an indicator of how much energy users can expend throughout the day. In addition to sleep and heart rate, a new detailed factor about activity – Activity Balance – will help you understand overall conditions in greater detail by evaluating the consistency of activity levels based on recent data from the past 2 weeks.
     
     
    It can be helpful to understand how you’re sleeping and then make necessary adjustments through sleep coaching.
    Sleep Coaching[5] makes this simple by seamlessly tracking your sleep patterns over 7 days and assigning a sleep animal based on the results. With a personally tailored coaching program, develop healthy habits and routines that set you on a positive path to achieving your sleep goals.
     
     

     
     
    [1] Findings analysed sleep data of Samsung Health users via Galaxy Watch series and Galaxy Ring during DST in the spring of 2024.
    [2] https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/sleep/
    [3] Not intended for use in the detection, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring or management of any medical condition. Certain features may vary by market, carrier or paired device.
    [4] Sleep Environment report feature will be available on smartphone with One UI 7 and Samsung Health app version 6.29.5 or later.
    [5] Requires sleep data of at least 7 days, including 2 days off.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas, Associate professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

    Nigerian women make up a significant proportion of foreign women giving birth in several countries.

    A study done in Calgary in Canada found 24.5% of foreign women identified as having travelled abroad to give birth were from Nigeria.

    Research in Chicago in the US found the majority (88%) of those seeking obstetric care in a hospital were Nigerian citizens.

    In the UK, the phenomenon is labelled by some as the “Lagos Shuttle”, highlighting the high number of Nigerian women said to be so-called “birth tourists”.

    It is estimated that over 23% of pregnant Nigerian women would like to travel abroad to give birth.

    Why is this? As medical and legal scholars we asked women who had travelled overseas for the birth of their babies to share their experiences.

    Existing research has not done enough to capture their voices, which matter in framing service delivery and immigration policies.

    We reported findings from this first-of-its-kind study in PLOS Global Public Health.

    As there is no registry of foreign pregnant women who gave birth abroad, it is a challenge to find them. For our study, we used social media platforms to recruit 27 Nigerian women who had given birth to at least one child abroad and conducted in-depth interviews with them to understand their motivations and experiences.

    Why women do it

    Of all recruited, 23 gave birth to at least one child in the US, and four gave birth to at least one child in the UK. One woman each gave birth in Canada, Ireland and Zambia.

    All the women in the study had at least a university degree.

    We found that reasons for seeking childbirth abroad varied.

    Some women were motivated by both perceived and experienced gains of foreign citizenship, which they believed might give their children a good education, a better living environment, and easier access to jobs and loans.

    However, it was not all about citizenship. Another motivation was to benefit from “better healthcare”, especially for those who had either had bad experiences during previous births in Nigeria or were concerned because they were carrying what they called a “precious baby”, for example after years of infertility.

    Many women in the study also sought childbirth abroad because it is where they had loved ones to support them through pregnancy, childbirth and having a newborn – a motivation not previously reported.

    Indeed, the number of Nigerians living in the US has increased over time and as of 2023, over 760,000 Americans identify as being of Nigerian origin. Essentially, more than one in 10 African immigrants in the US are Nigerians.

    Some Nigerian women planned to give birth abroad long before they even got pregnant. Others were encouraged to do so by family, friends or colleagues.

    Some decided to seek childbirth abroad after their income increased.

    Mostly positive

    Childbirth abroad is mostly a positive experience, but some women reported feeling treated badly because they were “self-paying” patients, “black”, or not native to the country.

    While travel for many was mostly uneventful, some experienced life-threatening situations en route to their destination or upon arrival.

    They found the cost of care to be exorbitant, but many reported that they were able to pay it off in instalments, or negotiated rebates or discounts from hospitals. A separate study showed that four in five foreign pregnant women who gave birth in a Canadian hospital, including some from Nigeria, had no outstanding bill after discharge.

    In our study, those who struggled to pay said they incurred unexpected costs due to complications that resulted in caesarean sections or other surgical procedures.

    Support during childbirth abroad was considered crucial and included loved ones from Nigeria who would travel with the pregnant woman to their destination.

    Push and pull syndrome

    With an ongoing exodus of Nigerians out of the country due to push and pull factors, known locally as jàpa, it is more likely that there will be more Nigerian pregnant women who have their support system abroad.

    Countries like Nigeria should do more to improve the quality of care obtainable in their health systems.

    Clearly motivations vary, and it is not always about birthright citizenship. While most women have mostly positive experiences, some have negative experiences that require attention and safeguards. For example, care guidelines in host countries specifically assuring good quality care for all pregnant women, including women who have crossed the border to seek childbirth.

    The return of US president Donald Trump makes the need to install these safeguards particularly urgent. In his first term he ordered the United States Department of State to discontinue the approval of visas for pregnant women.

    In his second term he has focused on abolishing birthright citizenship altogether.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons – https://theconversation.com/nigerians-having-babies-abroad-women-explain-their-reasons-251067

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s tariffs could push grocery prices even higher, but there are steps Canada could take to protect consumers

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mathew Iantorno, Doctoral Candidate, Faculty of Information,, University of Toronto

    The first months of Donald Trump’s presidency have been defined by a single word: tariffs. He has framed tariffs as a panacea to the woes of the American economy, promising they will restore the country’s manufacturing sector and reduce the national deficit.

    As the United States’ largest trading partner, Canada’s smaller economy is poised to suffer the most from a prolonged trade war. Although the price of all consumer goods will be affected, the grocery aisle has become a particular battleground.

    Canadians have remained defiant, with vows to “buy Canadian” already spurring rapid drops in the sale of American products.

    But with calls for the country to strengthen its economic backbone and reduce dependence on the U.S., perhaps it’s also time to consider rebooting Canada’s grocery sector to better serve Canadians as well.



    Read more:
    Canada is now in a trade war with the U.S. — here’s what you need to know to prepare for it

    Canada’s supermarket problem

    Rising grocery bills have been an ongoing concern for Canadians long before Trump’s inauguration. Today, an estimated 18 per cent of Canadians are struggling with food insecurity owing to persistent inflation and the rising cost of living. Food banks saw a record number of monthly visits in 2024 as a result.

    Yet, even as consumers feel the squeeze, Canada’s grocery giants have been posting record profits. Loblaw Companies Limited, whose supermarkets hold a dominant 28 per cent share of the sector, has become the poster child for this trend.

    In the final quarter of 2022, as Canadians were grappling with rapid inflation on their grocery bills, Loblaw posted $529 million in profits — up 30 per cent from the previous year.

    This has led customers to accuse Loblaw and other large grocery chains of profiteering, provoking both a 100,000 signature petition against “greedflation” and a month-long boycott of Loblaw chains. All this while Loblaw was still reeling from a bread price-fixing scandal yielding a $500 million antitrust settlement.



    Read more:
    Food giants reap enormous profits during times of crisis

    In response to the mounting concerns, the federal government met with the heads of Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, Costco and Walmart in 2023 to discuss stabilizing grocery prices in Canada. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would threaten and later implement amendments to the Competition Act through Bill C-56, although these reforms were focused less on immediately lowering grocery bills and more on giving new tools to Canada’s competition watchdog.

    Investing in the future

    Another area of concern is the initiatives supermarket chains such as Loblaw and Metro have been investing their profits in.

    Since 2020, supermarkets in Canada have invested heavily in self-checkout aisles. While initially a concession to the social distancing measures of the COVID-19 pandemic, these kiosks have become a ubiquitous — and often unwelcome — part of the retail experience for both workers and consumers.

    Beyond the concern that self-checkouts pressure customers to perform more work, they have also increased the precarity of supermarket employees. These technologies generally reduce total worker hours and eliminate well-paying full-time positions, all with an eye towards boosting profit margins.



    Read more:
    The rise of robo-retail: Who gets left behind when retail is automated?

    Loblaw has also invested in automating their fleet of delivery vehicles, jeopardizing jobs in the logistics sector at a time when Canada’s unemployment rate, already struggling to recover, is expected to rise due to Trump’s tariffs.

    There is also the looming concern of dynamic pricing. Following the lead of American grocery stores such as Kroger, chains run by Loblaw, Metro and Sobeys have begun to implement electronic price tags. These tags enable retailers to instantaneously update prices based on supply and demand, similar to surge pricing on ride-sharing apps like Uber.

    Electronic price labels seen at a Walmart in Los Angeles in 2024.
    (Shutterstock)

    While online commentators were quick to mock fast food chain Wendy’s for potentially using dynamic pricing to charge more for a Frosty on a hot day, this practice becomes more problematic as the availability of family staples like baby formula, which already experiences perennial scarcity, are affected by the trade war.

    The sector won’t reform itself

    There is little reason to believe Canada’s grocery industry will reform itself. Many of the pro-consumer and pro-worker initiatives put forth by these chains have amounted to little more than public relations moves.

    The much-lauded COVID hero pay for front-line grocery workers disappeared only months into the pandemic, despite pressure from unions and MPs during the Omicron wave.

    Loblaw’s widely publicized price freeze on No Name products was similarly criticised for its short duration and for merely repackaging seasonal price freezes as a pro-consumer initiative.

    When Loblaw froze prices on No Name products in 2022, its competitor Metro quickly pointed out that seasonal price freezes are in fact a standard industry practice. (CBC News)

    The company’s promise to create a discounted version of its already discounted grocery chain No Frills drew further scepticism, with the stock being entirely sourced from Loblaw brands that generate higher revenue for the company.

    The question remains: what concrete measures can be implemented to safeguard Canadian grocery bills as our country navigates this next crisis?

    Lowering grocery bills for Canadians

    A report from the Broadbent Institute suggests the idea of a windfall profit tax, which would incentivize grocery companies to invest excess profits into price reductions or higher wages.

    A more durable reform would involve creating a central bank-style regulatory entity to oversee the grocery industry, instead of relying on industry-born measures such as Canada’s recently introduced grocery code of conduct.



    Read more:
    The new Grocery Code of Conduct should benefit both Canadians and the food industry

    Federal or provincial legislation could be also passed that places guardrails on dynamic pricing in the grocery aisle, if not banning the controversial practice altogether. Government grants and tax incentive programs could be withheld from companies that invest heavily into automating workforces so the government isn’t inadvertently subsidizing job losses.

    The Competition Bureau’s 2023 report highlights another key issue: there is a need for all levels of government to shift from subsidizing large chains and encourage the growth of independent grocers in the Canadian market, driving down prices for consumers through meaningful, local competition.

    Trump’s trade war has filled Canadians with a newfound pride and motivation to buy local to support the economy. Perhaps it’s time our grocery chains showed the same commitment to the people they serve.

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

    – ref. Trump’s tariffs could push grocery prices even higher, but there are steps Canada could take to protect consumers – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariffs-could-push-grocery-prices-even-higher-but-there-are-steps-canada-could-take-to-protect-consumers-252879

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: FOCUS ON: Efficiency and pooled funding

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    UNDRR’s operations are guided by the goal of achieving the highest impact by strategically allocating resources, streamlining processes and fostering a collaborative environment with implementing partners to access specialist skills as needed. 

    UNDRR ensures that every initiative delivers measurable results, which are reported in Annex 1 to the Annual Report. UNDRR has a dedicated team consisting of staff, Junior Professional Officers, secondees from national governments (Non Reimbursable Loans) and United Nations Volunteers and interns who work together seaLearn more about UNDRR’s work from 2024 in the Annual Report.mlessly, leveraging diverse expertise to swiftly and effectively deliver on a broad work programme. Through its unwavering focus on accountability, establishing long-term contracts to ensure that recurrent services provide the best value for money, and continuous improvement, UNDRR maximizes the reach and benefits of its programmes, ultimately driving sustainable change through its work.

    UNDRR has worked with several pooled funding mechanisms and partnerships to increase effectiveness and efficiency. CREWS was an important partner to UNDRR in 2024, bringing together UNDRR, WMO and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery to enhance EWS. The Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund brought together UNDRR, the World Health Organization and the International Organization for Migration for work in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency made a contribution to UNDRR for EW4ALL, and UNDRR shared a portion with the World Health Organization, the International Telecommunication Union and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to ensure that all four pillars could accelerate work in a coordinated manner. The Netherlands used the same formula for the Water at the Heart of Climate Action initiative, and Denmark made a contribution to WMO that was shared with the other pillar leads, including UNDRR. In short, 2024 saw significant efforts to enhancing efficiency and impact on the ground through working with key partners in a joined-up way.

    Back to the UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Interface – Comunicacao, Saude, Educacao

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    Interface – Comunicacao, Saude, Educacao is an open, interdisciplinary, on-line journal published by Unesp (Health Education and Communication Laboratory – Public Health Department, School of Medicine of Botucatu). It focuses on Education and Communication in health practices, education of health professionals (both university-based and inservice education) and Collective Health in its articulation with Philosophy, Arts and the Social and Human Sciences. Critical and innovative approaches are prioritized and qualitative research is emphasized.

    The Journal was launched in August 1997 with the aim of stimulating debate and disseminating knowledge about the contemporary issues that challenge the field of Health and its articulation with Communication and Educatio

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    02

    Strategies, governance and capacity-building

    Target E of the Sendai Framework calls for a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local DRR strategies by 2020.

    Though a strategy is not the end goal, UNDRR has found that countries with national DRR strategies tend to have more robust DRR governance and a higher prevalence of EWS, demonstrating the value of investment in this fundamental DRR pillar.

    The Government of Jordan has developed its National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2023–2030) in a participatory manner involving different governmental entities, ministries and municipalities, and the Public Security Directorate (Civil Defense), with support from UNDRR and the United Nations Development Programme country office. The strategy also integrates biological hazard risk reduction with the aim of building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Within the framework of Jordan’s efforts to deal with increasing threats and risks, the National Centre for Security and Crises Management has played a major role in developing two integrated risk registers; the national risk register and the local register for governorates. Both registers aim to improve the kingdom’s capacity to respond to disasters through accurate identification of risks, and enhanced coordination between the local and national levels for improved risk governance.

    Through this effective coordination between the national and local risk registers, Jordan has made great strides in reducing risks and enhancing community resilience, making the kingdom a role model for disaster management and risk reduction at the regional level.

    Morocco, too, has taken concrete steps to strengthen its risk governance. It established the Directorate of Natural Risk Management under the Ministry of Interior as its national DRR coordination mechanism. Morocco also established the National Risk Observatory to collect, analyse and share data on natural hazard risk. Furthermore, Morocco established a National Risk Forecasting Centre for monitoring and alerting, and an Operational Risk Anticipation Centre for forecasting, alerting and risk management assistance systems. Another successful project comprised the generalization of coverage of the entire national territory using multiscale and multi-hazard risk maps (for natural hazards).

    Albania’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy demonstrates widespread integration of concerns related to climate change and triggers the engagement of new sectors, particularly tourism.

    The vision statement explicitly brings together DRR, climate change and sustainable development using the language of resilience, while the document includes a detailed plan of action for DRR implementation that integrates institutions such as the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

    In particular, it articulates the implementation of the ALBAdapt project Climate Services for a Resilient Albania. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment is identified as the lead institution for implementation of a set of activities that offer compounding co-benefits for both DRR and climate change adaptation, including the development of a people-centred MHEWS, the creation of a fully functional and well-resourced National Meteorological and Hydrological Service.

    This integration is supported by articulations elsewhere in the country’s strategic profile, with the National Adaptation Plan 2019 including a priority area entitled “upgrading civil defence preparedness and DRR”. Elsewhere, the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Albania (2023–2028) addresses risks ranging from national security threats to climate change impacts, emphasizing resilience to disasters, while the National Strategy for Development and European Integration (NSDEI) 2022–2030 includes the integration of DRR and climate change adaptation planning among its priorities.

    National DRR strategies are the bedrock for multi-hazard risk governance and the achievement of Sendai Framework targets. These strategies help transform risk knowledge into actions and programmes that save lives and livelihoods. In addition, they serve as guides for mobilizing resources, delegating roles and responsibilities within government, and identifying entry points for non-governmental stakeholder engagement, all leading to more inclusive, sustainable development.

    With 131 countries now reporting having national DRR strategies, and 30 receiving technical support from UNDRR to develop them, this is just a snapshot of the progress being made globally in this important area.

    Under Brazil’s presidency, the Group of 20 (G20) recognized DRR as a critical component of economic resilience. Collaborating closely with UNDRR, Brazil facilitated the adoption of the first-ever G20 Ministerial Declaration on DRR. This landmark declaration emphasized the necessity of accelerating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction’s implementation, aiming to reduce disaster losses by 2030, and called for the development of high-level principles for DRR financing. The work of the G20 DRR Working Group, with UNDRR as the lead knowledge partner, further reflected a comprehensive approach to integrating DRR into economic and social policies.

    UNDRR’s capacity-building continues to go from strength to strength, with nearly 10,000 DRR practitioners being trained in 2024, 77 per cent of whom reported having a better understanding of DRR as a result. At one such workshop in the Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea, a remarkable collaboration unfolded – a pioneering workshop uniting experts from UNDRR and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to empower government stakeholders from Mongolia and Bhutan to mobilize relevant partners and stakeholders and obtain funding for their DRR measures. This joint training begins a process of transforming the daunting challenges of climate change into opportunities for proactive DRR.

    Delegates were empowered by not only technical insights, but also the forging of lasting partnerships. The workshop’s training modules, co-designed by UNDRR and GCF specialists, delved deep into practical tools such as the EW4All Checklist for Gap Analysis, equipping participants to critically assess their national capacities and pinpoint vulnerabilities. “Early warning systems are important components for our national climate change adaptation strategy,” noted Ms. Tserendulam Shagdarsuren, Director General of the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Mongolia, emphasizing how the training illuminated the next steps for their evolving EWS.

    This pilot UNDRR–GCF initiative is part of a broader strategy to replicate capacity-building endeavours in developing countries. Future workshops are planned for countries that are in very different geographic contexts yet face similar challenges (particularly those resulting from climate change), such as Somalia, Togo and the SIDS. These workshops aim to accelerate access to climate finance and enhance DRR measures worldwide.

    In a continuation of the Media Saving Lives programme, UNDRR and partners trained 520 journalists and media practitioners in DRR and risk communications, bringing the total to over 2,500 from 80 countries. Media are an integral part of the EWS delivery chain, and engaging them to build trust between government and communities can be the difference between life and death when disaster hits.

    The rise in global temperatures and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events are rapidly becoming central challenges for nations worldwide. Yet many Member States, cities and societies remain ill-prepared to address this escalating threat. The imperative for enhanced extreme heat risk reduction, governance and management is clear. Without urgent and coordinated action, extreme heat will continue to endanger billions of lives, amplify health risks and threaten the ecosystems upon which we depend.

    In response, the UNDRR/World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience – together with the Global Heat Health Information Network, Duke University and WMO Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience partners – has developed an extreme heat decision-support package for countries tackling this global threat. The package includes: international organization resource and ecosystem mapping, readiness reviews and profiles; national best practice analytics; evaluations of heat action plans; and materials for development of an extreme heat maturity index for self-assessment. These materials can enhance collaboration, integrated heat risk governance and policy responses to extreme heat.

    UNDRR’s work and that of United Nations system partners, coupled with increasing demands for assistance from Member States, prompted and informed the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, issued in July 2024, in which he emphasized the need for urgent action if a future characterized by even more devastating heat impacts on lives, economies and ecosystems is to be avoided.

    This work is in turn informing the development of a Common Framework for Heat Risk Governance, led by UNDRR with the Global Heat Health Information Network, and Member States, international organizations and stakeholders. The Framework will receive inputs from (and is designed to bring together) multiple sectors, domains and scales – from agriculture and food systems, to energy systems, transportation, construction materials and design, and urban cooling. It is expected to assist national and subnational decision makers in designing and resourcing integrated actions to reduce extreme heat risk to people, urban and rural ecosystems, and the environment, preventing the loss of lives and livelihoods.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR Annual Report 2024

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    02

    Strategies, governance and capacity-building

    Target E of the Sendai Framework calls for a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local DRR strategies by 2020.

    Though a strategy is not the end goal, UNDRR has found that countries with national DRR strategies tend to have more robust DRR governance and a higher prevalence of EWS, demonstrating the value of investment in this fundamental DRR pillar.

    The Government of Jordan has developed its National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2023–2030) in a participatory manner involving different governmental entities, ministries and municipalities, and the Public Security Directorate (Civil Defense), with support from UNDRR and the United Nations Development Programme country office. The strategy also integrates biological hazard risk reduction with the aim of building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Within the framework of Jordan’s efforts to deal with increasing threats and risks, the National Centre for Security and Crises Management has played a major role in developing two integrated risk registers; the national risk register and the local register for governorates. Both registers aim to improve the kingdom’s capacity to respond to disasters through accurate identification of risks, and enhanced coordination between the local and national levels for improved risk governance.

    Through this effective coordination between the national and local risk registers, Jordan has made great strides in reducing risks and enhancing community resilience, making the kingdom a role model for disaster management and risk reduction at the regional level.

    Morocco, too, has taken concrete steps to strengthen its risk governance. It established the Directorate of Natural Risk Management under the Ministry of Interior as its national DRR coordination mechanism. Morocco also established the National Risk Observatory to collect, analyse and share data on natural hazard risk. Furthermore, Morocco established a National Risk Forecasting Centre for monitoring and alerting, and an Operational Risk Anticipation Centre for forecasting, alerting and risk management assistance systems. Another successful project comprised the generalization of coverage of the entire national territory using multiscale and multi-hazard risk maps (for natural hazards).

    Albania’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy demonstrates widespread integration of concerns related to climate change and triggers the engagement of new sectors, particularly tourism.

    The vision statement explicitly brings together DRR, climate change and sustainable development using the language of resilience, while the document includes a detailed plan of action for DRR implementation that integrates institutions such as the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

    In particular, it articulates the implementation of the ALBAdapt project Climate Services for a Resilient Albania. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment is identified as the lead institution for implementation of a set of activities that offer compounding co-benefits for both DRR and climate change adaptation, including the development of a people-centred MHEWS, the creation of a fully functional and well-resourced National Meteorological and Hydrological Service.

    This integration is supported by articulations elsewhere in the country’s strategic profile, with the National Adaptation Plan 2019 including a priority area entitled “upgrading civil defence preparedness and DRR”. Elsewhere, the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Albania (2023–2028) addresses risks ranging from national security threats to climate change impacts, emphasizing resilience to disasters, while the National Strategy for Development and European Integration (NSDEI) 2022–2030 includes the integration of DRR and climate change adaptation planning among its priorities.

    National DRR strategies are the bedrock for multi-hazard risk governance and the achievement of Sendai Framework targets. These strategies help transform risk knowledge into actions and programmes that save lives and livelihoods. In addition, they serve as guides for mobilizing resources, delegating roles and responsibilities within government, and identifying entry points for non-governmental stakeholder engagement, all leading to more inclusive, sustainable development.

    With 131 countries now reporting having national DRR strategies, and 30 receiving technical support from UNDRR to develop them, this is just a snapshot of the progress being made globally in this important area.

    Under Brazil’s presidency, the Group of 20 (G20) recognized DRR as a critical component of economic resilience. Collaborating closely with UNDRR, Brazil facilitated the adoption of the first-ever G20 Ministerial Declaration on DRR. This landmark declaration emphasized the necessity of accelerating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction’s implementation, aiming to reduce disaster losses by 2030, and called for the development of high-level principles for DRR financing. The work of the G20 DRR Working Group, with UNDRR as the lead knowledge partner, further reflected a comprehensive approach to integrating DRR into economic and social policies.

    UNDRR’s capacity-building continues to go from strength to strength, with nearly 10,000 DRR practitioners being trained in 2024, 77 per cent of whom reported having a better understanding of DRR as a result. At one such workshop in the Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea, a remarkable collaboration unfolded – a pioneering workshop uniting experts from UNDRR and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to empower government stakeholders from Mongolia and Bhutan to mobilize relevant partners and stakeholders and obtain funding for their DRR measures. This joint training begins a process of transforming the daunting challenges of climate change into opportunities for proactive DRR.

    Delegates were empowered by not only technical insights, but also the forging of lasting partnerships. The workshop’s training modules, co-designed by UNDRR and GCF specialists, delved deep into practical tools such as the EW4All Checklist for Gap Analysis, equipping participants to critically assess their national capacities and pinpoint vulnerabilities. “Early warning systems are important components for our national climate change adaptation strategy,” noted Ms. Tserendulam Shagdarsuren, Director General of the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Mongolia, emphasizing how the training illuminated the next steps for their evolving EWS.

    This pilot UNDRR–GCF initiative is part of a broader strategy to replicate capacity-building endeavours in developing countries. Future workshops are planned for countries that are in very different geographic contexts yet face similar challenges (particularly those resulting from climate change), such as Somalia, Togo and the SIDS. These workshops aim to accelerate access to climate finance and enhance DRR measures worldwide.

    In a continuation of the Media Saving Lives programme, UNDRR and partners trained 520 journalists and media practitioners in DRR and risk communications, bringing the total to over 2,500 from 80 countries. Media are an integral part of the EWS delivery chain, and engaging them to build trust between government and communities can be the difference between life and death when disaster hits.

    The rise in global temperatures and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events are rapidly becoming central challenges for nations worldwide. Yet many Member States, cities and societies remain ill-prepared to address this escalating threat. The imperative for enhanced extreme heat risk reduction, governance and management is clear. Without urgent and coordinated action, extreme heat will continue to endanger billions of lives, amplify health risks and threaten the ecosystems upon which we depend.

    In response, the UNDRR/World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience – together with the Global Heat Health Information Network, Duke University and WMO Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience partners – has developed an extreme heat decision-support package for countries tackling this global threat. The package includes: international organization resource and ecosystem mapping, readiness reviews and profiles; national best practice analytics; evaluations of heat action plans; and materials for development of an extreme heat maturity index for self-assessment. These materials can enhance collaboration, integrated heat risk governance and policy responses to extreme heat.

    UNDRR’s work and that of United Nations system partners, coupled with increasing demands for assistance from Member States, prompted and informed the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, issued in July 2024, in which he emphasized the need for urgent action if a future characterized by even more devastating heat impacts on lives, economies and ecosystems is to be avoided.

    This work is in turn informing the development of a Common Framework for Heat Risk Governance, led by UNDRR with the Global Heat Health Information Network, and Member States, international organizations and stakeholders. The Framework will receive inputs from (and is designed to bring together) multiple sectors, domains and scales – from agriculture and food systems, to energy systems, transportation, construction materials and design, and urban cooling. It is expected to assist national and subnational decision makers in designing and resourcing integrated actions to reduce extreme heat risk to people, urban and rural ecosystems, and the environment, preventing the loss of lives and livelihoods.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Strengthening Scotland’s NHS

    Source: Scottish Government

    New plan to focus on delivery.

    Health Secretary Neil Gray has set out how the Scottish Government plans to improve access to treatment, reduce waiting times and shift the balance of care from hospitals to primary care through the publication of the Operational Improvement Plan.

    Through the additional £200 million investment contained in the Budget to reduce waiting times and improve flow through hospital, we will create 150,000 extra appointments and procedures using greater use of regional and national working.

    By introducing a seven-day service in radiology, using mobile scanning units and additional recruitment, 95% of referrals will be seen within six weeks by March 2026, reducing backlogs in MRI, CT, ultrasound and endoscopy procedures.

    To improve flow in acute hospitals and support increases in community care, we will expand Hospital at Home to at least 2,000 beds by the end of 2026, meaning the service, which provides hospital level care in the comfort of the patients home, will become the biggest hospital in Scotland. By this summer there will be specialist staff in frailty teams in every A&E department in Scotland. Flow Navigation Centres, which direct patients to the most appropriate service for their condition, will be able to refer patients to more services, reducing the number of people who have to wait in A&E.

    Investment in primary care will make it easier for people to see a doctor, dentist, optometrist or community pharmacist, and £10.5 million will be invested in general practice to take targeted action to prevent heart disease and frailty. 

    Digital services will be expanded to modernise services and improve efficiency, with the Digital Front Door app launching in Lanarkshire in December. This launch will be followed by a national roll-out in 2026, allowing people to securely access their hospital appointments, receive communications and find local services. Over time it will be expanded to include social care and community health services.

    On a visit to Kirklands Hospital’s Flow Navigation Centre, Health Secretary Neil Gray said:

    “This plan details how the Scottish Government will deliver a more accessible NHS, with reductions to long-waits and the pressures we currently see. It shows how we will use the £21.7 billion health and social care investment in the 2025-26 Budget to deliver significant improvements for patients.

    “We want to increase the number of appointments, speed up treatment and make it easier to see a doctor. By better using digital technology, we will embrace innovation and increase efficiencies.

    “This plan is ambitious but realistic, and builds on the incredible work of our amazing health and social care staff across our health boards, to deliver real change.”

    Background

    NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan

    Focusing on the short term, the Operational Improvement Plan details specific commitments for NHS Scotland that build on the wider delivery plans of Scotland’s health boards. Supported by increased investment in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget, the plan focuses on four main areas:

    • Improving access to treatment
    • Shifting the balance of care from hospitals to primary care
    • Improving access to health and social care services through digital and technological innovation
    • Working with people to prevent illness and more proactively meet their needs.

    Improving public services and NHS renewal: First Minister’s speech – 27 January 2025 – gov.scot

    Protecting, strengthening and renewing the NHS – gov.scot

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 30 March 2025 Departmental update Evaluating Somalia’s humanitarian crisis (2021–2024): lessons for future action

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The evaluation praised timely early warnings and life-saving interventions, yet highlighted critical weaknesses in accountability, inclusion, and sectoral balance—particularly in WASH services. Protection efforts and outreach to marginalized communities showed progress, but gender and disability inclusion were largely overlooked. The response also revealed unintended consequences, such as aid-linked displacement and increased aid diversion risks. 

    Coordination mechanisms enabled innovation but were hampered by complexity, limited follow-up, and underuse of strategic foresight. The evaluation calls for better data, simplified coordination structures, and stronger accountability to affected communities. As Somalia continues to face overlapping crises, the lessons from this evaluation offer vital insights for shaping more effective, inclusive, and resilient humanitarian responses—both in Somalia and across future global emergencies. 

    To read the evaluation report, click here. 

    “,”datePublished”:”2025-03-30T13:00:00.0000000+00:00″,”image”:”https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/cover-images/who-documents/evaluating-somalia-humanitarian-crisis-image.jpg?sfvrsn=86be63ab_5″,”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”World Health Organization: WHO”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://www.who.int/Images/SchemaOrg/schemaOrgLogo.jpg”,”width”:250,”height”:60}},”dateModified”:”2025-03-30T13:00:00.0000000+00:00″,”mainEntityOfPage”:”https://www.who.int/news/item/30-03-2025-evaluating-somalia-s-humanitarian-crisis-(2021-2024)–lessons-for-future-action”,”@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”NewsArticle”};
    ]]>

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 31 March 2025 Medical product alert WHO information notice for users of malaria IVDs 2025/1

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Product name All malaria rapid diagnostic tests  
    WHO document identifier   2025/01

    Date: 19 March 2025

    Affected countries:  Global

    Type of action: Advice regarding use of the device

    Description of the problem:

    In 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed that various malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) showed faint positive test lines for patients with confirmed malaria infection. Incidents were reported in several countries for various products detecting both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, and products detecting Plasmodium falciparum and pan species.

    The faint test lines were predominantly observed for patients with low parasitemia (200 parasites/µl). However, some patients with higher parasitemia also generated faint test lines. More recent reports indicated that faint test lines have led to misdiagnosis and therefore delayed appropriate treatment. The manufacturers’ investigations have followed internationally recognized practices.                                                                                          

    Description of risks:

    Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria can give false negative results, even for products found to have satisfactory performance based on criteria established by WHO. Faint test lines increase the risk of false negative test results being reported, which may lead to misdiagnosis, delay to diagnosis, and delay to treatment. In circumstances where misdiagnosis occurs, the potential for harm, such as death or serious deterioration in health, is increased.

    Actions to be taken by users/healthcare professionals:

    1. Carefully follow the instructions for use of the product, specifically:

    •  Read any test line as positive, no matter how faint the test line.
    •  Fully fill and dispense completely the blood from the specimen transfer device.

    2. Respect storage conditions for the test kit.

    3. If the RDT results are negative and no alternative diagnosis is found, advise patients to return for re-evaluation or re-testing if their symptoms worsen or their condition does not improve.

    4. Report any unusual testing results to the manufacturer, via their local authorized representative.

    Action to be taken by national malaria control programmes:

    1. Ensure conditions for transport and storage of RDTs respect manufacturer’s instructions for use throughout the lifespan of the product.
    2. Ensure up-to-date training and supervision of RDT users, and ensure users are specifically sensitized to the issues outlined in this information notice.
    3. Ensure end-users have normal or corrected visual acuity.
    4. Proactively reach out to testing sites to seek feedback on any unusual trends.
    5. Support manufacturers to conduct investigations of unusual testing results.

    For further information:

    Incidents and Substandard/Falsified Medical Products Team, Regulation and Safety Unit, Regulation and Prequalification Department, World Health Organization, e-mail: rapidalert@who.int

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Bakery Group Issues Allergen Alert on Undeclared Milk, Soy and Yellow FD&C #5 In Specific Bread and Hamburger Buns

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    March 25, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    March 28, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & BeveragesBakery Product/MixAllergens
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    May contain undeclared milk, soy and yellow FD&C # 5

    Company Name:
    The Bakery Group
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Ben E. Keith, Rodeo Goat, Casa Linda

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Brioche loaves, Brioche Buns

    Company Announcement
    The Bakery Group of Dallas, Tx is recalling 629 cases of Dense Brioche Pullman loaves, #654203 and 104 cases of 4.5in Brioche HB Buns, #54500 because they may contain undeclared Milk, Soy and Yellow FD&C#5. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to Soy, Wheat Milk or Yellow FD&C#5 run the risk of possible serious allergic reaction if consumed.
    The Bakery Group sold these 2 products to Ben E. Keith of Ft. Worth, Tx and Rodeo Goat Casa Linda Store in Dallas, TX.
    The improper labels were applied to these 2 products that are specifically produced for Ben E. Keith Ft. Worth and Rodeo Goat Casa Linda through wholesale distribution between the dates of December 24, 2024 and March 12, 2025.
    The 2 products can be identified as being delivered in a brown box with the Ben E. Keith Label on the case, product code 654203 and product code 54500. The Brioche Pullman Loaves sold to Rodeo Goat Casa Linda can be identified as being delivered in a brown box with the label Rodeo Goat Casa Linda Brioche Pullman Loaf.
    The Dense Brioche Pullman loaves are packaged 7 loaves to a case and the 4.5in Brioche HB Buns are packaged 48 to a case.
    The label clearly states the product code as 654203 for the Dense Brioche Pullman that was sold to Ben E. Keith and Brioche Pullman Loaf that was sold to Rodeo Goat Casa Linda. They are no identifying lot numbers.
    No illnesses have been reported to date.
    The recall was initiated after a routine inspection by The State of Texas Health and Human Services that the product(s) did not have a containment statement on the label reflecting the product contains Milk, Soy, Wheat and Yellow FD&C #5 was distributed in packaging not revealing the presence of these allergens and after further investigation we concluded that the problem was caused by human error in our labeling and packaging department and has been corrected as of March 19, 2025.
    Ben E, Keith Ft. Worth and Rodeo Goat Casa Linda customers who purchased the Dense Brioche Pullman Loaves and the Brioch Pullman Loaves, code #654203 as well as the 4.5in Brioche HB Buns, code #54500 between December 24, 2025 and March 12, 2025 that have any remaining inventory in their possession should contact their distributor, either Ben E. Keith Ft. Worth or The Bakery Group Distribution for re-labeling or a refund. Customers with any questions may contact The Bakery Group at 214-823-3943 Monday — Friday 8am-4pm.
    We greatly apologize for this error and any inconvenience this has caused our distributors and customers.

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    The Bakery Group
    214-823-3943

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    03/28/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Solves: Tips To Recover From The Clocks Going Forward

    Source: Samsung

    Do you find yourself feeling more tired once the clocks spring forward for British Summer Time? Well, you’re not alone. Although losing an hour the night of Daylight Saving Time (DST) may seem insignificant, a study of the sleep patterns of Samsung Health users[1] across the world including 40 European countries reveals disruptions to sleep patterns can be felt weeks later, hitting younger age groups the hardest.
     
     
    Clock Changes Takes a Toll on Sleep, With Younger Generations Most Disrupted
     
    When looking into how much of an impact the clock change has on people the morning after, one thing is clear: everyone’s sleep patterns are affected. In fact, people fall asleep on average 37 minutes later than the previous night, and wake up 34 minutes earlier. While losing sleep isn’t easy at any age, those in their twenties likely felt it the most, losing half-an-hour more than everyone else thanks to an extremely late bedtime and a seeming inability to sleep in.
     

     
    Sleep patterns remained inconsistent in the days following the time change as people struggled to return to their regular bedtimes and wake times, and those in their twenties again seemed to be affected the most. Unable to get their sleep patterns under control, this cohort continued to fall sleep more than 20 minutes later than normal, yet woke up only 5 minutes later – missing critical rest. By the third week, sleep patterns for all age groups were still not back to normal, with bedtimes 3 minutes later and wake up times still 14 minutes earlier than average.
     

     
    Sleep Score – calculated based on an evaluation of a user’s total sleep time, time awake, sleep cycle, plus physical and mental recovery – was at the worst level for weeks after – and again, people in their twenties appeared to be most affected. When looking at the seven-day Sleep Score average, the twenties age group demonstrated the slowest score recovery rate, while older age groups adapted much quicker.
     
     
    Useful Tips to Help You Recover for a Good Night’s Sleep
     
    The time transition clearly affects the sleep patterns of all age groups long after the clocks change, but for younger generations, prioritising sleep management during this time couldn’t be more important. Sleep is essential for rest and repair of our body, as well as good physical and mental health[2].
     
    In recognition of the clock changes, Sleep scientist and Samsung Wellness Council member, Vanessa Hill, shares useful tips in collaboration with Samsung Health on how to harness technology to understand your sleep patterns and habits for a better night’s rest as the clocks change.
     
     

     
    Creating an ideal sleep environment is critical to a good night’s sleep.
    Later this month, a Samsung Health app update[3] will make this possible by receiving insights into the key factors that influence sleep quality, including temperature, humidity, air quality and light intensity via a Sleep environment report[4] – leveraging Samsung’s home-based technology and the power of its extensive device ecosystem. With a better understanding of how your environment affects sleep, you can easily optimise your room conditions for an improved night’s rest.
     
     
    In addition to perfecting your sleep environment, understanding how activity levels can impact sleep quality is key.
    Samsung Health updates also bring enhancements to Energy Score, which provides an indicator of how much energy users can expend throughout the day. In addition to sleep and heart rate, a new detailed factor about activity – Activity Balance – will help you understand overall conditions in greater detail by evaluating the consistency of activity levels based on recent data from the past 2 weeks.
     
     
    It can be helpful to understand how you’re sleeping and then make necessary adjustments through sleep coaching.
    Sleep Coaching[5] makes this simple by seamlessly tracking your sleep patterns over 7 days and assigning a sleep animal based on the results. With a personally tailored coaching program, develop healthy habits and routines that set you on a positive path to achieving your sleep goals.
     
     

     
     
    [1] Findings analysed sleep data of Samsung Health users via Galaxy Watch series and Galaxy Ring during DST in the spring of 2024.
    [2] https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/sleep/
    [3] Not intended for use in the detection, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring or management of any medical condition. Certain features may vary by market, carrier or paired device.
    [4] Sleep Environment report feature will be available on smartphone with One UI 7 and Samsung Health app version 6.29.5 or later.
    [5] Requires sleep data of at least 7 days, including 2 days off.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FM to launch “NITI NCAER States Economic Forum” portal on

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 31 MAR 2025 11:03AM by PIB Delhi

    NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), has developed a portal which is a comprehensive repository of data on social, economic and fiscal parameters, research reports, papers, and expert commentary on State Finances for a period of about 30 years (i.e 1990-91 to 2022-23). Hon’ble Finance Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman will launch the “NITI NCAER States Economic Forum” portal on 1st April, 2025 in New Delhi. 

    The portal has four main components, namely: 

    1. State Reports – summarising the macro and fiscal landscape of 28 Indian States, structured around indicators on demography, economic structure, socio-economic and fiscal indicators. 

    2. Data Repository – offering direct access to the complete database categorised across five verticals viz. Demography; Economic Structure; Fiscal; Health and Education. 

    3. State Fiscal and Economic Dashboard – showcasing graphical representations of key economic variables over time and provide quick access to raw data through a data appendix or additional information through summary tables. 

    4. Research and Commentary – draws on extensive research on State finances and critical aspects of fiscal policy and financial management at the State and national levels.

    The portal will facilitate an understanding of macro, fiscal, demographic, and socio-economic trends; easily accessible data and user-friendly format and will also address the ongoing need for consolidated sectoral data in one place. It will further help in benchmarking the data of each state against that of other States and the national figures. It will also provide a forum to policymakers, researchers, and others interested in alluding to the data for informed debates and discussions.

    The portal will serve as a comprehensive research hub, offering a wealth of data and analytical tools for in-depth research studies. It will act as a central repository of information, providing access to an extensive database of social, economic, and fiscal indicators spanning the past 30 years. By leveraging historical trends and real-time analytics, users will be able to track progress, identify emerging patterns, and formulate evidence-based policies for development.

    *****

    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2116968) Visitor Counter : 14

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security – B10-0211/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Hilde Vautmans, Abir Al‑Sahlani, Dan Barna, Urmas Paet, Yvan Verougstraete
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    B10‑0211/2025

    European Parliament resolution on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security

    (2025/2612(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to previous resolutions on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in particular its resolution of 13 February 2025 on the escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo[1],

    – having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas the situation in the eastern DRC continues to deteriorate significantly, with escalating violence, persistent violations of human rights by armed groups, mass displacement, attacks on civilians and alarming humanitarian conditions;

    B. whereas on 18 March 2025 Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda agreed on an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in their first face-to-face meeting in over a year, facilitated by Qatari mediators in Doha;

    C. whereas the armed group M23, backed by Rwanda, has intensified attacks in North Kivu, and on 19 March 2025 it seized the mineral-rich town of Walikale, defying the ceasefire;

    D. whereas over 7 million people are currently displaced because of ongoing conflicts, with limited access to food, water, healthcare and essential services;

    E. whereas there has been an alarming increase in targeted attacks against civilians, including, but not limited to, Christians, particularly in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces, perpetrated by extremist groups; whereas these attacks, including church bombings, killings and abductions, undermine religious freedom and exacerbate intercommunal tensions; whereas the right to freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental human right and must be protected given the high level of violence and persecution;

    F. whereas women and girls in the DRC face increased levels of sexual and gender-based violence, resulting in there being one victim of rape every four minutes; whereas the staff of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, which receives many survivors of sexual violence, is alarmed about the deteriorating security situation in the area and about the security of the staff and patients in Panzi Hospital itself;

    G. whereas the illegal exploitation of mineral resources continues to fuel conflict in the region, necessitating stronger international oversight and responsible sourcing policies;

    H. whereas in February 2025, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi proposed a deal to US President Donald Trump, in which he seeks military support against M23 rebels in exchange for access to the DRC’s vast mineral resources;

    I. whereas the EU has committed to supporting stability in the DRC through diplomatic engagement, financial assistance and targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for violence and human rights abuses;

    J. whereas on 17 March 2025, the EU imposed sanctions on nine individuals and one entity responsible for acts that constitute serious human rights violations and abuses in the DRC, but further diplomatic and economic measures may be necessary;

    K. whereas the Council renewed the EU’s financial support for the deployment of Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) troops in Mozambique under the European Peace Facility (EPF); whereas the head of these forces was previously deployed in the eastern DRC to support abuses committed by M23, giving rise to serious doubt as to whether there are sufficient safeguards attached to EPF support, including effective vetting and other human rights requirements;

    1. Expresses deep concern over the worsening security and humanitarian crisis in the eastern DRC;

    2. Strongly condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in the eastern DRC by M23 and the RDF as an unacceptable breach of the DRC’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; urges the Rwandan Government to withdraw its troops from DRC territory, the presence of whom is a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, and cease cooperation with the M23 rebels; demands that Rwanda and all other potential state actors in the region cease their support for M23;

    3. Calls for an immediate and effective ceasefire, and for the full implementation of diplomatic agreements, including the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes;

    4. Is appalled by the shocking use of sexual violence against women and girls as a tool of repression and a weapon of war in the eastern DRC, and by the unacceptable recruitment of child soldiers by the various rebel groups; demands that these matters be addressed by the international community without delay; reiterates strongly that any attack against UN-mandated forces is inexcusable and might be considered a war crime;

    5. Calls for an immediate end to the violence, particularly the mass killings and the use of rape as a strategic weapon of war; calls on the DRC and Rwanda to investigate and appropriately prosecute those responsible for war crimes, including targeted attacks against Christian and all other religious communities and places of worship;

    6. Calls on the DRC Government to implement security sector reforms, intensify its efforts to prevent further atrocities against civilians and end its support for and collaboration with abusive armed groups, including ensuring the full protection of religious communities and their places of worship; urges the DRC Government to ensure accountability for human rights violations and prosecute those responsible for attacks; urges the DRC Government to address and prevent hate speech and incitement, including the involvement of officials in such acts, and hate-motivated acts of violence or intimidation;

    7. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase humanitarian aid to address the urgent needs of displaced persons and vulnerable communities in the DRC, ensuring safe access to food, medical care and shelter;

    8. Supports the imposition of further targeted EU sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for financing or engaging in violence, human rights abuses and resource exploitation; calls on the Council to implement and expand these sanctions by targeting all responsible entities and individuals, including Major General Emmy K. Ruvusha, Commander of the Rwanda Security Forces, identified in the June 2023 report of the UN Group of Experts;

    9. Calls for stricter enforcement of EU regulations on conflict minerals to prevent illicit trade from fuelling armed groups in the DRC; calls once again on the Commission to suspend the Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda and to suspend its support for all projects associated with the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, as such projects could lead to direct or indirect support for human rights violations in the eastern DRC; requests that the Commission share detailed mapping of current projects with Rwandan authorities and its assessment of whether they may contribute to or fail to address human rights violations either inside Rwanda or in the DRC;

    10. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to intensify diplomatic efforts by working closely with regional partners, including the African Union, the East African Community and the United Nations, in order to step up diplomatic efforts to achieve a sustainable resolution to the conflict;

    11. Expresses concern over reports of foreign interference exacerbating the conflict and calls for an independent investigation into allegations of external support for armed groups;

    12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Governments and Parliaments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the African Union and other relevant international bodies.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fuel margins ‘remain stuck’ at historic highs, CMA says

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments

    Press release

    Fuel margins ‘remain stuck’ at historic highs, CMA says

    Today’s interim monitoring report sets out the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) observations on developments in the road fuel retail market since the previous update in November 2024.

    Dan Turnbull, Senior Director of Markets at the CMA, said:   

    While there are several factors contributing to the higher fuel prices seen in recent months, fuel margins remain stuck at high levels which impacts prices paid by drivers at the pump. 

    The ‘fuel finder’ scheme set to launch this year should be a game changer for drivers – allowing them to find the cheapest fuel prices while boosting competition between fuel retailers.

    Fuel prices 

    Fuel prices increased for both petrol and diesel from October 2024 to February 2025. These movements reflect in part changing crude oil prices and refining spreads, both of which are driven by global factors. 

    The average petrol and diesel prices at the end of February were 139.6 and 146.8 pence per litre (ppl) respectively. This represents an increase of 5.2 ppl and 7.1 ppl in petrol and diesel prices than the previous four months. 

    Fuel margins 

    A retailer’s fuel margin is the difference between what it pays for fuel and sells it at. In this update, the CMA found that fuel margins were similar to the high levels seen during its road fuel market study – a review of the market to understand the factors influencing fuel prices undertaken between 2022 and 2023. 

    Supermarket fuel margins decreased from 8.6% in September 2024 to 8.2% in November 2024 before peaking at 8.9% in December 2024. Non-supermarket fuel margins decreased from 10.6% in September 2024 to 9.1% in November 2024 before rising to 9.8% in December 2024. 

    Fuel margins remain high compared to historic levels, which suggests that overall competition in the road fuel retail market remains weak. 

    Retail spreads 

    The CMA also looked at the retail spread – the average price that drivers pay at the pump compared to the benchmarked price that retailers buy fuel at – over October 2024 to February 2025. 

    Petrol retail spreads in the four months to end-February averaged 13.8ppl, which was 1.1ppl lower than over the previous four-month period – but still more than double the average of 6.5ppl over 2015 to 2019. Diesel retail spreads averaged 13.4ppl, which was 2.9ppl lower than the previous four-month period, but still more than the average of 8.6ppl in 2015 to 2019. 

    While spread analysis can give a quick overview of trends in the sector, it is a less reliable indicator of competitive intensity than individual retailers’ fuel margins. Retail spreads increase and decrease in response to the volatility of wholesale prices but should return to a normal range over time. 

    Road fuel market study 

    At the end of its road fuel market study, the CMA recommended a new monitoring function and fuel finder scheme. The previous government accepted those recommendations and determined the CMA would take on the new statutory monitoring function. The new government has since confirmed its commitment to both these measures. 

    The fuel monitoring function will provide ongoing scrutiny of prices to encourage effective competition between retailers and help keep prices low for drivers. This update is based on data provided voluntarily by fuel retailers – the next update will include data gathered using our new information gathering powers. 

    The ‘fuel finder’ scheme will allow drivers to compare real-time fuel prices, via navigation apps, in-car devices and comparison websites. The government’s aim is to launch the scheme by the end of this year, subject to legislation and parliamentary time.  

    Notes to editors 

    1. The CMA has used information requested on a voluntary basis from major fuel retailers, including: Applegreen-Petrogas, Asda, BP, Esso, Euro Garages, Morrisons, Moto Hospitality, Motor Fuel Group, Rontec, Sainsbury’s, Shell, Tesco, and Welcome Break. The next report will use data based on information requests to fuel retailers using the CMA’s new formal powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. 
    2. All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk or by phone on 020 3738 6460.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: NHC vice-minister meets with chair of US-based China Medical Board

    Source: People’s Republic of China Ministry of Health

    Zeng Yixin, vice-minister of China’s National Health Commission (NHC), met with Harvey V. Fineberg, chair of the China Medical Board (CMB), an independent American foundation, on March 21 in Beijing. The pair discussed strengthening exchanges and cooperation in health.

    Zeng affirmed the CMB’s role as a vital bridge in promoting non-governmental health as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the United States.

    He said China has preliminarily established a medical education system with Chinese characteristics, involving academic medical education, postgraduate education and continuing medical education, and expressed hope that the CMB will support China in advancing the reform and development of medical education.

    He proposed expanding bilateral cooperation in medical education to cover more areas of mutual interest, such as aging population response and adolescent mental health, so as to better meet public needs.

    Fineberg said the CMB values collaboration with China and is willing to further bilateral exchanges in medicine, nursing, public health and global health to help cultivate high-level medical talent.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spring Covid-19 vaccine roll out to start in the Black Country

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Similar to last year’s spring Covid-19 vaccine roll out, those eligible for a vaccine include:

    • adults aged 75 years and over
    • residents in a care home for older adults
    • individuals aged 6 months and over who have a weakened immune system.

    Those who turn 75 years old between 1 April and 17 June, 2025 can also have the jab.

    Appointments can be booked now via the NHS website, the NHS App or by calling 119, with first appointments available from Tuesday 1 April until Tuesday 17 June.

    Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “The vaccine has been our most effective tool against Covid-19, saving countless lives and helping thousands of people to stay out of hospital.

    “However, protection against Covid-19, from either catching the virus or from a previous vaccination, can fade over time and the circulating strain of the virus can change. That’s why if you are at higher risk of severe illness from the virus, it is important that you top up your protection and come forward for a vaccine this spring.

    “If you know you’re eligible, you don’t need to wait to be contacted, you can book an appointment via the NHS website, the NHS App or by calling 119 today.”

    While having the spring vaccine around 6 months after your last dose is the usual timeframe, eligible people can have it as soon as 3 months after a previous Covid-19 vaccine dose.

    If you are eligible, you can get protection from a spring Covid-19 vaccination even if you have not taken up a Covid-19 vaccine offer in the past.

    For more information about the spring Covid-19 vaccine, visit the NHS website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 30 March 2025 Departmental update Enhancing evaluation in the UN: 2025 UNEG Annual General Meeting

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The 2025 AGM, held on 13–14 February, served as a platform for strategic discussions on advancing evaluation practices, sharing innovations, and strengthening inter-agency coordination. The event aligned with efforts across the UN to promote effective, impactful evaluations and enhance evidence-based decision-making. 

    One session featured a presentation on UN-commissioned evaluations, highlighting how evaluation has evolved into a dynamic tool for supporting decision-making at all levels. Key lessons shared included the importance of high-quality deliverables, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and evaluation teams that reflect diversity in geography and gender. These practices contribute to creating a strong value proposition for evaluation—shifting the perception from a procedural requirement to a meaningful opportunity for learning, accountability, and ownership. 

    These insights support broader organizational goals of improving performance, strengthening impact at the country level, and advancing priorities such as health emergencies, Universal Health Coverage, and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. 

    Participants also discussed the need to streamline evaluation processes to ease operational burdens, particularly at the country level. Practical examples were presented, including strategies used in recent Country Programme Evaluations, to reduce overlap and enhance efficiency in evaluation management. 

    Another focus area was the potential role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in transforming evaluation methodologies. Sessions explored how AI-assisted tools can improve data collection, analysis, and dissemination, ultimately supporting more timely and relevant insights. These innovations are of interest for integrating advanced digital and data solutions into evaluation practices and broader public health work. 

    The evaluation function continues to play a vital role in supporting organizational transformation, enhancing results delivery, and ensuring value for money. Guidance and technical support are available to help strengthen the use of evaluation in advancing public health outcomes and organizational performance. 

    “,”datePublished”:”2025-03-30T13:00:00.0000000+00:00″,”image”:”https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/cover-images/who-documents/20240601_wha77_closing_pal_5083_021.jpg?sfvrsn=424a2c6e_3″,”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”World Health Organization: WHO”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://www.who.int/Images/SchemaOrg/schemaOrgLogo.jpg”,”width”:250,”height”:60}},”dateModified”:”2025-03-30T13:00:00.0000000+00:00″,”mainEntityOfPage”:”https://www.who.int/news/item/30-03-2025-enhancing-evaluation-in-the-un–2025-uneg-annual-general-meeting”,”@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”NewsArticle”};
    ]]>

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: OPDC Announces Hemiko as development and funding partner for innovative New Heat Network

    Source: Mayor of London

    The Mayor of London’s development corporation for Old Oak and Park Royal (OPDC) has today announced that Hemiko has been chosen as the development partner for its innovative new district heat network. 

    OPDC and Hemiko will work together in partnership to design, deliver, fund and operate the new low carbon heat network, which will draw waste heat from local data centres, providing low-cost, low carbon energy to over 9,000 new homes and businesses in the Old Oak and Park Royal area, as well as existing buildings including Central Middlesex Hospital. Using waste heat from data centre cooling systems in this way is a UK first that positions London at the forefront of the UK’s transition to a low carbon, circular economy, whilst driving the growth of the UK tech sector. 

    Hemiko is a leading heat network utility provider that develops, builds, funds and operates urban heat networks for commercial, residential and mixed-use developments across the UK, including the Greenwich Peninsula regeneration project in London and they are currently building a new network in Worthing. 

    The first phase of OPDC’s heat network is expected to deliver up to 95GWh of heat a year, the equivalent of boiling around 1 billion kettles. The network will expand over five phases between 2028 and 2040, serving the wider Old Oak and Park Royal regeneration area, London’s largest new development project, with plans to build up to 25,000 homes over the next two decades. 

    In November 2023, OPDC was awarded £36m from the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund and in October 2024, Old Oak and Park Royal was announced as one the UK’s first heat network zones – areas designated by the Government where heat networks will provide the lowest cost, low carbon heating option. 

    The Mayor of London’s Local Energy Accelerator (LEA) programme, which was co-funded by the Mayor and the European Regional Development Fund, and the Mayor’s Green Finance programme, have provided an additional £1.7m to fund the technical and commercialisation work to develop the commercial case for the network. 

    This will now be bolstered by Hemiko who will invest £63m in the first phases, growing to around £600m by 2040, boosting economic growth and creating local jobs in West London. 

    OPDC’s heat network will eventually serve London’s largest Opportunity Area, benefitting new and existing communities living and working in the new urban district being created at Old Oak and Park Royal. As well as many thousands of new and affordable homes, plans include around 3 million sq ft of new commercial, retail and leisure development, high-quality parks and green space, and community services and facilities, all within walking distance of the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common, where HS2, Elizabeth line and Great Western Main Line services will operate. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 31 March 2025 Departmental update Membership of the Guideline Development Group for the treatment of maternal peripartum infection

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Maternal sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by an infection during pregnancy, childbirth, post-abortion, or the postpartum period. It is the third leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide and a significant contributor to overall sepsis-related deaths. In addition to posing severe risks to the mother, maternal infections and sepsis can lead to neonatal infections and other adverse neonatal outcomes.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously published the WHO recommendations for prevention and treatment of maternal peripartum infections. The primary objective of WHO’s recommendations is to provide a foundation for the strategic policy and programme development needed for sustainable implementation of effective interventions for improving provision and uptake of quality antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care for all women and newborns.

    Efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal sepsis are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and implementing global health initiatives. With a view towards promoting the best-known clinical practices in labour and childbirth, and improving maternal and newborn outcomes worldwide, including for the prevention of peripartum infections, WHO will review the evidence for a recommendation related to Antibiotic prophylaxis during labour for vaginal birth. The development of this new recommendation has been prioritized.  

    A Guideline Development Group (GDG) meeting will be held on 9–10 April 2025 to review the evidence base on this recommendation. In keeping with the requirements of the WHO Guidelines Review Committee and the WHO Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics Office, we are posting online short biographies of the GDG members. The listed candidates have also submitted a Declaration of Interest form stating any conflict of interests. WHO has applied its internal processes to ensure that the performance of the above tasks by members of this group will be transparent and without any significant conflict of interests (academic, financial, or other) that could affect the credibility of the guideline. 

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

    This WHO normative meeting is by invitation only.

    NOTE:

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

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

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Govt health and safety changes put workers at risk

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    Changes to New Zealand’s health and safety laws will strip back key protections for small businesses and put working Kiwis at greater risk.

    “New Zealand already has one of the highest rates of workplace deaths in the developed world. Despite this appalling record, the Government is choosing to weaken our health and safety laws,” Labour workplace relations spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

    “These changes are reckless and completely out of step with what business and labour experts want to see.

    “Everyone deserves to come home from work safely. The Government had an opportunity to improve health and safety for working New Zealanders but has instead chosen to remove protections for working people, increasing the chance of tragedy.

    “Employers, unions, and safety experts have come together to urge practical improvements, such as better system leadership, clearer regulations, and greater investment in WorkSafe. According to WorkSafe data, 17 people die every week in New Zealand as consequence of their work. It also shows that every 15 minutes, someone is injured seriously enough to spend a week away from work.

    “The Government is doing to health and safety what they did to school lunches: gutting something vital and leaving people worse off.

    “This Government has shown time and again that it’s more interested in scoring ideological points rather than listening to experts. Health and safety isn’t a political game, it’s about making sure everyone gets home safely,” Jan Tinetti said.

    Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why have supermarkets around Australia recalled bagged salad products? A gastroenterologist explains

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University

    Kristi Blokhin/Shutterstock

    People are being asked to check the use-by dates of bagged salad products they’ve purchased recently after a number of Australian supermarkets issued recalls due to potential bacterial contamination.

    Recalls issued over the past week have affected bagged and pre-packaged salad products sold at supermarkets around the country including Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA.

    The potential contaminant is shiga-toxin-producing E. coli or STEC. But so far, no cases of illness have been reported.

    So what is this bacterium and how could it affect the salad leaves in your dinner or lunch?

    E.Coli and STEC

    Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterium that normally lives in the intestines of healthy people and animals. Fortunately most strains of E. coli are harmless and don’t cause symptoms.

    But there are certain strains that can lead to symptoms such as abdominal cramping, diarrhoea, fever and vomiting. In some cases a severe infection can even result in kidney failure.

    STEC is one strain that can cause gastrointestinal symptoms. It’s called “shiga toxin-producing” because the toxin from this strain of E. coli is very similar to that produced by the Shigella bacterium.

    Shigella causes shigellosis, a gastrointestinal infection which can involve similar symptoms to STEC. Both can cause abdominal cramping, bloody diarrhoea, fever and vomiting.

    Most people recover within ten days of the onset of symptoms. People suffering from STEC infection should stay hydrated and seek medical care if symptoms are serious or don’t resolve.

    E. coli normally lives in our bodies without causing harm. But some strains can make us sick.
    Ezume Images/Shutterstock

    How common is it?

    One estimate suggests at least 2.8 million STEC infections occur globally every year.

    In general STEC infections in Australia are very rare with less than four people per million affected annually.

    The diagnosis of STEC infection is made by testing a sample of a person’s stool for the presence of the bacterium.

    Children under five, adults aged over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are at an increased risk of STEC infection and of getting very sick with it.

    Why are bagged salads often a culprit?

    The current recalls are not the first time bagged salads have been subject to food safety issues in Australia or elsewhere. These products can be vulnerable to bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella.

    Contamination in bagged salads can occur at various stages, from farm to table. It can begin early during growing when leafy greens can be exposed to bacteria from contaminated water, soil or manure.

    During harvesting, handling and processing, cross-contamination can happen if the equipment or surfaces are not properly disinfected. Finally, packaging can contribute to contamination if it comes into contact with contaminated surfaces or hands.

    The current outbreak

    Health authorities sometimes test for the presence of food-borne bacteria by culturing bacteria from packaged foods in the lab as part of a proactive public health surveillance program.

    If they identify the presence of concerning food-borne bacteria they will work with retailers to undertake recalls of that food product as a precaution to protect public health.

    To date there have been no cases of illness linked to the current recalls. The presence of STEC doesn’t necessarily mean people will get sick from eating the salad product, but this is an early detection aimed to prevent food-borne illness.

    Members of the public have been urged not to consume any of the recalled products, and to throw them away or return them to where they bought them for a refund. Anyone who has consumed the products and has health concerns should seek medical advice.

    E. coli infection can cause a range of gastrointestinal symptoms.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Washed and ready to eat?

    Many bagged salad products come with a selling point along the lines of “washed and ready to eat”. Given the current recalls, you might ask whether it really is safe to eat pre-packaged salads without giving the leaves a wash yourself.

    Unfortunately, research shows using tap water to wash bagged leafy salads isn’t effective in removing bacteria. But washing your raw vegetables is still helpful in getting rid of any clinging dirt that may contain clumps of bacteria.

    Fortunately the risk of getting sick from eating bagged lettuce is generally very low. It’s also important to wash your hands before handling food, check the expiry dates of bagged salads and pay attention to health alerts.

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

    – ref. Why have supermarkets around Australia recalled bagged salad products? A gastroenterologist explains – https://theconversation.com/why-have-supermarkets-around-australia-recalled-bagged-salad-products-a-gastroenterologist-explains-253427

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –