NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New study shows MHRA collaboration with hospital DNA sequencing service cuts time to diagnose infections

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New study shows MHRA collaboration with hospital DNA sequencing service cuts time to diagnose infections

    In a UK-first, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Barts Health NHS Trust have developed a DNA sequencing approach that can be implemented onsite in hospitals so they can diagnose bacterial infections faster and more accurately.

    This service will help doctors deliver better-targeted treatments earlier. For patients, this means a quicker recovery, fewer complications such as sepsis, and a reduced risk of spreading infections to others.

    This technology is now being piloted to investigate and prevent hospital outbreaks caused by antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ — a growing global threat.

    The new approach, published today (6 March) in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, confirms that the DNA sequencing method can reliably detect which bacteria are causing an infection and which antibiotics will work best to treat it. The approach delivers results within two days, significantly faster than traditional methods which can take approximately seven days and, in some difficult cases, up to eight weeks.

    Since September 2024, over 2000 patient samples have been analysed using the approach across seven London hospitals, including the Royal London, Whipps Cross, Newham, St Bartholomew’s, Homerton, Lewisham, and Greenwich.

    The goal is to make rapid DNA sequencing a routine part of hospital diagnostics across the NHS, bringing faster, more accurate infection testing to patients nationwide.

    Health Minister Ashley Dalton said:

    “This collaboration between the MHRA and the NHS shows British innovation at its best.

    “This groundbreaking use of the technology in hospitals will cut diagnosis times down from weeks to just two days enabling doctors to provide the right treatment faster and saving lives, while also fighting the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

    “As we move from analogue to digital, we are delivering practical solutions for our NHS which will improve patient care and help our frontline staff work more effectively.”

    Central to the success of this new service run by Barts Health is the MHRA’s work in developing reference materials – carefully controlled samples, recognised by the World Health Organization – that ensures patients receive consistent, trustworthy diagnoses. The MHRA is now working to standardise the technology, paving the way for wider NHS adoption. This could mean more hospitals can benefit from rapid, accurate bacterial infection diagnostics and prevent unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotic use.

    Dr Chrysi Sergaki, Head of Microbiome at the MHRA, said:

    “The pilot has demonstrated that this new technology is already making a real difference to patients’ lives. When someone comes into hospital with a serious infection, every hour counts. Instead of waiting days or even weeks to identify exactly what’s causing their infection, hospitals can now get answers within 48 hours. This means doctors can start the right treatment sooner, helping patients recover faster and get back home to their families.

    “At the MHRA, our role is to develop and provide reference materials that ensure hospitals using this technology can produce consistent, reliable and accurate results they can trust in a service such as this.

    “We are building on this work, developing reference materials to help detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which will be crucial in the fight against superbugs.”

    Ian Butler, Lead Clinical Scientist in Medical Microbiology at Barts Health NHS Trust, said:

    “This is the first comprehensive clinical validation study of its kind in the UK — and one of the first globally — to test DNA sequencing with this new technology for diagnosing a wide range of infections.

    “By analysing bacterial genetic material directly, we can detect infections more accurately, even complex infections, and much faster than traditional methods. This means we can precisely diagnose the infection and identify the right treatment sooner — especially for critically ill patients.

    “This technology also holds promise for combating antibiotic resistance and managing hospital outbreaks in future applications. Here, the technology is already proving its worth: in November 2024 a pilot study using this technology helped investigate a drug-resistant E. coli outbreak at Newham Hospital affecting 58 patients. By identifying how resistance spread between bacterial species, the team was able to act quickly and prevent further transmission, as well as improve patient care.”

    Antimicrobial resistance has become a serious global threat, causing at least one million deaths every year since 1990. Without urgent action, the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project predicts that drug-resistant infections could claim more than 39 million lives between now and 2050.

    To speed up the accurate detection of pathogens and quickly identifying those that are resistant to antimicrobial medicines, the focus is now on optimising and standardising this new DNA sequencing hospital service so it can be replicated elsewhere.

    Notes to editors 

    1. Publication: Ian Butler et al. (2025) ‘Standardization of 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing using Nanopore Long Read Sequencing Technology for Clinical Diagnosis of Culture Negative Infections’ Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1517208/full
    2. Traditional diagnostic methods usually take around seven days from sample collection to identify bacterial infections. However, for certain infections, such as tuberculosis, a definitive diagnosis can take up to eight weeks. These wait times can delay treatment and infection control efforts.
    3. DNA sequencing is a technique that reads the genetic code (DNA) of bacteria, similar to reading the instruction manual that tells bacteria how to function. This allows scientists to precisely identify which type of bacteria is present and which antibiotics it might be resistant to, helping doctors choose the most effective treatment.
    4. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. The MHRA is also a designated WHO Collaborating Centre for Biological Standardisation and plays a key role in the development and distribution of international reference reagents to ensure global standards in diagnostic testing.
    5. The MHRA has a key role in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. We rigorously use our science and data capabilities to enable innovation in new diagnostic approaches and also are working with innovators and stakeholders to identify approaches to accelerate patient access to novel anti-microbial products.
    6. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. 
    7. For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651. 

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University and the Institute of the Human Brain Signed a Cooperation Agreement

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On March 5, the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University was visited by the director of the N. P. Bekhtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHBR RAS), Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Mikhail Didur.

    At a meeting with the rector of SPbPU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy, an agreement on cooperation between the two organizations was solemnly signed, aimed at interaction in scientific research and educational activities. On the part of SPbPU, cooperation will be carried out on the basis of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology (IBSiB).

    The agreement provides for the organization of joint scientific research and development in such areas of science as the study of the structure and mechanisms of brain functioning in normal and pathological conditions, nuclear medicine and the development of radiopharmaceuticals, and targeted drug delivery.

    An important aspect of the interaction between SPbPU and the IMC RAS is the training of highly qualified personnel in the field of biomedicine and bioengineering, including the organization of scientific internships for students and postgraduates of the IMC RAS in the laboratories of the IMC RAS.

    The Institute of the Human Brain was created to develop the world-famous scientific works of the outstanding Russian scientist, Academician Natalia Petrovna Bekhtereva. The uniqueness of the work of the IMC RAS lies in the conduct of comprehensive fundamental studies of the organization of the human brain and its higher mental functions, as well as the presence of a clinic equipped with the latest technology, on the basis of which high-tech medical care is provided to patients. The Polytechnic also conducts scientific research in the field of neurosciences aimed at studying the mechanisms of development of neurodegenerative diseases. I am confident that joint research will allow us to achieve new fundamental and applied scientific results, – noted Andrey Rudskoy.

    Mikhail Didur emphasized that the conclusion of such an agreement is a systematic continuation of the work of the founder of the Human Brain Institute, Natalia Bekhtereva, who, throughout all the years of her active scientific work, developed interdisciplinary research, involving employees of the physical, technical fields, mathematicians and chemists in the work.

    Following the vector set by Natalya Petrovna, we believe that interaction with such a powerful university as the Polytechnic University can become as productive as possible for science in the Leningrad Region. We also set ourselves the task of developing this cooperation as much as possible. Three areas are a priority: joint scientific work, creation of an educational base and platform for university graduates, training of personnel to work on modern high-tech and rather rare equipment. I think that our scientists will be able to complement each other and educate excellent young specialists. This, of course, is the main task of such cooperation between educational and scientific institutions, – concluded Mikhail Dmitrievich.

    Strengthening ties with scientific organizations of St. Petersburg is very important for the development of our institute. This not only gives us new opportunities to conduct scientific research and development, but also allows our students to undergo scientific internships and complete their diploma theses at leading Russian scientific centers, such as the Institute of Biological and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, commented Director of the Institute of Biological and Biological Problems Andrey Vasin.

    The Bekhtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences is one of the leading Russian scientific organizations that conduct fundamental research into the organization of the human brain and its complex mental functions. The Institute’s tasks also include optimization of diagnostics and search for methods of treating brain diseases. The Institute was created as an institution focused on studying the human brain, the mechanisms that ensure the performance of higher mental functions, their “breakdowns” that lead to the development of pathologies, and the creation of high-tech diagnostic and therapeutic methods on this basis. The main component of the Institute’s success is its team, which continues to develop the ideas of the Bekhtereva school, develop new research areas and improve treatment methods, as well as being equipped with the latest research and medical equipment.

    Photo archive

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Govt Cuts – Nurses call for bowel screening changes to be reversed

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    Government changes to bowel screening eligibility will leave more Māori and Pacific people at risk of dying at a younger age from bowel cancer, New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.
    Health Minister Simeon Brown today announced the Government is repurposing funding set aside from now scraped plans to lower bowel screen eligibility to all Māori and Pacific people over 50, to lower eligibility for all New Zealanders from 60 to 58.
    NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says the move will exacerbate health inequities for Māori and Pacific people.
    “The reason eligibility for Māori and Pacific people was lowered was because they have a higher proportion of bowel cancer before they reach 60 – with a shockingly rate of 21% rate compared to 10% for non-Māori and non-Pacific peoples.
    “The Cancer Society has called out the Government’s use of data to back up its decision as ‘very selective’. NZNO would go a step further and call it outright dangerous to the lives of Māori and Pacific people,” Kerri Nuku says.
    The Coalition Government claims to put need before race but there is a clear evidential need to screen Māori and Pacific people at an earlier age, she says.
    “Bowel Cancer New Zealand has said removing the younger screening eligibility would result in 100,000 Māori and Pacific people aged 50 not getting earlier screening. These people are at greater risk of having later stage bowel cancer when they are screened eight years later.
    “This decision smacks of political ideology over commonsense health policy and must be reversed,” Kerri Nuku says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese medical assistance team heading for Guinea

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A Chinese medical assistance team left Beijing on Wednesday evening heading for the Republic of Guinea, where they will introduce advanced technologies and assist local healthcare professionals over the next 18 months.
    It is the 31st such team to be sent to this African country, and it consists of 24 members. Of these team members, 22 are from the renowned Beijing Friendship Hospital, with their expertise covering the likes of thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, vascular surgery, neurology, cardiology and more. The other two members are experts in public health and health policy, and are from the Beijing Municipal Health Commission and the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
    The team was selected in September last year. Team members then learned French and received systematic training on the treatment of diseases common in this tropical country.
    According to Wang Bin, head of the team, they will quickly adapt to their new environment after arrival, continue to promote the establishment of a joint medical center, collaborate with both local institutions and professionals to conduct field visits and prepare samples, and promote the culture of traditional Chinese medicine, while striving to improve local medical and health conditions and standards.
    China has been sending medical teams overseas for more than six decades. The first team sent overseas went to Algeria in 1963.
    As of the end of 2023, China had dispatched over 30,000 medical personnel to 76 countries and regions across the world — providing medical services to nearly 300 million patients. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 6 March 2025 Departmental update Building a healthier world by women and for women is key to achieving gender equality

    Source: World Health Organisation

    As the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on Women – a landmark blueprint for gender equality – progress remains frustratingly slow. If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we must place women at the centre of global health transformation.

    Well-functioning health systems are the foundation of gender equality. When health care is accessible, equitable, and responsive, women and girls in all their diversity can live healthier lives and have equal opportunities beyond health.

    Women have distinct and sometimes changing health needs at different stages of their lives.  These include reproductive and maternal health, mental health, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), ageing, and other critical health concerns. Yet, systemic barriers continue to place women at higher health risks, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. 

    Consider household air pollution – an issue disproportionately affecting women. Women exposed to harmful pollutants from household fuels face a 46% higher risk of developing cataracts compared to those unexposed. NCDs further exacerbate gendered health disparities: two out of three women die from NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory conditions, with most deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. 

    Violence against women remains a global crisis, severely impacting their health and well-being. One in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence, and the health-care sector itself is not immune. Nearly a quarter of all workplace violence occurs in health and care settings, with women disproportionately affected. Additionally, social determinants such as income, education, and nutrition further widen the health gap for women and girls. Alarmingly, malnutrition among pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and adolescent girls has surged by 25% since 2020 in the 12 countries hardest hit by the global food and nutrition crisis, affecting 6.9 million women and girls. 

    Ageing is another critical issue. While women generally live five years longer than men, they spend more of those years in poor health due to higher morbidity rates. This underscores the urgent need for gender-responsive health care that enhances not just longevity but overall quality of life.

    The biggest opportunity for change lies in the very workforce that drives healthcare forward. Women are the backbone of the global health and care workforce, yet their contributions often go unrecognized and undervalued. The world faces a projected shortfall of 11.1 million health workers by 2030.  Women, making up 67% of this workforce, are set to bridge this gap, leading to advancements in care, innovation, and policy transformation. Yet, they encounter obstacles, such as earning 24 percent less than men, even after accounting for factors such as experience and education. Pay gaps are even wider for mothers and women from marginalized backgrounds. However, this is not inevitable, as there are many effective policies that support the rights, equality and empowerment of this crucial workforce.

    To create truly equitable and effective health systems, women must be at the forefront – not just as caregivers but as leaders and decision-makers. Their leadership can drive systemic change, from advancing gender-responsive policies to securing investments in women’s health research. WHO reaffirms its commitment to championing these efforts, pushing for policies, funding, and research that ensure meaningful and lasting impact. 

    Health is a crucial step on the road to gender equality. To achieve this, health systems must prioritize women’s and girls’ health needs and their full participation in the workforce. By creating opportunities for women to participate equally at every level, including in decision making, we can transform health systems, bridge gender gaps, and build a healthier, more equitable world. Now is the time to turn the commitments of the Beijing Declaration into action and ensure that both women’s health needs and their advancement in the workforce drive lasting, transformative change.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Panasonic’s nanoe(TM) (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology achieves 99% inactivation of alcohol- and heat-resistant toxins

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Panasonic’s nanoe(TM) (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology achieves 99% inactivation of alcohol- and heat-resistant toxins

    Osaka, Japan, March 6, 2025 – Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic) (https://holdings.panasonic/global/) today announced that it has demonstrated the inactivating effect of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology on endotoxin, which causes aggravation of allergy-like symptoms such as asthma and rhinitis, under the supervision of Masafumi Mukamoto, Professor Emeritus of Osaka Metropolitan University and Visiting Researcher at the University of Hyogo.
    According to the 2023 Patient Survey published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the total number of asthma patients in Japan is approximately 1.85 million.*1 A wide variety of factors are also known to contribute to exacerbation of asthma. Of these, academic studies suggest that endotoxin is one of contributing factors to the aggravation of allergy-like symptoms such as asthma and rhinitis,*2, *3 and its presence in house dust*4 and in air pollutants such as PM 2.5 and Asian sand dust*5, *6 has been confirmed. Endotoxin is also known they derive from gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and are resistant to alcohol and heat, rendering inactivation by general disinfection methods more difficult.
    Panasonic has demonstrated the inhibitory effect of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology on 20 types of bacteria, and has also partially identified its inhibitory mechanism on bacteria.*7 In this study, in order to verify its effectiveness against bacterial toxins, Panasonic has newly verified its effects against endotoxin, which is resistant to alcohol and heat. The results demonstrated that exposure to nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) had an inactivation rate of 99% or higher. Note that this verification was conducted under test conditions and does not attest to effectiveness in actual usage spaces. Also, the test was conducted to verify effectiveness on chemical substances that contribute to the worsening of symptoms, and not on the worsening of the symptoms themselves.
    Panasonic is committed to further advancing nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology and pursuing its possibilities in order to help society by providing safe, secure spaces.

    ■Key points of this test

    According to academic research, endotoxin, which is derived from E. coli and is resistant to alcohol and heat, is a substance that should be carefully monitored because it is contained in Asian sand dust, PM 2.5, and house dust, and is suggested to exacerbate allergy-like symptoms such as asthma and rhinitis.
    The results of irradiating endotoxin with nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) and comparing it against alcohol and heat treatment confirm that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology alone is more than 99% effective in inactivating endotoxin. (Test (1))
    The results of endotoxin activity measured by irradiating E. coli with nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) confirmed an inactivation effect of 99% or higher. (Test (2))

    Test (1)

    Figure 1: Test Overview

    Testing organization: Panasonic Corporation*8
    Test sample: Standard endotoxin
    Test device: nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generator
    Test method: A petri dish containing standard endotoxin dissolved in solvent was placed in a 45-liter chamber and exposed to nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) at a position 5 cm from the petri dish for a predetermined length of time.Endotoxin activity was measured on the samples after exposure.*9Samples with and without exposure to nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) were compared, and the residual endotoxin activity rate was calculated.*10In order to compare against exposure to nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water), treatment under the conditions in which bacteria are sterilized (heating at 90°C, 10-minute treatment, and ethanol 80 vol%, 5-minute treatment) were performed respectively, and the residual rate of endotoxin activity was calculated.*10

    Test (2)

    Figure 2: Test Overview

    Testing organization: Panasonic Corporation
    Test sample: E. coli
    Test device: nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generator
    Test method: A petri dish containing E. coli dissolved in solvent was placed in a 45-liter chamber and exposed to nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) at a position 5 cm from the petri dish.Endotoxin activity was measured on the samples after exposure.*9Samples with and without exposure to nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) were compared, and the residual endotoxin activity rate was calculated.*10

    ■Test results

    Test results (1)

    Below are the results of confirming the residual endotoxin activity rate*10 for standard endotoxin exposed to nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) for 48 hours, treated with alcohol, and treated with heat, respectively. Only nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology showed an inactivation effect of 99% or more.

    Test results (2)

    The results of confirming the residual endotoxin activity rate*10 using E. coli exposed to nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) for 48 hours are described below. nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology showed an inactivation effect of 99% or more.

    ■Comments from Masafumi Mukamoto, Professor Emeritus, Osaka Metropolitan University and Visiting Researcher, University of Hyogo*

    Endotoxin is a toxin that exists on the surface of gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli. It has various biological activity, and has been suggested to aggravate allergy-like symptoms such as asthma and rhinitis. Endotoxin has been reported as present in air pollutants such as PM 2.5 and Asian sand dust, as well as house dust. Particular attention should be paid to Asian sand dust, as the number of days it is observed increases during spring. In addition, endotoxin is known to be resistant to alcohol and heat, so even if bacterial sterilization is performed, it may not be possible to inactivate endotoxin. Thus, I think it is significant that inactivation of endotoxin by nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology was demonstrated in this test.
    *Edited from comments received at the request of Panasonic.

    ■Principle of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generation

    The atomizing electrode is cooled by a Peltier element, which condenses moisture in the air to create water. Afterwards, a high voltage is applied across the atomizing electrode and the opposite electrode to generate nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) contained in water that contain hydroxyl radicals of approximately 5 to 20 nanometers in size. (Figure 5)

    Notes:*1: Reference: “2023 Patient Survey” Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/kanja/23/index.html*2: Reference: M. Berger et al. “Lipopolysaccharide amplifies eosinophilic inflammation after segmental challenge with house dust mite in asthmatics,” Allergy, vol. 70, No. 3, pp. 257-264, 2014.*3: Reference: Braga CR et al. “Nasal provocation test (NPT) with isolated and associated dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp) and endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in children with allergic rhinitis (AR) and nonallergic controls,” J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol., vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 142-8, 2004.*4: Reference: Peter S. Thorne et al. “Endotoxin Exposure Is a Risk Factor for Asthma The National Survey of Endotoxin in United States Housing,” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, vol. 172, No. 11, pp. 1371-1377, 2005.*5: Reference: Takamichi Ichinose, “Progress of the research on air pollution (PM 2.5, Asian sand dust, etc.) and allergy,” Japanese Journal of Allergology, vol. 63, No. 8, pp. 1085-1094, 2014.*6: Reference: Yahao Ren et al. “Enhancement of OVA-induced murine lung eosinophilia by co-exposure to contamination levels of LPS in Asian sand dust and heated dust,” Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol., vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 30, 2014.*7: [Press Release] Visual Imaging of Bacterial Inhibition Mechanism by Hydroxyl Radicals Contained in Water in Collaboration with Harvard University (March 29, 2012)*8: Endotoxin testing and data acquisition were conducted in cooperation with FUJIFILM Wako Bio Solutions Corporation.*9: Endotoxin testing was conducted in accordance with the “General Rules” and “General Testing Methods” of the Revised Japanese Pharmacopoeia, 18th Edition.*10: Panasonic’s own calculation of residual endotoxin activity rate = (activity after treatment/untreated activity) x 100

    ◆A summary of this press release can be found here:https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/nanoe/ja/topics/250306.html
    ◆Results of research into nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology to date can be found here:https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/nanoe/ja.html

    Media Contact:

    Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic CorporationPublic Relations, Corporate Policy Department, Corporate Planning CenterEmail: las-pr@gg.jp.panasonic.com

    Inquiries:

    Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic CorporationDevices Products Business Unit, Beauty and Personal Care Business DivisionTelephone: +81-(0)749-27-0485 (available 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays)

    About Panasonic Corporation
    Panasonic Corporation offers products and services for a variety of living environments, ranging from homes to stores to offices and cities. There are five businesses at the core of Panasonic Corporation: Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Heating & Ventilation A/C Company, Cold Chain Solutions Company, Electric Works Company and China and Northeast Asia Company. The operating company reported consolidated net sales of 3,494.4 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2024. Panasonic Corporation is committed to fulfilling the mission of Life Tech & Ideas: For the wellbeing of people, society and the planet, and embraces the vision of becoming the best partner of your life with human-centric technology and innovation. Learn more about Panasonic: https://www.panasonic.com/global/about/

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Colleagues to Trump Administration: Ensure Legal Representation for Children in Immigration System

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Colleagues to Trump Administration: Ensure Legal Representation for Children in Immigration System

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, demanded the Trump Administration protect Congressionally mandated legal representation for unaccompanied children in the immigration system. The letter comes in response to the Trump Administration’s stop work order last month to organizations that provide legal services for unaccompanied children. Last week, following public pressure, the order was rescinded, however confusion and uncertainty still remains.

    Padilla joined 31 other Senators in demanding that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum continue legal services for unaccompanied children involved in immigration proceedings as required by law. The termination of legal services for unaccompanied children violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and risks the safety of 26,000 unaccompanied children to trafficking, exploitation, and other harm.

    “Cutting off access to legal services makes it more likely that the government will lose track of unaccompanied children, given the challenges such children would face in independently appearing for immigration court hearings, submitting address updates, or otherwise communicating with immigration authorities,” wrote the Senators. “Not only will this make children more vulnerable to trafficking, but it will also create further inefficiencies in an already backlogged immigration court system.”

    “Every day without access to counsel is another day in which vulnerable children face grave danger by human traffickers, abusers, or other bad actors, without an advocate at their side,” continued the Senators.

    Access to legal services, including representation, is essential for providing unaccompanied children fairness in the legal process. Without an attorney, many of these children face enormous roadblocks to advocate for themselves in a challenging immigration system because of their age, development, and language barriers.

    The TVPRA was passed by Congress in a bipartisan manner in 2008 and requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide counsel for unaccompanied children as much as possible by representing them in legal proceedings and protecting them from exploitation and abuse.

    Padilla signed the letter, led by Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric. He sharply criticized Trump’s harmful executive orders targeting immigrants at the start of his second Administration. Last week, Padilla denounced Trump’s transfer of immigrants from the United States to Guantánamo as unlawful and demanded answers regarding these transfers. He also condemned the Trump Administration’s intended use of Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities to detain immigrants as part of President Trump’s mass deportation plan. Additionally, Padilla cosponsored the Born in the USA Act to effectively block the implementation of Trump’s unconstitutional executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for certain children born in the United States, or a similar subsequent executive order. Last year, Padilla emphasized the dangers and immense economic costs of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plans during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

    Earlier this year, Senator Padilla introduced the Access to Counsel Act to ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status can consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at ports of entry, including airports.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy and Secretary Burgum:

    We write to express our strong opposition to the February 18, 2025 stop work order issued regarding your agencies’ contract for the provision of legal services for unaccompanied children. Although the order has now been rescinded, we are concerned about the chaos and confusion it caused for legal services providers and the children they serve. Any disruption to services for unaccompanied children is alarming, particularly in light of recent reports of the administration’s intent to place unaccompanied children into removal proceedings.

    Pausing or terminating the provision of legal services to unaccompanied children under this contract runs directly counter to the requirements of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and places 26,000 unaccompanied children at increased risk of trafficking, exploitation, and other harm. The TVPRA, passed by Congress in 2008 on a bipartisan basis, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that all unaccompanied children have counsel to represent them in legal proceedings and protect them from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking. Shirking this statutory mandate heightens the risk of harm for these uniquely vulnerable children.

    Access to legal services often provides unaccompanied children their only hope for a fair legal process. Unaccompanied children’s age, developmental stage, and communication and comprehension constraints make it virtually impossible for them to effectively navigate the complex and adversarial immigration system without an attorney at their side. The government-funded legal services provided under this contract are, in many cases, the only thing preventing a two or three-year-old unaccompanied child from facing court proceedings alone against a government attorney seeking their deportation. 

    Attorneys are vital to unaccompanied children’s comprehension of and compliance with immigration requirements and processes. From fiscal year (FY) 2005 through June of FY 2019, 98 percent of juveniles placed in removal proceedings who were represented by a lawyer appeared for their hearings. Cutting off access to legal services makes it more likely that the government will lose track of unaccompanied children, given the challenges such children would face in independently appearing for immigration court hearings, submitting address updates, or otherwise communicating with immigration authorities. Not only will this make children more vulnerable to trafficking, but it will also create further inefficiencies in an already backlogged immigration court system. Moreover, attorneys help children understand their options and are often in a position to facilitate prompt voluntary departures, where appropriate.

    For these reasons, we urge you to publicly commit to maintaining this contract. We further request a briefing about why the contract was paused and your plan for compliance with your statutory mandate to ensure that children have counsel in immigration proceedings.

    Every day without access to counsel is another day in which vulnerable children face grave danger by human traffickers, abusers, or other bad actors, without an advocate at their side. Thank you for your consideration of this critical issue.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Cyanobacteria health warning placed on Lake Rotokaeo

    Source: Waikato District Health Board

    A health warning has been issued today by National Public Health Service (NPHS), advising people to avoid recreational water activity at Lake Rotokaeo, due to a significant rise in the cyanobacteria (blue green algae) concentration.

    Lakes Rotokauri, Waikare, Whangape and Hakanoa continue to have cyanobacterial health warnings in place, with an ‘extreme risk’ health warning at Lake Ngā Roto.

    “People should avoid any activity in or near these lakes that could lead to skin contact with the affected water, or the water being swallowed,” says Medical Officer of Health Dr Richard Vipond.

    “Toxins released by cyanobacteria can trigger asthma and hayfever symptoms, skin rashes, stomach upsets, and neurological effects such as tingling around the mouth, headaches, breathing difficulties and visual problems.”

    The symptoms may not appear until sometime after contact with affected water.

    “If you do come into contact with water at lakes with health warnings or where there were visible changes in water colour, shower and change your clothing as soon as possible afterwards, even if you do not have symptoms,” adds Dr Vipond.

    “If you feel unwell after coming in contact with the lake you should seek health advice from your doctor or by calling Healthline on 0800 611 116. Please also report it to the NPHS Waikato office on (07) 838 2569.”

    Scums formed by algal blooms are a particular risk because they contain a high level of toxins. If contact with scum does occur, skin should be rinsed clean and clothing changed as soon as possible.

    “It’s particularly important for parents to keep an eye on children if you’re down at the water as these scums can form at the edge of the lake and children will sometimes play with them.”

    Dog owners should prevent their dogs from drinking or swimming in the water, or eating algal bloom scum as dogs are particularly sensitive to cyanobacteria and could become seriously ill.

    To check if recreational water spots near you are safe for swimming and playing in visit https://www.lawa.org.nz/explore-data/waikato-region/. Information is also available from Waikato Regional Council at https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/environment/water/algal-blooms/

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arrest made following investigation into injured baby, Dargaville

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Please attribute to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer, Whangārei CIB:

    Police investigating an incident involving an injured five-month-old baby in Dargaville have today made an arrest.

    A 22-year-old man has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and will appear in Whangārei District Court tomorrow.

    The arrest come after the baby was presented at Dargaville Hospital with serious head injuries on 28 December.

    The baby was flown to Whangārei Hospital and later transferred to Starship Hospital in Auckland.

    The baby is now recovering well.

    As this matter is now before the Courts, Police don’t have any further comment.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Robert F. Kennedy Jr says vitamin A protects you from deadly measles. Here’s what the study he cites actually says

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South Australia

    RobsPhoto/Shutterstock

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who oversees the health of more than 340 million Americans, says vitamin A can prevent the worst effects of measles rather than urging more people to get vaccinated.

    In an opinion piece for Fox News, the US health secretary said he was “deeply concerned” about the current measles outbreak in Texas. However, he said the decision to vaccinate was a “personal one” and something for parents to discuss with their health-care provider.

    Kennedy mentioned updated advice from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to treat measles with vitamin A. He also cited a study he said shows vitamin A can reduce the risk of dying from measles.

    Here’s what the vitamin A study actually says and why public health officials are so concerned about Kennedy’s latest statement.

    Why is a measles outbreak so worrying?

    Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily including when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.

    Measles initially infects the respiratory tract and then the virus spreads throughout the body. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose and a rash all over the body.

    Measles can also be severe, can cause complications including blindness and swelling of the brain, and can be fatal. Measles can affect anyone but is most common in children.

    The Texan health department has confirmed 150-plus cases of measles and one death of an unvaccinated child during the current outbreak. While this is by far the largest measles outbreak in the US in 2025, the CDC has reported smaller outbreaks in several other states so far this year.

    Why vitamin A?

    Vitamin A is essential for our overall health. It has many roles in the body, from supporting our growth and reproduction, to making sure we have healthy vision, skin and immune function.

    Foods rich in vitamin A or related molecules include orange, yellow and red coloured fruits and vegetables, green leafy vegetables, as well as dairy, egg, fish and meat. You can take it as a supplement.

    Vitamin A can also be used therapeutically. In other words, doctors may prescribe vitamin A to treat a deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency has long been associated with more severe cases of infectious disease, including measles. Vitamin A boosts immune cells and strengthens the respiratory tract lining, which is the body’s first defence against infections.

    Because of this, the CDC has recently said vitamin A can also be prescribed as part of treatment for children with severe measles – such as those in hospital – under doctor supervision.

    One key message from the CDC’s advice is that people are already sick enough with measles to be in hospital. They’re not taking vitamin A to prevent catching measles in the first place.

    The other key message is vitamin A is taken under medical supervision, under specific circumstances, where patients can be closely monitored to prevent toxicity from high doses.

    Vitamin A toxicity can cause birth defects and increase the risk of fractures in elderly people. Vitamin A and beta-carotene (which the body turns into vitamin A) from supplements may also increase your risk of cancer, especially if you smoke.

    Taking too much vitamin A can lead to toxicity and cause birth defects.
    ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock

    How about the study Kennedy cites?

    Kennedy cites and links to a 2010 study, a type known as a systematic review and meta-analysis. Researchers reviewed and analysed existing studies, which included ones that looked at the effectiveness of vitamin A in preventing measles deaths.

    They found three studies that looked at vitamin A treatment by specific dose. There were different doses depending on the age of the children, measured in IU (international units). Having two doses of vitamin A (200,000IU for children over one year of age or 100,000IU for infants below one year) reduced mortality by 62% compared to children who did not have vitamin A.

    The 2010 study did not show vitamin A reduced your risk of getting measles from another infected person. To my knowledge no study has shown this.

    To be fair, Kennedy did not say that vitamin A stops you from catching measles from another infected person. Instead, he used the following vague statement:

    Studies have found that vitamin A can dramatically reduce measles mortality.

    It’s easy to see how a reader could misinterpret this as “take vitamin A if you want to avoid dying from measles”.

    We know what works – vaccines

    The World Health Organization recommends all children receive two doses of measles vaccine.

    The CDC states two doses of the measles vaccine (measles-mumps-rubella or MMR vaccine) is 97% effective against getting measles. This means out of every 100 people who are vaccinated only three will get it, and this will be a milder form.

    But these facts were missing from Kennedy’s statement. Should we be surprised? Kennedy is well known for his vaccine sceptism and for undermining vaccination efforts, including for the measles vaccine.

    As Sue Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told the Washington Post:

    relying on vitamin A instead of the vaccine is not only dangerous and ineffective […] it puts children at serious risk.

    Evangeline Mantzioris is affiliated with Alliance for Research in Nutrition, Exercise and Activity (ARENA) at the University of South Australia. Evangeline Mantzioris has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, and has been appointed to the National Health and Medical Research Council Dietary Guideline Expert Committee.

    – ref. Robert F. Kennedy Jr says vitamin A protects you from deadly measles. Here’s what the study he cites actually says – https://theconversation.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-says-vitamin-a-protects-you-from-deadly-measles-heres-what-the-study-he-cites-actually-says-251465

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Britt, Carbajal, Lawler Lead Introduction of Bipartisan, Bicameral Proposal to Make Child Care More Affordable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Katie Britt (R-AL) and U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) introduced the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act—bipartisan, bicameral legislation that form a bold proposal to make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower child care costs and increase the supply of child care providers. Over the last few decades, the cost of child care has increased by 263%, forcing families to make impossible choices. More than half of all families live in child care deserts. Meanwhile, child care workers are struggling to make ends meet on the poverty-level wages they are paid and child care providers are struggling to simply stay afloat. The crisis—which was exacerbated by the pandemic—is costing our economy, resulting in $122 billion in economic losses each year.

    “The child care crisis is holding our families and economy back. I hear from Virginia parents all the time about how hard it is to find affordable child care, from child care providers who are forced to leave their jobs because of low wages, and from businesses who are having trouble finding the employees they need,” said Kaine. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation, and I hope more of my colleagues will join us in passing this comprehensive proposal to support child care providers, make it easier for families to access the care they need, and boost economic growth by providing parents with the opportunity to get back into the workforce.”

    “We applaud Sens. Britt and Kaine and Reps. Lawler and Carbajal for their bipartisan, bicameral efforts to identify innovative and impactful policy solutions that will increase access to quality child care for America’s working families, bolstering the workforce and economy. These two bills mark a major milestone to begin addressing employer and employee needs, as well as supply-side issues that impact the availability of care,” says Bipartisan Policy Center Action President Michele Stockwell.

    “The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act is forward-thinking legislation that will tackle the child care challenges plaguing too many working parents, employers, and providers,” said First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling. “By refining tax credits and expanding access, this plan will deliver real relief to countless families. We’re grateful to Senators Britt, Kaine, Ernst, and Shaheen for their leadership in finding bipartisan and practical solutions that put working families first.”

    Kaine has long been pushing to expand access to child care. In 2023, he introduced the Child Care Stabilization Act to expand vital child care funding to help providers keep their doors open, and has championed the Child Care for Working Families Act to expand access to child care, raise wages for providers, and lower costs for families by ensuring no family pays more than 7% of their income on child care. He has also introduced bipartisan legislation to develop, administer, and evaluate early childhood education apprenticeships.

    The proposal contains two bills because one proposes changes to existing tax credits, falling under the jurisdiction of the Senate Finance Committee, and the other authorizes a new pilot program, falling under the jurisdiction of the Senate HELP Committee.

    Child Care Availability and Affordability Act

    The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act would make child care more affordable by:

    • Increasing the size of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) and making it refundable, allowing lower income working families with out-of-pocket child care expenses to benefit from the credit for the first time. The proposal substantially expands the maximum CDCTC to $2,500 for families with one child and $4,000 for families with two or more children.
    • Strengthening the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) to allow families to deduct 50% more in expenses (up to $7,500).
    • Allowing eligible families to benefit from both the DCAP and the CDCTC when their child care expenses exceed the DCAP threshold. This will have big benefits for middle income families who currently do not access the CDCTC but have particularly high child care costs.
    • Radically bolstering the underutilized Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit—commonly referred to as 45F—to encourage businesses to provide child care to their employees. The Kaine-Britt plan would increase the maximum credit from $150,000 to $500,000, and the percentage of expenses covered from 25% to 50%. The legislation also includes a larger incentive for small businesses—a maximum credit of $600,000—and allows for joint applications for groups of small businesses who want to pool resources.

    The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act is cosponsored by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Curtis (R-UT), Angus King (I-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Susan Collins (R-ME).

    The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act is endorsed by A+ Education Partnership, Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, Alabama Arise, Alabama School Readiness Alliance, American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Arizona Early Childhood Education Association, Big Blue Marble Academy, Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPCA), Bright Horizons, Business Council of Alabama, Busy Bees North America, Care.com, Chamber of Progress, Chamber RVA, Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA), Child Care Aware of Virginia, Child Development Schools, Children’s Institute, Cincinnati Regional Chamber, Council for Professional Recognition, Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC), Early Learning Policy Group, LLC, Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, Educare Learning Network, First Five Years Fund (FFYF), Gingerbread Kids Academy, Hampton Roads Chamber, Healthy Families America, Healthy Kids Alabama, Independent Restaurant Coalition, Jesuit Conference of the United States, Kaplan Early Learning Company, Kiddie Academy, KinderCare Learning Companies, Learning Care Group, Lightbright Academy, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), Manufacture Alabama, Metrix IQ, Mobile Area Education Foundation, Moms First, National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), National Child Care Association (NCCA), North Carolina Licensed Child Care Association, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NVC), Ohio Association of Child Care Providers, Parents as Teachers National Center, Prevent Child Abuse America, Primrose Schools, Santa Barbara South Cost Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Majority, Small Business Majority, Start Early, Solvang Chamber of Commerce, Teaching Strategies, Texas Licensed Child Care Association, The Nest Schools, Third Way, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Ventura Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Beach Vision, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), VOICES for Alabama’s Children, Voices for Virginia’s Kids, and YMCA of the USA.

    Full text of the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act is available here.

    Child Care Workforce Act

    Because many child care providers are forced out of the industry by low wages—which makes it even harder for families to find affordable child care—the Child Care Workforce Act would make it easier to access child care, by establishing a competitive grant program for states, localities, Tribes, and Tribal organizations that are interested in adopting or expanding pay supplement programs for child care workers to increase supply and reduce turnover. Within that program:

    • Grantees would provide supplements, paid out at least quarterly, directly to both home-based and center-based licensed child care providers licensed by the state.
    • There would be a required evaluation of impacts on turnover, quality of child care, availability of affordable childcare, and alleviating the financial burden on child care providers. Model programs exist in Virginia, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Maine, and the District of Columbia, with evaluations demonstrating large effects on the supply of workers, educator turnover, and worker well-being and satisfaction.

    The Child Care Workforce Act is cosponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

    The Child Care Workforce Act is endorsed by A+ Education Partnership, Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, Alabama Arise, Alabama School Readiness Alliance, Arizona Early Childhood Education Association, Big Blue Marble Academy, Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPCA), Bright Horizons, Business Council of Alabama, Busy Bees North America, Care.com, Chamber of Progress, Chamber RVA, Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA), Child Care Aware of Virginia, Child Development Schools, Children’s Institute, Cincinnati Regional Chamber, Council for Professional Recognition, Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC), Early Learning Policy Group, LLC, Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, Educare Learning Network, First Five Years Fund (FFYF), First Focus Campaign for Children, Gingerbread Kids Academy, Hampton Roads Chamber, Healthy Families America, Healthy Kids Alabama, Independent Restaurant Coalition, Jesuit Conference of the United States, Kaplan Early Learning Company, Kiddie Academy, KinderCare Learning Companies, Learning Care Group, Lightbright Academy, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), Manufacture Alabama, Metrix IQ, Mobile Area Education Foundation, Moms First, National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), National Child Care Association (NCCA), National Council of Jewish Women, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), North Carolina Licensed Child Care Association, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NVC), Ohio Association of Child Care Providers, Parents as Teachers National Center, Prevent Child Abuse America, Primrose Schools, Santa Barbara South Cost Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Majority, Small Business Majority, Start Early, Teaching Strategies, Texas Licensed Child Care Association, The Nest Schools, Third Way, UVentura Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Beach Vision, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), VOICES for Alabama’s Children, Voices for Virginia’s Kids, YMCA of the USA, and ZERO TO THREE.

    Full text of the Child Care Workforce Act are available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks with NIH Nominee, Calls for Radical Transparency at the NIH

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. During his remarks, Bhattacharya explained his plan to root out waste within the NIH and how he will earn back the trust of the American people by ensuring transparency.

    Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you doctor for being here. It’s always good to run into somebody that’s name’s harder to say than mine and mispronounced more.

    You’ve got a hard job in front of you, but I share the ideas and desire that the President has to root out waste and the fraud that we have in this country. Because if we don’t, we’re not gonna have a country left. It’s gonna be gone. And he’s doing the right thing. You’re gonna have a tough job. You’re gonna have to put your team together and do the same thing. We have got to make sure we use American taxpayers’ money the right way.

    So, kind of give me your plan of how you’re gonna do this—when you come into office and are confirmed how you’re gonna put your team together?”

    BHATTACHARYA: “Thanks Senator, I should say this: I have a background as an economist as well as being a doctor. And to me, that background, what it leads me to do is understand that every dollar wasted on a frivolous study is a dollar not spent—every dollar wasted on administrative costs that are not needed—is a dollar not spent on research. The team I’m gonna put together is gonna be hyper-focused to make sure that the portfolio grants that the NIH funds is devoted to the chronic disease problems of this country. It’s gonna be devoted to making sure we have not just incremental progress, but research projects that have the capacity to make huge advances in treatment for cancer, for diabetes, for obesity. That’s how I’m going to decide what the team is.

    And the NIH […], I’m blessed in some ways because it already has so many excellent scientists there to advise me on the on the areas I don’t know about. And I wanna tap [into] that resource. I wanna make sure I talk to every single person who who’s already a leader at the NIH to understand where those opportunities are.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. Well, thank you.

    You know, for the past four years, I’ve been on this Committee, and we’ve obviously gone through COVID [which was] devastating to not just our country, but the world.

    Transparency and trust is gonna have to be earned again from a lot of people. Most people across this country don’t know what the hell NIH stands for. Okay? But now they do because of COVID. You said that science has to be reliable, exactly. But people also have to trust, you know, we’re finding out now we have biolabs in Ukraine—where a war is going on, and we’re funding them.

    I mean, and so you’ve got to be on top of that, and the American people have to trust you that you will say, ‘Listen, we’re gonna keep an eye on, you know, the biolabs in North Carolina,’ or wherever we have them. Because it scares me to death of what’s going on. 

    What’s your plan there of getting trust back in this country?”

    BHATTACHARYA: “Senator first of all […], I want to work with Congress to make sure that there’s appropriate regulation of any risky research. The NIH […] I don’t think should be doing any research that has the potential to cause a pandemic. And I want to work with Congress to make sure that happens.

    As far as trust, I think the key thing is we have to be utterly open, if I’m confirmed, I’ll be at the head of an organization that’s a scientific organization. As a citizen, I would often look for FOIA responses from the NIH Freedom Information Act request, and they’d be fully redacted during the pandemic.

    You can’t have trust unless you are transparent. And if I’m confirmed as an NIH Director, I fully commit to making sure that the American people can see all of the activities of the NIH openly, with limited sort of obfuscation. [The NIH has been characterized this way], I think unfortunately, [because of the] way that they’ve interacted with American people.”

    TUBERVILLE: “And I think that starts with being very visual on television, telling people, you know, the truth. Don’t hide anything because we’ve been hiding things for years and that that doesn’t work. We found that out.

    You know, Chairman Cassidy and I led a letter to the NIH under the last administration asking questions about a grant that the NIH funded focused on children transitioning genders. The study followed all these children—two of them committed suicide. Devastating. 

    So, how can we ensure the NIH doesn’t grant funds to things like this?”

    BHATTACHARYA: “Well, first of all, I think it’s if you have a negative result and it’s politically inconvenient to you, usually, you have an obligation to scientists to report it. Right? 

    So, the NIH funds a study that shows that the gender transition doesn’t reduce suicide rate among, you know, adolescents. That researcher has an obligation to report it even though she may think it’s politically inconvenient. So, I wanna make sure that NIH research is required to report even negative results. And there’s ways to do that we can talk about.

    But I think as far as, like, the prioritization of studies, as I was telling Senator Paul, I think we wanna make sure that the studies are focused on the diseases that really are hurting Americans—obesity—a lot of the research that, you know, it’s so easy to come up with, examples of this. One of a shrimp on a treadmill for instance, that was once funded. It’s not that I’m necessarily against research like that, but the American taxpayer should be focused on the needs of American taxpayers. And the research should be focused on those needs, the health needs of Americans. And I want to make sure that the NIH, if confirmed, focuses on exactly that.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Good luck.”

    BHATTACHARYA: “Thank you so much.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Boost for health services on the South Coast

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Boost for health services on the South Coast

    Published: 6 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for Regional Health

    The Minns Labor Government has today announced Nowra will benefit from a $21 million investment in health worker housing, as the site of the $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment reached a major milestone.

    These investments will provide a significant boost to healthcare on the South Coast of NSW, a rapidly growing region which deserves the best access to world class healthcare.

    $21 million Key Health Worker Investment

    Nowra will receive new key health worker accommodation which will support staff and the community across the broader Shoalhaven region.

    The Minns Labor Government will invest $21 million as part of the broader $200.1 million Key Health Worker Accommodation program.

    Now funding has been allocated, planning for the health worker accommodation works is underway.

    This planning will determine the best delivery model for Nowra and how many healthcare workers will be accommodated. This will include consultation with health workers and other local stakeholders.

    $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment

    The $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment has reached its highest point, with a topping out of the new seven-storey acute services building.

    As part of the traditional ceremony, a tree was lifted onto the roof, with messages tied to its branches from staff, construction workers, and project team members, sharing their excitement and well wishes for the future redeveloped hospital.

    The new acute services building is a key feature of the redevelopment and will enable the delivery of contemporary health services and facilities for the local community. The Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment will become a health hub for the region, providing the majority of emergency, critical care, acute, sub-acute and non-admitted health services locally, reducing the need to transfer patients to Wollongong and Sydney.

    The new acute services building will deliver a range of new and expanded health services including:

    • a new emergency department and emergency short-stay unit
    • new intensive care unit
    • medical wards
    • dedicated acute mental health unit
    • double the number of operating theatres, endoscopy and procedure rooms
    • a dedicated cardiology inpatient unit, coronary care unit and cardiac catheterisation laboratory
    • a new rooftop helipad.

    Consultation with staff, patients and the community has been a key part of planning and design for the redevelopment, ensuring the new hospital meets the unique health needs of the Shoalhaven region.

    The new hospital building is on track for completion in 2026.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

    “Today’s topping out ceremony marks a major achievement for the $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment project.

    “The redevelopment will transform healthcare delivery for local residents, and ensure they continue to have access to quality care closer to home without needing to travel to Wollongong or Sydney.

    “Our government is committed to investing in modern, sustainable accommodation options for key health workers who are the backbone of our regional, rural and remote communities.

    “Strengthening our regional health workforce is a key priority for our government and this $21 million investment in accommodation will support attraction of key healthcare workers to Nowra.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for the South Coast, Liza Butler:

    “Funding for Key Health Worker Accommodation in Nowra will enhance the Local Health District’s ability to attract and retain essential healthcare professionals to Shoalhaven Hospital.

    “As work continues on the $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment this will be particularly important, with the project set to transform healthcare services across the region, delivering modern health facilities and expanded health services for communities across the South Coast.

    “Not only is this redevelopment great for healthcare in the region, but it has also been great for local jobs and I am really proud that more than 70 per cent of the construction workforce is based locally.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Reintroduces Bipartisan Risky Research Review Act to Oversee Gain-of-Function Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    March 5, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, reintroduced the bipartisan Risky Research Review Act, a first-of-its-kind proposal to establish a Life Sciences Research Security Board within the Executive Branch. This independent board will oversee the funding of gain-of-function research and other high-risk life sciences research that potentially poses a threat to public health, safety, or national security.

    “We must demand accountability for the grave oversights that were revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety of our nation and the trust in its institutions depend on it. My bill not only strengthens transparency but also ensures that public health decisions are made in the best interest of the American people, free from financial motives and prioritizing national security,” said Dr. Paul. 

    U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is an original cosponsor of the legislation in the Senate. 

    “Life science research can yield breakthroughs that help protect the health of Americans, but it must be done with proper safeguards in place,” said Sen. Peters. “By creating an independent oversight agency, this bill will help maintain control of high-risk research, to ensure it’s effective, innovative, and safe.”

    U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment, introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “Gain-of-function research is reported to be a potential target of a future President Trump Executive Order. As someone who has extensively investigated COVID-19 origins and biosafety concerns in foreign labs, it is clear to me that greater oversight measures are needed to review gain-of-function research of concern and risky experiments that involve virus transmission in humans. The National Institutes of Health has proven they are not capable of properly reviewing risky research applications, as in the case of EcoHealth Alliance. I believe the Risky Research Review Act establishes crucial oversight measures to alleviate the legitimate and significant concerns of the American people, thus reestablishing trust in our public health agencies,” said Rep. Griffith.  

    The Life Sciences Research Security Board will serve as an independent body responsible for thoroughly evaluating gain-of-function research and other potentially harmful studies involving high-consequence pathogens. Currently, the funding and study of life sciences research lack sufficient government oversight, allowing American taxpayer dollars to be spent without proper safeguards. Dr. Paul’s legislation establishes a much-needed stringent review process for the board to assess high-risk research and decide whether tax dollars should support specific research proposals, ensuring accountability and strengthening transparency.

    The Risky Research Review Act will:

    1. Establish an Independent Oversight Board: Form a Life Sciences Research Security Board dedicated to protecting public health, safety, and national security by evaluating and issuing binding determinations on high-risk life sciences research proposals seeking federal funding.
    2. Define High-Risk Research: Specify high-risk life sciences research as studies with potential dangerous uses, or dual-use research of concern involving a high-consequence pathogen, or gain-of-function research.
    3. Ensure Board Independence: Position the board as an independent agency within the Executive Branch, consisting of one executive director, five non-governmental scientists, two national security experts, and one non-governmental biosafety expert, each serving up to two four-year terms.
    4. Restrict Funding Without Approval: Prohibit federal agencies from awarding funding for high-risk life sciences research without board approval.
    5. Mandate Majority Vote: Require a majority vote of board members to approve high-risk life sciences research.
    6. Empower the Board: Authorize the board to compel agencies to turn over necessary information and records, including classified information.
    7. Demand Full Disclosure: Require life sciences research grant applicants to declare if their research falls under high-risk life sciences categories or involves select agents or toxins.
    8. Automatic Referral: Mandate that all positive attestations are automatically referred to the board.
    9. Continuous Subcontract Disclosure: Require grant recipients to continuously disclose subcontracts or subawards to agencies, with agencies required to submit these disclosures to the board.
    10. Annual Reporting: The board will submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees and publish it online, summarizing determinations, findings, and information about entities and sub-awardees involved in high-risk life sciences research.

    You can read the Risky Research Review Act HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Paul Reintroduces Transparency Bill on Royalties Paid to Government Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    March 5, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

     

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, reintroduced his Royalty Transparency Act. This legislation increases transparency on royalty payments paid to Executive Branch officials and makes the financial disclosure forms public for federal advisory committee members such as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Under current law, federal employees are not required to publicly disclose the source or amount of royalty payments received in service of their official duties. Additionally, the financial disclosures of members of federal advisory committees are not available to the public, despite the fact that these committees make recommendations to federal agencies that have a significant impact on the day-to-day lives of Americans. This lack of transparency prevents taxpayers from holding individuals accountable within the federal government for conflicts of interest and other abuses.

    Dr. Paul’s legislation introduces long-overdue accountability by requiring Executive Branch employees to publicly disclose royalty payments for inventions developed during their employment with the federal government on their financial disclosure reports.

    “Distrust in public health officials is at an all-time high. One way to restore trust is to make sure that public policy isn’t influenced by personal gain,” said Dr. Paul. “The Royalty Transparency Act will allow more information to be seen by the public to ensure federal decision makers, and the policies they write, aren’t being influenced by the royalty payments they receive.”

    U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is an original cosponsor of the legislation in the Senate. 

    “I am proud to support the Royalty Transparency Act, ensuring federal employees’ transparency and accountability to the American people,” said Sen. Rick Scott. “Under current law, bureaucrats like Anthony Fauci and NIH employees were able to receive millions in royalty payments from companies outside the federal government without requirements for reporting, raising serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and fueling distrust in the federal government. Our bill will bring much-needed transparency to these payments by requiring they be publicly reported, helping to hold bureaucrats accountable to the American people and restoring trust in the federal government.” 

    U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment, introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “For too long, federal bureaucrats concealed the royalties they received, who they were paid by, what they were compensated for and how much they were paid,” said Rep. Griffith. “As the Trump Administration ushers in a new era of transparency in our federal government, the Royalty Transparency Act will foster greater government transparency and accountability by requiring government officials in federal agencies to disclose the royalties that they receive as a result of their government service. I am excited to work with Senator Paul so we can shine a light on these royalties and hold federal bureaucrats to a greater standard of accountability.”

    For years, Dr. Paul has been working to expose the potential conflicts of interest that may arise when millions of dollars in royalties are paid to federal employees serving their official duties. In 2022, Dr. Paul spearheaded a letter with four other members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requesting information on disclosures of royalty payments made by third-party providers to NIH employees. However, federal agencies, including NIH, have refused to release the information. Through litigation, Open the Books obtained redacted documents and uncovered that approximately 2,400 NIH scientists have been awarded over $300 million in royalties in the last decade, which translates to an average payment of $135,000 per scientist. Since NIH claims that it is not required to disclose this information, it’s still unknown how much each payment amounted to, or why a payment was made. Dr. Paul’s legislation aims to ensure that federal agencies, including NIH, cannot evade scrutiny from Congress and the public, holding federal employees to a higher standard of accountability.

    The Royalty Transparency Act mandates that royalty payments received by federal employees from the U.S. Government be disclosed in their financial reports. It also requires members of advisory committees, particularly those at risk of conflicts of interest due to royalties or other financial connections, to adhere to the same standards of financial disclosure as are prevalent across the government. Furthermore, the bill requires that public financial disclosures be made available online, increasing transparency for American taxpayers. The bill introduces greater congressional oversight over the financial disclosure process for executive branch employees and strengthens measures to prevent conflicts of interest in federal procurement.

    You can read the Royalty Transparency Act HERE.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Secures Nationwide Preliminary Injunction Blocking Trump Administration’s NIH Funding Cuts

    Source: US State of California

    Wednesday, March 5, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issuing a preliminary injunction that continues blocking the Trump Administration’s unlawful and drastic National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding cuts from taking effect. The preliminary injunction is in effect with respect to institutions nationwide until further order by the court. 

    “Last month, my fellow attorneys general and I secured a temporary restraining order, which blocked the Trump Administration from eviscerating funding for life-saving medical research. Now, we have secured a preliminary injunction that continues barring the Trump Administration from implementing the NIH funding cuts,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The court’s order also notes that we are likely to succeed on the merits of our claims. As we have said before, we will not allow President Trump to play politics with our public health or to break the law.” 

    On February 10, 2025, Attorney General Bonta, as part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general, announced suing the Trump Administration over the NIH funding cuts and sought a temporary restraining order. Less than six hours later, the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts granted the temporary restraining order. On February 21, 2025, the court held a preliminary injunction hearing, and in advance of the hearing, Attorney General Bonta and his fellow attorneys general released a joint statement.  

    A copy of the court’s order granting the preliminary injunction can be found here. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Urges USDA to Deliver Relief to Iowa Turkey Farmers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined the entire Iowa delegation to urge U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the Acting Administrator of the Farm Service Agency Kimberly Graham to deliver critical financial relief for Iowa turkey farmers.
    In their letter, the lawmakers outlined the dire animal health crisis due to avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) that has caused flock losses from 30-50% since the fall of 2023, threatening producer stability and the broader national turkey supply.
    “Iowa’s sharp decline in turkey production is reflective of the national turkey industry at large. Despite devastating financial shortfalls and supply chain disruptions caused by aMPV, there are currently no federal assistance programs available to offset these devastating losses, leaving many family-owned operations at risk of closure. Without immediate support, the viability of these farms—and the stability of the U.S. turkey industry—is in jeopardy,” wrote the lawmakers.
    “To mitigate these losses and prevent future outbreaks, we urge the USDA Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) to consider determining aMPV as an eligible adverse event under the Livestock Indemnity Program so that our farmers can access much-needed financial relief to affected producers,” the lawmakers concluded.
    In 2024, an estimate of 569,700 turkeys in Iowa have been lost due to aMPV, and the ongoing spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) – a completely separate but deadly virus – has only been compounding the financial, physical, and mental strains on turkey producers.
    Read the full letter here.
    Background:
    Ernst has long been a champion of foreign animal disease prevention and preparedness efforts including the bipartisan Animal Disease and Disaster Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act and her Beagle Brigade Act, which was recently signed into law.
    Following the increase in HPAI outbreaks in both Iowa poultry flocks and dairy herds, Ernst hasworked to hold federal agencies accountable to provide public and state agencies with coordinated, up-to-date, and accurate information on the spread of the virus.
    Last month, Ernst provided USDA with a blueprint for developing an effective plan to combat HPAI and protect Iowa poultry farmers. During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Ernst directly raised the need for a vaccination strategy that takes trade into account and praised Secretary Rollins for hercomprehensive HPAI strategy. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [World Sleep Day] Recovering From Daylight Saving Time May Take More Than Three Weeks, Youngest Hit Hardest

    Source: Samsung

    Do you find yourself feeling more tired once the clocks spring forward for Daylight Saving Time (DST)? Well, you’re not alone. Although losing an hour the night of DST may seem insignificant, examining the sleep patterns of global Samsung Health users1 from the US, Canada and more than 40 European countries reveals a ripple effect that causes weeks-long disruptions to sleep patterns, hitting younger age groups the hardest.
     
     
    DST Takes a Toll on Sleep, With Younger Generations Most Disrupted
    When looking into how much of an impact DST has on people the morning after, one thing is clear, everyone’s sleep patterns are thrown off. In fact, people spent a little too much time counting sheep the night of the time change, falling asleep 33 minutes later than the previous night, waking up 19 minutes earlier. While losing sleep isn’t easy at any age, those in their 20s likely felt it the most thanks to an extremely late bedtime and a seeming inability to sleep in.
     

     
    Moreover, Sleep Score — calculated based on an evaluation of a users’ total sleep time, awake time, sleep cycle, plus physical and mental recovery — was at the worst level for weeks after DST — and again, people in their 20s appeared to be most affected. When examining in the seven-day Sleep Score average, the 20s age group demonstrated the slowest score recovery rate, while older age groups adapted much quicker. By the third week, Sleep Score for all age groups were still not stable as normal, showing fluctuations in the quality of a good night’s rest.
     

     
     
    Useful Tips To Help You Get a Good Night’s Sleep and a Quicker Recovery
    The transition into DST clearly affects the sleep patterns of all age groups long after the clocks change, but for younger generations, prioritizing sleep management during this time couldn’t be more important. In recognition of World Sleep Day, Samsung is sharing useful tips that make understanding your sleep patterns and habits as seamless and effortless as possible for a better night’s rest.
     
    Creating an ideal sleep environment is critical to a good night’s sleep. Later this month, Samsung Health app update2 will make this possible by providing guidance and analysis on the key factors that influence sleep quality, including temperature, humidity, CO2 and illuminance via a Sleep Environment Report3 — leveraging SmartThings and the power of Samsung’s extensive device ecosystem. With a better understanding of how your environment affects sleep, easily optimize your room conditions for an improved night’s rest.
    In addition to perfecting your sleep environment, understanding how activity can impact energy level is key. Samsung Health app updates also bring enhancements to Energy Score,4 which provides an indicator of how much energy users can expend throughout the day. In addition to sleep and heart rate, a new detailed factor about activity — Activity Consistency — will help you understand your overall condition in greater detail by evaluating your activity levels over the past four weeks.
    It’s also important to understand how you’re sleeping and make necessary adjustments through sleep training. Sleep Coaching makes this simple by seamlessly tracking your sleep patterns over 7 days and assigning a sleep animal based on the results. With a personalized coaching program, develop healthy habits and routines that set you on a positive path to achieving your sleep goals.

     
    World Sleep Day serves as an important reminder of the importance of sleep. With the latest Samsung Health app updates and the Galaxy ecosystem, Samsung remains committed to helping users optimize their sleep and lead healthier, more balanced life.
     
     
    1 Findings analyzed sleep data of Samsung Health users via Galaxy Watch series during DST in the spring of 2024.2 Certain features may vary by market, carrier or paired device.3 Sleep Environment Report feature will be available on smartphone with One UI 7 and Samsung Health app version 6.29.5 or higher, and when device is connected to SmartThings.4 Galaxy AI features track data and require compatible Samsung Galaxy phone, Samsung Health app and Samsung account.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why rating your pain out of 10 is tricky

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Pate, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney

    altanaka/Shutterstock

    “It’s really sore,” my (Josh’s) five-year-old daughter said, cradling her broken arm in the emergency department.

    “But on a scale of zero to ten, how do you rate your pain?” asked the nurse.

    My daughter’s tear-streaked face creased with confusion.

    “What does ten mean?”

    “Ten is the worst pain you can imagine.” She looked even more puzzled.

    As both a parent and a pain scientist, I witnessed firsthand how our seemingly simple, well-intentioned pain rating systems can fall flat.

    What are pain scales for?

    The most common scale has been around for 50 years. It asks people to rate their pain from zero (no pain) to ten (typically “the worst pain imaginable”).

    This focuses on just one aspect of pain – its intensity – to try and rapidly understand the patient’s whole experience.

    How much does it hurt? Is it getting worse? Is treatment making it better?

    Rating scales can be useful for tracking pain intensity over time. If pain goes from eight to four, that probably means you’re feeling better – even if someone else’s four is different to yours.

    Research suggests a two-point (or 30%) reduction in chronic pain severity usually reflects a change that makes a difference in day-to-day life.

    But that common upper anchor in rating scales – “worst pain imaginable” – is a problem.

    People usually refer to their previous experiences when rating pain.
    sasirin pamai/Shutterstock

    A narrow tool for a complex experience

    Consider my daughter’s dilemma. How can anyone imagine the worst possible pain? Does everyone imagine the same thing? Research suggests they don’t. Even kids think very individually about that word “pain”.

    People typically – and understandably – anchor their pain ratings to their own life experiences.

    This creates dramatic variation. For example, a patient who has never had a serious injury may be more willing to give high ratings than one who has previously had severe burns.

    “No pain” can also be problematic. A patient whose pain has receded but who remains uncomfortable may feel stuck: there’s no number on the zero-to-ten scale that can capture their physical experience.

    Increasingly, pain scientists recognise a simple number cannot capture the complex, highly individual and multifaceted experience that is pain.

    Who we are affects our pain

    In reality, pain ratings are influenced by how much pain interferes with a person’s daily activities, how upsetting they find it, their mood, fatigue and how it compares to their usual pain.

    Other factors also play a role, including a patient’s age, sex, cultural and language background, literacy and numeracy skills and neurodivergence.

    For example, if a clinician and patient speak different languages, there may be extra challenges communicating about pain and care.

    Some neurodivergent people may interpret language more literally or process sensory information differently to others. Interpreting what people communicate about pain requires a more individualised approach.

    Impossible ratings

    Still, we work with the tools available. There is evidence people do use the zero-to-ten pain scale to try and communicate much more than only pain’s “intensity”.

    So when a patient says “it’s eleven out of ten”, this “impossible” rating is likely communicating more than severity.

    They may be wondering, “Does she believe me? What number will get me help?” A lot of information is crammed into that single number. This patient is most likely saying, “This is serious – please help me.”

    In everyday life, we use a range of other communication strategies. We might grimace, groan, move less or differently, use richly descriptive words or metaphors.

    Collecting and evaluating this kind of complex and subjective information about pain may not always be feasible, as it is hard to standardise.

    As a result, many pain scientists continue to rely heavily on rating scales because they are simple, efficient and have been shown to be reliable and valid in relatively controlled situations.

    But clinicians can also use this other, more subjective information to build a fuller picture of the person’s pain.

    How can we communicate better about pain?

    There are strategies to address language or cultural differences in how people express pain.

    Visual scales are one tool. For example, the “Faces Pain Scale-Revised” asks patients to choose a facial expression to communicate their pain. This can be particularly useful for children or people who aren’t comfortable with numeracy and literacy, either at all, or in the language used in the health-care setting.

    A vertical “visual analogue scale” asks the person to mark their pain on a vertical line, a bit like imagining “filling up” with pain.

    Modified visual scales are sometimes used to try to overcome communication challenges.
    Nenadmil/Shutterstock

    What can we do?

    Health professionals

    Take time to explain the pain scale consistently, remembering that the way you phrase the anchors matters.

    Listen for the story behind the number, because the same number means different things to different people.

    Use the rating as a launchpad for a more personalised conversation. Consider cultural and individual differences. Ask for descriptive words. Confirm your interpretation with the patient, to make sure you’re both on the same page.

    Patients

    To better describe pain, use the number scale, but add context.

    Try describing the quality of your pain (burning? throbbing? stabbing?) and compare it to previous experiences.

    Explain the impact the pain is having on you – both emotionally and how it affects your daily activities.

    Parents

    Ask the clinician to use a child-suitable pain scale. There are special tools developed for different ages such as the “Faces Pain Scale-Revised”.

    Paediatric health professionals are trained to use age-appropriate vocabulary, because children develop their understanding of numbers and pain differently as they grow.

    A starting point

    In reality, scales will never be perfect measures of pain. Let’s see them as conversation starters to help people communicate about a deeply personal experience.

    That’s what my daughter did — she found her own way to describe her pain: “It feels like when I fell off the monkey bars, but in my arm instead of my knee, and it doesn’t get better when I stay still.”

    From there, we moved towards effective pain treatment. Sometimes words work better than numbers.

    Joshua Pate has received speaker fees for presentations on pain and physiotherapy. He receives royalties for children’s books.

    Dale Langford has received honoraria and research support from the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trials, Translations, Innovations, and Opportunities Network (ACTTION), a public-private partnership with the United States (US) Food & Drug Administration. She has also been supported by the US National Institutes of Health.

    Tory Madden works for the University of Cape Town, where she directs the African Pain Research Initiative. She receives funding from the US National Institutes of Health. She is affiliated with the University of South Australia, KU Leuven, and the Train Pain Academy not-for-profit organisation.

    – ref. Why rating your pain out of 10 is tricky – https://theconversation.com/why-rating-your-pain-out-of-10-is-tricky-246140

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray Presses NIH Nominee on Mass Firings, Trump Attempts to Cut Billions from Biomedical Research, Unprecedented Halt on NIH Advisory Council Meetings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Meeting with NIH Nominee Jay Bhattacharya

    ICYMI: Republicans Block Murray Amendment to Reverse Devastating and Illegal Cuts to NIH Research

    *** VIDEO of Senator Murray’s FULL questioning HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chairof the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, questioned Dr. Jayanta “Jay” Bhattacharya, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at a HELP committee hearing on his nomination. Murray pressed Dr. Bhattacharya on the state of crisis at NIH, with Trump and Elon Musk’s wide-ranging attacks on biomedical research and NIH’s mission—from the unprecedented grant freezes, to the halting of advisory committee meetings and clinical trials, and the indiscriminate and senseless mass firings being carried out by Musk’s “DOGE.” Murray also pressed Dr. Bhattacharya on the Trump administration’s recent attempt to illegally cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent—a move Senator Murray immediately and forcefully condemned, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter decrying the proposed change, and introduced amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution to reverse it, which Republicans blocked. Senator Murray met with Dr. Bhattacharya last month.

    Murray began by pressing Dr. Bhattacharya on Elon Musk’s unprecedented influence on NIH and the massive, indiscriminate firings of skilled scientists and researchers—over 1,100 employees at NIH have already been fired, many of whom held critical research positions. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that right now, President Trump and Elon Musk are really putting a lot of lifesaving research at risk,” Senator Murray said. “We’ve had grant freezes, pauses on  advisory meetings, pauses on clinical trials, mass firings being carried out by the so-called DOGE, and it is really threatening our ability to treat childhood cancers, to mitigate the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and to better understand and treat women’s health issues.”

    “Do you support the recent researcher firings and grant freezes that have been implemented by Trump and DOGE?,” Murray asked.

    Dr. Bhattacharya said he was not involved in those decisions and that, if confirmed, he would “fully commit to making sure that all the scientists at the NIH and the scientists that the NIH supports have the resources they need to meet the mission of the NIH.”

    “Do you support further cuts at NIH funding, or staff?,” Murray pressed.

    “I don’t have any intention to cut anyone at the NIH,” Bhattacharya responded.

    “How about all the grant freezes and the pauses on the all the advisory committee meetings, all the pauses that are now in effect on clinical trials that are happening there right now?” asked Murray.

    Bhattacharya responded that he had only read the press accounts of it and had “not interacted with people in the agency.”  

    “Well if you’re confirmed, Day One, what will you do about that?” Murray pressed. Bhattacharya said he would assess it and “understand what resources the whole NIH needs and make sure that the scientists that are working at the NIH have the resources to do the lifesaving work that they do… the personnel decisions are hard to talk about unless I’m actually confirmed.”

    “Well I’ll just tell you right now, I am deeply concerned about the funding there, the research that’s been stopped, and all that’s going on. And I want a very strong assurance that you will get that moving again, Day One,” Murray replied.

    “Absolutely, I’m going to be looking very carefully at the personnel decisions; I want the NIH to be staffed absolutely appropriately to match the mission of the NIH,” Bhattacharya replied.

    Next, Murray asked about the Trump administration’s illegal plan to cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, which Senator Murray has forcefully decried. “It amounts to a massive funding cut for research institutions, large and small, red and blue states, everyone,” Murray explained. “And it brings a lot of lifesaving research to a screeching halt—sick kids wouldn’t get treatment, and clinical trials shut down.”

    Murray asked Dr. Bhattacharya about the effect a drastic 15 percent cap on indirect costs would have on critical research at Stanford—his own institution—and what he would say to his former colleagues, researchers in Washington state, and other scientists about the Trump administration’s attempt to illegally impose a 15 percent cap on indirect costs. In his response, Dr. Bhattacharya referred to indirect costs as “a tip” and claimed: “I don’t know where that goes, I think a lot of it likely goes to things that are worthwhile… But there’s a lot of distrust about where the money goes because the trust in the public health establishment has collapsed… I think transparency regarding indirect costs is absolutely worthwhile.”

    Finally, Murray pressed Dr. Bhattacharya on whether he would “get the research committees going again, the Advisory Councils immediately on Day One.” Bhattacharya replied: “yes, if I’m confirmed I want those Advisory Councils, I want all that to go.”

    “Well I think we should all recognize that NIH is the largest medical researcher in the world, they’re a global leader, we should be extremely proud of what they do. Nearly a third of all the Nobel Prizes to date have been awarded to scientists at NIH and supported by NIH funds,” Murray concluded. “I’m extremely concerned by the dramatic cuts and firings and stopping of the research that’s going on at NIH right now.”

    As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has long fought to boost biomedical research, strengthen public health infrastructure, and make health care more affordable and accessible. Previously, over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Workers’ Right to Organize, Blast Trump and Musk for Attacks on Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Murray helped author and introduce the PRO Act in the 116th Congress
    Murray: “Reintroducing the PRO Act is more important now than ever. This is about making sure we are not just pushing back—but also pushing forward, charting a positive vision for workers, and daring Republicans to make their actions match their words.”
    ***VIDEO HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to reintroduce the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, comprehensive legislation to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for fairer wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. Joining Senator Murray at the press conference for the bill reintroduction today were Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D, NY-08), House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), House Education Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D, VA-03), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R, PA-01), and union worker Kieran Cuadras.
    Large corporations and the wealthy continue to capture the rewards of a growing economy while working families and middle-class Americans are left behind. From 1979 to 2023, annual wages for the bottom 90 percent of households increased just 44 percent, while average incomes for the wealthiest one percent increased more than 180 percent. Unions are critical to increasing wages and creating a strong economy that rewards hardworking people. Through the power of bargaining, the typical union worker earns 16 percent more than the typical non-union worker. According to a 2024 Gallup poll, 70 percent of Americans approve of labor unions—near record highs. But despite growing support for unions, billionaire- and special interest-funded attacks on workers’ unions and labor laws have eroded union density and made it harder for workers to organize. The share of American workers who are union members has fallen from roughly one in three workers in 1956 to a new low of 9.9 percent in 2024. The PRO Act restores fairness to the economy by strengthening the federal law that protects workers’ right to join a union and bargain for higher pay, better benefits, and safer workplaces.
    “Right now, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are attacking workers, including mass firing people by the tens of thousands, left and right, regardless of how important that work is,” said Senator Murray. “Reintroducing the PRO Act is more important now than ever. This is about making sure we are not just pushing back—but also pushing forward: charting a positive vision for workers, and daring Republicans to make their actions match their words. Who do you stand with—the billionaires like Elon Musk and Donald Trump—whose favorite two words are ‘you’re fired?’ Or, do you stand with hard working American women and men. People who just want fair pay, decent treatment, and a government that works to make their lives better, not worse? That should not be too much to ask! I’m going to keep fighting, come hell or high water, to make it easier for workers to join together and fight for the better pay and working conditions they deserve.”
    The PRO Act protects the basic right to join a union and:
    Holds employers accountable for violating workers’ rights by authorizing meaningful penalties, facilitating initial collective bargaining agreements, and closing loopholes that allow employers to misclassify their employees as supervisors and independent contractors.
    Empowers workers to exercise their right to organize by strengthening support for workers who suffer retaliation for exercising their rights, protecting workers’ right to support secondary boycotts, ensuring workers’ unions can collect “fair share” fees, and authorizing a private right of action for violation of workers’ rights.
    Secures free, fair, and safe union elections by preventing employers from interfering in union elections, prohibiting captive audience meetings, and requiring employers to be transparent with their workers.
    The PRO Act is supported by: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Communications Workers of America (CWA), Department of Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC), International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), National Nurses United (NNU), National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO (TWU), United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), and United Steelworkers (USW).
    Throughout her career, Senator Murray has championed workers’ rights and fought to protect their right to join and form a union in order to stand together and demand better pay, benefits, and working conditions. Senator Murray first introduced the PRO Act in the 116th Congress and she also leads the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, comprehensive legislation to put hard-earned wages back in workers’ pockets and crack down on employers who unfairly withhold wages from their employees. Murray also introduced the CHILD Labor Act last Congress, new legislation to protect children from exploitative child labor practices and hold the companies and individuals who take advantage of them accountable. Among many other pieces of pro-worker legislation, Murray also leads the Paycheck Fairness Act to combat wage discrimination and help close the wage gap, and has helped lead the fight for paid family and medical leave since she first joined Congress.
    The full text of the PRO Act is HERE.
    A fact sheet on the PRO Act is HERE.
    A section-by-section summary of the PRO Act is HERE.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered at today’s press conference, are below and video is HERE:
    “The difference in values between Democrats and Republicans, the difference in who we are fighting for, could not be more clear, or more stark.
    “Right now, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are attacking workers—including mass firing people by tens of thousands, left and right—regardless of how important their work is or the skill and pride with which they are doing it.
    “In fact, he fired NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox—leaving workers in limbo simply due to President Trump’s unprecedented and illegal firing!
    “Meanwhile, I want you to know, Democrats are fighting for workers—we’re fighting to protect those who are being attacked by Trump and Musk and fighting to empower workers across our country to better advocate for themselves and wield their rights at this pivotal moment.
    “That is why reintroducing the PRO Act is more important now than ever. This is about making sure that we are not just pushing back—but also pushing forward, charting a positive vision for workers, and daring Republicans to make their actions match their words.
    “Who do you stand with—the billionaires like Elon Musk and Donald Trump—whose favorite two words are ‘You’re fired?’
    “Or do you stand with hard working American women and men—people who just want fair pay, decent treatment, and a government that actually works to make their lives better, not worse? That should not be too much to ask!
    “I’m very proud to be a leader of this bill, and I want you to know, I will keep fighting—come hell or high water—to make it easier for workers to join together and fight for the better pay and working conditions they deserve. Thank you.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ADM Recalls Select Pelleted Cattle Nutrition Feed Products

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    March 05, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    March 05, 2025
    Product Type:
    Animal & VeterinaryFood & BeveragesLivestock Feed
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Elevated levels or deficient levels of nutrients which may be harmful to cattle

    Company Name:
    ADM Animal Nutrition
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    ADM Animal Nutrition

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Cattle Feed

    Company Announcement
    Specific lots may contain elevated or deficient levels of nutrients which may be harmful to cattle
    CHICAGO, March 5, 2025 – ADM Animal Nutrition, a division of ADM (NYSE: ADM), is recalling specific pelleted animal feed products because they may contain elevated levels of copper or have levels of zinc below the represented amounts which could be harmful to cattle.
    Possible impacts of chronic copper toxicity include: gastroenteritis characterized by anorexia, signs of abdominal pain, depression, lethargy, diarrhea, and dehydration. Possible impacts of zinc deficiency include: decreases in feed intake, feed efficiency, and growth.
    No illnesses or deficiency impacts have been reported to date.
    There are 33 lot numbers involved in this recall. The pelleted products were distributed between January 16, 2025 and February 27, 2025, and could have been purchased in Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Iowa, Georgia, and Ohio. All of the products listed, except for GROFAST32, have elevated levels of copper. GROFAST32 has levels of zinc below the represented amounts.
    ADM discovered this issue during routine production. The company immediately began investigating and initiated the recall upon receiving confirmation that the pelleted feed had varying levels of copper and zinc that can impact animals. ADM is in the process of notifying customers and distributors involved in this recall, and all affected products are currently being removed from retail shelves.
    The lot number of ADM products can be found at the bottom of the label. Click here to view an image of the label. Customers who have purchased the recalled pelleted feed should immediately stop using it and return it to their distributor or directly to ADM for a full replacement or refund. Please direct any customer inquiries to 800-217-2007 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.
    Below is the list of products included in this recall.
    Link to Product List
    About ADMADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. We’re an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. We’re a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of ingredients and solutions from nature. We’re a trailblazer in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of products for consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. We’re a cutting-edge innovator, guiding the way to a future of new bio-based consumer and industrial solutions. And we’re leading in business-driven sustainability efforts that support a strong agricultural sector, resilient supply chains, and a vast and growing bioeconomy. Around the globe, our expertise and innovation are meeting critical needs from harvest to home. Learn more at www.adm.com.
    ADM Media RelationsJackie Andersonmedia@adm.com312-634-8484

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    800-217-2007

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    03/05/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo business owner sentenced for Medicaid fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Arkan Fadhel, 30, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud,  was sentenced to serve three years supervised release to include 12 months home incarceration by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. In addition, Fadhel was also ordered to perform 400 hours of community service. Fadhel will also forfeit $781,186.80 and pay restitution totaling $250,000.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Franz M. Wright and Mary Clare Kane, who handled the case, stated that Fadhel is the owner of Queen City Transportation, Inc., which has been providing non-emergency Medicaid transportation rides since August 2018. Fadhel and several dozen other individuals drove Queen City beneficiaries to appointments, primarily at methadone clinics. Prior to operating Queen City, Fadhel was a driver for Great Lakes Transportation, another non-emergency Medicaid transportation company. Between August 6, 2018, and December 31, 2020, Fadhel submitted false and fraudulent attestation records to Medical Answering Service, a non-emergency Medicaid transportation management company. The attestation records included claims that rides were provided but never actually took place as well as billing group rides as if the rides had been separate, individual rides. The total loss amount to Medicaid was greater than $250,000.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Western New York Health Care Fraud Task Force, which includes Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Naomi Gruchacz.     

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NHS patients receive first home-grown blood plasma treatments

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    NHS patients receive first home-grown blood plasma treatments

    The first NHS patients in a generation have started to receive life saving plasma from the blood of UK donors.

    • Treatments will help save 17,000 NHS patients’ lives every year
    • Move will deliver government’s Plan for Change by building domestic medical supply chains, reducing reliance on imports and with savings between £5 million to £10 million a year

    The first NHS patients in a generation have started to receive life-saving plasma from the blood of UK donors, thanks to a partnership between NHS Blood and Transplant and NHS England. 

    Since a longstanding ban on UK plasma was lifted in 2021, the UK has been building its own supply of plasma medicines amid a global shortage. This will reduce reliance on imports, saving the NHS between £5 million to £10 million per year and strengthening the UK as a powerhouse for life sciences under the government’s Plan for Change.
    Around 17,000 NHS patients with immune deficiencies and rare diseases rely on vital human-donated plasma to save or improve their lives. It is also used in emergency medicine for childbirth and trauma care. 

    Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said: 

    This is a significant milestone for the NHS as we take a step toward UK self-sufficiency in these vital medicines. 

    As part of our Plan for Change, we are improving access to life-saving treatments for thousands of NHS patients and strengthening healthcare security.  

    By sourcing our own medicine, we are building a more resilient and domestic medical supply chain and boosting economic growth.

    Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director NHS England, said:

    This landmark moment ensures patients relying on crucial plasma-derived medicines will always have access to the treatment they need.

    Thanks to NHS efforts, new plasma-derived products, owned from start to finish by the UK, will reduce our reliance on imported stock and boost the fortitude of hospital supplies.

    Thousands of people with serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, including immunodeficiencies and neurological conditions rely on these products, and strengthening the supply chain of plasma-derived treatments through UK donations will help NHS clinicians ensure these vital medicines are available for all who need them.

    Jill Jones made history by becoming the first patient to be given UK-sourced plasma at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. She has received treatments every three weeks following a diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 20 years ago, and described the infusions as “life-changing”.

    The initiative will also build UK capacity in the global plasma medicines industry, which was valued at over $30 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $45 billion by 2027. It will help establish the NHS as an engine of economic growth to drive investment in public services and raise living standards for everyone.

    NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has collected 250,000 litres of plasma from donors in England since 2021. From this, two vital medicines are being produced: immunoglobulins, which treat autoimmune conditions, and albumin, which is essential for surgery and treating liver conditions.

    The NHS plans to reach 25% self-sufficiency in immunoglobulin by the end of 2025, rising to 30-35% in 2031, and 80% self-sufficiency in albumin by next year.

    Global medical supply issues worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2024, a national patient safety alert was issued due to critically low blood stocks, demonstrating the importance of building self-sufficiency in the UK.

    Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive of NHS Blood and Transplant said:

    Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, NHS patients are now receiving life-saving medicines made from UK plasma for the first time in a generation.

    Plasma makes up 55 per cent of our blood and contains antibodies which strengthen or stabilise the immune system. It is used to save lives during childbirth and trauma and is used to treat thousands of patients with life limiting illnesses such as immune deficiencies.

    These lifesaving medicines can only be made from our blood. We need more donors to help save more lives. Please go to blood.co.uk to become a donor.  

    Jill Jones from Oxford, the first patient to receive UK-sourced plasma medicine, said:

    Coming to the Immunology ward is like catching up with friends. The staff are delightful and you get to know staff and patients really well. You have a cup of coffee and chat. Today I was talking about knitting and kittens as I was being transfused!

    Infusions have been life-changing for me in keeping me well. Before I started on them, I was regularly in hospital with infections – which just doesn’t happen now. It’s made a huge and positive difference to my life and my family’s life.

    I felt really privileged today to be the first patient in the UK to be receiving Immunoglobin that was made from UK plasma for the first time in a very long time.

    Previously, the NHS relied solely on imported plasma medicines due to a long-standing ban on using UK plasma.

    The ban was introduced in 1998 as a precautionary measure against Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease (vCJD), linked to mad cow disease. 
     
    In 2021 following rigorous scientific reviews, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed plasma from UK donors is safe, supported by robust safety measures. 

    Decades of rigorous research showed no confirmed cases of vCJD transmission through plasma-derived medicines. 

    Plasma comes from blood donations. The plasma in blood contains antibodies that strengthen or stabilise the immune system. The antibodies are separated out and made into immunoglobin medicines that treat people with life-limiting conditions such as immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders, as well as severe burns.

    Notes to editors: 

    • Blood donations can be given at one of 27 donor centres across the country. 

    • First UK-sourced plasma medicines will come from English donations, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to follow. 

    • Donors can book an appointment at a dedicated Plasma Donor Centres in Birmingham, Reading or Twickenham.  Visit www.blood.co.uk to find out how you can become a donor today. 

    • Plasma is the liquid component of blood that carries vital proteins, antibodies, and clotting factors. It is essential for creating plasma-derived medicines, which treat life-threatening conditions such as immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders, and severe burns. Plasma donation saves thousands of lives each year and is a critical part of modern healthcare. 

    • Two types of medicines are being made – immunoglobulins (used to treat autoimmune conditions and week immune systems) and albumin (used in surgery and to treat burns and liver conditions). This puts the NHS on track to supply 25% of its immunoglobulin needs by the end of 2025, with plans to increase this to 30-35% by 2031 and 80% of albumin by next year.

    • In 1998, the UK imposed a ban on using domestically collected plasma for fractionation, the process of separating plasma into its components. This followed concerns about a potentially increased risk of plasma recipients acquiring the brain disease variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) due to UK plasma donors being exposed to Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, sometimes referred as Mad Cow Disease) prions from infected cattle.

    • As a result, the UK relied solely on plasma imports, primarily from the United States which increased dependence on international supply chains for plasma-derived medicines. 

    • Rising demand for plasma globally placed additional pressure on supply. 

    • In February 2021, the UK government lifted the ban on using UK-donated plasma for fractionation. This decision followed scientific reviews confirming the safety of plasma collection and manufacturing processes. 
    • Advanced donor screening, pathogen testing, and fractionation techniques now ensure the highest safety standards. 

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall to NIH Director Nominee Dr. Bhattacharya: We Need to Get to the Bottom of the Chronic Disease Epidemic

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today participated in the confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director nominee, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).
    Dr. Bhattacharya, M.D., PhD, is a professor of health policy at Stanford University, where he directs the Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging. Having published 135 articles in top peer-reviewed scientific journals, Dr. Bhattacharya’s research has focused on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations with a particular emphasis on the role of government programs, biomedical innovation, and economics. Most recently, Dr. Bhattacharya focused on the epidemiology of COVID-19 and evaluated policy responses to the epidemic, advocating for focused protection over widespread lockdowns.
    Senator Marshall questioned Dr. Bhattacharya on scientific progress, the concept of ‘Food is Medicine,’ and his strategy to tackle the chronic disease epidemic America is facing.
    You may click HERE to watch Senator Marshall’s full remarks. 
    Highlights from Dr. Bhattacharya’s confirmation hearing include: 
    On humility as the key to scientific progress:
    Senator Marshall: “As I listen to the conversation today, I’m reminded that we all should doubt our own infallibility, and we should doubt the infallibility of the NIH as well. I’m flabbergasted as I listen to this conversation of people that really have never been involved in the scientific process and that they don’t understand infallibility.”
    Dr. Bhattacharya: “I agree with you about humility. That’s the key to scientific progress. We have to as scientists say we might be wrong, because when we meet data that disagrees with us, where we have ideas that we disagree with, maybe that other idea is right, and we’re the one that’s wrong. It’s only if I’m confirmed as NIH Director, I want to make sure that all the range of hypotheses are supported. That’s how you make progress. One of the reasons I think that we have not made progress in Alzheimer’s as much as we ought to have is because the NIH has not supported a sufficiently wide range of hypotheses.”
    On the chronic disease epidemic and the concept of ‘Food is Medicine’:
    Senator Marshall: “Let’s talk about chronic disease just for a second. The NIH has spent a disproportionate amount of money on research on diseases that impact a very small, minuscule amount of Americans. Meanwhile, 60% of Americans have a chronic disease. Speak a little bit about your vision of researching for figuring out the causes and treatments of chronic disease, specifically how food is medicine might be intertwined in your in your vision.”
    Dr. Bhattacharya: “Senator, I think the chronic disease problem is something that the NIH ought to have done a better job in the last several decades. The mission of the NIH is to address the health needs the American people have, and to expand life expectancy of the American people and we have not achieved that. It’s flat-lined.”
    “I think we should expand the set of ideas to address a problem that we don’t know how to address. The chronic disease problems in the United States are so broad. We need to have a lot more tolerance that the top scientists who control the ideas in their fields may be wrong. We need to allow other scientists who have other ideas, and food as medicine might be one of them, to have support.”
    Senator Marshall: “Are you committed to helping us figure out the causes of these chronic diseases?”
    Dr. Bhattacharya: “I absolutely am, Senator…That is the heart and soul of the Make America Healthy Again movement, and millions and millions of Americans have been looking to us to do that. If I’m confirmed, I absolutely commit to you.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Multistate coalition secures nationwide preliminary injunction against Trump’s defunding of medical and public health innovation research

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general have secured a nationwide preliminary injunction in Massachusetts v. NIH. The order prevents the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from cutting billions of dollars in funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and institutions across the country regardless of whether their states have joined the lawsuit. 
     
    “This is a major win for research institutions across Washington state and the country,” said Brown. “NIH provides lifesaving medical, agricultural, and public health research the people of Washington depend on. President Trump attempted the same thing during his first term and the administration must know blocking NIH funding like this is illegal.”
     
    The preliminary injunction protects critical funds that facilitate biomedical research, like lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs. Without them, the lifesaving and life-changing medical research in which the United States has long been a leader could be compromised.  
     
    Most NIH-funded research occurs outside of federal government institutions, including at public and private universities and colleges in Washington state. The money goes to fund critical and time-sensitive research into life-saving medicine such as cures for cancer, as well as numerous treatments and therapies for a wide array of medical, physiological, and public health issues. The money funds animal laboratories that are instrumental for research into human and animal health alike. It funds clinical trials for treatments of Alzheimer’s, diabetes, pediatric cancer, kidney cancer, and many other life-threatening diseases. It also goes into the facilities that are critical for monitoring and detecting emerging health threats, such as avian influenza, that present imminent danger to Washington’s agricultural and public health.
     
    On February 10, less than six hours after the coalition filed their lawsuit against the administration, a judge in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order against NIH, barring its attempts to cut the critical research funding. Today’s order takes the place of the temporary restraining order and prevents the Trump administration from cutting this important category of funding as the case proceeds. It will remain in effect until a final ruling is made. 
     
    This lawsuit is being co-led by the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan. Joining this coalition are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto’s Bills Supporting Tribal Communities Pass Senate Indian Affairs Committee with Bipartisan Support

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, three of Senator Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) bills supporting Tribal communities passed the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs with bipartisan support. The Bridging Agency Data Gaps & Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act, the Indian Health Service (IHS) Workforce Parity Act, and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act now all head to the Senate floor. Last Congress, each of these bills passed the Senate unanimously, but did not receive votes in the House of Representatives.
    “Whether it is by advancing public safety, expanding health care access, or ensuring the federal government pays the debts it owes, I will always fight to support Tribal communities,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I am glad these commonsense bills were voted out of committee with bipartisan support, and I urge my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to swiftly pass them into law.”
    The BADGES for Native Communities Act would support the recruitment and retention of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officers, bolster federal missing persons resources, and give Tribes and states tools to combat violence.
    The IHS Workforce Parity Act would improve health care in Tribal communities by allowing providers working part-time to access IHS scholarship and loan repayment programs.
    The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act would allow the Tribes to collect over $5 million in interest they are owed for their 2009 water rights settlement, which left out commonplace interest payments.
    Senator Cortez Masto has long been a champion for Tribal communities. She repeatedly called on the Biden administration to do more to address the epidemic of violence against Native women and girls, including securing federal funding to protect Native communities, urging the administration to draft a plan to address this issue, and requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the federal response to this crisis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Expanded specialist youth services coming for regions in need

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has announced details for a $3.5 million annual funding boost to increase access and expand specialist infants, children and adolescents mental health services (ICAMHS) in Tairāwhiti, Counties Manukau, and Waitematā.  

    “Through data we know these three regions have lower investment in Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services compared to other regions, this funding will help address that disparity,” Mr Doocey says.

    “One of the biggest barriers to timely mental health support in New Zealand is workforce and this additional funding will enable the expansion of ICAMHS teams and services to some of their most vulnerable members of their communities.

    The three regions all have individual plans for the additional funding: 
    •    Counties Manukau will receive the largest uplift of more than $2 million a year and will establish a dedicated clinical team for children up to intermediate schooling age who have moderate to severe mental health needs. 
    •    Waitematā plans to use the additional funding on specialist clinical roles to meet the needs of children with neurodevelopmental issues. 
    •    Tairāwhiti is still developing their approach, it expects to expand Hospital and Specialist Services to support the mental health needs of young people in their region.

    “This is an example of the Government’s commitment to improving access and support for New Zealanders across the mental health continuum,” Mr Doocey says.

    “This funding will also help enable these regions to deliver on the Government’s mental health and addiction targets and better support their mental health and addiction workforces.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: First Financial Statements including 2025 released

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The latest interim Financial Statements of the Government show results were more positive than expected at the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update for most indicators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.
    Treasury published the Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the Seven Months ended 31 January 2025 today.
    “The results show the OBEGALx deficit was $1.4 billion smaller than forecast.
    “Core Crown tax revenue was $600 million higher than forecast, while core Crown expenses were lower than forecast by $600 million – the latter mainly due to timing.
    “Net core Crown debt was $66 million lower than forecast – so is tracking as expected.
    “Core Crown expenses rose by 2 per cent in the seven months to January 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier. In the same period to January 2024, they rose by 9.7 per cent.
    “The fiscal fix-up job is underway, but it won’t happen overnight. Rectifying the state of the books underpins the Government’s push to get the country back on track. 
    “Healthier books will help support economic growth, which will mean more and better paid jobs, and money to support the public services New Zealanders expect.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Questions NIH Director Nominee on Cap on Indirect Research Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click here to watch and here to download video of Senator Collins’ questioning.

    Washington, D.C. – At a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Senator Susan Collins questioned Dr. Bhattacharya on the Trump Administration’s decision to impose a cap on indirect costs for certain NIH funded research. Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released a statement in February opposing the decision, which could halt critical biomedical research like that taking place in Maine at the Jackson Laboratory, the University of Maine, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, the University of New England, and MDI Biological Laboratory. Senator Collins has also been in direct contact with Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who committed to her that he would reexamine this directive.

    Today, a federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, blocking the implementation of this cap.

    Below is the transcript of their exchange:

    Senator Collins:

    I am strongly opposed to the Administration’s ill-conceived and completely arbitrary proposal to impose a 15% cap on indirect costs for NIH grants. Research labs and universities across the State of Maine have contacted me to describe the devastating impact that this cap would have on lifesaving and life-enhancing biomedical research, on ongoing clinical trials, and on Maine’s research-related jobs.

    In 2023, NIH supported 1,470 jobs in this field in the State of Maine alone. I think it’s important that we all acknowledge that a one-size-fits-all approach makes absolutely no sense, and that is why NIH negotiates with the individual grant recipient what the indirect cost cap should be. And it’s legitimate to say that we should take another look at that. Are we doing the right amount for Stanford versus Jackson Laboratories or the University of Maine? Those are legitimate questions. But to impose this arbitrary cap makes no sense at all.

    Furthermore, and I really want to stress this, this is against the law. Since 2018, we have had language in the Labor-HHS appropriations bill that specifically prohibits the indirect cost formula from being changed. And yet, that is what has been done without congressional intent, or agreement, or consent. And the language has been carried every single year, including in the continuing resolution that we’re now operating under. So, I’m not surprised that a judge has stayed the order.

    So, if confirmed, will you work immediately to rectify and reverse course on having a one-size-fits-all 15% cap on indirect costs?

    Dr. Bhattacharya:

    Senator, if confirmed, I absolutely commit to following the law, to addressing this issue very directly. I think that this is one of these issues—to me, it’s an indicator of distrust that some have of universities and of the scientific process. And so, I want to make sure that we address those concerns as well, but I absolutely commit to following the law. And I’ll consult with agency counsel immediately and work with you, Senator, as we spoke of in our meeting, to make sure that your concerns are addressed as well.

    MIL OSI USA News –