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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Motsoaledi urges global action to address health funding gaps

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has reiterated the importance of nations reallocating resources towards health, strengthening global health partnerships, and exploring innovative financing mechanisms to address funding gaps.

    The Minister was delivering the keynote address at the second meeting of the G20 Health Working Group today in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal.

    The Minister used the platform to highlight South Africa’s commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) through the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, which aims to provide financial protection and efficient resource utilisation.

    “In South Africa, we are actively pursuing transformation to achieve universal health coverage through our NHI system.

    “The NHI is designed to provide financial protection for all, ensuring that access to quality healthcare is not dependent on one’s ability to pay [for] it, and it will also assist in the efficient utilisation of our resources by pulling funds and strategically purchasing services.”

    Motsoaledi cited data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which indicate that the number of people shielded from catastrophic health spending had been steadily increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since then, about 100 million people have fallen back into financial hardship due to health-related expenses.

    Motsoaledi believes that the NHI is a concrete demonstration of government’s commitment to leaving no one behind, and fostering and strengthening the resilience of the health system.

    The Minister quoted the late Harvard Department of Anthropology’s Professor Paul Farmer on the value of all lives and urged G20 members to increase public financing of health systems as a fundamental investment.

    “I want to quote the idea that ‘some lives matter less’ is the root of all that is wrong with the world.

    “We implore all G20 members to champion increased public financing of health systems.

    “This is not merely a budgetary issue; it’s a fundamental investment in our collective future.”

    Motsoaledi urged attendees to prioritise public health over competing interests, ensuring that adequate resources are allocated to meet the health needs of the nation’s populations.

    “Furthermore, we must all align our efforts beyond financing. We must address the persistent health inequities that plague our world.”

    Non-communicable diseases

    Motsoaledi highlighted the importance of addressing health inequities, particularly in low and middle-income countries, and the need for multilateral approaches to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

    He said the upcoming United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs is seen as a crucial opportunity to galvanise global action against chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.

    “We must alleviate the financial burden, restrict unhealthy food marketing, finance emergency health services, and accelerate cervical cancer elimination, the only cancer which is preventable.”

    The theme of the three-day meeting is: “Accelerating Health Equity, Solidarity, and Universal Coverage”.

    Along with this meeting, a co-sponsored event focused on eliminating cervical cancer, is also taking place.

    “We must move beyond dialogue and commit to concrete steps. South Africa is committed to collaborating with all the G20 members to achieve our shared goals. 

    “Let us work together to ensure that health remains a priority, not a commodity, especially during these unstable economic times,” Motsoaledi added.

    South Africa, which assumed the G20 Presidency in December, is currently hosting various working groups and ministerial meetings throughout the country. 

    These meetings are focused on key topics such as health, employment, trade, tourism, and the digital economy — all in preparation for the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled for November this year.

    The G20 comprises 19 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and the United States. It also includes two regional bodies – the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Honoring Epilepsy Awareness for International Purple Day

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced New York State landmarks will be lit purple this evening for International Purple Day in honor of Epilepsy Awareness.

    “Epilepsy is often a misunderstood and stigmatized condition that can affect people of all ages and backgrounds,” Governor Hochul said. “New York State is proud to participate in raising awareness by illuminating state landmarks on International Purple Day to support those living with epilepsy.”

    Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system resulting in seizures that may have no apparent cause and that happen more than once. More than half the time, the cause of epilepsy is unknown. When the cause can be determined, it is most often due to head injury, infections or a tumor in the brain, a stroke, degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, substance use or hereditary factors.

    State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Epilepsy is a serious condition that can have lifelong impacts, but the good news is it can often be treated by medication and sometimes surgery. By raising awareness during International Purple Day, we are ensuring more people will be able to achieve good seizure control and a better overall quality of life.”

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 215,000 people in New York are living with active epilepsy, a disorder of the central nervous system that results in seizures. Other studies suggest that about 9,000 individuals are diagnosed yearly in the State.

    Landmarks to be lit include:

    • 1WTC
    • Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
    • Kosciuszko Bridge
    • The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
    • State Education Building
    • Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
    • Empire State Plaza
    • State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
    • Niagara Falls
    • The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
    • Albany International Airport Gateway
    • MTA LIRR – East End Gateway at Penn Station
    • Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
    • Moynihan Train Hall

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Acting U.S. Attorney Announces $5 Million False Claims Act Settlement With Providers Of Programs For Adults With Developmental Disabilities

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Community Options, Inc. and New York Affiliate Admit Billing Medicaid for Services Without Accurate and Adequate Supporting Documentation and Failing to Report and Return Overpayments to Medicaid

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously settled a civil fraud lawsuit against COMMUNITY OPTIONS, INC. (“COI”) and COMMUNITY OPTIONS NEW YORK, INC. (“CONY”, and together with COI, the “Defendants” or “Community Options”).

    CONY is a New York not-for-profit corporation that, among other things, operates a network of residential and non-residential facilities and programs for adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities throughout the State of New York. As part of its operations, CONY provides Day Habilitation services—which are programs intended to help adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities improve their independence and skills in daily activities. COI is a New Jersey not-for-profit corporation that, among other things, oversees CONY’s operations in New York and provides administrative support, including a centralized billing team that handles CONY’s submission of claims for reimbursement to the New York Medicaid Program. The settlement resolves claims that the Defendants fraudulently billed Medicaid by submitting claims for Day Habilitation services that did not meet applicable requirements, and improperly avoiding the return of overpayments received from the Medicaid program for Day Habilitation services that failed to meet those requirements.

    Under the settlement agreement approved today by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, the Defendants will pay the U.S. $2,148,540.37 and have admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged in the Complaint as further described below. The Defendants have also agreed to pay $2,868,085.74 to the State of New York to resolve the State of New York’s claims, for a total recovery of $5,016,626.11.

    In connection with the settlement agreement, the Defendants have also entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG. The Corporate Integrity Agreement requires that the Defendants maintain a compliance program designed to foster adherence to federal health care program requirements and thereby protect the programs, and that they engage an independent organization to review claims they submit to Medicaid to ensure they comply with applicable requirements.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Community Options billed Medicaid for services that failed to meet program requirements and retained potential overpayments received from Medicaid when it had an obligation to report and return those funds. Community Options has now admitted and accepted responsibility for its conduct. This Office will continue to ensure that our most vulnerable New Yorkers receive the services they deserve, and that our federal health care programs are protected against fraud and abuse.”

    HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz said: “Individuals and entities that participate in the federal healthcare system are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate services to patients. The settlement in this case involves a provider that is responsible for a vulnerable population, for which it should be prioritizing quality services.”

    As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:

    In order to receive payment from the New York Medicaid Program for the provision of Day Habilitation services, COI was required to ensure that such services were delivered and documented in compliance with applicable program requirements promulgated by the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (the “OPWDD Requirements”).

    However, between January 1, 2017, and September 13, 2024, (the “Relevant Period”), COI failed to maintain adequate policies concerning the provision and documentation of Day Habilitation services consistent with the OPWDD Requirements and failed to adequately train their employees on compliance with the OPWDD Requirements. As a result, COI’s employees failed to document CONY’s provision of Day Habilitation services in accordance with the OPWDD requirements.

    COI understood that they were prohibited from submitting claims for reimbursement to New York’s Medicaid program for Day Habilitation services if the OPWDD Requirements were not met. Nonetheless, COI frequently submitted claims to Medicaid for Day Habilitation services that did not meet these requirements.

    COI further understood that, as a provider of services under New York’s Medicaid Program, they were required to report and return identified overpayments to the New York Medicaid Program. During the Relevant Period, COI conducted non-routine reviews that identified their receipt and retention of Medicaid overpayments associated with Day Habilitation services. Nevertheless, COI failed to report and return those overpayments to the New York Medicaid Program.

    As part of the settlement, the Defendants admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged by the U.S., including the following:

    • In order to receive payment from the New York Medicaid Program for the provision of Day Habilitation services, the Defendants were required to ensure that such services were delivered and documented in compliance with the OPWDD Requirements.
    • During the Relevant Period, the Defendants failed to maintain adequate policies concerning the provision and documentation of Day Habilitation services consistent with the OPWDD Requirements and failed to adequately train their employees on compliance with the OPWDD Requirements. As a result, the Defendants’ employees failed to document CONY’s provision of Day Habilitation services in accordance with the OPWDD Requirements.
    • Nonetheless, the Defendants submitted claims for, and received, reimbursement from the New York Medicaid Program for Day Habilitation services that did not meet OPWDD Requirements.
    • CONY was required to report and return overpayments associated with Day Habilitation services that did not meet the OPWDD Requirements to the New York Medicaid Program. Nonetheless, when the Defendants conducted non-routine reviews that identified their receipt and retention of overpayments associated with Day Habilitation services, they failed to report and return those overpayments to the New York Medicaid Program. 

    In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.

    *                *                *

    Mr. Podolsky thanked both HHS-OIG for its investigative efforts and assistance with the case, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at the New York State Attorney General’s Office for its collaboration in the resolution of this case.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Farber is in charge of the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: 3D Systems Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ROCK HILL, S.C., March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) announced today its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024.

    • Full-year 2024 revenue of $440 million, above lower end of guidance range, inclusive of a $9 million revenue reduction in Q4 driven by a change in accounting estimates for Regenerative Medicine program milestone recognition. This change in estimate is related to the now anticipated use of pre-clinical human decedent testing, successfully demonstrated by our partner, United Therapeutics, which led to refinement of the milestone technical criteria.
    • Continued reduction in operating expenses in Q4 reflecting the company’s focus on cost savings and efficiency improvements.
    • Announcement of a new cost reduction initiative expected to deliver over $50 million in incremental annualized savings related to actions taken throughout 2025 and the first-half 2026.
    • All regulatory approvals have been obtained for sale of Geomagic software platform, with a sale price of $123 million and targeted close in early April.
    • Balance sheet cash and cash equivalents of $171 million as of December 31, 2024. Proceeds from Geomagic sale to further strengthen balance sheet in Q2.
    • Normalizing for divestiture, 2025 full-year forecast reflects return to flat to modest top line organic growth with progressive cost reductions strengthening EBITDA performance throughout the year. Target is to exit 2025 at positive adjusted-EBITDA levels, with continuing momentum in 2026.
        Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		   Year Ended
    December 31,
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
    (in millions, expect per share data)   (unaudited)   (unaudited)        
    Revenue   $ 111.0     $ 114.8     $ 440.1     $ 488.1  
    Gross profit   $ 34.4     $ 44.0     $ 164.2     $ 196.4  
    Gross profit margin     31.0 %     38.3 %     37.3 %     40.2 %
    Operating expense   $ 64.8     $ 371.3     $ 441.6     $ 602.4  
    Operating loss   $ (30.4 )   $ (327.3 )   $ (277.4 )   $ (406.0 )
    Net loss attributable to 3D Systems Corporation   $ (33.7 )   $ (292.7 )   $ (255.6 )   $ (362.7 )
    Diluted loss per share   $ (0.25 )   $ (2.25 )   $ (1.94 )   $ (2.79 )
                     
    Non-GAAP measures for year-over-year comparisons (1)            
    Non-GAAP gross profit margin     31.3 %     39.8 %     37.4 %     40.6 %
    Non-GAAP operating expense   $ 58.4     $ 65.4     $ 250.3     $ 246.0  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ (19.1 )   $ (14.0 )   $ (66.4 )   $ (26.3 )
    Non-GAAP diluted loss per share   $ (0.19 )   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.62 )   $ (0.28 )
                                     
    (1) See “Presentation of Information in this Press Release” below for a description, and the Appendix for the reconciliation of non-GAAP measurements to the most closely comparable GAAP measure.
     

    Summary Comments on Results

    “While 2024 was a challenging year for sales, reflecting weak customer capex spending on new manufacturing plant capacity through the first three quarters, we were pleased to see a healthy uptick in the sale of new industrial printer systems and global services in the fourth quarter,” said Dr. Jeffrey Graves, president & CEO of 3D Systems. “In addition, with the largest installed base in the additive manufacturing industry, we were pleased to see a return to healthy consumable sales across most markets, reflecting higher utilization rates for existing machines. These positive changes in our core business units were unfortunately masked by the impact of an accounting estimate change in our Regenerative Medicine program related to refinement of technical acceptance criteria associated with a potential change in testing methodology for printed human lungs, which are the focus of this program. This estimate change relates to the incorporation of in vivo human decedent testing protocols, which have recently been successfully demonstrated by our partner, United Therapeutics. While this accounting estimate change was not originally contemplated in our 2024 guidance, I am pleased that our core businesses still delivered within the full-year revenue range communicated in our prior forecast, and that the market showed signs of strengthening in the fourth quarter.”

    Dr. Graves continued, “While sales were weak across our industry for the last year, for 3D Systems 2024 will be remembered as a historic year of innovation, one in which dozens of new products were launched in both our Healthcare and Industrial markets. This strength in new products was a direct reflection of the continuity in R&D investment that we maintained over this challenging period. Naming just a few key milestones, early in the year we announced the largest contract in the Company’s history, securing our leadership in the dental market for the straightening of teeth, while simultaneously building critical momentum in the even larger adjacent market for teeth replacement, culminating in the announcement of our jetted denture solution which was granted clearance by the FDA in September. In our Industrial business, our collaboration with Daimler Truck demonstrated the exceptional savings potential for integrating digital rights management with on-demand localized print capabilities using Oqton work-flow management for critical spare parts, a market that is expected to reach $8 billion for trucks by 2027. With the broadest range of metal and polymer additive manufacturing technology in the entire industry, and our application-first mindset, we believe our organic growth prospects will be a key differentiator in the path ahead.”

    Dr. Graves concluded, “With our new products now gaining traction in the market, our focus is increasingly centered on driving gross margin expansion and operating expense improvements in the face of continuing uncertainty in the global markets. Given this potential demand profile, we believe it is prudent to undertake further significant actions to reduce costs and improve operating efficiencies to support our long-term mission of delivering growth with sustainable profitability. Our latest cost initiative, which began in Q1 of 2025, is targeted at delivering over $50 million of incremental annualized savings based on actions taken over the next six quarters. Importantly, while these efforts will not be fully completed until the middle of 2026, we anticipate significant improvements associated with them, in conjunction with those taken previously, leading us to expect break-even-or-better adjusted-EBITDA performance by the fourth quarter of 2025, despite essentially flat-to-modest revenue growth. From a balance sheet perspective, having previously retired over 50% of our Convertible Notes due November 2026, the remainder of which reaches maturity in Q4 of 2026, our cash balance at 2024 year-end of $171 million, supplemented by proceeds from the sale of our Geomagic software platform for $123 million in the coming weeks, positions us well to continue reducing our leverage while supporting the investments needed to deliver long-term growth and profitability.”

    Summary of Fourth Quarter Results

    Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased 3% to $111.0 million compared to the same period last year and includes an $8.7 million reduction due to a change in accounting estimate related to refinement of milestone recognition criteria within our Regenerative Medicine program.

    Healthcare Solutions revenue, which includes revenues from our Regenerative Medicine program, decreased 21% to $40.4 million compared to the prior year period.

    Industrial Solutions revenue increased 11% to $70.7 million compared to the prior year period.

    Gross profit margin for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 31.0% compared to 38.3% in the same period last year. Non-GAAP gross profit margin was 31.3% compared to 39.8% in the same period last year and decreased primarily due to the accounting estimate changes previously described for our Regenerative Medicine program. Excluding the impact of these accounting estimate changes, non-GAAP gross profit margins were 36.3% for Q4 and 38.7% for the full year 2024, offering a perspective on our core Healthcare and Industrial business performance.

    Net loss attributable to 3D Systems Corporation improved by $259.0 million to a loss of $33.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in the prior year. The improvement in net loss primarily reflects the year-over-year change in impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets taken during the prior year period.

    Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $5.1 million to a loss of $19.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year primarily driven by lower revenue and margin due to a change in accounting estimate related to refinement of milestone recognition criteria in our Regenerative Medicine program.

    Summary of Full-Year 2024 Results

    Revenue for 2024 of $440.1 million decreased 10% compared to the prior year. The decline in revenue primarily reflects lower hardware systems sales due to macroeconomic factors that are negatively impacting demand.

    Healthcare Solutions revenue decreased 11% to $189.7 million compared to the prior year.

    Industrial Solutions revenue decreased 9% to $250.4 million compared to the prior year.

    Gross profit margin for the full year 2024 was 37.3% compared to 40.2% in the prior year. Non-GAAP gross profit margin was 37.4% for the full year 2024 compared to 40.6% in the prior year. Gross profit margin decreased primarily due to the change in accounting estimate related to refinement of milestone recognition criteria within our Regenerative Medicine program and unfavorable manufacturing variances.

    Net loss for the full year 2024 improved by $107.1 million to a loss of $255.6 million compared to the prior year. The improvement in net loss primarily reflects the year-over-year change in impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets taken during 2023.

    Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $40.1 million to a loss of $66.4 million in 2024 compared to prior year primarily driven by lower revenues and increases in consulting and outside services expenses.

    2025 Outlook

    Assuming no material change in current macroeconomic conditions and the expected divestiture of the Geomagic business in early Q2 of 2025, the Company is providing the following for its full year 2025 outlook:

    • Revenue within the range of $420 million to $435 million, representing essentially flat to modest growth when excluding Geomagic revenue for the same periods in FY’24
    • Non-GAAP Gross Profit Margin within the range of 37% to 39%
    • Non-GAAP Operating Expense within the range of $200 million to $220 million
    • Adjusted EBITDA to be break even or better in Q4 2025

    Financial Liquidity

    At December 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalents totaled $171.3 million and decreased $160.2 million since December 31, 2023. This decrease resulted primarily from the repurchase of our Convertible Notes due November 2026 of $87.2 million, cash used in operations of $44.9 million, and capital expenditures of $16.1 million. At December 31, 2024, the company had total debt, net of deferred financing costs of $212.0 million.

    Q4 and FY 2024 Conference Call and Webcast

    The Company will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast to discuss these results on March 27 2025, which may be accessed as follows:

    Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
    Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time
    Listen via webcast: www.3dsystems.com/investor
    Participate via telephone: 201-689-8345

    A replay of the webcast will be available approximately two hours after the live presentation at www.3dsystems.com/investor.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from historical results or from any future results or projections expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In many cases, forward looking statements can be identified by terms such as “believes,” “belief,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “estimates,” “intends,” “anticipates” or “plans” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based upon management’s beliefs, assumptions and current expectations and may include comments as to the company’s beliefs and expectations as to future events and trends affecting its business and are necessarily subject to uncertainties, many of which are outside the control of the company. The factors described under the headings “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other factors, could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected or predicted in forward-looking statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not, and should not be relied upon as a guarantee of future performance or results, nor will they necessarily prove to be accurate indications of the times at which such performance or results will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included are made only as the date of the statement. 3D Systems undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made by management or on its behalf, whether as a result of future developments, subsequent events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Presentation of Information in this Press Release

    3D Systems reports its financial results in accordance with GAAP. Management also reviews and reports certain Non-GAAP measures, including: Non-GAAP gross profit, Non-GAAP gross profit margin, Non-GAAP diluted income (loss) per share, Non-GAAP operating expense and Adjusted EBITDA. These Non-GAAP measures exclude certain items that management does not view as part of 3D Systems’ core results as they may be highly variable, may be unusual or infrequent, are difficult to predict and can distort underlying business trends and results. Management believes that the Non-GAAP measures provide useful additional insight into underlying business trends and results and provide meaningful information regarding the comparison of period-over-period results. Additionally, management uses the Non-GAAP measures for planning, forecasting and evaluating business and financial performance, including allocating resources and evaluating results relative to employee compensation targets. 3D Systems’ Non-GAAP measures are not calculated in accordance with or as required by GAAP and may not be calculated in the same manner as similarly titled measures used by other companies. These Non-GAAP measures should thus be considered as supplemental in nature and not considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    To calculate the Non-GAAP measures, 3D Systems excludes the impact of the following items:

    • amortization of intangible assets, a non-cash expense, as 3D Systems’ intangible assets were primarily acquired in connection with business combinations;
    • costs incurred in connection with acquisitions and divestitures, such as legal, consulting and advisory fees;
    • stock-based compensation expenses, a non-cash expense;
    • charges related to restructuring and cost optimization plans, impairment charges, including goodwill, and divestiture gains or losses;
    • certain compensation expense related to the 2021 Volumetric acquisition; and
    • costs, including legal fees, related to significant or unusual litigation matters.

    Amortization of intangibles and acquisition and divestiture-related costs are excluded from Non-GAAP measures as the timing and magnitude of business combination transactions are not predictable, can vary significantly from period to period and the purchase price allocated to amortizable intangible assets and the related amortization period are unique to each acquisition. Amortization of intangible assets will recur in future periods until such intangible assets have been fully amortized. While intangible assets contribute to the company’s revenue generation, the amortization of intangible assets does not directly relate to the sale of the company’s products or services. Additionally, intangible assets amortization expense typically fluctuates based on the size and timing of the company’s acquisition activity. Accordingly, the company believes excluding the amortization of intangible assets enhances the company’s and investors’ ability to compare the company’s past financial performance with its current performance and to analyze underlying business performance and trends. Although stock-based compensation is a key incentive offered to certain of our employees, the expense is non-cash in nature, and we continue to evaluate our business performance excluding stock-based compensation; therefore, it is excluded from Non-GAAP measures. Stock-based compensation expenses will recur in future periods. Charges related to restructuring and cost optimization plans, impairment charges, including goodwill, divestiture gains or losses, and the costs, including legal fees, related to significant or unusual litigation matters are excluded from Non-GAAP measures as the frequency and magnitude of these activities may vary widely from period to period. Additionally, impairment charges, including goodwill, are non-cash. Furthermore, the company believes the costs, including legal fees, related to significant or unusual litigation matters are not indicative of our core business’ operations. Finally, 3D Systems excludes contingent consideration recorded as compensation expense related to the 2021 Volumetric acquisition from Non-GAAP measures as management evaluates financial performance excluding this expense, which is viewed by management as similar to acquisition consideration.

    The matters discussed above are tax effected, as applicable, in calculating Non-GAAP diluted income (loss) per share.

    Adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income, plus income tax (provision) benefit, interest and other income (expense), net, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, depreciation expense, and other Non-GAAP adjustments, all as described above, is used by management to evaluate performance and helps measure financial performance period-over-period.

    A reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP financial measures is provided in the accompanying schedules.

    3D Systems does not provide forward-looking guidance for certain measures on a GAAP basis. The company is unable to provide a quantitative reconciliation of forward-looking Non-GAAP gross profit margin, Adjusted EBITDA, and Non-GAAP operating expense to the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP measures without unreasonable effort because certain items, including litigation costs, acquisition expenses, stock-based compensation expense, intangible assets amortization expense, restructuring expenses, and goodwill impairment charges are difficult to predict and estimate. These items are inherently uncertain and depend on various factors, many of which are beyond the company’s control, and as such, any associated estimate and its impact on GAAP performance could vary materially.

    About 3D Systems

    More than 35 years ago, Chuck Hull’s curiosity and desire to improve the way products were designed and manufactured gave birth to 3D printing, 3D Systems, and the additive manufacturing industry. Since then, that same spark continues to ignite the 3D Systems team as we work side-by-side with our customers to change the way industries innovate. As a full-service solutions partner, we deliver industry-leading 3D printing technologies, materials and software to high-value markets such as medical and dental; aerospace, space and defense; transportation and motorsports; AI infrastructure; and durable goods. Each application-specific solution is powered by the expertise and passion of our employees who endeavor to achieve our shared goal of Transforming Manufacturing for a Better Future. More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com.

    Investor Contact: investor.relations@3dsystems.com
    Media Contact: press@3dsystems.com
       

    Tables Follow

     
    3D Systems Corporation
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (in thousands, except par value)
     
      December 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023
    ASSETS      
    Current assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 171,324     $ 331,525  
    Accounts receivable, net of reserves — $2,433 and $3,389   101,471       101,497  
    Inventories   118,530       152,188  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   34,329       42,612  
    Assets held for sale   3,176       —  
    Total current assets   428,830       627,822  
    Property and equipment, net   51,044       64,461  
    Intangible assets, net   18,020       62,724  
    Goodwill   14,879       116,082  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets   50,715       58,406  
    Finance lease right-of-use assets   8,726       12,174  
    Long-term deferred income tax assets   2,063       4,230  
    Other assets   34,569       44,761  
    Total assets $ 608,846     $ 990,660  
    LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST AND EQUITY      
    Current liabilities:      
    Current operating lease liabilities $ 9,514     $ 9,924  
    Accounts payable   41,833       49,757  
    Accrued and other liabilities   45,488       49,460  
    Customer deposits   4,712       7,599  
    Deferred revenue   27,298       30,448  
    Liabilities held for sale   10,251       —  
    Total current liabilities   139,096       147,188  
    Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs   211,995       319,356  
    Long-term operating lease liabilities   52,527       56,795  
    Long-term deferred income tax liabilities   2,076       5,162  
    Other liabilities   25,001       33,400  
    Total liabilities   430,695       561,901  
    Commitments and contingencies      
    Redeemable non-controlling interest   1,958       2,006  
    Stockholders’ equity:      
    Common stock, $0.001 par value, authorized 220,000 shares; shares issued 135,510 and 133,619 as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively   136       134  
    Additional paid-in capital   1,593,366       1,577,519  
    Accumulated deficit   (1,362,243 )     (1,106,650 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (55,066 )     (44,250 )
    Total stockholders’ equity   176,193       426,753  
    Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and stockholders’ equity $ 608,846     $ 990,660  
     
    3D Systems Corporation
    Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (in thousands, except per share amounts)
     
      Three Months Ended   Year Ended
      December 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023    		   December 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023
    Revenue: (unaudited)   (unaudited)        
    Products $ 70,426     $ 74,763     $ 279,178     $ 328,731  
    Services   40,598       40,085       160,943       159,338  
    Total revenue   111,024       114,848       440,121       488,069  
    Cost of sales:              
    Products   46,288       49,816       175,859       203,258  
    Services   30,291       21,075       100,084       88,390  
    Total cost of sales   76,579       70,891       275,943       291,648  
    Gross profit   34,445       43,957       164,178       196,421  
    Operating expenses:              
    Selling, general and administrative   43,360       59,549       210,132       210,172  
    Research and development   20,219       22,513       86,479       89,466  
    Asset impairment charges   1,234       289,190       144,967       302,787  
    Total operating expenses   64,813       371,252       441,578       602,425  
    Loss from operations   (30,368 )     (327,295 )     (277,400 )     (406,004 )
    Non-operating income (loss):              
    Foreign exchange gain (loss), net   3,226       (978 )     2,452       (4,825 )
    Interest income   1,502       3,781       7,302       19,511  
    Interest expense   (620 )     (689 )     (2,564 )     (3,301 )
    Other income (loss), net   (1,505 )     31,887       20,214       32,307  
    Total non-operating income (loss)   2,603       34,001       27,404       43,692  
    Loss before income taxes   (27,765 )     (293,294 )     (249,996 )     (362,312 )
    (Provision) benefit for income taxes   (4,689 )     1,045       (2,193 )     641  
    Loss on equity method investment, net of income taxes   (1,001 )     (535 )     (3,404 )     (1,282 )
    Net loss before redeemable non-controlling interest   (33,455 )     (292,784 )     (255,593 )     (362,953 )
    Less: net loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest   252       (116 )     —       (265 )
    Net loss attributable to 3D Systems Corporation $ (33,707 )   $ (292,668 )   $ (255,593 )   $ (362,688 )
                   
    Net loss per common share:              
    Basic $ (0.25 )   $ (2.25 )   $ (1.94 )   $ (2.79 )
    Diluted $ (0.25 )   $ (2.25 )   $ (1.94 )   $ (2.79 )
                   
    Weighted average shares outstanding:              
    Basic   132,576       130,431       131,861       129,944  
    Diluted   132,576       130,431       131,861       129,944  
     
    3D Systems Corporation
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (in thousands)
     
      Year Ended December 31,
        2024       2023  
    Cash flows from operating activities:      
    Net loss before redeemable non-controlling interest $ (255,593 )   $ (362,953 )
    Adjustments to reconcile loss income to net cash used in operating activities:      
    Depreciation and amortization   33,310       33,413  
    Accretion of debt discount   1,378       2,640  
    Stock-based compensation   18,457       23,504  
    Loss on short-term investments   —       6  
    Non-cash operating lease expense   9,871       9,267  
    Provision for inventory obsolescence and revaluation   12,360       6,350  
    Provision for bad debts   506       595  
    Loss on the disposition of businesses, property, equipment and other assets   2,795       6  
    Gain on debt extinguishment   (21,518 )     (32,181 )
    Benefit for deferred income taxes and reserve adjustments   (952 )     (2,412 )
    Loss on equity method investment   3,404       1,282  
    Impairments of assets   144,967       304,698  
    Changes in operating accounts:      
    Accounts receivable   (6,376 )     (6,186 )
    Inventories   15,766       (20,555 )
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   7,049       (7,961 )
    Accounts payable   (5,812 )     (5,526 )
    Deferred revenue and customer deposits   3,602       1,245  
    Accrued and other liabilities   (6,187 )     (12,933 )
    All other operating activities   (1,914 )     (12,994 )
    Net cash used in operating activities   (44,887 )     (80,695 )
    Cash flows from investing activities:      
    Purchases of property and equipment   (16,121 )     (27,183 )
    Purchases of short-term investments   —       —  
    Sales and maturities of short-term investments   —       180,925  
    Proceeds from sale of assets and businesses, net of cash sold   96       194  
    Acquisitions and other investments, net of cash acquired   (3,000 )     (29,152 )
    Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities   (19,025 )     124,784  
    Cash flows from financing activities:      
    Repayment of borrowings/long-term debt   (87,218 )     (100,614 )
    Purchase of non-controlling interests   —       —  
    Taxes paid related to net-share settlement of equity awards   (2,662 )     (5,211 )
    Other financing activities   (1,385 )     (644 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (91,265 )     (106,469 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash   (5,053 )     3,516  
    Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash   (160,230 )     (58,864 )
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the year a   333,111       391,975  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the end of the year a $ 172,881     $ 333,111  
     
    (a)  The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets to the total of such amounts reported in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.
     
      December 31,
    2024    		   December 31,
    2023    		   December 31,
    2022
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 171,324     $ 331,525     $ 388,134  
    Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets   123       119       114  
    Restricted cash included in other assets   1,434       1,467       3,727  
    Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows $ 172,881     $ 333,111     $ 391,975  
     
    Amounts included in restricted cash as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 primarily relate to guarantees in the form of a standby letter of credit as security for a long-term real estate lease. Amounts included in restricted cash as of December 31, 2022 primarily relate to $3,435 deposited into and held in an escrow account prior to its use as part of our initial investment in the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation (“NAMI”) joint venture. The remaining amounts in restricted cash in all periods presented relate to collateral for letters of credit and bank guarantees.
     
    Appendix
    3D Systems Corporation
    Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures
     
    Segment Revenue (1)
     
      Three Months Ended December 31,
    (in millions)   2024       2023     $ Change   % Change
    Healthcare Solutions $ 40.4     $ 51.2     $ (10.8 )     (21.1) %
    Industrial Solutions   70.7       63.7       7.0       11.0 %
    Total revenue $ 111.0     $ 114.8     $ (3.8 )     (3.3) %
     
    (1) Amounts in table may not foot due to rounding
      Year Ended December 31,
    (in millions)   2024       2023     $ Change     % Change  
    Healthcare Solutions $ 189.7     $ 213.2     $ (23.5 )     (11.0) %
    Industrial Solutions   250.4       274.9       (24.5 )     (8.9) %
    Total revenue $ 440.1     $ 488.1     $ (47.9 )     (9.8) %
     
    (1) Amounts in table may not foot due to rounding
     

    Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin (1)

      Three Months Ended December 31,
    (in millions)   2024       2023  
      Gross Profit   Gross Profit Margin   Gross Profit   Gross Profit Margin
    GAAP $ 34.4       31.0 %   $ 44.0       38.3 %
    Amortization expense included in Cost of sales   0.2           0.4      
    Severance accrual adjustment   0.1           1.4      
    Non-GAAP (2) $ 34.7       31.3 %   $ 45.8       39.8 %
     
    (1) Amounts in table may not foot due to rounding
    (2) Calculated as non-GAAP gross profit as a percentage of total revenue.
       
      Year Ended December 31,
    (in millions)   2024       2023  
      Gross Profit   Gross Profit Margin   Gross Profit   Gross Profit Margin
    GAAP $ 164.2       37.3 %   $ 196.4       40.2 %
    Amortization expense included in Cost of sales   1.0           0.5      
    Severance accrual adjustment   (0.4 )         1.4      
    Non-GAAP (2) $ 164.8       37.4 %   $ 198.4       40.6 %
     
    (1)Amounts in table may not foot due to rounding
    (2) Calculated as non-GAAP gross profit as a percentage of total revenue.
     

    Non-GAAP Operating Expense(1)

      Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
    (in millions)   2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Operating expense $ 64.8     $ 371.3     $ 441.6     $ 602.4  
    Amortization expense   (0.8 )     (2.0 )     (13.3 )     (11.6 )
    Stock-based compensation expense   (1.1 )     (8.4 )     (18.4 )     (23.5 )
    Acquisition and divestiture-related expense   (1.4 )     1.2       (2.2 )     1.1  
    Legal and other expense   (1.8 )     (3.2 )     (11.0 )     (8.1 )
    Restructuring expense   (0.1 )     (3.3 )     (1.4 )     (10.1 )
    Asset impairment charges   (1.2 )     (290.1 )     (145.0 )     (304.4 )
    Non-GAAP operating expense $ 58.4     $ 65.4     $ 250.3     $ 246.0  
     
    (1) Amounts in table may not foot due to rounding
     
    Appendix
    3D Systems Corporation
    Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures
     
    Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA (1)
     
      Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
    (in millions)   2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net loss attributable to 3D Systems Corporation $ (33.7 )   $ (292.7 )   $ (255.6 )   $ (362.7 )
    Interest (income) expense, net   (0.9 )     (3.1 )     (4.7 )     (16.2 )
    Provision (benefit) for income taxes   4.7       (1.0 )     2.2       (0.6 )
    Depreciation expense   4.5       5.7       19.0       21.3  
    Amortization expense   1.0       2.4       14.3       12.1  
    EBITDA   (24.4 )     (288.8 )     (224.8 )     (346.1 )
    Stock-based compensation expense   1.1       8.4       18.4       23.5  
    Acquisition and divestiture-related expense   1.4       (1.2 )     2.2       (1.1 )
    Legal and other related costs   2.2       3.2       11.4       8.1  
    Restructuring expense   (0.2 )     4.8       0.7       11.5  
    Net loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest   0.3       (0.1 )     0.1       (0.3 )
    Loss on equity method investment, net of tax   1.0       0.5       3.4       1.3  
    Asset impairment charges   1.2       290.1       145.0       304.4  
    Gain on repurchase of debt   —       (32.2 )     (21.5 )     (32.2 )
    Other non-operating (income) expense   (1.7 )     1.3       (1.2 )     4.7  
    Adjusted EBITDA $ (19.1 )   $ (14.0 )   $ (66.4 )   $ (26.3 )
     
    (1) Amounts in table may not foot due to rounding
     
    Appendix
    3D Systems Corporation
    Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures
     
    Diluted Loss per Share (1)
     
      Three Months Ended December 31,   Year Ended December 31,
    (in dollars)   2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Diluted loss per share $ (0.25 )   $ (2.25 )   $ (1.94 )   $ (2.79 )
    Amortization expense   0.01       0.02       0.11       0.09  
    Stock-based compensation expense   0.01       0.06       0.14       0.18  
    Acquisition and divestiture-related expense   0.01       (0.01 )     0.02       (0.01 )
    Legal expense   0.02       0.03       0.09       0.06  
    Restructuring expense   —       0.04       0.01       0.09  
    Asset impairment charges   0.01       2.23       1.10       2.35  
    Gain on repurchase of debt   —       (0.25 )     (0.16 )     (0.25 )
    Loss on equity method investment and other   0.01       —       0.03       —  
    Non-GAAP diluted loss per share $ (0.19 )   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.62 )   $ (0.28 )
     
    (1) Amounts in table may not foot due to rounding

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kenya’s decision to make maths optional in high school is a bad idea – what should happen instead

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Moses Ngware, Senior Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center

    Kenya’s education ministry announced in March 2025 that mathematics would be an optional subject in senior secondary school, which begins in grade 10. Most students in this grade are aged 15 years. The education minister said the mathematics taught from grade 4 to grade 9 was sufficient for foundational “numeracy literacy”.

    The change, in January 2026, is part of a shift to a new education system styled as the competence based curriculum. The decision is not to scrap maths altogether but rather to make it optional. However, given the poor performance in this subject, it is expected there will be few takers.

    Maths is a compulsory subject in the first 12 years of basic education in many African countries. This is the case in Mauritius, Nigeria and South Africa, which opted for a choice between maths and mathematical literacy for grades 10-12.

    The older education system, known as 8-4-4, featured eight years of primary school and four each at high school and university. Under this, core maths, dubbed Alternative A, is compulsory for all schoolgoing children until the second year of high school (form 2). Most students in this grade are aged 16 years. In the final two years of high school, one has the option of switching to Alternative B, a simplified version of Alternative A introduced in 2009. Alternative B is similar to South Africa’s mathematical literacy subject.

    @222222The decision has triggered heated debates in the country, in favour and against.

    As a researcher who has taught high school maths and researched maths teaching for over 20 years, I have the view that making maths optional is not a good idea. This is because both individuals and society need maths, regardless of the career path they might choose.

    It’s been argued that the change applies to the last two senior years of high school, which was the case in the old system too. For the new curriculum, however, this should not have been a problem as it is competence-based. This implies that what matters is the specific skills and knowledge mastered by a student, and not the examination scores.

    The Kenyan education department should establish the root causes of the low performance in maths, and fix them. Research shows that chief among these are resource allocation; weak teacher preparation and support for foundational numeracy instruction; a learning disability known as dyscalculia; and the behavioural performance of maths teachers.

    Kenya’s maths problem

    In the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams, graded between A (highest) and E (lowest), over half of the 881,416 candidates’ maths scores fell in the lowest two grades, D and E. This improved only marginally in 2023. To put the performance in context, the pass rate in high school certificate maths examinations in Mauritius improved from 81.4% to 91.8% between 2019 and 2022.

    There are a number of reasons for this dismal performance in Kenya:

    Resource allocation: The better-resourced national schools can only admit a small number of students, leaving out over 70% who join low-resourced day schools. Resources for learning maths range from teachers to interactive teaching and learning materials inside the classroom. With the support of partners such as the Global Partnership for Education, the government aims to achieve a 1:1 textbook-per-student ratio goal. However, the flow of capitation grants to secondary schools has been wanting, jeopardising access to resources at the school level.

    Teacher preparation: Teachers aren’t well prepared to support learners in foundational numeracy (maths in early grades). Foundational numeracy skills are critical in creating strong building blocks for future learning and success in later grades.

    Teacher behaviour: Classroom observation studies reveal that maths teachers favour boys. Furthermore, above average learners sit in the front closer to the chalkboard, and learners are denied positive reinforcement that would motivate them to learn maths. There are also negative attitudes about maths as a difficult subject, reinforcing the stereotype that it is only suitable for boys and “bright” children.

    Dyscalculia: Worldwide, 3%-7% of the general population are affected by a disability known as dyscalculia. In Kenya, 6.4% among primary and secondary school children have the disability. It is a condition that affects a person’s ability to understand numerical concepts. By implication, the number of the 962,512 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education candidates of 2024 with this disability works out to between 28,000 and 68,000 candidates. But Kenya’s education system doesn’t support teachers in diagnosing learners with dyscalculia, or managing their disability.

    Policy options

    There are alternatives to making maths an optional subject in senior secondary school.

    The system needs to focus on the root causes of low performance, and then on how to fix them.

    I suggest the following solutions.

    • Avoid unnecessarily using achievement in maths to determine access to academic and training programmes. This way, one’s career will not solely be determined by performance in maths.

    • Keep a simpler maths alternative, or maths literacy, for senior secondary instead of making maths optional.

    • Teachers should continue to develop their competence in maths, focusing on content knowledge as well as knowledge of how to teach numeracy.

    • The general public should communicate effectively to eliminate negative stereotypes and unhelpful attitudes in society. The aim is to shift mindsets so that maths is perceived as part of life – making it necessary to support all children to succeed in maths.

    • Help learners to overcome dyscalculia, using multisensory teaching approaches – a way of teaching that engages more than one sense at a time: sight, hearing, movement and touch.

    – Kenya’s decision to make maths optional in high school is a bad idea – what should happen instead
    – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-decision-to-make-maths-optional-in-high-school-is-a-bad-idea-what-should-happen-instead-252965

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ABC South East Breakfast with Eddie Williams

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: Well, tax cuts for all workers. Energy Bill Relief. But Budget deficits as far as the eye can see. They are some of the takeaways from the Federal Budget, with a closer look at what it might mean closer to home. Kristy McBain is the Member for Eden-Monaro and the Minister for Regional Development and Local Government. Good morning. 

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Good morning, Eddie. 

    WILLIAMS: What practical difference will this Budget make in the South East? 

    MCBAIN: As you said, there are two new rounds of tax cuts. They’re modest tax cuts, but when they’re combined with the tax cuts that are already in the system, on average by 2026-27, Eden-Monaro taxpayers will be getting an average tax cut of $2,169. Modest changes for the next two years as those two rounds come in, but when we look at the cumulative total, that is good news for workers right across our communities. Obviously, the new round of Urgent Care Clinics, another 50 to the 87 that are already out there in our communities. One of those areas is going to be in the Bega Valley.

    WILLIAMS: Whether it’s health or whether it’s housing, the challenges that regional and rural Australia face play out a bit differently to those in the city. The National Rural Health Alliance says there’s a lack of a targeted strategy to address those unique health challenges in rural communities. Is the Government taking any specific steps to address those specific issues in regional Australia? 

    MCBAIN: We’ve obviously made an announcement about $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare. There’s a huge amount of money in there, which is all about the health workforce. $662.6 million, which is about growing our health workforce. There’ll be hundreds more GP and rural generalist training places. There are 100 more Commonwealth supported university places for medical students from next year. There are hundreds of scholarships for nurses and midwives to continue to grow their skill set. There are more incentives for our doctors to work in regional and rural Australia, and that builds on our previous announcement to wipe HECS for doctors and nurse practitioners to work in rural and remote Australia. We know it’s really important to deal with the health workforce side of things. It’s not a quick fix to grow our doctor numbers and make sure that they’re trained up and ready to go in our regions, which is why we’re investing really heavily in it. It’s something that should have been happening for decades and unfortunately wasn’t. We’ve seen the freezing of Medicare rebates, which has significantly hampered GP numbers, but we are seeing more students go through and enter our GP training courses now than we have seen in a number of years. 

    WILLIAMS: The Budget is forecast to remain in structural deficit for the next decade. Net debt is rising. Is the Government making any effort at all to pay down Australia’s debt? 

    MCBAIN: We’ve made some significant inroads into that. We’ve reduced the overall national debt by over $170 billion. It will mean that as taxpayers, we’re paying $70 billion less in interest on that debt. Even in this Budget, there’s been $2 billion worth of savings found. Over the four budgets we’ve done there’s been $90 billion of savings made through cutting wastage and rorts, and making sure our departments are working efficiently and effectively. We’ve seen the fruits of that labour by making sure we’ve got Government departments working well. During Cyclone Alfred, where NEMA did such a fantastic job of coordinating response and recovery efforts. Where Services Australia were out on the ground making sure payments were rolled out to people directly impacted. The national emergency stockpile delivering out sandbags, pre-placing generators, and making sure we had a heavy lift helicopters pre-placed in Queensland and New South Wales. You can see the fruits of better, more effective coordination when it comes to those real time disasters. 

    WILLIAMS: 7:15 on ABC South East. If you want to have your say on the Budget, you can call or text 0467 902 684. Joe raises the issue of Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred, and she says she’s disappointed that the Budget doesn’t seem to have anything new on climate adaptation or emissions reduction. Is that an area where the Government’s dropped the ball? 

    MCBAIN: We’ve been the only Government to really take forward climate action for decades. A legislated emissions reduction target. There’s been significant work on pre-preparing places by having the National Emergency Management Agency set up, which came into effect after we took Government. We’ve had the Disaster Ready fund, which is all about resilience and mitigation in our communities. Something that local governments and insurance companies were calling for to make sure our infrastructure was ready to go. We’ve seen that with the Watergums Bridge in Womboin, a significant investment by the three levels of government to ensure that a community doesn’t get cut off every time it rains and there is a flood. So there’s been some heavy work in that space and that will continue. 

    WILLIAMS: Phil at Bombala asks why Australia can’t build manufacturing again to survive a changing world. The Government’s spoken a lot about its Future Made in Australia policies. How realistic is a manufacturing industry future in Australia? 

    MCBAIN: We’ve said from day one that we need to invest heavily in a Future Made in Australia, and in our last Budget we committed $22 billion towards that very thing. We’ve seen with our National Reconstruction Fund, equity stakes taken in manufacturing mining equipment in Toowoomba, working with some of our defence primes to manufacture more things in this country. There is a significant commitment to making sure we manufacture more in Australia, including the stake that we’ve taken now in South Australian steel manufacturing. It is really important as a country that is a little bit further away from the rest of the world, that we do learn the lessons of COVID, that we are more self-sustainable, and we’re a Government that’s committed to that and putting money into it. 

    WILLIAMS: Will you match the funding commitment that the coalition has made to help upgrade the bigger pool? 

    MCBAIN: I’ll have more to say in the coming days and weeks on my election commitments for the Bega Valley and for Eden-Monaro as a whole, but I’m incredibly proud to have secured tens of millions of dollars in funding for local roads, for community infrastructure, and for other critical projects to date. The way I work is working with our local communities to make sure projects that are funded are key priorities. 

    WILLIAMS: Kristy McBain, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you. 

    MCBAIN: Good to be with you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Ecuador: Justice has failed the Warriors for the Amazon, but their fight continues

    Source: Amnesty International –

    On 30 January 2025, Ecuador’s Constitutional Court dismissed an extraordinary action for protection brought by the “Guerreras por la Amazonia” (Warriors for the Amazon). This group of activists, supported by the Union of People Affected by Texaco’s Oil Operations (UDAPT), the “Eliminen los Mecheros, Enciendan la Vida” (Remove the flares, Ignite life) group and their own communities, won a court ruling in 2021 that ordered the elimination of gas flares in the Ecuadorian Amazon and reparation measures for violation of their rights to health and a healthy environment.

    The protection action brought by the Warriors was aimed at ensuring that the reparation measures ordered would be properly implemented, including through the removal of flares located close to population centres. Amnesty International submitted an amicus curiae to the Court, pointing out the ambiguous definition of “population centres” and the distance of the flares from such centres, which has allowed the Ecuadorian authorities to simply give the appearance of complying with the ruling.

    Although the Court acknowledged a lack of compliance with the ruling, it dismissed the action on grounds that “the right to due process in the guarantee of motivation was not violated”. Thus, the Warriors of the Amazon and their communities received neither justice nor meaningful reparations. Pablo Fajardo, from UDAPT and the “Eliminen los Mecheros, Enciendan la Vida” collective, stated: “The plaintiffs and the legal team supporting them have shown that the ruling of the Court of Sucumbíos has significant flaws and ambiguities, creating loopholes that have allowed the state, including the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, to evade compliance with the ruling. With their decision, the judges of the Constitutional Court have only prolonged the violation of the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs and the people of the Amazon region.”

    The plaintiffs and the legal team supporting them have shown that the ruling of the Court of Sucumbíos has significant flaws and ambiguities, creating loopholes that have allowed the state (…) to evade compliance with the ruling. With their decision, the judges of the Constitutional Court have only prolonged the violation of the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs and the people of the Amazon region

    -Pablo Fajardo from UDAPT and the “Eliminen los Mecheros, Enciendan la Vida” collective

    Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, also condemned the decision. “Due to the vagueness of the original ruling, this unfortunate decision by Ecuador’s Constitutional Court allows the state of Ecuador to continue operating gas flares, which will result in the rights of the Warriors for the Amazon and their communities going up in flames and suffocating in toxic gases, with millions more people being affected because of their contribution to climate change. The Ecuadorian Amazon is burning, and with every gas flare that continues to operate, the future grows darker for all.”

    Due to the vagueness of the original ruling, this unfortunate decision by Ecuador’s Constitutional Court allows the state of Ecuador to continue operating gas flares, which will result in the rights of the Warriors for the Amazon and their communities going up in flames and suffocating in toxic gases, with millions more people being affected because of their contribution to climate change. The Ecuadorian Amazon is burning, and with every gas flare that continues to operate, the future grows darker for all

    -Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

    Despite the Court’s decision, the Warriors for the Amazon were defiant that they would continue to fight. “We will NOT falter, we will not give up, we will not be beaten. We will continue to fight for our future, for our life, for our land,” they declared.

    We will NOT falter, we will not give up, we will not be beaten. We will continue to fight for our future, for our life, for our land

     -Warriors for the Amazon

    Additional information:

    Despite a favourable ruling for the Warriors in 2021, gas flaring has not ceased. The activists brought an action before the Constitutional Court on 28 October 2021, in which they argued that the ruling was vague and imprecise, making it difficult to enforce. According to the ruling, gas flares near populated areas were to be removed within 18 months, and all others by 2030. Given the ambiguity in the ruling, the state company Petroecuador has discretionally established that any flares located more than 150 metres from any population centre need not be removed until 2030, despite evidence showing that harmful health and environmental effects are felt over a distance of up to 5,000 metres. The Warriors for the Amazon have expressed their objection to the decision of the Constitutional Court in a public statement, with the UDAPT supporting the activists in a separate statement.

    For further information or to arrange a meeting, please contact [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 60-day scripts were supposed to save time and money. So why are we still waiting for cheaper medicines?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute

    adriaticfoto/Shutterstock

    Labor has committed A$690 million over four years to cut the maximum cost of medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to $25. The Coalition has matched the promise, which is estimated to save Australians $200 million a year.

    But consumers could save even more if an existing policy met its potential.

    In 2023, the federal government introduced 60-day prescribing. This meant consumers could get twice as many pills per script, with fewer trips to the pharmacist (and to the doctor for a script).

    The government announced that consumers would save up to $190 a year for a single medicine, and up to $46 for a concession card holder, compared to the costs of a 30-day script.

    But after a tough fight to get this policy, it isn’t living up to its promise.

    A hard-won policy

    It took political courage, and government spending, to get this change.

    Data on political donations show pharmaceutical interests make up the vast bulk of donations from the health sector. The Pharmacy Guild, which represents pharmacy owners, spent the most by far. These donations are an attempt to wield influence behind the scenes. When that fails, the guild isn’t afraid to attack governments in public.

    The federal government stared down a histrionic scare campaign against 60-day prescribing. The guild claimed pharmacies would close due to reduced dispensing fees. It also claimed medicines would run out, and children would overdose due to pill hoarding.

    The government pushed through the policy, but directly compensated rural pharmacies with ongoing payments worth $20 million a year.

    The government also brought forward negotiation of the eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement, which sets how much the government pays pharmacists for dispensing, medication management, and other services. The agreement was signed last year and added $3 billion in new spending.

    A long wait for longer scripts

    After all that conflict and cost, our analysis of PBS data shows the uptake of longer scripts has been painfully slow.

    About 300 drugs for chronic health conditions have been added to the eligibility list in three stages.

    For the first stage of medicines, the 60-day option became available in late 2023. This included common medications such as statins for high cholesterol, perindopril for high blood pressure, and alendronate for osteoporosis.

    More than a year later, in November 2024, only 30% of eligible stage one medicines dispensed were from a 60-day script.

    That’s well short of expectations. The Department of Health and Aged Care predicted 60-day uptake would reach 45% in 2023–24, 58% in 2024–25, and 63% in 2026–27, if fully implemented.

    Across all medicines eligible for 60-day prescribing, including those added in the second and third stages, just 21% of medicines dispensed were from a 60-day script.

    Even at these low rates, we estimate the policy has saved consumers more than $110 million so far. Higher uptake, closer to the rates the department predicted, would mean even more savings.

    Millions of people are missing out. In 2024, there were about 28 million 30-day scripts for statins, compared to about 5 million 60-day scripts. If half of these patients had a 60-day script, they would have saved an extra $27 million a year.

    If half of all eligible medicines were dispensed for 60 days, we estimate patients would have saved an extra $310 million a year. That’s more than the $200 million in expected savings from the $25 medicines promise.

    And while the government spends money on the $25 medicines policy, it saves money from 60-day scripts, by paying pharmacists fewer dispensing fees.

    We estimate the government has already saved $141 million from 60-day prescribing. It could save an extra $297 million a year if uptake increased to 50%.

    So why aren’t more GPs writing longer scripts?

    Despite the Pharmacy Guild’s efforts to undermine the reform, low uptake is more about doctors than pharmacists: the GP who writes the script determines its duration, not the pharmacist.

    Risks for patients aren’t the problem. While 60-day prescribing won’t be right for all patients, experts selected the eligible drugs because prescribing them for 60 days is usually appropriate and safe.

    While there’s some variation in 60-day prescribing rates for different medicines, it’s low across the board. That suggests the problem isn’t about GPs being much more cautious with some drugs than with others.

    The GP determines the duration of the script, not the pharmacist.
    Stephen Barnes/Shutterstock

    The culprit is probably inertia. GP practice software generates default prescriptions when a patient has had a drug before. With most people still getting 30-day prescriptions, that will be the default for most repeat scripts. And many patients might not be aware the new 60-day option is available.

    It’s time to get results

    With cost-of-living and health system pressures never far from the headlines, making progress on 60-day prescribing should be a priority.

    The benefits for patient and government budgets are obvious. But the benefits of freeing up time for busy clinicians shouldn’t be overlooked. Longer scripts means less GP time to write them, and less pharmacist time to fill them.

    As Australia gets older and sicker, the need for GP and pharmacist care grows, and there are severe primary care shortages in many parts of the country.

    Every second of GP time that can be freed up for diagnosis, treatment, and to help patients manage their conditions is precious.

    There is also good evidence pharmacists can provide cost-effective medication reviews, chronic disease management advice and other services. Shifting their time from retail to services is a great way to take pressure off the health system.

    So what can be done?

    Fortunately, there are some easy shortcuts to longer scripts.

    Providers of GP software should make 60-day prescribing the default for relevant medicines.

    The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the professional body for GPs, should continue to encourage GPs to write longer scripts.

    Primary Health Networks, the regional bodies responsible for improving primary care, should tell GPs how they compare with their peers, giving a nudge to GPs with low rates of 60-day prescribing.

    Finally, the federal government and consumer groups should run campaigns to inform patients about their options.

    Longer scripts are a triple win: savings on medicines for patients, budget savings for the government, and more time for GPs and pharmacists. Few reforms tick all those boxes, so it’s important this one makes its way from good policy to standard practice.

    Grattan Institute has been supported in its work by government, corporates, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporting organisations is published at www.grattan.edu.au.

    – ref. 60-day scripts were supposed to save time and money. So why are we still waiting for cheaper medicines? – https://theconversation.com/60-day-scripts-were-supposed-to-save-time-and-money-so-why-are-we-still-waiting-for-cheaper-medicines-250061

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Early exposure to air pollution could affect brain development and mental health later in life: new research

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Hobbs, Associate Professor and Transforming Lives Fellow in Spatial Data Science and Planetary Health, Sheffield Hallam University

    Getty Images

    Exposure to air pollution in early life could have lasting effects on child development and mental health in adolescence, according to our recent study.

    We integrated air pollution data with existing longitudinal data from the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS). The CHDS has followed more than 1,200 children born in the city in 1977, with a strong focus on developmental and mental health outcomes.

    Our aim was to examine how exposure to air pollution shapes development and mental health in later childhood and adolescence. We found an increased risk of attention problems, conduct issues, lower educational attainment and substance abuse in adolescence associated with higher exposure.

    Existing evidence often focuses on adulthood. However, by tracking air pollution exposure from the prenatal period to the age of ten, and linking this data to subsequent cognitive and mental health outcomes, we were able to highlight the long-term consequences of growing up in polluted environments.

    Air pollution is one of the leading environmental contributors to disease, especially respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution because their brains and bodies are developing.

    A growing body of evidence suggests air pollution could affect brain development, educational attainment and mental health, contributing to depression, anxiety and conduct or attention problems. Despite this, few studies have tracked long-term exposure to air pollution from early childhood.

    Patterns of exposure

    We chose to conduct this research in Christchurch because the city is a historical air-pollution hotspot, with a documented history of measurements, and because of its long-running birth cohort study.

    The CHDS collects detailed information on participants’ health, development, education and family backgrounds from prenatal into adulthood.

    The city of Christchurch now enjoys much better air quality, but it was an air-pollution hotspot in the past.
    Flickr/Larry Koester, CC BY-SA

    For this study, we linked historical air-pollution data, measured as the concentration of black smoke from 1977 to 1987, to residential locations of birth cohort members. This allowed researchers to estimate each child’s annual exposure to air pollution during key developmental periods.

    We found four distinct patterns of air-pollution exposure across childhood (see graph below):

    • consistently low (these children had the lowest levels of air pollution throughout childhood)

    • consistently high (this groups had the highest levels of air pollution from birth to the age of ten)

    • elevated preschool (exposure peaked between ages three to six and then declined)

    • high prenatal and postnatal (high exposure before and immediately after birth, but declining later).

    We then examined whether children in the higher exposure groups were more likely to experience adverse impacts on cognition, educational achievement and mental health in later childhood and adolescence.

    We adjusted for a range potential confounders such as socioeconomic status, neighbourhood disadvantage and parental characteristics.

    We found children with elevated pre-school exposure had poorer educational attainment and a higher likelihood of conduct disorders and substance abuse problems. High prenatal and postnatal exposure was linked to a greater risk of attention problems as well as substance abuse in adolescence.

    Children with persistently high air-pollution exposure were more likely to develop attention problems and had higher odds of substance abuse issues in adolescence.

    Researchers identified four different trajectory patterns of exposure to air pollution from the prenatal period through to the age of ten.
    Author provided, CC BY-SA

    What these findings mean

    The effects of air pollution on several outcomes were small at an individual level, but they could be highly important at a population level.

    This is because even small shifts in cognitive and mental health outcomes, when applied to entire populations of children exposed to poor air quality, could have major consequences affecting future educational achievement, workforce productivity and public health burdens.

    These findings support previous research suggesting air pollution could affect brain function by causing inflammation, oxidative stress and affecting neurodevelopmental pathways. Importantly, they reinforce the idea that certain developmental periods, such as the prenatal period and early childhood, may be especially sensitive to pollution exposure.

    We need further research to confirm our findings but potential considerations include reducing children’s exposure to air pollution and improving urban air quality by cutting emissions from vehicles, industry and residential heating.

    We should also promote cleaner energy sources to decrease exposure to harmful pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. Providing better access to green spaces may mitigate the impact of air pollution.

    To strengthen public health and policy measures, we need stricter air quality regulations, particularly around schools and childcare centres. We should also implement air-quality monitoring in urban areas to identify high-risk zones for children.

    Better public information is crucial to minimise indoor and outdoor pollution exposure. This could include the use of air purifiers for indoor activies or limiting outdoor exposure during peak pollution periods.

    Further research and action

    Our study highlights the need for more research on air pollution’s effects on children’s mental health and cognition, particularly in different environmental and socioeconomic contexts.

    Policymakers, educators and healthcare professionals must consider air pollution as a potential risk factor for developmental challenges, not just a physical health concern.

    Air pollution may not be visible in the same way as poor housing or inaccessible healthcare, but its impact on child development could be important at a population level.

    Given the rising prevalence of mental ill health in young people and adults, tackling air pollution could be an overlooked but essential public health strategy for protecting future generations.

    Associate Professor Matthew Hobbs receives funding from Health Research Council of New Zealand and the Clare Foundation, New Zealand.

    Joseph Boden receives funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise, and the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

    Lianne Jane Woodward and Susie (Bingyu) Deng 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. Early exposure to air pollution could affect brain development and mental health later in life: new research – https://theconversation.com/early-exposure-to-air-pollution-could-affect-brain-development-and-mental-health-later-in-life-new-research-252644

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tiny robot tools powered by magnets could one day do brain surgery without cutting open the skull

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Changyan He, Lecturer, School of Engineering, University of Newcastle

    Photo supplied.

    Most brain surgery requires doctors to remove part of the skull to access hard-to-reach areas or tumours. It’s invasive, risky, and it takes a long time for the patient to recover.

    We have developed new, tiny robotic surgical tools that may let surgeons perform “keyhole surgery” on the brain. Despite their small size, our tools can mimic the full range of motion of a surgeon’s wrist, creating new possibilities for less-invasive brain surgery.

    Tiny tools for brain surgery

    Robotic surgical tools (around 8 millimetres in diameter) have been used for decades in keyhole surgery for other parts of the body. The challenge has been making a tool small enough (3mm in diameter) for neurosurgery.

    In a project led by the University of Toronto, where I was a postdoctoral fellow, we collaborated with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Canada to develop a set of very small neurosurgery tools.

    The tools are only about 3mm in diameter. In a paper published in Science Robotics, we demonstrated these tools could grip, pull and cut tissue.

    Their extremely small size is possible as they are powered not by motors but by external magnetic fields.

    Three magnetic tools: a cutter, a gripper and forceps.
    Changyan He

    Current robotic surgical tools are typically driven by cables connected to electric motors. They work in much the same way as human fingers, which are manipulated by tendons in the hand connected to muscles in the wrist.

    However, pulleys smaller than several millimetres wide to control the instruments are weak and prone to friction, stretch and fracture. This creates challenges in scaling down the instruments, because of difficulties in making the parts of the system, assembling the mechanisms and managing friction in the cables.

    Magnetic controls

    The new robotic system consists of two parts. The first is the tiny tools themselves: a gripper, a scalpel and a set of forceps. The second part is what we call a “coil table”, which is a surgical table with several electromagnetic coils embedded inside.

    In this design, the patient would be positioned with their head on top of the embedded coils, and the robotic tools would be inserted into the brain via a small incision.

    Patients would lie on a ‘coil table’ containing magnets which are used to control the surgical tools.
    Changyan He

    By altering the amount of electricity flowing into the coils, we can manipulate the magnetic fields, causing the tools to grip, pull or cut tissue as desired.

    In open brain surgery, the surgeon relies on their own dexterous wrist to pivot the tools and tilt their tips to access hard-to-reach areas, such as removing a tumour inside the central cavity of the brain. Unlike other tools, our robotic neurosurgical tools can mimic this with “wristed” movements.

    Surprising precision

    We tested the tools in pre-clinical trials where we simulated the mechanical properties of the brain tissue they would need to work with. In some tests, we used pieces of tofu and raspberry placed inside a model of the brain.

    We compared the performance of these magnetically operated tools with that of standard tools handled by trained surgeons.

    We found the cuts made with the magnetic scalpel were consistent and narrow, with an average width of 0.3–0.4mm. That was even more precise than those from traditional hand tools, which ranged from 0.6 to 2.1mm.

    The magnetic scalpel, shown slicing some tofu inside a model of the brain, can make cuts more precise than those done with traditional tools.
    Changyan He

    As for the grippers, they could pick up the target 76% of the time.

    The magnetic grippers (shown here picking up some raspberry) were successful 76% of the time.
    Changyan He

    From the lab to the operating room

    We were surprised by how well the robotic tools performed. However, there is still a long way to go until this technology could help patients. It can take years, even decades, to develop medical devices, especially surgical robots.

    This study is part of a broader project based on years of work led by Eric Diller from the University of Toronto, an expert on magnet-driven micro-robots.

    Now, the team wants to make sure the robotic arm and magnetic system can fit comfortably in a hospital operating room. The team also wants to make it compatible with imaging systems such as fluoroscopy, which uses x-rays.
    After that, the tools may be ready for clinical trials.

    We’re excited about the potential for a new era of minimally invasive neurosurgical tools.

    Changyan He 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. Tiny robot tools powered by magnets could one day do brain surgery without cutting open the skull – https://theconversation.com/tiny-robot-tools-powered-by-magnets-could-one-day-do-brain-surgery-without-cutting-open-the-skull-253042

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Yemen faces economic freefall and devastating aid crisis after a decade of conflict – Oxfam

    Source: Oxfam –

    A decade after a Saudi-led coalition intervened to restore the internationally recognized government of Yemen to power, the country remains deeply divided, facing economic freefall and a devastating humanitarian crisis, Oxfam said today. 

    Competing financial policies in the North and the South have caused economic collapse. Violations of human rights, the detention of humanitarian workers, and unacceptable conditions on aid imposed by the authorities in Sana’a have exacerbated suffering.  

    In the South, despite strong international support, the internationally recognized government has failed to provide basic services or stabilise the currency. Over the last 10 years, the Yemeni rial has depreciated by more than 90 per cent in government-controlled areas – pushing basics like food, water, and health care out of reach for most Yemenis. This inflation is only worsening – the rial lost 30 per cent of its value in February alone. 

    In the North, the Houthis have made it increasingly difficult and dangerous for the humanitarian community to operate and provide vital food, cash and other assistance. Their arbitrary and unlawful detention of Yemeni humanitarian workers and members of civil society has worsened the already difficult operating environment. Authorities should release all unlawfully held detainees, including Oxfam staff. 

    The environment of restriction and fear imposed by the Houthis, coupled with the US government’s freeze of foreign assistance funding and imposition of heightened legal risks, have caused many humanitarian organisations to wind down their operations, leaving millions of people without the means to survive and without access to education and health services. Families are facing higher prices and reduced humanitarian assistance. 

    “The last decade has been devastating for Yemenis, and we’ll only see these deadly consequences compounded without urgent action from authorities and the international community to allow the economy and the aid community to operate.” 

    Pauline Chetcuti, Head of Humanitarian Advocacy and Campaigns

    Oxfam International

    Pauline Chetcuti, Oxfam International’s Head of Humanitarian Advocacy and Campaigns said: 

     “Yemenis deserve – and have the right – to live in safety, have access to food, water, health care and to lead on a path towards a peaceful future.   

    “The last decade has been devastating for Yemenis, and we’ll only see these deadly consequences compounded without urgent action from authorities and the international community to allow the economy and the aid community to operate.” 

    Education and healthcare services have been decimated, leaving millions without critically needed support, and civil servants without salaries. Health facilities across the country have been significantly impacted by the conflict; just 40 per cent are now only partially functioning or completely out of service due to shortages of staff, funds, electricity, medicines, and equipment. 

    The war has destroyed much of Yemen’s critical infrastructure – the roads, bridges, markets, hospitals, schools, and private factories that powered Yemen’s economy. Though the frontlines have largely been frozen since the ceasefire in April 2022, competing monetary policies and the absence of a full political settlement have left more than 17 million people – nearly half of Yemen’s population – food insecure.  

    Yemeni families are facing higher prices and reduced humanitarian assistance stemming from the US government’s designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The designation creates significant obstacles to life-saving humanitarian assistance and commercial imports of food and medicine. It also adds a barrier to the vital flow of remittances from Yemenis abroad to their families, which account for approximately a fifth of Yemen’s GDP; a vital part of Yemen’s social safety net. Yemenis need to see an end to the Houthis’ rights violations and international attacks, but this designation is unlikely to make that happen. Governments should support international accountability mechanisms for all parties to the conflict – and not penalise Yemeni families by cutting off lifesaving aid. 

    The decade of conflict has killed over 19,000 people and displaced nearly five million people, disproportionately women and children. These figures will only grow as more legal and security barriers are placed on the economy and the aid community.  

    Chetcuti said: “Regional and global powers should collaborate to support a genuine peace instead of supporting aligned factions and furthering their narrow political interests. Only through a Yemeni-led political process that includes women, youth, and civil society can Yemenis emerge from crisis and enjoy basic peace and security.” 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: State Restoring 12 Summit Trails on Colorado 14ers, Investing in More Outdoor Recreation Opportunities for Coloradans

    Source: US State of Colorado

    $2.4 million Awarded to 26 Non-Motorized Trail Projects 

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced that the Non-Motorized Trail Grant Program recently awarded $2,438,000 for 26 projects that will connect Coloradans and visitors to the outdoors with new and improved opportunities to get outside, including restoring trails on 12 of Colorado’s 14ers. The Parks and Wildlife Commission unanimously approved the grants during the March 2025 PWC meeting. 

    “Our iconic 14ers will now be even more accessible and safe to summit! In Colorado, we are focused on expanding outdoor recreational opportunities for all Coloradans, while protecting our natural resources and public lands. This funding will help Coloradans have fun, get outside, and be active while protecting our awe-inspiring natural landscapes, keeping Colorado beautiful for generations to come,” said Governor Polis. 

    The Non-Motorized Trails Grant Program is a multi-agency partnership that includes CPW, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Lottery, and the Federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP). 

    “We’re excited to announce these Non-Motorized Trail Grants that will empower local agencies to create and maintain accessible trails while prioritizing wildlife conservation,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis. “Our agency is tasked with providing wildlife management and world-class outdoor recreation opportunities. To deliver on this mission, we recognize that recreation and conservation goals can often support each other, and that funding partnerships with other organizations and agencies across the state are critical to accomplish those goals.”

    Last year, a new Trail Stewardship pilot program with additional support from Great Outdoors Colorado was launched. This program provides funding specifically to support trail stewardship crews hired by land managers and nonprofits who focus on maintenance work throughout Colorado. This year, the State Trails Program received $1,500,000 in funding from Great Outdoors Colorado. 

    “As we continue to see increased use and natural disasters impact our outdoor spaces, we are fortunate to partner with Great Outdoors Colorado to launch a new opportunity to fund stewardship crews who are caring for trails across the state,” said CPW Assistant Director of Outdoor Recreation and Lands, Fletcher Jacobs. “These increased ‘boots on the ground’ trail crews will help support the Governor’s Wildly Important Goals to balance conservation and recreation by increasing the number of trail crew hours funded by the State Trails Program.” 

    2025 Grant Stats: 

    Construction: 3 grants totaling $575,000 

    Maintenance: 10 grants totaling $1,089,281 

    Planning/Support: 8 grants totaling $280,023 

    Trail Stewardship: 5 grant totaling $493,710 

    Some of the highlights from this year’s awarded projects include: 

    Statewide 14ers Trail Maintenance 2025 (Maintenance grant) 
    The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative was awarded a $250,000 grant to reconstruct and restore 12 summit trails on 14,000-foot peaks. The will include basic maintenance, intensive trail reconstruction and thousands of feet of closure/restoration. Reconstruction will include boardwalk repair, backwall supporting tundra beds, installation of timer check and rock steps. 

    The 12 summit trails included in the maintenance plan include: 

    • Mt. Bierstadt
    • Mt. Blue Sky
    • Quandary Peak
    • Mt. Democrat
    • Mt. Princeton
    • Mt. Massive
    • Capitol Peak
    • Mt. Columbia
    • San Luis Peak
    • Redcloud Peak
    • Wetterhorn Peak
    • Mt. Sneffels 

    Countywide Trail Maintenance Crew (Trail Stewardship grant) 
    Headwaters Trails Alliance was awarded an $89,040 grant to fund a four-to-six-person trail crew to maintain the 450 miles of trail in Grand County. This project will focus on assessing and addressing issues (deadfall and drainage), trail planning, drainage clearing and repair, and vegetation management. Work includes structure repair, replacement, and/or new construction (turnpikes, boardwalks, etc.), retread, regrading, outsloping, decommissioning, restoration and hazard tree clearing. 

    Trail Conservation Services (Trail Stewardship grant) 
    A $150,000 grant was awarded to the Colorado Mountain Bike Association to fund a trail stewardship crew of five to seven seasonal workers focused on addressing the backlog of maintenance of natural surface area trails, primarily in the recreation areas of the national forests that serve residents and visitors of the central Front Range. Work will focus on high-priority trails in the most heavily-used areas. COMBA’s trail crews have repaired and maintained more than 300 miles of trail, ensuring that these systems remain safe and accessible for the thousands of people who use them each year. 

    2025 Crested Butte Conservation Corps (Trail Stewardship grant) 
    The Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association was awarded a $75,000 grant. The crews will assist land managers, stakeholders, municipalities, and open space partners in the stewardship and maintenance of trails and sustainable recreation in the north end of the Gunnison Valley. The work will include removing fallen trees blocking access to trails and roads, creating drainage structures to mitigate water on trails from snowmelt and runoff, armoring trails to provide a hardened surface for sustainability, and other general maintenance needed to provide a sustainable trail network. 

    Mesa County Trail Sustainability (Trail Stewardship grant) 
    Mesa County Public Health was awarded a $123,685 grant to fund a year-round 5 person trail crew. Efforts will focus on persistent resource degradation from user and environmental created conditions and concentrate on closing social trails in Grand Valley. This work will focus on beginner trails to lessen the barrier to entry in local outdoor recreation. Work will include narrowing tread width where trail users have widened it, construction and maintenance of drainage structures, corridor clearing, rock work, revegetation and invasive species management also factor into the day-to-day activities. 

    Routt County Riders/Hahn’s Peak Bear’s Ears Trail Crew 2025 (Maintenance grant) 
    Routt County Riders was awarded a $55,985 grant to fund a 2-person addition to the USFS Hahn’s Peak/Bear’s Ears Non-Motorized Trail Crew to conduct maintenance of almost 400 miles of trail across the region. The crew will focus on significant and heavy maintenance projects that have been identified and planned for in advance. The crew will start work on lower elevation trails, including a volunteer event day to clear accessible trails in the Dry Lake Area. This project will focus on maintaining access to these trails that are important to the local communities, state residents, and the American people at large. 

    Austin Bluffs Open Space Improvements (Construction grant) 
    The City of Colorado Springs was awarded a $250,000 grant to construct 2.65 miles of trail in the Austin Bluffs Open Space. Work includes new wayfinding, trailhead improvements, and illegal trail closure. The project will create a multi-use, multi direction single track trail and a ¼ mile Enlightenment Hiking Only Trail to the summit of Pulpit Rock. Work also includes decommissioning and restoring illegal trails, and additional trailhead work to improve and designate parking in two main lots. 

    Backcountry Trail Maintenance Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness (Maintenance grant) 
    Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers was awarded a $148,566 grant to support two years of priority trail maintenance on seven trails in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. One area of focus will be on part of the Avalanche Creek Trail where a crossing has not been accessible for several years due to a bridge washing out. RFOV plans to maintain 15-18 miles of remote wilderness trail by installing drainage/erosion features (log or rock check dams, waterbars, retaining walls), and improving degraded tread. Trail crew work will be completed by a 4-person trail crew and volunteers. 

    Toivo Malm Trail Maintenance (Maintenance grant) 
    San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) was awarded a $66,534 grant to mitigate future yearly maintenance on the Toivo Malm Trail (a prized birding area) by laying two miles of crusher fine to ensure the trail is accessible year round. Additionally, a 280 ft. boardwalk will be developed for a portion of the trail that holds moisture during monsoon seasons, alleviating side paths created by users. The trail is a highly used community trail on Alamosa’s southeast side. SLV GO! works with community members to identify and meet the needs of that community to enhance overall health and wellness and sustain the region’s natural resources. 
     

    Poudre River Trail Realignment & Trailhead Design (Planning grant) 
    The City of Greeley was awarded a $45,000 grant for design, engineering and construction plans for rerouting 600 linear feet of the existing Poudre River Trail due to river migration impacts. The project will also include the development of a new trailhead at N. 59th Ave. Amenities at the trailhead may include 20-30 parking spaces, an information kiosk, vault toilet, bike parking, benches, shade structures with tables, landscaping and trail connections to nearby regional trails. 

    A complete list of the Recreational Trail Grants is available here. 

    About the grant process 

    The Colorado Recreational Trails Committee is responsible for the review process for the trail grant applications and makes recommendations to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission regarding funding for grants. 

    The grant selection process follows a three-tiered recommendation and approval process. Applications are first evaluated and scored by a grant subcommittee made up of volunteer outside reviewers, State Trails Committee members, and trails program staff, who rank the applications in an order of recommended funding priorities. The ranked applications are submitted to the State Trails Committee which evaluates and recommends projects to the Parks and Wildlife Commission. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: River Hills Man Sentenced to 21 Months’ Imprisonment for Paying Health Care Kickbacks

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that, on March 21, 2025, Justin Drew Hanson was sentenced to 21 months’ incarceration for paying healthcare kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.  Hanson was also ordered to pay over $2.2 million in restitution to Medicaid and Medicare as well as a $75,000 fine.

    According to court records, Hanson and his co-defendant, Mohammed Kazim Ali, owned a Milwaukee-area clinical laboratory called Noah Associates.  Beginning in 2017, Ali and Hanson engaged in a three-year-long scheme to pay kickbacks to the owner of a Milwaukee substance use treatment clinic in exchange for referrals of Medicaid and Medicare patients for urine drug testing performed by Noah Associates.  Hanson and Ali procured sham agreements that further concealed their fraud, ultimately paying over $400,000 in kickbacks to procure the tests.  The tests, however, were not ordered by any physician and were not medically necessary for the treatment of patients.  As a result of the scheme, Medicaid and Medicare paid Noah Associates over $2.2 million for the unnecessary tests.  Hanson personally received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Noah Associates during the scheme. 

    At sentencing, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of Hanson’s crime, including Hanson’s manipulation and breach of trust of the Medicaid and Medicare programs to receive millions of dollars that were not truly earned.  Judge Stadtmueller further noted that Hanson’s criminal conduct was significant and detrimental because he stole “from every taxpayer citizen in the United States.”  In addition to his sentence, Hanson will also be excluded from participation in the Medicaid and Medicare programs and has shut down Noah Associates.  His co-defendant, Ali, also pleaded guilty for paying healthcare kickbacks and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment earlier this year.

    “Mr. Hanson’s kickbacks resulted in Medicaid and Medicare – and taxpayers – repeatedly paying for unnecessary services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling.  “Rather than bill the government for tests that patients truly needed, Hanson abused the Medicaid and Medicare programs for his own benefit.  The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to hold individuals who engage in these schemes accountable for their actions.”

    “The FBI will relentlessly pursue individuals like Mr. Hanson whose actions defrauded the American people and wasted taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure those responsible for schemes to defraud the American people are brought to justice.”

    “HHS-OIG is dedicated to protecting the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid and to ensure taxpayer money is used as intended to serve vulnerable populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “The kickback scheme in this case undermined the public’s trust in our nation’s health care system and can interfere with impartial medical decision-making. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who manipulate taxpayer-funded health programs to boost their profits.” 

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Carter and Julie Stewart handled the prosecution.     

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    For further information contact:

    Public Information Officer

    Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

    (414) 297-1700

    Follow us on Twitter

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Human Services, IUP Announce Collaboration to Train Future Physicians in Clinical Setting at Torrance State Hospital, Helping to Address Urgent Need for Rural Health Care Workers

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    March 25, 2025 – Torrance, PA

    Department of Human Services, IUP Announce Collaboration to Train Future Physicians in Clinical Setting at Torrance State Hospital, Helping to Address Urgent Need for Rural Health Care Workers

    DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh today joined leadership from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) to announce the signing of a clinical training affiliation agreement for students at IUP’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine at Torrance State Hospital. This partnership with IUP will educate and train future osteopathic physicians in a clinical setting at Torrance State Hospital while also addressing the urgent need for health care professionals in rural and underserved communities.

    “I began my career practicing medicine in teaching hospitals in Philadelphia, and I saw firsthand how vital hands-on clinical experience in a real hospital environment was to the medical professionals in training,” said Secretary Arkoosh. “It is our hope that this partnership with IUP will give students the skills they need to promote individuals’ health and wellbeing while contributing to their communities’ health and investing in their future careers. I’m grateful for the work staff at Torrance do every day to support Pennsylvanians, and this partnership with IUP will be a vital part of the rural health solution.”

    Speaker list:
    Phil Mader, Director of State Hospital Operations,
    Stacey Keilman, Chief Executive Officer, Torrance State Hospital
    Dr. Michael Driscoll, President, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
    Secretary Valerie Arkoosh, Department of Human Services
    Jonathan Longwill, District Director for Senator Joe Pittman
    Dr. Daleep Rathore, Interim Chief Medical Officer, Department of Human Services
    Dr. Ryan Smith, Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, IUP Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine
    Dr. Miko Rose, Founding Dean, IUP Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Indigenous women in Surrey will have new complex-care housing, support

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Indigenous women with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges in and around Surrey will soon have access to safe, culturally supportive housing and wraparound services to help them with their recovery. 

    “Combining culturally appropriate and trauma-informed care with safe, secure housing is essential in helping Indigenous women heal and rebuild their lives,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “These new complex-care housing units offer the supports needed to help people stabilize and improve their well-being, all under one roof and for as long as they need.”

    Starting in April 2025, complex-care housing services will be available for 10 Indigenous women living in Surrey with mental-health, substance-use and other concurrent health challenges. People living in this home will receive comprehensive, person-centred care that meets their specific needs, such as access to primary care, mental-health and substance-use services, counselling, cultural supports and daily living resources.

    “Complex-care housing has helped me tremendously,” said Kaitlynn, who has lived experience. “Not only was I able to get the right care to fit my needs, but it also allowed me and my daughter to be healthy, housed and together on my pathway to healing.”

    In partnership with the Province, this new initiative is led by the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) and the Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association (FRAFCA). AHMA and FRAFCA will support the women accessing these specialized housing services to maintain a connection or reconnect to their culture.

    “There’s a critical need to provide more supportive housing and complex care for people experiencing homelessness in Surrey,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “We are working with Indigenous organizations and health-care partners to ensure that culturally safe, wraparound care is available for Indigenous women so they can live full, healthy lives.”

    As of March 1, 2025, the Province has expanded complex-care housing services to more than 500 people through 27 complex-care housing projects throughout B.C. Budget 2022 and Budget 2023 invested a total of $430 million to create and expand the complex-care housing program.

    Complex-care housing is a key action in Belonging in BC, the Province’s homelessness action plan. It is also a part of the Province’s Safer Communities Action Plan, which is taking action to address the biggest challenges to keep people safe and communities strong. Since 2017, the Province has nearly 92,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including approximately 2,050 homes in Surrey.

    Quotes:

    Amna Shah, parliamentary secretary for mental health and addictions —

    “Indigenous women in our community face unique challenges and these new housing units will provide the safe, supportive environment they need to thrive. By offering culturally appropriate care, we’re helping to create a foundation for healing and long-term well-being.”

    Margaret Pfoh, chief executive officer, Aboriginal Housing Management Association —

    “Complex-care housing is a direct response to the long-standing call for adequate, integrated health services in housing for Indigenous Peoples. Our approach is trauma-informed, culturally safe and proven to change lives. We know that it is crucial to respect people’s agency, dignity and choice when it comes to housing and services. People are living in encampments across B.C. for many reasons, and often it’s because of systemic racism and inter-generational poverty and trauma.”

    Kyla Painter, executive director, Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association (FRAFCA) —

    “Safe, stable housing that is rooted in culture and community is the foundation for healing. At FRAFCA, we see first-hand the barriers Indigenous women face in accessing the care and housing they need to rebuild their lives. This new complex-care housing project is a significant step forward in providing a supportive, culturally safe space where women can heal and thrive. We are proud to partner with AHMA and the Province to bring this critical service to Surrey.”

    Quick Facts:

    • In B.C., First Nations people are almost six times more likely to die from toxic-drug poisonings.
    • In 2023, 1,060 people experienced homelessness in Surrey, an increase of 65% from 2020.
    • In Metro Vancouver, approximately 33% of people experiencing homelessness identified as Indigenous.
    • A 2020 Point-in-Time Homelessness Count found Indigenous people experiencing homelessness in Surrey were more likely to be living with addiction, acquired brain injury, have a learning disability or cognitive impairment than non-Indigenous people experiencing homelessness.
    • Launched in 2022, complex-care housing is designed for those whose mental-health or substance-use challenges overlap with other serious health conditions, such as brain injuries or mobility impairments.

    Learn More:

    Learn about mental health and substance use supports in B.C.:
    https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/

    To learn more about complex-care housing, visit:
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/complex-care-housing

    To learn more about the Safer Communities Action Plan, visit:
    https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/safer-communities/

    To learn more about Homes for People plan, visit:
    https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: The Staggering Cost of the Illicit Opioid Epidemic in the United States

    Source: The White House

    class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-details”>Summary

    Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, is cheaper to produce and easier to smuggle across borders, fueling the illicit opioid epidemic in the United States with devastating consequences. In 2023 alone, illicit opioids, primarily fentanyl, cost Americans an estimated $2.7 trillion (in December 2024 dollars), equivalent to 9.7 percent of GDP. Of this total cost, 41 percent ($1.1 trillion) is attributed to deaths, 49 percent ($1.34 trillion) to lost quality of life, and 10 percent ($277 billion) to other costs such as healthcare, reduced labor productivity, and crime-related expenses. Alarmingly, 93 percent of opioid deaths are caused by powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which typically originate in China and are trafficked through Mexico.

    This number dwarfs even pessimistic estimates of the effects of tariffs, like that of Goldman Sachs, who estimated losses of 0.4 percent of GDP.

    The CEA previously studied this issue and came up with a smaller number. The primary reasons are because it did not include the cost of reduced quality of life and because the number of deaths in 2015 was 33,000.

    Details

    Our cost estimates are based on a 2017 CDC study which we have updated to account for inflation and the sharp rise in opioid deaths and opioid use disorder (OUD) since then. According to the DEA, an estimated 74,702 Americans died in 2023, a staggering 1.6 times more than in 2017. Additionally, the number of Americans living with OUD increased by 2.7 times to 5.7 million during the same period. We have adjusted the calculations to reflect current prices as well as the alarming rise in opioid addiction and deaths. We scale up the loss of life estimates based on the increase in fatalities, while we scale up the other estimates to reflect the increase in the prevalence of those living with OUD. The breakdown of the cost estimates, all expressed in December 2024 dollars, is as follows:

    • Loss of life: $1.11 trillion. This estimate is calculated by multiplying the number of lives lost (74,702) by the value of statistical life in the United States and then adding productivity and healthcare costs that arise due to opioid fatalities. We inflation adjusted the $10.1 million value of a statistical life number provided by NIH (2017) to 2025 dollars ($13.0 million per life). The value of a loss of life is based on market and survey based evidence on what amount of money people are willing to forgo to change the probability of death. For example, many estimates rely on the value of life implied by the increase in wages required for people to take jobs with higher mortality risk.
    • Loss of quality of life: $1.34 trillion. This estimate is the product of three factors. First is a survey-based measure for the loss in quality of life for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) compared to those in full health. The measure shows that life with OUD has about 60 percent (0.626) of the quality of life of those in full health. Second is a measure of how much Americans value a year of life in full health. Adjusted for inflation, this value is estimated at $624,410 per person per year. Together these values imply that the lost quality of life costs $234,478 per year for each person living with OUD. We then multiply this value by the prevalence of OUD, estimated to be 5.7 million in 2023.
    • Healthcare system: $107 billion. This estimate represents the additional annual costs incurred by the healthcare system for treating individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) relative to the average annual costs of treating those without OUD. This amounts to $19,000 additional dollars per year per person with OUD. These costs were primarily borne by private insurers, Medicaid, and hospitals providing uncompensated care. Ultimately, these costs are passed on to all Americans through higher insurance premiums, taxes, and healthcare expenses.
    • Loss of labor force productivity: $107 billion. This estimate is calculated by multiplying the number of productive work hours lost due to opioid-related deaths, OUD, and incarceration by the average hourly total compensation (wages and benefits) for American workers.
    • Crime-related: $63 billion. This figure represents the sum of costs incurred for additional police protection, judicial activities, correctional facilities, and property loss resulting from opioid-related crime.

    Conclusion

    The enormous economic cost of the illicit opioid epidemic to Americans, estimated at $2.7 trillion in 2023 alone, underscores the urgent need to control the flow of lethal drugs pouring in from foreign countries. The human suffering and financial burden inflicted by this epidemic are unsustainable.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Mullin, Bennet Introduce the Give Kids a Chance Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Give Kids a Chance Act, legislation that will improve outcomes for children with cancer by ensuring they have access to essential treatments and can participate in critical trials.

    “No child should have to endure the pain and suffering that many with cancer have unfortunately faced,” said Sen. Mullin. “The extension of the Pediatric Priority Review Voucher Program incentivizes companies to develop treatments and therapies for pediatric diseases. Additionally, this bill will allow kids to participate in combination trials that include targeted medicines to ensure that they are able to fight cancer with every possible option out there. Our kids deserve a fighting chance and that is exactly what this bill gives them.”

    “Children with cancer deserve access to the most advanced medicines possible, and we must ensure our medical professionals have every tool at their disposal to treat them,” said Sen. Bennet. “Our bill will help child cancer patients access lifesaving trials and therapies to battle this disease. I will work across the aisle to get this done and keep fighting to end children’s cancer.”

    “The Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher program offers hope to the estimated 15 million children in the U.S. living with a rare disease, most of whom currently have no FDA-approved treatments for their conditions. Every day without action is a lost opportunity to drive forward treatments for these children. The hope generated by the program’s successes is now at risk. We urge elected officials to act quickly and come together in a bipartisan manner to reauthorize this crucial program. Time is of the essence for these families—there’s no time to wait,” Pamela Gavin, Chief Executive Officer, National Organization for Rare Disorders.

    “Every child deserves the opportunity to live a long, healthy and productive life. Sadly, there are children living with rare diseases who will never get that chance. This bipartisan legislation can help. It renews the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program, which for more than a decade has helped incentivize the development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases, at no cost to taxpayers. I’d like to thank Sens. Mullin and Bennet for sponsoring this bipartisan legislation and supporting the reauthorization of this vital program, and for keeping hope alive for countless families and children living with a rare disease,” John F. Crowley, President & CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).

    “Nearly 3 out of 4 rare diseases originate in childhood, yet the vast majority of affected children have no FDA-approved treatment. The Give Kids a Chance Act takes vital steps to accelerate the development and availability of therapies for these devastating conditions. The creation of the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher injected hope and incentives for innovation into the pediatric drug development pipeline. The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases extends our profound appreciation to Senators Mullin and Bennet for championing the Give Kids a Chance Act. This legislation safeguards a critical incentive that has driven progress in rare disease drug development without imposing any burden on taxpayers. With the temporary lapse of the PRV Program causing uncertainty and delays in therapy development decisions, it is essential to restore its authorization in a timely manner and ensure continued innovation for those who need it most,” Jamie Sullivan, Vice President of Policy at the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases. 

    “Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Vouchers provide crucial incentives for pharmaceutical and biotech companies to develop new therapies for rare conditions. PRVs make it possible for companies to invest in products that address high unmet medical needs— including potentially curative cell and gene therapies— and without which such products could be dropped from their pipeline. It’s imperative that Congress reauthorize this essential, commonsense program to support continued innovation to give rare disease patients hope for cures,”  Erica Cischke, Vice President U.S. Government Affairs, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine   

    Full text of the Give Kids a Chance Act can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms Corpsmen Bolster Operational Readiness with Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training

    Source: United States Navy

    TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calf.- Hospital corpsmen assigned to the Multi-Service Unit (MSU) at Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms participated in a high-impact Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training session on March 21, reinforcing their ability to provide critical medical support in operational environments.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Budd, Luján Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Provide Support for Families of Substance Abuse Victims

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the bipartisan Families Care Act today, directing the Administration for Community Living (ACL), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to provide peer support services for children, grandparents, and caregivers impacted by the opioid crisis.

    “The opioid crisis claims tens of thousands of lives every year, leaving families and caregivers to bear the heavy emotional and practical burdens of supporting children hurt by addiction. No family should be forced to walk this difficult path alone. That’s why Senator Luján and I introduced the Families Care Act, to guarantee that families have the support and resources they need to care for children while providing an opportunity for those who have faced similar life circumstances to share their experiences with others,” said Senator Budd.

    “I’m proud to reintroduce the Families Care Act with Senator Budd to support all of the caregivers who step in when substance use disorder tears families apart. Far too many grandparents and relatives become the primary caregiver when a substance use disorder overtakes their loved one. This legislation will help provide increased support through peer assistance and education, helping reduce caregiver stress and loneliness. By providing essential resources and fostering a supportive community, we can improve caregivers’ well-being and help them show up every day to care for the people they love,” said Senator Luján.

    Read the full bill text HERE.

    Background

    The legislation would require the ACL to provide peer support services through the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP).

    Senators Budd and Luján previously introduced this legislation in 2024, which was passed out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee as part of the Older Americans Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Cornyn Reintroduce Bipartisan Bills to Strengthen Substance Use Disorder Recovery and Expand Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) have reintroduced two critical pieces of legislation to strengthen recovery services for people struggling with substance use disorders, as well as expand the addiction medicine workforce.

    “I’m proud to reintroduce bipartisan legislation with Senator Cornyn to expand substance use disorder recovery services and strengthen the treatment workforce,” said Senator Luján. “Substance use disorder remains a serious issue in New Mexico, and this legislation will help by training more professionals, investing in peer recovery services, and expanding training opportunities. These are essential steps for delivering effective, long-term solutions and supporting the well-being of our community.”

    The Strengthening Communities of Recovery Act: This legislation supports peer support services by reauthorizing grant programs that allow organizations to develop and enhance peer recovery and general recovery support while fostering collaboration with other harm reduction entities. As the U.S. faces a severe behavioral health crisis, exacerbated by an epidemic of substance use disorders (SUD), this legislation aims to address recovery and rehabilitation efforts. 

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act: This legislation will amend the Public Health Service Act to expand the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), allowing fellowships to be awarded for training professionals in the addiction medicine field. This bill will help address workforce shortages and ensure culturally competent care for diverse communities affected by substance use disorders.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Medical Device Manufacturer And Its Owner Agree To Pay $550,000 To Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

              GRAND RAPIDS – The United States has reached a settlement agreement with The Prometheus Group (Prometheus), a New Hampshire manufacturer of rectal therapeutic systems and probes, and Richard Poore, its president and sole owner, to resolve a civil lawsuit filed against them. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants violated the False Claims Act by causing health care providers to bill Medicare for services in which the providers improperly re-used single-user rectal sensors and single-use catheters on multiple patients.  As part of the settlement, Prometheus and Poore will pay $550,000 to resolve the claims against them.  

              “Medicare beneficiaries deserve treatment that is reasonable and safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew B. Birge. “Device manufacturers and medical practitioners cannot flaunt the rules and jeopardize the wellbeing of patients in our community.”

              “Manufacturers and providers must ensure that medical devices are utilized in a manner that ensures the safety of patients and complies with Federal laws and regulations,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region.  “Our agency, working in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, will always work to hold those accountable who jeopardize patient safety or submit false claims to Federal health care programs.”

              “The FBI is committed to investigating bad actors and protecting the public from healthcare professionals and top executives who exploit the trust of patients by prioritizing greed and convenience over safe health practices,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI remains dedicated to safeguarding public health and maintaining the integrity of the medical system.”

              Prometheus manufactures and sells device systems for use in pelvic muscle rehabilitation (PMR), a non-surgical therapy to eliminate or reduce symptoms of pelvic floor disorders, including urinary and fecal incontinence. Specifically, Prometheus has manufactured and marketed the Pathway CTS 2000 Pelvic Floor Training System and the Morpheus System.  Both systems required the use of a rectal pressure probe that is inserted into a patient’s rectum during therapy. Prometheus manufactured its own sensor for use with the Pathway System and encouraged its customers to use a competitor’s anorectal manometry catheter with the Morpheus System.

              The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the Prometheus rectal pressure sensor to be used as a single-user device and the anorectal manometry catheter to be used as a single-use device.  For example, the instructions for use identify the rectal pressure sensor as “a potential bio-hazard” and state: “This sensor is restricted for single person use only. Use by another person is strictly prohibited by Federal Regulations.” Similarly, the anorectal manometry catheter was cleared by the FDA as a disposable single-use device, with packaging that states: “Do not re-use.”

              According to the United States’ complaint, the defendants knew of these restrictions, but for years encouraged and instructed health care providers to reuse the rectal pressure sensors and anorectal manometry catheters on multiple patients, using a glove or condom to cover the probes, as a way to reduce the overhead costs associated with Prometheus’s systems.  The government alleged that using the devices in this manner, which exposed patients to unnecessary risk of infections, was not reasonable or necessary, and thus was ineligible for Medicare coverage. 

              The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

              The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

              The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, is captioned United States v. The Prometheus Group., et al., No. 22-cv-446 (W.D. Mich.).  The lawsuit was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Jay D. Majors and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Hull. 

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Padilla Reintroduce Bill to Modernize Health Care System, Improve Access to Digital Health Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) reintroduced the Health Accelerating Consumers’ Care by Expediting Self-Scheduling (ACCESS) Act to improve patients’ access to modernized health care, provide certainty for patients seeking digital health services, and protect patients’ personal health information.
    “It’s enough to struggle with an illness. Patients should have easy access to the care they need,” said Dr. Cassidy. “There are plenty of tools to provide affordable, quality care. As a doctor, I’m focused on using them.”
    “Every American deserves easy access to physical and mental health care,” said Senator Padilla. “As provider wait times increase, integrating digital health programs into our health care system is essential to efficiently administering care. We cannot let scheduling obstacles prevent Americans in crisis from receiving care when they need it most.”
    The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the demand for digital health services and other innovative practices. Under current law, however, there is no distinction between illegal referral practices and scheduling services that reduce the barriers associated with accessing necessary and appropriate care. The Health ACCESS Act would adjust the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) to remove the regulatory ambiguity allowing digital health and appointment booking platforms to work together to better serve patients. Doing so ultimately improves access to care via user-friendly services, expands provider choice and scheduling availability, and enhances the overall health care experience and ecosystem.
    The Health ACCESS Act is supported by Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Brownsville Community Health Center (FQHC), California Children’s Hospital Association, California Hospital Association, Circle Medical, Chronic Care Policy Alliance, Corewell Health, Digital Health New York (DHNY), GoHealth Urgent Care, Grow Therapy, HANYS (Health Assoc of NYS), Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), Housing Works Community Healthcare (FQHC), Illinois Hospital Association, Indiana University Health, Intermountain Health, LabFinder, Main Line Health, Manhattan Cardiology, Medical Offices of Manhattan, Memorial Hermann Health System, Octave, SohoMD, Spring Branch Community Health Center (FQHC), Stanford Children’s Hospital, and The Dermatology Specialists.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Global population data is in crisis – here’s why that matters

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew J Tatem, WorldPop Director, Professor of Spatial Demography and Epidemiology, University of Southampton

    Arthimedes/Shutterstock

    Every day, decisions that affect our lives depend on knowing how many people live where. For example, how many vaccines are needed in a community, where polling stations should be placed for elections or who might be in danger as a hurricane approaches. The answers rely on population data.

    But counting people is getting harder.

    For centuries, census and household surveys have been the backbone of population knowledge. But we’ve just returned from the UN’s statistical commission meetings in New York, where experts reported that something alarming is happening to population data systems globally.

    Census response rates are declining in many countries, resulting in large margins of error. The 2020 US census undercounted America’s Latino population by more than three times the rate of the 2010 census. In Paraguay, the latest census revealed a population one-fifth smaller than previously thought.

    South Africa’s 2022 census post-enumeration survey revealed a likely undercount of more than 30%. According to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, undercounts and census delays due to COVID-19, conflict or financial limitations have resulted in an estimated one in three Africans not being counted in the 2020 census round.

    When people vanish from data, they vanish from policy. When certain groups are systematically undercounted – often minorities, rural communities or poorer people – they become invisible to policymakers. This translates directly into political underrepresentation and inadequate resource allocation.

    As the Brookings Institution, a US research organisation, has highlighted, undercounts have “cost communities of colour political representation over the next decade”.

    This is happening because several factors have converged. Trust in government institutions is eroding worldwide, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reporting that by late 2023, 44% of people across member countries had low or no trust in their national governments. Research shows a clear trend of declining trust specifically in representative institutions like parliaments and governments. This makes people less likely to respond to government-issued census requests.

    The COVID-19 pandemic created logistical nightmares for census takers. Many countries had to postpone their censuses. Budget cuts to statistical offices reduced capacity, while countries struggled with recruiting field staff.

    International funding for population data is also disappearing. The US-funded Demographic and Health Surveys program, which provided vital survey data across 90 countries for four decades, was terminated in February 2025. Unicef’s Multi-Indicator Cluster program, which carries out household surveys, faces an uncertain future amid shrinking global aid budgets. US government cuts to support for UN agencies and development banks undertaking census support will likely have further impacts.

    This is incredibly worrying to us as geography academics, because gathering accurate population data is fundamentally about making everyone visible. As population scientists Sabrina Juran and Arona Pistiner wrote, this information allows governments to plan for the future of a country and its people.

    The US census directly impacts the allocation of more than US$1.5 trillion (£1.2 trillion) in public resources each year. How can governments distribute healthcare funding without knowing who lives where? How can disaster response be effective if vulnerable populations are invisible in official population counts?

    Solutions that count

    Countries are adapting. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to alternative census methodologies. Many countries turned to online questionnaires, telephone interviews and administrative data sources to reduce face-to-face interactions.

    The UN Economic Commission for Africa recommends that countries move from using paper forms for census data collection and embrace new digital technologies that can be cheaper and more reliable. Turkey’s switch in 2011 reduced census costs from US$48.3 million to US$13.9 million while improving data quality and timeliness, and nearly 80% of countries used tablets or smartphones for data collection in the 2020 round of censuses.

    Collecting census data digitally in Pakistan in 2023.
    Abdul Rauf Khan/Shutterstock

    At WorldPop, our research group at the University of Southampton, we’re also helping governments to develop solutions using new technologies. Buildings mapped from satellite imagery using AI, together with counts of populations from small areas, can help create detailed population estimates to support census implementation or provide estimates for undersurveyed areas.

    As we face growing challenges, from climate change to economic inequality, having accurate, reliable and robust population data isn’t a luxury. It’s essential for a functioning society. National statistical offices, UN agencies, academics, the private sector and donors must urgently focus on how to build cost-effective solutions to provide reliable and robust population data, especially in resource-poor settings where recent cuts will be felt hardest.

    When people disappear from the data, they risk disappearing from public policy too. Making everyone count starts with counting everyone.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Andrew J Tatem works for the University of Southampton, and is Director of WorldPop. His research on mapping populations has been funded by donors such as the Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, GAVI.

    Jessica Espey works for the University of Southampton. Her research on data, statistics and evidence use has previously been funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Gates Foundation and others.

    – ref. Global population data is in crisis – here’s why that matters – https://theconversation.com/global-population-data-is-in-crisis-heres-why-that-matters-251751

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why eating yoghurt regularly could lower your risk of bowel cancer

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    Josep Suria/Shutterstock

    Hard on the heels of impressive research findings that a glass of milk is good for reducing cancer risk, another recent study has highlighted the potential benefits of yoghurt consumption in lowering the risk of certain types of cancer – particularly colorectal cancer.

    The number of new colorectal cancer cases among people under 55 has doubled globally in recent years, with diagnoses increasing by nearly 20%. As a consultant oncologist, many people have asked me how their risk can be reduced.

    The emerging evidence suggests that regular yoghurt consumption may have a protective effect against certain aggressive forms of colorectal cancer by modifying the gut microbiome, the natural bacteria that live in the gut.

    The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in overall health, influencing digestion, immune function and even cancer risk. The gut bacteria can live inside cancer itself, and in general a healthy balance of these bacteria is thought to be essential for maintaining a strong immune system and preventing inflammation, which can contribute to cancer development.



    Read more:
    Gut bacteria nurture the immune system – for cancer patients, a diverse microbiome can protect against dangerous treatment complications

    Yoghurt contains live cultures of beneficial bacteria, such as lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus, which can help maintain this balance.

    The study found that consuming two or more servings of yoghurt per week was associated with a lower risk of a specific type of aggressive colorectal cancer, which occurs on the right side of the colon and is associated with poorer survival outcomes compared with cancers on the left side.

    The study analysed data from over 150,000 participants followed for several decades, indicating that long-term yoghurt consumption may alter the gut microbiome in ways that protect against certain cancers. Researchers surveyed the participants every two years about their yoghurt intake, and measured the amount of Bifidobacterium (a type of bacteria found in yoghurt) in the tumour tissue of 3,079 people within the sample who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

    While yoghurt did not directly lower the risk for all types of colorectal cancer, those who ate two or more servings of yoghurt per week had a lower risk of developing “Bifidobacterium-positive proximal colon cancer”, a type of colorectal cancer that occurs in the right side of the colon and has one of the lowest survival rates. This new work also validates and builds on previous studies showing similar findings.

    Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how yoghurt might reduce cancer risk. One key mechanism is the modulation of the gut microbiome. Yoghurt’s probiotics can enhance the diversity and balance of gut bacteria, potentially reducing inflammation and levels of cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens).

    Additionally, yoghurt may exert anti-inflammatory effects on the colon lining cells, called the mucosa, which could help prevent cancer development. Improving gut barrier function is another potential mechanism, as yoghurt may reduce gut permeability, which is linked to increased cancer risk.

    Choose wisely

    Beyond its potential anti-cancer effects, yoghurt offers several other health benefits. Like milk, it is rich in calcium, which supports bone density and may reduce the risk of brittle bones, known as osteoporosis.

    Regular yoghurt consumption has also been associated with lower blood pressure and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Some studies suggest that yoghurt intake may help prevent type 2 diabetes and other diseases too.

    But when incorporating yoghurt into your diet, it’s important to choose wisely. Opt for plain, unflavoured yoghurt to avoid added sugars, which can negate health benefits – for example by causing weight gain, which is a risk factor for obesity and cancer.

    Different fermentation processes can result in varying levels of beneficial bacteria, so look for yoghurts with live cultures. Plain, unsweetened Greek yoghurt is generally higher in protein and lower in sugar, while full-fat yoghurt often has fewer processed ingredients than reduced-fat or non-fat variations.

    Yoghurt contains all nine essential amino acids, and aside from improving gut health, a serving of plain Greek yoghurt contains 15 to 20 grams of protein.

    There are nearly 45,000 cases of bowel cancer every year in the UK, making it the nation’s fourth most common cancer, and third worldwide – but many of these are preventable.

    According to Cancer Research UK data, 54% of all bowel cancers could be prevented by having a healthier lifestyle. Smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol, eating processed meat, and poor diet are all significant factors in the development of bowel cancer.

    The emerging evidence suggests that yoghurt, particularly when consumed regularly, may play a role in reducing the risk of certain aggressive forms of colorectal cancer. While more research is needed to fully understand these effects, incorporating yoghurt into a balanced diet could be a beneficial choice for overall health.

    But as with any dietary recommendation, it’s crucial to consider the broader context of a healthy lifestyle, including a diverse diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with regular physical activity. While yoghurt is not a magic bullet against cancer, it is a nutritious food that can contribute to a healthy diet and potentially offer protective effects against certain cancers.

    As research continues to uncover the complex relationships between diet, gut health and cancer risk, incorporating yoghurt into your daily routine may be a simple yet beneficial step towards a healthier life.

    Justin Stebbing 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 eating yoghurt regularly could lower your risk of bowel cancer – https://theconversation.com/why-eating-yoghurt-regularly-could-lower-your-risk-of-bowel-cancer-251942

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Votes Against NIH Director Nominee, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    March 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate NIH Caucus, released the following statement after voting against President Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Jay Bhattacharya:

    “All the progress we have made at NIH and all the progress we hope to make is in danger because of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. They are carrying out an unprecedented and devastating campaign to cut research funding for cancers, ALS, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and infectious diseases. The lifesaving work at NIH benefits patients in red and blue states—providing hope to patients, supporting jobs in every community, and cementing our scientific leadership against China.

    “To achieve breakthroughs for patients, NIH needs a director who will fight back against President Trump’s misguided and dangerous proposals that threaten to delay new cures and treatments. I do not believe Dr. Bhattacharya is that person.”

    Durbin met with Dr. Bhattacharya earlier this year. During the meeting, Durbin questioned Dr. Bhattacharya about President Trump and Elon Musk’s illegal funding cuts at NIH. President Trump and Musk have frozen NIH grants to researchers nationwide and are attempting to cap “indirect costs” at 15 percent for lab capacity, which would be devastating for new cures that patients desperately seek. Durbin also pressed Dr. Bhattacharya about the reported indiscriminate firing of 1,200 NIH workers.

    Durbin twice asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for NIH. The resolution simply said that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirmed that the NIH workforce is essential to sustaining medical progress. The first UC request was blocked by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and the second was blocked by U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).

    Durbin has long been a strong advocate for robust medical research. His legislation, the American Cures Act, would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program. Thanks to Durbin’s efforts to increase medical research funding, Congress has provided NIH with a 60 percent funding increase over the past decade.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Improving food safety in Alberta

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS and Positive Childhood Alliance Hold Public Event to Recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS and Positive Childhood Alliance Hold Public Event to Recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month

    NCDHHS and Positive Childhood Alliance Hold Public Event to Recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month
    hejones1

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services along with Positive Childhood Alliance is holding an event as Governor Josh Stein proclaims April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in North Carolina. Recognizing the role everyone plays in helping North Carolina’s children reach their full potential, this Child Abuse Prevention Month, community organizations, government agencies, businesses, faith groups and other stakeholders will come together to amplify a message of hope for strong families and supportive communities. A free family-friendly public event will be held on Tuesday, April 1st at Pullen Park in Raleigh, North Carolina from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes free food and entertainment while supplies last.

    The 2025 national campaign theme, “Powered by Hope, Strengthened by Prevention,” highlights the importance of working together to create the conditions that build a stronger future for all.

    “Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, nurturing environment with hope for the future,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Dev Sangvai. “By ensuring families have the resources, support, and connections they need before challenges become crises, we can build a stronger North Carolina where all children and families can thrive.”

    In collaboration with statewide partners like NCDHHS, Positive Childhood Alliance NC (PCANC) is committed to driving systems change and building a strong family support ecosystem across North Carolina. We are working to create the conditions where children grow up with positive experiences and nurturing relationships—while also equipping local communities with the tools and support they need to strengthen all families.

    “For every $10 spent on child welfare in the U.S., only $1.50 goes toward prevention—we can and must do better,” said Sharon Hirsch, President and CEO of Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina. “By investing in family resource centers and community-based solutions, we can ensure families have the support they need before challenges become crises. When we shift our focus to prevention, we create a future where all children grow up in safe, stable, and nurturing environments, surrounded by positive experiences and hope.”

    During Child Abuse Prevention Month, PCANC and NCDHHS are joining the national effort to reshape the narrative around child maltreatment prevention and increase investments in programs and policies that prioritize children and families. This month, and all year long, communities and individuals can help NCDHHS and PCANC advance family-centered prevention programs and policies by taking action in the following ways:

    • Attend a Pinwheel Planting hosted by NCDHHS and PCANC on Tuesday, April 1, 11:00 a.m., at Pullen Park (520 Ashe Ave. Raleigh, NC). Learn more.
      • The public and media are invited to attend. Speakers include NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Dev Sangvai, NCDHHS Director of Human Services Lisa Tucker Cauley, Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina President and CEO Sharon Hirsch, and Parent Leader Sanaa Sharrieff. Food and drink will be provided while supplies last.
    • Wear blue on Friday, April 4 – Wear Blue Day – to show support for children and families. Post a photo or video on social media and include the #WearBlueDay2025 and #NC hashtags.
    • Participate in digital advocacy day on Tuesday, April 9, to advocate for increased federal investment in community-based child abuse prevention grants that provide states and communities with the resources to implement community-based solutions to prevent child abuse and neglect.
    • Follow PCANC on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and share our posts throughout April. Encourage friends and family to do the same. Click here to follow NCDHHS on all social media platforms.

    For more ways to get involved in Child Abuse Prevention Month, please visit PositiveChildhoodAllianceNC.org.

    ###

    About Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina 
    Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina connects organizations and individuals with what they need to help children and families meet their full potential. Founded in 1979 (as Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina), Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina has demonstrated 46 years of commitment to nurturing positive childhoods for all. Through data-driven coaching, professional development, advocacy efforts and building public understanding PCANC strives to build and share solutions that work for all families. In partnership with state and local level child advocates and network members, PCANC is creating a state where families live in connected, supportive communities and as a result, all North Carolina children will live purposeful lives, filled with positive experiences and hope for the future. PCANC is the North Carolina chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, the National Family Support Network, and Circle of Parents®. It is a proud recipient of Charity Navigator’s prestigious 4-star rating and GuideStar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency. For more information, contact Kris Demers, Director of Communications and Marketing, at (919) 829-8009, ext. 619 or kdemers@positivechildhoodnc.org. 

    About North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
    The NC Department of Health and Human Services manages the delivery of health- and human-related services for all North Carolinians, especially our most vulnerable people – children, elderly, disabled and low-income families. In collaboration with partners, NCDHHS provides essential services to improve the health, safety and well-being of all North Carolinians. The department works closely with health care professionals, community leaders and advocacy groups; local, state and federal entities; and many other stakeholders to make this happen.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, junto con Positive Childhood Alliance, está celebrando un evento mientras el gobernador Josh Stein proclama abril como el Mes de la Prevención del Abuso Infantil en Carolina del Norte. Reconociendo el papel que todos desempeñan para ayudar a los niños de Carolina del Norte a alcanzar su máximo potencial, este Mes de la Prevención del Abuso Infantil,organizaciones comunitarias, agencias gubernamentales, empresas, grupos religiosos y otras partes interesadas se unirán para amplificar un mensaje de esperanza para familias fuertes y comunidades de apoyo. El martes 1 de abril se celebrará un evento público gratuito para toda la familia en Pullen Park en Raleigh, Carolina del Norte, a partir de las 11:00 a. m. hasta la 1:00 p.m. e incluye comida y entretenimiento gratis hasta agotar abastecimiento.

    El tema de la campaña nacional de 2025, “Impulsado por la esperanza, fortalecido por la prevención”, destaca la importancia de trabajar juntos para crear las condiciones que construyan un futuro más sólido para todos.

    “Todos los niños merecen crecer en un entorno seguro y enriquecedor con esperanza para el futuro”, dijo  el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Dr. Dev Sangvai. “Al garantizar que las familias tengan los recursos, el apoyo y las conexiones que necesitan antes de que los desafíos se conviertan en crisis, podemos construir un Carolina del Norte más fuerte donde todos los niños y las familias puedan prosperar”.

    En colaboración con socios estatales como el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés), Positive Childhood Alliance NC (PCANC, por sus siglas en inglés) está comprometida a impulsar el cambio de sistemas y construir un sólido ecosistema de apoyo para las familias en Carolina del Norte. Estamos trabajando para crear las condiciones en las que los niños crezcan con experiencias positivas y relaciones enriquecedoras, al tiempo que equipamos a las comunidades locales con las herramientas y el apoyo que necesitan para fortalecer a todas las familias.

    “Por cada $10 gastados en bienestar infantil en los Estados Unidos, solo $1.50 se destinan a la prevención, podemos y debemos hacerlo mejor”, dijo Sharon Hirsch, presidenta y directora ejecutiva de Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina. “Al invertir en centros de recursos familiares y soluciones basadas en la comunidad, podemos garantizar que las familias tengan el apoyo que necesitan antes de que los desafíos se conviertan en crisis. Cuando cambiamos nuestro enfoque a la prevención, creamos un futuro en el que todos los niños crecen en entornos seguros, estables y enriquecedores, rodeados de experiencias positivas y esperanza”.

    Durante el Mes de la Prevención del Abuso Infantil, PCANC y NCDHHS se unen al esfuerzo nacional para remodelar la narrativa en torno a la prevención del maltrato infantil y aumentar las inversiones en programas y políticas que priorizan a los niños y las familias. Este mes, y durante todo el año, las comunidades y las personas pueden ayudar a NCDHHS y PCANC a promover programas y políticas de prevención centrados en la familia tomando medidas de las siguientes maneras:

    • Asista a una plantación de molinillos organizada por NCDHHS y PCANC el martes, 1 de abril, 11:00 a.m., en Pullen Park (520 Ashe Ave. Raleigh, NC. Más información.
      • El público y los medios de comunicación están invitados a asistir. Los oradores incluyen al   secretario de la NCDHHS, Dr. Dev Sangvai , la directora de Servicios Humanos de NCDHHS Lisa Tucker Cauley, la presidenta y directora ejecutiva de Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina, Sharon Hirsch, y la líder de padres Sanaa Sharrieff. Se proporcionará comida y bebida hasta agotar abastecimiento.
    • Vístase de azul el viernes 4 de abril – Día de Vestirse de azul – para mostrar su apoyo a los niños y las familias. Publique una foto o un vídeo en las redes sociales e incluya los hashtags # WearBlueDay2025 y #NC.
    • Participe en el día de la defensa digital el martes, 9 de abril, para abogar por una mayor inversión federal en subvenciones comunitarias para la prevención del abuso infantil que proporcionen a los estados y las comunidades los recursos para implementar soluciones comunitarias para prevenir el maltrato y la negligencia infantil.
    • Siga a PCANC en LinkedIn, Facebook y Instagram y comparta nuestras publicaciones a lo largo de abril. Anime a sus amigos y familiares a hacer lo mismo. Haga clic aquí para seguir a NCDHHS en todas las plataformas de redes sociales.

    Para conocer más formas de participar en el Mes de la Prevención del Abuso Infantil, visite PositiveChildhoodAllianceNC.org.

    Acerca de Positive Childhood Alliance (Alianza para la infancia positiva) de Carolina del Norte
    Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina conecta a organizaciones e individuos con lo que necesitan para ayudar a los niños y las familias a alcanzar su máximo potencial. Fundada en 1979 (como Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina), Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina ha demostrado 46 años de compromiso para fomentar infancias positivas para todos. A través del coaching basado en datos, el desarrollo profesional, los esfuerzos de promoción y la construcción de la comprensión pública, PCANC se esfuerza por construir y compartir soluciones que funcionen para todas las familias. En asociación con defensores de los niños a nivel estatal y local y miembros de la red, PCANC está creando un estado donde las familias viven en comunidades conectadas y de apoyo y, como resultado, todos los niños de Carolina del Norte vivirán vidas con propósito, llenas de experiencias positivas y esperanza para el futuro. PCANC es el capítulo de Carolina del Norte de Prevent Child Abuse America, la Red Nacional de Apoyo Familiar y Circle of Parents®. Se enorgullece de haber recibido la prestigiosa calificación de 4 estrellas de Charity Navigator y el Sello de Transparencia Platino de GuideStar. Para obtener más información, comuníquese con Kris Demers, Director de Comunicaciones y Marketing, al (919) 829-8009, ext. 619 o kdemers@positivechildhoodnc.org. 

    Sobre el Departamento de Salud Y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte
    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte gestiona la prestación de servicios relacionados con la salud y el ser humano para todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte, especialmente nuestras personas más vulnerables: niños, ancianos, discapacitados y familias de bajos ingresos. En colaboración con los socios, NCDHHS proporciona servicios esenciales para mejorar la salud, la seguridad y el bienestar de todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte. El departamento trabaja en estrecha colaboración con profesionales de la salud, líderes comunitarios y grupos de defensa; entidades locales, estatales y federales; y muchas otras partes interesadas para que esto suceda.

    Mar 26, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man given hospital order after attack which led to death of man in Harrow

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been sentenced following two violent assaults that left one his victims dying from stab wounds.

    Abdul Khan, 27 (14.08.97), of Durham Road, Harrow was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 25 March.

    Khan was also placed under an additional Section 41 order, which means that only the Secretary of State for Justice or a tribunal can give approval for him to be discharged from hospital.

    Khan pleaded guilty to the manslaughter – through diminished responsibility – of Bohdan Vandzhura, and possession of an offensive weapon. He was also admitted to the attempted murder in relation to a second man who he attacked in Harrow. He was also found guilty of ABH in relation to this victim.

    His father, Khalid Khan, 62 (22.04.62) of Durham Road, Harrow was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for assisting an offender in relation to this incident.

    Detective Chief Inspector Tom Williams, who led the investigation, said:

    “Our thoughts remain with Mr Vandzhura’s family and friends.

    “Bohdan was a loving father-of-two who was assaulted, unprovoked, and tragically died from his injuries.

    “Abdul Hussain demonstrated a pattern of violent behaviour and posed a clear threat to the public.

    “He will now remain in a safe place to get the treatment he needs.”

    An investigation was launched by the Specialist Crime Command after police were called on the morning of 8 July 2023 to reports of a stabbing on Pinner Road in North Harrow.

    Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. At the scene, they found 49-year-old Bohdan with stab wounds. Despite their efforts he died.

    A post-mortem examination carried out the following day confirmed he died as a result of multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck.

    Detectives reviewed CCTV footage from the area and were able to track Khan’s movements, capturing him disposing of the weapon and walking away from Bohdan’s home.

    This led them to quickly identify and then arrest Khan.

    The footage also provided them with evidence of his father – Khalid Khan – leaving his home with a carrier bag that was later discovered to contain his son’s bloodied clothing.

    Abdul Khan was arrested on 8 July and charged within 24 hours. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter – through diminished responsibility – and possession of an offensive weapon.

    As part of this investigation, detectives also established that Khan was a suspect for two further offences that predated the death of Bohdan.

    On 20 August 2022, in Pinner Road, Harrow, Khan punched a 43-year-old man to the ground before repeatedly stamping on him, leaving him unconscious.

    He also attacked the same man on a second occasion on 10 February 2023.

    Officers carried out an investigation at the time but were unable to identify a suspect. However, following the investigation into the assault of Bohdan, detectives were able to piece together evidence which made it clear that Khan was the chief suspect of the assault.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brooksville Man Sentenced To Prison For Electronic Prescribing Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Colton Neal (26, Brooksville) to two years and six months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Neal pleaded guilty on December 16, 2024.

    According to court documents, beginning in June 2022 and continuing through July 2023, Neal used an electronic health record and digital telehealth platform to issue electronic prescriptions transmitted through interstate wires. In doing so, Neal used Doctor #1’s name and National Provider Identifier, which he obtained without permission or consent, and posted advertisements on a darknet forum. Neal collected payments for issuing fraudulent controlled substance prescriptions via cryptocurrency and other payment methods. The investigation revealed Neal issued approximately 144 prescriptions for various controlled substances to individuals across the United States.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Koreatown-Based Medicare Advantage Provider Seoul Medical Group and Related Parties to Pay More Than $62 Million to Settle False Claims Lawsuit

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Seoul Medical Group Inc. and its subsidiary Advanced Medical Management Inc., headquartered in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles, have agreed to pay $58.74 million and their former president and majority owner, Dr. Min Young Cha, has agreed to pay $1.76 million for allegedly violating the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false diagnosis codes for two spinal conditions to increase payments from the Medicare Advantage program.

    Renaissance Imaging Medical Associates Inc., a Northridge-based radiology group that worked with Seoul Medical, has also agreed to pay $2.35 million for allegedly conspiring with Seoul Medical Group in connection with the false diagnoses for the two spinal conditions.

    “My office is committed to ensuring that healthcare providers are held accountable for unlawful misrepresentations to Medicare and other healthcare programs,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “As this settlement makes clear, we will diligently pursue those who defraud government programs.”

    “Medicare Advantage is a vital program for our seniors and the government expects healthcare providers who participate in the program to provide truthful and accurate information,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s result sends a clear message to the Medicare Advantage community that the United States will zealously pursue appropriate action against those who knowingly submit false claims for taxpayer funds.”

    Under Medicare Advantage, also known as the Medicare Part C program, Medicare beneficiaries have the option of enrolling in managed care insurance plans called Medicare Advantage Plans (MA Plans) and the MA Plans contract with healthcare providers, such as Seoul Medical Group, to provide the Medicare-covered benefits. MA Plans are paid a per-person amount to provide the care to their enrollees and, in turn, the MA Plans pay the providers.

    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees the Medicare program, adjusts the payments to MA Plans based on demographic information and the health diagnoses of each plan beneficiary. The adjustments are commonly referred to as “risk scores.” In general, a beneficiary with diagnoses that are more expensive to treat will have a higher risk score, and CMS will make a larger risk-adjusted payment to the MA Plan for that beneficiary.

    Seoul Medical Group is a healthcare provider that started in 1993 in Los Angeles and has since expanded into at least six states and has employed at times 150 primary care providers and 1,000 specialists. Dr. Min Young Cha started Seoul Medical Group and until 2023 was president and majority owner. 

    The United States alleged that, from 2015 to 2021, Seoul Medical Group and Dr. Cha submitted diagnoses for two severe spinal conditions, spinal enthesopathy and sacroiliitis, for patients who did not suffer from either of these conditions. When Seoul Medical Group was questioned by an MA Plan about its use of spinal enthesopathy, Seoul Medical Group enlisted the assistance of Renaissance Imaging Medical Associates to create radiology reports that appeared to support the spinal enthesopathy diagnosis. Both diagnoses resulted in an increase in payment from CMS to the MA Plan, and the MA Plan then passed along a portion of the increased payment to Seoul Medical Group. 

    “Providers who game the Medicare program to increase profit undermine the foundation of care and diminish patient trust in the nation’s public health care system,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and rigorously probe false claims to the fullest extent possible.”

    The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Paul Pew, the former Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Advanced Medical Management. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States of America ex rel. Pew v. Seoul Medical Group, Inc., et al., No. 2:20-cv-05156 (C.D. Cal.). The relator’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    Assistant United Sates Attorney Karen Y. Paik of the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section and Trial Attorneys J. Jennifer Koh and Robbin O. Lee of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section investigated this matter.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –