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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to observational study of severity of menopause symptoms and cognition and behavioural impairment later in life

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    An observational study published in PLOS One looks at menopause symptom severity and late-life cognitive function and behavioural impairment.

    Prof Aimee Spector, Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing, UCL, said:

    “Some important limitations of this study include the risk of bias in the self-reporting of both menopausal symptoms and cognitive function. The average age of women in the study was 64 – with the oldest being 88 – and the average age of menopause is 49, therefore they are being asked to recall symptoms from a long time before. Further, ‘cognitive function’ was measured by their subjective rating of their own memory rather than the use of objective tests for memory change that could be assessed over time.

    “Whilst they found an association; there is no evidence that the menopause symptoms led to the cognitive changes and there could be many possible reasons why people with more menopause symptoms may experience more cognitive changes, such as depression or physical health conditions. I don’t think that the study can tell us anything about menopause symptoms and the risk of dementia, as subjective cognitive complaints do not imply that the person has or will get dementia.”

     

    Dr Sheona Scales, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

    “This study adds to our understanding of how menopause may relate to brain health for women in later life. It suggests that women who experience more menopausal symptoms, report greater cognitive and behavioural changes as they age. However, this study does not show that these women are more likely to go on to develop dementia.

    “Dementia is caused by diseases in the brain, and while menopause could play a role in our brain health, we need more research to understand if and how this influences dementia risk. Some symptoms of menopause, like ‘brain fog’ or forgetfulness, are similar to early dementia symptoms.

    “Long-term studies will be key to determining whether menopause-related changes have lasting implications, and whether interventions like hormone replacement therapy could play a protective role.

    “With women making up two-thirds of people in the UK living with dementia, it is crucial that we invest in research that explores why women are more at risk of developing the condition. We advise anyone concerned about menopause symptoms or changes in their memory, thinking and behaviour to speak to their doctor for further advice.”

    Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and President of the British Neuroscience Association said:

    “This study by scientists at the University of Calgary looked at data from 896 people and compared menopausal symptom burden with cognitive and behavioural function.  Authors observed that menopausal symptoms were associated with poorer cognitive function and worse behavioural symptoms in mid to late life.  While this study is on a very important topic of why women are at higher risk of dementia than men, there are several important limitations to this work that limit its impact.  This study relied on people self-reporting their symptoms and only looked at a single time point an average of 15 years after menopause onset.  This type of study cannot determine whether the observed higher menopause symptom burden caused the changes in cognition and behaviour.  Further research is needed to understand whether experiences in menopause are linked to dementia risk.”

     

    Prof Robert Howard, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, UCL Division of Psychiatry, UCL, said:

    “Irresponsible reporting of the conclusions of this study could cause considerable anxiety in women who have experienced troubling symptoms during their own the menopause. Hopefully, a little unpacking of what the study actually showed will be reassuring. The results suggest that women who self-reported more severe symptoms associated with their menopause were more likely to subsequently self-report more subjective complaints about their memory, concentration and difficulties with thinking. There are much more likely (and obvious) explanations for this association than the suggestion that a difficult experience of menopause is a risk factor for dementia.”

    Prof Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Psychology, Loughborough University, said:

    “This is not the first paper to suggest that severe vasomotor symptoms are associated with increased risk for dementia, although this is a contentious area of research. 

    “Observational studies cannot indicate causality so we cannot say that more severe menopause symptoms will lead to later cognitive issues or dementia.

    “One explanation for this association could be that women have worse sleep or different cardiovascular profiles, both of which could be associated with dementia risk. Women who are stressed can have worse flushes too, which is associated with poorer long-term outcomes for brain and heart. 

    “What we do know from research and treatment trials in particular is that healthy lifestyles including some types of exercise, reducing stress, prioritising sleep, healthy diets, not smoking and limiting alcohol are the best ways to reduce vasomotor frequency and severity, can independently improve both quality of life in perimenopausal women and also reduce risk for dementia.” 

    Dr Claire Lancaster, Lecturer in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, said:

    “This research suggests the number of different menopause symptoms experienced by females in mid-life predicts self-reported cognitive change and mild behavioural symptoms approximately 15-years later. The result is interesting given existing evidence linking vasomotor symptoms specifically to AD pathologies such as amyloid. The authors suggestion a decline in estrogen may affect both brain health directly, plus wider systems (e.g., inflammation, vascular function) which in turn have knock-on effects on brain health certainly warrants future research. 

    “When considering this result, however, it is important to note that menopause symptoms are being reported retrospectively by participants, and that participants report whether they experienced the symptom as a simplistic ‘yes’ or ‘no’, rather than the scale collecting information on severity and frequency of menopause symptoms. As such, results may not truly reflect women’s experiences of menopause, specifically their bodies ability to cope with a decline in estrogen. Cognition and behavioural impairment (e.g., apathy, social withdrawal) are also collected via self-report. In general, females in this sample report very little cognitive decline from their past self – as reflected by the mean and standard deviation of scores on the E-Cog II Scale, plus limited behavioural symptoms. For example, cognitively healthy older adults from the ADNI cohort report a mean score of 54 on the E-COG II*, which is far greater than the mean score of 11 reported here.  As such, readers must ask whether the cognitive and behavioural indices reported here truly represent increased risk for dementia as suggested by the authors. This casts doubt on whether data presented here are adequate to claim number of symptoms predicts subsequent dementia risk – on the face of this study alone, I would say no. 

    “Whilst the statistics are robust, it is worth noting that moderating health and lifestyle factors weren’t controlled for. For example, physical activity is suggested to improve physiological symptoms of menopause plus is reported to be protective against neurodegenerative disease in later life. Alcohol consumption confers a negative association with menopause symptoms and dementia risk in contrast. This further blurs confusion. 

    “The million dollar question when considering sex differences in Alzheimer’s risk is whether hormone replacement therapy can reduce dementia risk. Data reported here suggests there is no real association with HRT use and subjective cognitive change. Research into the effects of HRT on late-life cognition is very inconsistent at present. I would argue this study collects insufficient data about HRT use (e.g., time of onset relative to menopause, duration of use), including the context for it’s use (spontaneous vs. medical menopause) to be able to really comment on this question.  All this being said, the results add to a growing body of research suggesting mid-life endocrine changes are important for cognitive health in later years.”

    *https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12274

    ‘Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study’ by Jasper F. E. Crockford et al. was published in PLOS ONE at 19:00 UK time on Wednesday 5th March. 

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301165

    Declared interests

    Prof Aimee Spector: I am leading a review group for the World Health Organisation – their role being to review the evidence of HRT on dementia risk, to inform the new WHO guidelines.

    Prof Tara Spires-Jones: I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several charities and non-profit institutions.

    Prof Robert Howard: No conflicts of interest.

    Prof Eef Hogervorst: I have worked for NICE and ESHRE in non paid positions advising as expert on menopause hormones and the brain. In 2025 I am invited to two European conferences to speak about this topic (ESG and ECNP) where travel and accommodation is reimbursed.

    Dr Claire Lancaster: I am a committee member of the Alzheimer’s Research UK South Coast network (voluntary role).

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the Post-Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

    Source: Government of India

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the Post-Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

    The vision of Investment in People is based on 3 pillars: Education, Skill and Healthcare”; increasing investment in these sectors will contribute to actualizing the dream of Viksit Bharat: Prime Minister

    “Through day-care cancer centres and digital healthcare infrastructure, we want to take quality healthcare to the last mile”

    “Initiatives like ‘Heal in India’ are attracting medical tourists from around the world. Efforts are being made to establish India as a global tourism and wellness hub”

    Since 2014, the number of medical colleges has surged from 387 to 780; remarkable increase observed in undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats, with an increase of 130% and 135% respectively: Union Health Minister

    There is a need for creating a curriculum that is more vibrant, meaningful and fit to current challenges, optimum utilization of existing health infrastructure and emphasised the need to enhance the soft skills of the medical students: Shri Nadda

    Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 9:34PM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Post-Budget Webinar on employment via video conferencing, today. The theme of the webinarwas “Investing in People, Economy, and Innovation,”which was attended by 29 Ministries of the Government of India, 100 panelists and more than 25,000 participants to discuss 43 articles of the recent Union Budget 2025-26.

    Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister underlined that “the theme of the webinar, ‘Investing in People’, defines the roadmap of Viksit Bharat and the impact of this theme can be seen at a large level on the budget.” He underlined that “the budget has emerged to be the ‘blueprint of India’s future’ where investing in people, economy and innovation has been given equal priority to investment in infrastructure and industry.”

    Prime Minister emphasized that “capacity-building and talent-nurturing will prove to be the foundation stones of the country’s progress, therefore in the next stage of development, we need to increase investment in these sectors. For which, all the stakeholders need to come forward as it is not only necessary for the economic success of the country but also for the success of all organizations.”

    Prime Minister highlighted that “the vision of Investment in People is based on 3 pillars: Education, Skill and Healthcare” and urged all the stakeholders “to increase investment in these sectors” and contribute to the government’s vision for these sectors to actualize the dream of Viksit Bharat.

    Highlighting the government’s efforts and the budget’s provisions, the Prime Minister stated that “in the budget, 10,000 additional medical seats have been announced and the government is working with the target of adding 75,000 seats in medical education in the next 5 years.”

    Highlighting the developments in the healthcare landscape, the Prime Minister stated that “tele-medicine facility is being expanded to all the Primary Health Centres.ThroughDay Care Cancer Centres and digital healthcare infrastructure, we want to take quality healthcare to the last mile that will ensure significant transformation in people’s lives.”

    Highlighting the importance and potential of the tourism sector, the Prime Minister stated that initiatives like “Heal in India” are attracting medical tourists from around the world” and “efforts are being made in the direction of making India a global-level tourism and wellness hub.” He urged all the stakeholders in the healthcare sector “to grab this opportunity and invest to promote health tourism” and emphasized on “utilizing the potential of Yoga and wellness tourism.”

    The Prime Minister also called for a detailed discussion and an extended roadmap for increasing the scope of medical tourism and urged all the stakeholders to work in the direction of making the budget announcements a reality so that their benefits can be taken to the people.

    Addressing the gathering, Union Minister for Health & Family, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda stated that “the biggest investment is the investment in people”. He underlined that the government is working with a “holistic approach” that focuses not only at the curative aspect but also on the preventive, palliative, and rehabilitative approach. He added that “we are also trying to include the AYUSH and other medical systems to ensure the availability and access to heathcare for the people.”

    Shri Nadda stated that “since the cancer treatment is a lengthy process with long cycle of chemotherapy, the government is focusing on engaging with Day Care Cancer Centres rather than big hospitals to ensure engagement of patients, post-chemotherapy sessions. The government will establish Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) in all district hospitals over the next three years, with establishing 200 this year itself.”

    Underlining the importance of strengthening the medical health system, the UnionHealthMinister reiterated the budget announcements of additional medical seats. He also highlighted the government’s efforts to ensure the availability and accessibility of quality healthcare to the people through more than 1.75 lakh Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs and facility of voluntary screenings for individuals aged 30 years and above at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for oral, breast and cervical cancers along with the screening for hypertension and diabetes.

    Shri Nadda highlighted the government’s efforts for facilitating self-assessment of healthcare facilities and ensure the adherence of all the Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs with the National Quality Assurance Standards. He also added that “since 2014, the number of medical colleges has surged from 387 to 780 today, He emphasized the remarkable increase in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats, with an increase of 130% and 135% respectively.”

    Shri Nadda also underlined the key challenges identified and suggestions made during the webinar, including faculty development, periodic assessment of faculty gaps and timely recruitment after assessment to avoid any hindrances before running education and ensure smooth functioning in medical colleges. He also supported the suggestions like faculty pooling among medical institutes, hiring retired teachers as visiting faculties for making the unviable institutions viable; incorporation of competency-based medical education, early clinical exposure for students, and enhanced communication skills for both students and faculty.

    Additionally, he also advocated for including latest developments in technology, Artificial Intelligence, tele-medicine, digital healthcare in the revised curriculum of medical education. In his concluding remarks, he urged “for creating a curriculum that is more vibrant, meaningful and fit to current challenges” and “optimum utilization of existing infrastructure and medical faculty. He also emphasised the need to add soft skills to increase the empathy, ethics and communication skills of the medical students.”

    Shri Nadda highlighted the developments made in medical infrastructure for ensuring cancer care in the country like the establishment ofNational Cancer Institute (NCI) of AIIMS, Jhajjar, upgradation of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, establishment of Oncology departments in all 22 AIIMS. Citing a recent LANCET study, he underlined that “timely cancer treatment initiation has improved significantly because of the Ayushman Bharat Jan Aarogya Yojna. Patients enrolled under AB-PMJAY saw 90% rise in access to cancer treatment within 30 days.”

    In his concluding remarks, the Union Health Minister stated that “the Government will continue its efforts through the holistic approach to ensure healthcare for allwhile working in the direction of strengthening the base of the medical educationpyramid through ensuring the training and recruitment of nursing, paramedics and assistive staff.”

    In his address during the inaugural session of the Webinar, Dr. V. K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, focused on strengthening key aspects of the health sector. Highlighting significant advancements in India’s healthcare and medical education sectors, he stated that “the number of medical colleges in India has surged by an impressive 102% over the past decade, increasing from 387 to 780, resulting in a greater number of government medical colleges than private institutions, thereby enhancing affordability for aspiring medical students”. Dr. Paul emphasized the remarkable increase in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats, with undergraduate seats.He also discussed the key initiatives that include a special scheme aimed at upgrading district and referral hospitals into medical colleges; the introduction of the District Residence Program links public healthcare with medical education, allowing postgraduate residents to gain real-life experience in district hospitals.

    Addressing the rising burden of cancer, Dr. Paul underscored the urgent need for early detection, with a nationwide screening initiative reaching 26 crore people for oral cancer, 18crorefor breast cancer, and 9 crore for cervical cancer.He outlined the strategic roadmap for rolling out DCCCs nationwide, which includes the target of establishing one Day Care Cancer Centre in every district.Hereiterated the government’s commitment towards establishing cancer institutes and tertiary cancer care systems while ensuring financial coverage for cancer care through Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) that offers multiple care packages, while affordable medications through Jan AushadhiKendras. He concluded his remarks with a vision for a healthcare system that meets the standards of developed nations by 2047, describing the budget announcements as “aspirational and game-changing.”

    Ms Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, underscored the importance of collaboration between the central and state governments. She pointed out that the immediate priority is to identify high-burden districts for the first phase of implementation. She noted that India sees approximately 50% of cancer patients seeking treatment in tertiary hospitals, often leading to overcrowding and delays. The government aims to significantly reduce this burden by enabling district-level chemotherapy and immunotherapy services. She also emphasised the need for timely infrastructure development and the establishment of strong referral pathways linking DCCCs to State Cancer Institutes and tertiary hospitals.

     

    The Secretary also addressed the importance of workforce capacity-building. While oncologists are essential for specialised care, training general physicians, nurses, and pharmacists to manage chemotherapy administration and supportive care at DCCCs will be a game-changer. She called for increased partnerships with medical colleges, cancer research institutes, and nursing training centres to create a steady pipeline of skilled healthcare workers for these centres.

    A breakout session on strengthening cancer care in the country, was also organized during the webinar, focusing on expanding Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs). The session highlighted the government’s commitment to making cancer treatment more accessible and decentralised, in line with the Union Budget 2025-26 announcement of establishing 200 new DCCCs in district hospitals.Several experts shared insights on different aspects of the initiative that included: the need for structured training programs to equip medical professionals with the skills required to deliver quality treatment at DCCCs; importance of standardising chemotherapy protocols across all centres to maintain uniformity in treatment; challenges of drug procurement and the need for efficient supply chain management, particularly for life-saving oncology drugs that are often expensive and require specialised handling. Tamil Nadu and Odisha officials presented their successful models of decentralised cancer care, offering practical solutions for other states. These models demonstrated how strategic investments in district-level cancer care have resulted in earlier diagnosis, better treatment outcomes, and reduced patient migration to metropolitan hospitals.

    The session concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders. State governments were urged to fast-track the establishment of DCCCs by allocating necessary resources and ensuring trained personnel are available. Healthcare institutions were encouraged to support research, training, and service delivery. The private sector was invited to contribute through funding and infrastructure support. At the same time, civil society organisations were encouraged to promote awareness, early detection, and patient support programs.

    The Post-Budget Webinar on Budget Announcement also included a breakout session on“Expansion of Medical Education”. The panelists provided their insights and suggestions for the implementation of this ambitious initiative of expanding medical education in the countrywhich aligns with the broader objective of enhancing the accessibility, quality and sustainability of medical education in the country.

    The webinar was attended by officers from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare along withrepresentatives from NMC, ICMR, State Health Ministries, renowned doctors, medical professionals and faculty from renowned medical institutions.

    ****

    MV/AKS

    HFW/Post Budget Webinar/05March2025/1

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOTHER IS EPITOME OF COMPASSION, AFFECTION AND SACRIFICE; TAKING CARE OF HER HEALTH IS LIKE WORSHIP – LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    Source: Government of India (2)

    MOTHER IS EPITOME OF COMPASSION, AFFECTION AND SACRIFICE; TAKING CARE OF HER HEALTH IS LIKE WORSHIP – LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    LOK SABHA SPEAKER LAUNCHES THIRD PHASE OF SUPOSHIT MAA ABHIYAN IN BUNDI WITH A VISION OF BRINGING CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF WEAKEST IN THE SOCIETY

    LAUNCH AND FOUNDATION STONE LAYING OF DEVELOPMENT WORKS WORTH RS 17.13 CRORE

    Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 8:50PM by PIB Delhi

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday launched the third phase of Suposhit Maa Abhiyan. Addressing the public at the function organized at the Police Parade Ground in Bundi, Shri Birla said that this campaign is dedicated to the empowerment of the mother power and protection of health of pregnant mothers and newborns. Shri Birla said that Suposhit Maa Abhiyan was launched with a vision of bringing change in the lives of weakest people in the society.

    Mentioning that Suposhit Maa Abhiyan is not just a campaign, but it has also taken the form of a mass movement, Shri Birla said that if the mother is healthy, the child will be healthy and only a healthy child will build a strong society. This campaign is an attempt to lay the foundation of a healthy and self-reliant society by making the mother power aware, he added. Shri Birla noted that mother is not only a life-giver, but is also the epitome of compassion, affection and sacrifice. Taking care of their health is no less than worship. Our goal is to reach out to women of every needy family in the society and make them well-nourished, Shri Birla stressed.

    In the programme, while giving the gift of development works in Bundi and Talera Panchayat Samiti areas, Shri Birla also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development works worth Rs 17.13 crore.

    Lok Sabha Speaker started the campaign by presenting nutrition kits to pregnant women. For the campaign, with the help of social workers, more than 1800 pregnant women from deprived families have been identified, who will be provided health check-up and consultation facilities along with free nutrition kits every month till delivery.

    Health cards have also been made for continuous monitoring of the health of women. Through this, along with distribution of nutrition kits in the follow-up camp organized every month, doctors will be available to arrange various types of free health checkups and consultation to these women. Its report will be recorded in the health card, which will help in arranging follow-ups. Apart from the necessary precautions to be taken for health, these women will also be given basic information for proper care of the children.

    5 successful years of the campaign

         Launch on 29 February 2020

         Start of the second phase on 17 May 2022

         Start of the third phase in Kota on 3 February

         Distribution of more than 1 lakh nutrition kits

         More than 18 thousand beneficiaries

         More than 800 distribution camps

         Increase in normal delivery

         Birth of healthy baby

         Increase in weight of pregnant women

         Significant reduction in maternal-infant mortality rate

    ***

    AM

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    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s address at post-budget webinar on boosting job creation via video conferencing

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 3:16PM by PIB Delhi

    Namaskar! 

    Welcome and greetings to all of you in this important budget webinar. Investing in People, Economy and Innovation – This is a theme that defines the roadmap of developed India. You can see its impact on a very large scale in this year’s budget. Therefore, this budget has emerged as a blueprint for India’s future. We have given as much priority to infrastructure and industries in investment as we have given to People, Economy and Innovation. You all know that capacity building and talent nurturing work as the foundation stone for the country’s progress. Therefore, now in the next phase of development, we have to invest more in these areas. For this, all the stakeholders will have to come forward. Because, this is necessary for the economic success of the country. And at the same time, it is also the basis for the success of every organization.

    Friends, 

    The vision of Investment in people is standing on three pillars – education, skill and healthcare! Today you are seeing how India’s education system is going through a huge transformation after several decades. Big steps like the National Education Policy, expansion of IITs, integration of technology in the education system, use of the full potential of AI, digitization of textbooks, work of providing learning materials in 22 Indian languages, many such efforts are going on in mission mode. Due to these, today India’s education system is matching the needs and parameters of the 21st century world. 

    Friends, 

    The government has provided skill training to more than 3 crore youth since 2014. We have announced plans to upgrade 1,000 ITI institutes and create 5 centres of excellence. Our aim is that the training of the youth should be such that they can meet the needs of our industry. In this, we are taking help from global experts and ensuring that our youth can compete at the world level. Our industry and academia have the biggest role in all these efforts. Industry and educational institutes should understand each other’s needs and fulfill them. The youth should get a chance to keep up with the rapidly changing world, they should get exposure, they should get a platform for practical learning. For this, all stakeholders will have to come together. We have started  the PM-internship scheme to provide new opportunities and practical skills to the youth. We have to ensure that the maximum number of industries participate in this scheme at every scale.

    Friends, 

    We have announced 10 thousand additional medical seats in this budget. We are keeping the target of adding 75 thousand seats in the medical line in the next 5 years. Tele-medicine facilities are being expanded in all Primary Health Centres and in all these areas. Through day-care cancer centres and digital healthcare infrastructure, we want to take quality healthcare to the last mile. You can imagine how big a change this will bring in people’s lives. This will also create many new employment opportunities for the youth. You have to work equally fast to bring these on the ground. Only then will we be able to make the benefits of the budget announcements reach more and more people.

    Friends, 

    In the last 10 years we have also looked at investment in the economy with a futuristic approach. As you know, India’s urban population is estimated to reach 90 crores by 2047. Such a large population requires planned urbanization. For this, we have taken the initiative to create an Urban Challenge Fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. This will focus on governance, infrastructure and financial sustainability, and will also increase private investment. Our cities will be known for sustainable urban mobility, digital integration and Climate Resilience Plan. Our private sector, especially real estate and industry, should focus on planned urbanization and take it forward. Everyone has to work together to take forward campaigns like Amrit 2.0 and Jal Jeevan Mission.

    Friends, 

    Today, when we are talking about investment in the economy, we need to pay special attention to the possibilities of tourism. The tourism sector is expected to contribute up to 10% to our GDP. This sector has the potential to provide employment to crores of youth. Therefore, many decisions have been taken in this budget to promote domestic and international tourism. 50 destinations across the country will be developed with a focus on tourism. Giving infrastructure status to hotels in these destinations will increase the ease of tourism and will also boost local employment. The scope of the Mudra scheme for home-stays has also been expanded. Tourists from all over the world are being attracted through the campaigns ‘Heal in India’ and ‘Land of the Buddha’. Efforts are being made to make India a global level tourism and wellness hub.

    Friends, 

    When we talk about tourism, apart from the hotel industry and transport sector, there are new opportunities for other sectors in tourism as well. Therefore, I would say that our health sector stakeholders should invest in promoting health tourism, grab this opportunity. We should also use the full potential of yoga and wellness tourism. We also have a lot of scope in education tourism. I would like that there should be detailed discussions in this direction and we should move forward in this direction with a strong roadmap.

    Friends, 

    The country’s future is determined by the investment being made in innovation. Artificial Intelligence can give growth of several lakh crores of rupees to the Indian economy. Therefore, we have to move fast in this direction. In this budget, 500 crores have been allocated for AI-driven education and research. India will also establish the National Large Language Model to develop the capabilities of AI. In this direction, our private sector also needs to be one step ahead of the world. The world is waiting for a reliable, safe and democratic country that can provide economical solutions in AI. The more you will invest in this sector now, the more advantage you will get in the future.

    Friends, 

    Now India is the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. The government has taken several steps in this budget to promote startups. A corpus fund of Rs 1 lakh crore has been passed to promote research and innovation. This will increase investment in emerging sectors along with the Deep Tech Fund of funds. A provision of 10 thousand research fellowships has been made in IIT and IISc. This will promote research and provide opportunities to talented youth. Innovation will gain momentum through the National Geo-spatial Mission and National Research Foundation. We will have to work together at every level to take India to new heights in the field of research and innovation.

    Friends,

    Gyan Bharatam Mission, and I hope you all come forward in this word, the announcement of preserving the rich manuscript heritage of India through Gyan Bharatam Mission is very important. More than one crore manuscripts will be converted into digital form through this mission. After which a national digital repository will be created so that scholars and researchers from all over the world can know about India’s historical and traditional knowledge and wisdom. The government is setting up a National Gene Bank to preserve India’s plant genetic resources. The aim of this initiative of ours is to ensure genetic resources and food security for the coming generations. We have to expand the scope of such efforts. Our different institutes and sectors should become partners in these efforts.

    Friends,

    In February itself, we all have the great observations of the IMF about the Indian economy. According to this report, between 2015 and 2025… between 2015 and 2025, in these 10 years, the Indian economy has registered a growth of sixty six percent, i.e., 66 percent. India has now become a 3.8 trillion-dollar economy. This growth is more than many big economies. That day is not far when India will become a 5 trillion-dollar economy. We have to move ahead in the right direction, by making the right investments, and expand our economy in this way. And implementation of budget announcements also plays a big role in this, all of you have an important role. 

    My best wishes to all of you. And I am confident that by announcing the budget for the last few years, we have broken the tradition of, you do your part and we do ours. We sit with you before making the budget, even after making the budget, even after announcing it, we sit with you to implement the things that come up. Perhaps this model of public participation is very rare. And I am happy that this brainstorming program is gaining momentum every year, people are joining with enthusiasm, and everyone feels that the things we talk about before the budget are more important than the things that are useful in implementation after the budget. I am sure that this collective brainstorming will play a huge role in fulfilling our dreams, the dreams of 140 crore countrymen. My best wishes to all of you. 

    Thank you.

    DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats Initiative Launched; One Model Gram Panchayat to be developed in each District

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats Initiative Launched; One Model Gram Panchayat to be developed in each District

    Real-Time Dashboard Launched for Monitoring Women-Friendly Panchayats’ Progress

    Panchayat Collaboration Crucial for Success of Health Initiatives in Villages: MoS Smt. Anupriya Patel

    MoS Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel Calls on Women Sarpanchs to Spearhead Implementation of Central Government Schemes in Gram Panchayats

    Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 6:50PM by PIB Delhi

    The National Convention on Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats was organized by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in New Delhi on 5th March, 2025, with an aim to establish at least one Model Gram Panchayat in each District in the country that is both women and girl friendly. The national convention, held as part of the International Women’s Day 2025 celebrations, witnessed participation from over 1500 elected representatives and officials from selected Gram Panchayats across the country in physical and virtual mode. The event was graced by Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel and Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel. Senior officials of the ministry including Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary and Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary along with representatives from various Ministries/Departments, State Institutes of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PRs), and international organizations, including United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), also participated in the event. The National Convention unveiled initiatives including Virtual Training Programs for Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats and a comprehensive Real-Time Monitoring Dashboard for gauging the progress of these women friendly gram panchayats in India. This digital platform is a technological intervention to measure, analyze, and improve women’s participation and welfare at the grassroots level. The dashboard promises real-time insights and data-driven interventions to support women leaders in the country.

    In her address, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Smt. Anupriya Patel presented a comprehensive overview of several health initiatives of the central government designed to support women and children. She said that women elected representatives have a key role in ensuring that schemes of the central government reach the most vulnerable. The Union Minister of State highlighted that there is a Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Committee, present in every Gram Panchayat that makes a robust framework for community health. The Ayushman Aarogya Mandir offers 12 types of medical services, including geriatric care, dental care, screening for various diseases including cancer, telemedicine etc. She said that women pradhans need to actively educate their panchayats about these initiatives of the government such that maximum people can benefit. Smt. Anupriya Patel also laid emphasis on programs like Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram that focus on maternal and child health, promoting institutional deliveries and establishing a culture of safe motherhood. She said that Panchayat-level collaboration is crucial in ensuring the success of health-related initiatives at village level, reinforcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sashakt Mahila, Sashakt Panchayat leads to Sashakt Bharat”.

    Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel announced the selection of 770 Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats i.e. one Model Gram Panchayat in each District, for specialized training for development of leadership skills. Prof. Baghel urged women gram pradhans to take the lead in implementing central government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti  Bima yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima yojana, pension schemes for widows and divyanjan, Ayushman Bharat and initiatives like organ donation etc.

    Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj emphasized that the Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayat initiative represents an intensive, result-oriented intervention to advance women and girls participation in all spheres of life. Shri Bharadwaj stressed that women are inherently capable of taking leadership roles and pursuing their aspirations, calling on society and Panchayats to create supportive ecosystems that enable women to fully utilize their potential for national growth. Drawing inspiration from successful regional gram panchayat models in Kerala, Odisha, and Rajasthan, Dr. Deepa Prasad, Chief of Programmes, UNFPA, highlighted the pivotal role of local governance in ensuring women’s protection and empowerment. She highlighted Kerala’s Jagratha Samithi, a vigilance committee dedicated to safeguarding women and children, Odisha’s initiatives aimed at preventing social evils such as child marriage, and UNFPA’s collaboration with the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Department to develop women-friendly and child-friendly Gram Panchayats. This National Convention marks a significant step further from women-centric towards women-led development, reflecting the progress made over the past eleven years. A key milestone in this journey has been the enactment of the Women’s Reservation Bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), a landmark legislation ensuring greater participation of women in policy-making along with basic initiatives like providing toilets, clean fuel, menstrual hygiene, education, nutrition etc. that comprehensively address a woman’s basic needs. A nationwide Mahila Gram Sabha is scheduled to be organized on 8th March 2025 in all Gram Panchayats across the country. This will serve as a platform for furthering the objectives of the Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayat initiative at the grassroots level, reinforcing the commitment to gender equality and sustainable rural development.

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    Aditi Agrawal

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ICMR Publishes Addendum: Ethical Requirements for Research in Integrative Medicine

    Source: Government of India

    ICMR Publishes Addendum: Ethical Requirements for Research in Integrative Medicine

    A significant step in encouraging the scientific community to explore Integrative Medicine with greater credibility and confidence: Secretary, Ayush

    Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 6:46PM by PIB Delhi

    The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has published an addendum to the ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants (2017) to provide a structured ethical framework for Research in Integrative Medicine (RIM). This initiative marks a significant milestone in strengthening the scientific foundation of Ayush-based integrative healthcare by ensuring ethical rigour and regulatory compliance in research that explores the integration of traditional and modern medical practices.

    Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha highlighted the significance of the development and said, “The addition of these ethical guidelines marks a significant step in encouraging the scientific community to explore Integrative Medicine with greater credibility and confidence. By providing a structured ethical framework, we aim to inspire researchers to advance evidence-based integration of traditional and modern medicine, ensuring safe, effective, and scientifically validated healthcare solutions for all”.

    Integrative Medicine (IM) involves a multimodal approach, where Ayush systems are integrated alongside modern/conventional medicine to enhance patient care and improve health outcomes. With growing global interest in holistic and personalised medicine, it is observed that ethical and regulatory clarity is essential to ensure the credibility, safety, and efficacy of integrative approaches.

    This addendum aims to guide researchers, institutions, Ethics Committees (ECs), and regulatory bodies involved in Integrative Medicine research, ensuring that scientific integrity and patient safety remain paramount.

    The addendum introduces key measures to enhance the ethical and regulatory framework for Integrative Medicine research. Ethics Committees overseeing such research must now include two Ayush subject-matter experts, with at least one being external to the institution, ensuring well-rounded and informed deliberations. Informed consent standards have been strengthened, requiring that research participants receive clear, tailored information about Integrative Medicine interventions while adhering to India’s standard ethical guidelines for biomedical and clinical research. Additionally, Ayush-approved medicines used in integrative research will not require extra safety trials or preclinical studies. However, non-codified traditional medicines must undergo the entire regulatory approval process. To ensure compliance, all research must align with the Drugs & Cosmetics Act (1940), New Drugs & Clinical Trial Rules (2019), and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines specific to Ayush systems.

    Link to the guidelines document:

    https://www.icmr.gov.in/icmrobject/uploads/Guidelines/1740984016_icmraddendumethicalrequirementsforresearchinintegrativemedicine.pdf

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Education organises Post Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Ministry of Education organises Post Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

    Investment, a key pillar of the Union Budget 2025-26, will turbocharge India’s journey to Viksit Bharat by 2047: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

    Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 5:49PM by PIB Delhi

    Ministry of Education organised Post Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’, today. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered a special address at the inaugural session. Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan along with Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Shri Sanjay Kumar; UGC Chairman Professor M. Jagadesh Kumar ; Secretary, Dept. of Higher Education, Shri Vineet Joshi; Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava; Secretary Labour & Employment Ms. Sumita Dawra participated in the session.

    https://www.youtube.com/live/XbMCAC2sC7Y?si=2waAjdj5ID7Upb-9

    The webinar brought together experts from the government, industry, and academia to discuss key reforms in job creation, academic flexibility, credit mobility, and future-ready skills—paving the way for a highly skilled and globally competitive workforce in line with Viksit Bharat 2047.

    Speaking about the webinar, Shri Pradhan said that investment is one of the engines outlined in the Union Budget 2025-2026 which will turbocharge our journey to Viksit Bharat by 2047. He further said that the insightful special address by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra  Modi  has put forth new ideas for realising aspirations, future-proofing our population, accelerating inclusive development and ensuring benefits of Union Budget reaches every citizen of the country.

    He expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for drawing attention to the vast potential of ‘Education Tourism’ and its key role in facilitating employment-linked growth and development. The Minister assured that the academic community will engage in comprehensive deliberations to chart out a strong roadmap for moving ahead in this direction. He further said that, together, with the spirit of jan-bhagidari and right investment in right direction, academia and industry will work together for bridging skills gap, harnessing demographic dividend, leveraging AI in education, catalysing research landscape and strengthening deep-tech start-up ecosystem for a future-ready workforce, stronger economy and Viksit Bharat.

    Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar opened the session by emphasizing the transformative role of higher education. He highlighted that the implementation of NEP 2020 provided a unique opportunity to reshape India’s higher education landscape. During the webinar, Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman, UGC stated that the policy was not merely reformative but transformative, designed to empower youth with the skills, knowledge, and adaptability required to thrive in the 21st century. He stressed that investing in people through quality education, research, and innovation was central to building a self-reliant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy.

    Shri Sanjay Kumar stated that education is fundamentally about investing in people. He acknowledged the broad perspective provided by the UGC Chairman on higher education and noted that the 2025-26 Budget included key announcements regarding the establishment of 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools over the next five years and the provision of broadband internet connectivity to government schools in rural areas. He further highlighted a significant trend observed over the last decade, noting that the proportion of female teachers has increased. He mentioned that in 2014-15, male teachers comprised 52 percent of the total, while female teachers accounted for 48 percent. By 2025, these figures have reversed, with female teachers now making up 52 percent and male teachers 48 percent, reflecting a move towards greater gender parity in the education sector.

    The discussions reinforced the need for strategic investments in human capital to ensure sustainable economic growth, social equity, and global leadership. The government remained committed to fostering a skilled workforce, ensuring India’s continued rise as an innovation and technology hub.

    Prime Minister’s address the Post-Budget Webinar on boosting job creation- Investing in People, Economy, and Innovation

    Read here: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2108407

    Text of PM’s address at post-budget webinar on boosting job creation via video conferencing Read here: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2108424  

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: Democrats are on the side of working people

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – March 04, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu were joined by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar and New Democrat Coalition Chair Brad Schneider for a press conference highlighting House Democrats’ unity against the Republican Budget that cuts Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. 

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. Pleased to be joined with my colleague Ted Lieu, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, as well as Greg Casar, the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Chair of the New Democratic Coalition, Brad Schneider.

    Last week, House Democrats from every corner of our Caucus voted against the House Republican Budget, which cut Medicaid $880 billion to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. We want to make health care more affordable and more available to the American people. This is in stark contrast to Republicans who voted to kick children off their health care and to put seniors at risk.

    As President Trump prepares for tonight’s speech, it’s clear that Democrats are on the side of working people, while Republicans are only looking out for their billionaire friends. Trump and Republicans have broken their promise to lower costs on day one, which was his commitment, to focus on tax giveaways for corporations and billionaires who don’t need any more help. In fact, Trump’s reckless tariffs, just announced last night, will raise prices on gas, produce at grocery stores, beer, lumber to build homes, crude oil and parts that make cars.

    As families struggle to make ends meet, Democrats are united against Trump and Elon Musk dismantling the services that families rely on, while steering more taxpayer dollars to themselves and their billionaire friends. They’re dismantling the VA health care and laying off thousands of veterans, as Trump stands with Putin and risks our national security. Tonight, we expect the President to put on a master class in dishonesty. We expect the President will focus not on everyday Americans, but on his friends and his ego. No matter what he says, he cannot change the damage he’s done already and the fact that his agenda is going to raise prices for everyday Americans. 

    Vice Chair Ted Lieu.

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. Honored to be here with Representatives Greg Casar and Brad Schneider. I want to tell you about a meeting I had today with Vote Vets. They brought in a number of veterans who were fired, and I want to tell you a story about one of them. Her name is Eileen. She is an Air Force veteran. She then went to work for FEMA. She’s in a rural part of Alabama. She was one of the first to volunteer with FEMA to deploy to Hurricane Helene. On President’s Day, she got an email firing her with no notice, and she couldn’t even go back to her office. They sent her UPS boxes saying, ‘You put your government cell phone and laptop in this box and you ship it back to us.’ A few days later, she had to go out to a field where her supervisor from FEMA had to walk out and give her her box from her items at her office. She has two kids, four and 10. She now has no job. 

    This is not how we should treat veterans, not how we should treat federal employees, not how we should treat any American. And this is what Donald Trump did to her. And he’s done that to a large number of federal employees. And if you look at the federal workforce, about one in four are veterans. This is not how they should be treated, and most of these actions are simply brazenly illegal. We have a number of court cases being filed. We’re winning a number of those cases. Others are going to go into litigation, and I call on the Administration to stop illegally firing our veterans and other federal employees. 

    I also now want to touch on the subject of tariffs. You’ve seen with the indiscriminate tariffs that the President has both imposed and threatened to impose, that not only is the stock market tanking, but also inflation is up, consumer sentiment is down, and the Atlanta Fed has now predicted that we’re going to contract this quarter in terms of GDP. That is shocking, and that is all because of actions of one person, the President, who is massively harming our economy. 

    And then, I’d like to conclude now on Ukraine. I don’t know why Donald Trump is scared of Putin. He clearly is. He acts like he’s scared of Putin. And right now, with his pause in funding to Ukraine, I just want to let Ukrainians know to please hang in there. The President of the United States cannot extend that pause because it would be illegal. Congress, on a bipartisan basis, appropriated that funding to Ukraine. Ukraine is going to get that funding. And with that, I’d like to introduce our amazing Representative from Austin, Texas, Greg Casar. He has done a fantastic job as leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

    REP. CASAR: Thank you so much Vice Chair Lieu and Chairman Aguilar. I also want to thank New Dems Chairman Brad Schneider, who I’m proud to call a partner in the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the American people.

    Tonight, millions of Americans will tune in to watch the President address a Joint Session of Congress. I do not know what Trump will say, but I can guarantee you that he is going to lie to the American people and not tell the truth about what MAGA Republicans in Congress want to do to you right now. So let me say it clearly, whatever political games that Donald Trump plays tonight, whatever lies he tells and whatever show he puts on, people watching at home should know that Trump and House Republicans want to steal your health care, steal your taxpayer money and hand it over to their billionaire buddies and to their donors.

    In Congress, Republicans are advancing a budget that would end Medicaid as we know it. And Elon Musk is trying to cut your Medicare and your Social Security. Social Security that seniors earned throughout their lifetime is what Elon Musk just recently called a ‘Ponzi scheme.’ I’ll say it again. Elon Musk just called Social Security, ‘the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.’ That’s right, a guy that makes $8 million per day from federal government contracts thinks that seniors getting $65 a day from Social Security is a ‘Ponzi scheme.’ Their plan is plain and simple: guys like Elon Musk get richer and you get screwed. 

    But here’s the good news, Democrats are united and fighting back to protect your Social Security, your Medicare and your Medicaid. New Democrats, Congressional Progressive Caucus Democrats, the two biggest ideological caucuses here in the Congress, have put out a joint letter that includes 100% of our members from our two Coalitions saying we will not vote to cut your Medicare, your Medicaid and your Social Security. Over 200 House Democrats showed just in a matter of days that we are united with the American people in this fight. So while we may not all agree on every single issue, we are saying with one voice, hands off Medicare, hands off Medicaid and hands off of Americans’ Social Security.

    So now the question becomes: will any three House Republicans grow a backbone? Will any three House Republicans do the right thing and act like U.S. Representatives instead of like Trump employees, and join us? Because if three Congressional House Republicans join together with Democrats to do the right thing, there will be no Social Security cuts. We can prevent cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and to Social Security. But if House Republicans choose instead unanimously to come after Social Security and Medicaid and Medicare, then they will own the terrible consequences for working people.

    Thank you so much. And now I’d like to hand this over to my partner, the Chairman of the New Democratic Coalition, Brad Schneider.

    REP. SCHNEIDER: Thank you Chair Casar, Chairman Aguilar, Vice Chair Lieu. It’s good to be standing here with you in one common voice. 

    Before I read my prepared remarks and talk about our joint letter, I want to touch on what Vice Chair Lieu talked about, veterans. I have the privilege of representing Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Illinois. Every single sailor, recruit, who enlists in the Navy shows up in North Chicago for 10 weeks of basic training. I’ve had the privilege of attending those graduations. I see those 17-, 18-, and 19-year-old young people, men and women, who say, ‘I want to serve my country. I want to put on the uniform of the United States, go to places I do not know, do things I have no idea if I’ll be able to do, to protect the American people and the American way of life.’ Many of those people serve two years, four years. Many serve 20 years or more. All of them, committed and dedicated to bettering our country. And many of them, when they finish their service, are not done serving our country. They go to work with the federal government. 

    They’re dedicated federal workers who are serving their nation in their local communities, many here in Washington. They’re the people who work in Social Security, the Forest Rangers in our national parks, the folks who provide care at VA hospitals, and they are the ones who are getting the letters from Elon Musk and DOGE in the middle of the night saying, ‘Your service is no longer desired and we no longer value your performance.’ 

    This is wrong, and this is weakening our country, and this is why we are standing before you united to say it has to stop. I’m very proud that the CPC, Congressional Progressive Caucus, New Democrat Coalition, others have come together. We’ve made a very strong statement. I’m proud to lead 110 members of the New Democrat Coalition in joining in that statement, saying, ‘We cannot allow dangerous cuts to programs that Americans have actually paid for out of their hard earned dollars.’ Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security. 

    The headline is and should be, House Democrats are united, in deep contrast to what we’re seeing from our Republican colleagues. While the Democrats are focused on lowering costs, Republicans are pushing a budget that will result in cuts to health care and benefits that have been earned by hard working Americans. While Democrats are focused on making our community safe, Musk and DOGE are firing thousands of employees who help keep planes in the sky, prevent diseases like bird flu and measles from spreading and serve our veterans after they complete their service to our nation. 

    Democrats are working tirelessly to bring down prices of everyday products, while President Trump, just today, levied 25% taxes on the American consumer that will raise costs for groceries, for cars and trucks, gasoline, new construction for houses and many other everyday products. Meanwhile, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are doing everything they can to give a free ride to oligarchs like Elon Musk and his wealthy billionaire friends, and they’re putting the burden for all of this on our seniors, our children, our first responders, on people who educate our children, build our houses, work on the factory floor, who take care of our communities and tend to us when we are sick. It is these hard working people who are in the crosshairs of the Republicans’ actions. 

    One of these people is my guest tonight. Adam Mulvey is a 20-year Army veteran who served three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He’s one of 6,000 of these veterans we’ve talked about who was fired between February 13th and 24th. He works, or worked, at Lovell Federal Health Care Center. James A. Lovell Center is the only hospital in our country that serves both veterans and active military and every one of those recruits I just mentioned. His job was to help provide emergency management services, planning and preparing in the case of a tornado or another emergency or even an active shooter. He served 35,000 veterans in our area, tens of thousands of active duty sailors and other military members and the 40- to 50,000 people each year who go through Naval Station Great Lakes. 

    We all believe government should be efficient, but Trump and Musk are taking a sledgehammer to Americans’ lives and our livelihoods. And I am proud to stand with all of my colleagues here today saying it has to stop. Thank you, and I am proud to yield back to Chairman Aguilar. 

    Video of the full press conference can be viewed here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 50 new urgent care clinics are on the cards. But are the existing ones working? Here’s what we know so far

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University

    Over the weekend the Australian government announced A$644 million to build an extra 50 Medicare urgent care clinics around Australia. This is on top of nearly $600 million previously committed to establish 87 clinics.

    Once these 50 new clinics open in the 2025–26 financial year, the government says four in five Australians will live within a 20 minute drive to a clinic. While this seems like a worthy pursuit, the question is whether they are worth the taxpayer dollar, when we already have GPs and emergency departments.

    So what does the evidence say? Are urgent care clinics worth the money?

    Remind me, what are urgent care clinics?

    Urgent care clinics provide bulk-billed care for urgent but not life-threatening conditions, seven days a week for extended business hours. No appointment is necessary and anyone with a Medicare card can walk in and receive care. You can search online for your closest clinic.

    Clinics are staffed by GPs and nurses. They treat people who perhaps don’t want to wait for a GP appointment, attend an emergency department or call healthdirect. Injuries and illnesses treated include minor infections and cuts, minor sports injuries and respiratory illness.

    Patients may benefit from urgent care clinics through quicker access to care and lower costs if they would not otherwise be bulk billed.

    They don’t however get to see their regular GP, which may reduce the appeal for patients who value continuity of care, such as those with chronic or mental health conditions.

    Why were they introduced?

    The Australian health-care system faces significant pressures as chronic disease increases, our population ages, and our health-care workforce remains stretched.

    Long emergency department waiting times and ambulance ramping (when an emergency department is too full to accept patients delivered by ambulance) are common across Australia.

    Meanwhile, access to GP bulk-billing services has declined. The government is trying to address this by paying GPs billions more to reduce costs for patients.

    Medicare urgent care clinics were introduced to reduce workload pressure on GPs, take pressure off public hospital emergency departments, and improve access to affordable primary care.

    They were first announced by the Labor Party in 2022 when in opposition. Labor wanted to build its reputation as being “Medicare’s guardian”, a theme continued in the lead up to this next federal election.

    Is there any evidence they work?

    Medicare urgent care clinics were first established less than two years ago. While some states had already introduced these types of clinics, it will take time for Medicare urgent care clinics to embed themselves into the health-care system and for patients to become familiar with them.

    Cost and waiting times are significant factors for people choosing between primary care, urgent care clinics and the emergency department.

    Around 19% of people visited an emergency department in 2022–23 because the GP was not available when required.

    Research suggests many people may have used urgent care clinics to avoid GP co-payments, and many may have used them because waiting times to see a GP were too long.

    People might visit urgent care clinics because the wait to see a GP is too long.
    Irina Mikhailichenko/Shutterstock

    The Albanese government reported there had been one million visits to urgent care clinics as of December 2024 (about 1.5 years after they first opened). While this may seem impressive, it should be viewed in the context of emergency department presentations. There were 9 million of those in 2023–24.

    Direct evidence on whether Medicare urgent care clinics are taking pressure off emergency departments does not yet exist. While research from the United States suggests these types of clinics reduce emergency department presentations, the effects won’t necessarily be the same in Australia.

    The amount of time patients spend in emergency departments continues to rise across Australia.

    Many patients will still use emergency departments despite access to clinics. Around 40% of emergency department presentations address an ailment that an urgent care clinic may handle, but only 16% of people who attend an emergency department think their care could have been delivered by a GP.

    How can we improve their chance of success?

    We need targeted public messaging to make sure patients understand how and when to best use urgent care clinics.

    If we channel minor injuries and illness after hours into an urgent care clinic, rather than funding multiple after hours general practices to remain open, we could reduce health system costs. That is because the cost per patient will go down as the number of patients treated within a clinic increases.

    None of this will work unless we have enough health workers to staff these clinics. Currently there are shortages of GPs and nurses, so urgent care clinics are competing with general practices for their workforce.

    These workforce shortages are less than ideal and could increase GP waiting times or reduce the viability of urgent care clinics. The Mount Gambier urgent care clinic recently went into liquidation amid staff shortages.

    The government has announced additional funding to train more GPs and nurses. Workforce investment is crucial to meet increasing demands, but will take time.

    To the future

    The government has committed more than $1 billion to urgent care clinics to date. Understanding whether urgent care clinics substitute for GP or emergency department presentations, or merely provide additional health-care access, is vital to their success. We need comprehensive and long-term evaluations to fully understand the extent to which urgent care clinics meet their objectives.

    Henry Cutler has previously received funding from Northern Territory Health.

    – ref. 50 new urgent care clinics are on the cards. But are the existing ones working? Here’s what we know so far – https://theconversation.com/50-new-urgent-care-clinics-are-on-the-cards-but-are-the-existing-ones-working-heres-what-we-know-so-far-251261

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey, Cornyn Reintroduce Legislation to Fund Sea Turtle Research and Rescue Assistance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF)

    Washington (March 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and co-author of the Green New Deal resolution, and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) reintroduced their bipartisan and bicameral Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act, legislation to establish funding at the Department of Commerce for the rescue, recovery and research of sea turtles in Massachusetts and across the United States.

    “Sea turtles are the canaries in the coal mine. Right now, every known species of sea turtles found in US waters is either threatened or endangered and faces extinction and environmental wipeout due to the human-caused climate crisis. We have the responsibility to act,” said Senator Markey. “I am reintroducing the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act to financially support ongoing rescue and rehabilitation efforts of our shelled friends.”  

    “Sea turtle strandings are rising at an alarming rate along the Texas Gulf Coast,” said Senator Cornyn. “This bill would help identify the causes of these strandings and invest in rescue and recovery efforts to better protect Texas’ endangered and storied sea turtle population.”

    The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Tom Tillis (R-N.C.). In January, Representative Bill Keating (MA-09) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

    In 2000, fewer than 50 sea turtles were found stranded on the beaches of Cape Cod; by 2022, that number had skyrocketed to 866. During the 2021 cold snap in Texas, more than 12,100 turtles were cold-stunned, and rescue organizations were able to save and return only 4,000 of the stranded turtles to the wild. Rescue efforts are predominantly volunteer led and underfunded despite sea turtles facing increasing environmental and human-caused threats that make strandings more likely, including rapid temperature changes, red tide events, and entanglement in marine debris. This bill would provide stability and support to efforts that rehabilitate and aid in the recovery of sea turtles along the coastal US. Specifically, the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act would create a new grant program to fund rescue, recovery, and research of sea turtles in the U.S., and authorize $5 million annually for awarding of grants to further that purpose from 2025 through 2030.

    The Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act is endorsed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the New England Aquarium, the National Aquarium, ABQ BioPark, Acadia Institute of Oceanography, Adventure Aquarium, Allied Whale – College of the Atlantic, Assateague Coastal Trust, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Aquarium of the Pacific, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Audubon Nature Institute, Bird River Beach Community Association, Blank Park Zoo, Brevard Zoo / East Coast Zoological Park, Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, Conservation Council For Hawaii, El Paso Zoo and Botanical Garden, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, Georgia Sea Turtle Center / Jekyll Island Authority, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Gladys Porter Zoo, Gulf World Marine Institute, Healthy Ocean Coalition, Houston Zoo, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Jenkinson’s Aquarium, John Ball Zoo, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Kansas City Zoo, Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Marine Education – Research & Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. (MERR), Marine Conservation Institute, Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Mass Audubon, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, National Marine Life Center, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Newport Aquarium, New York Marine Rescue Center, North Carolina Aquariums, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, OdySea Aquarium, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Racine Zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, SEA LIFE Aquariums, Sea Turtle Recovery, Inc., Seattle Aquarium, Seatuck Environmental Association, SeaWorld Parks, Sociedad Ornitologica Puertorriquena Inc., South Carolina Aquarium, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, Sunset Zoo, Surfrider Foundation, Texas Conservation Alliance, Texas Sealife Center, Texas State Aquarium, The Florida Aquarium, The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, The Ocean Project, The Turtle Hospital, Upwell Turtles, Vancouver Aquarium, Virgin Islands Conservation Society, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience at University of Florida, WIDECAST: Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, Wildlife Restoration Foundation, and Woodland Park Zoo.

    “We are grateful for Sen. Markey’s continued partnership as he reintroduces the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025 in the U.S. Senate. Each year, the New England Aquarium rescues and rehabilitates hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles that wash onto the beaches of Cape Cod Bay. This bill would help fill a critical gap in sea turtle conservation efforts by providing much-needed financial support to organizations across the country like ours that help return these endangered animals to the ocean,” said Vikki N. Spruill, President and CEO of the New England Aquarium.

    “The National Aquarium applauds the reintroduction of the bicameral, bipartisan Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act. We are proud to be part of the nationwide network of organizations engaged in sea turtle conservation and in educating the public on the challenges facing these threatened and endangered species. Sea turtle strandings are on the rise, as are the expenses related to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing them back to their ocean home. The level of voluntary contribution from stranding network partners is not sustainable. We thank the champions in the House and Senate for their leadership in creating a much-needed federal grant program to support this important work,” said John Racanelli, President & CEO of the National Aquarium.

    “Each year, aquariums, zoos and other organizations selflessly rescue and rehabilitate thousands of stranded and injured sea turtles with little to no federal support. They do it because it is the right thing to do,” said Dan Ashe, President and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “This bipartisan Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act would help to fill a critical gap in support for these federally protected sea turtles.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union’s Commitment to Military Veterans Continues Through Winpisinger Center Lunch

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Local 4 members and William W. Winpisinger Center (W3) staff hosted a group of veterans from the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Southern Maryland for lunch this week.

    The W3 Center hosts the local veterans a few times a year and has done so for several years. The luncheon provides a social outing for the veterans, and members and W3 staff are honored to sit with them, break bread, and learn more about them through their stories and experiences. 

    Nearly 200 staff members at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home are also members of IAM Local 4 (District 4) and cover a wide range of jobs, from Certified Nursing Assistants and Medicine Aids to skilled trades and technical workers like Electricians, Carpenters, and Medical Equipment Technicians.

    “Our engagement with the veterans at Charlotte Hall is a unique experience. The IAM is committed to providing as much support and services as possible, extending beyond just VA benefits,” said IAM Veteran Services Coordinator Richard Evans. “If we can help fill a need for our veterans, we will.”

    Over the years, the IAM has organized several initiatives to directly support our military veterans. From bringing holiday spirit to the home by collecting goods for veterans to raising money for capital improvement projects, the IAM will continue to serve those who’ve served.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Yes, Biden Spent Millions on Transgender Animal Experiments

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Last night, President Donald J. Trump highlighted many of the egregious examples of waste, fraud, and abuse funded by American taxpayers, including $8 million spent by the Biden Administration “for making mice transgender.”
    The Fake News losers at CNN immediately tried to fact check it, but President Trump was right (as usual).FACT: Under the Biden Administration, the National Institutes of Health doled out millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants for institutions across the country to perform transgender experiments on mice.
    $455,000: “A Mouse Model to Test the Effects of Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy on HIV Vaccine-induced Immune Responses”
    $2,500,000: “Reproductive Consequences of Steroid Hormone Administration”
    “These mice manifest defects in ovarian architecture and have altered folliculogenesis.”

    $299,940: “Gender-Affirming Testosterone Therapy on Breast Cancer Risk and Treatment Outcomes”
    “We will compare the incidences and tumor specific survival in female mice (intact) and oophorectomized female mice receiving TT with their respective counterparts that do not receive TT.”

    $735,113: “Microbiome mediated effects of gender affirming hormone therapy in mice”
    $1,200,000: “Androgen effects on the reproductive neuroendocrine axis”
    “Aim 2 utilizes transgenic mice to test whether male-level androgens acting via AR specifically in kisspeptin neurons are necessary and/or sufficient for androgen inhibition of in vivo LH pulse parameters, including pulse frequency, and the estrogen-induced LH surge.”

    $3,100,000: “Gonadal hormones as mediators of sex and gender influences in asthma”
    “We will study the contributions of estrogens to HDM-induced asthma outcomes using male and female gonadectomized mice treated with estradiol…”

    TOTAL: $8,290,053

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis Leads Legislation to Eliminate Biden’s “Pill Penalty,” Restore Incentives for Life-Saving Drug Innovation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ted Budd (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), James Lankford (R-OK), and Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that fixes the Inflation Reduction Act’s small molecule “pill penalty” to ensure continued R&D investments into small molecule medicines. 

    “For patients battling cancer, rare diseases, and chronic conditions, timely access to innovative treatments can mean the difference between life and death,” said Senator Tillis. “Unfortunately, the Inflation Reduction Act disincentivizes research on small molecule treatments and undermines development of the most accessible and affordable medications. The EPIC Act of 2025 will ensure patients of today and tomorrow have uninterrupted access to life-saving and life-changing therapies.” 

    “President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act ‘pill penalty’ has hindered important research and development for potentially life-saving cures,” said Senator Budd. “The EPIC Act will right this wrong by encouraging more investment in innovative medicines and treatments that are needed to help North Carolinians live long and healthy lives.”

    “Montanans in need of life-saving medicine should not have to worry about government overreach that stifles critical research and development for much-needed cures,” said Senator Daines. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to bolster innovation so that Montanans and patients across the country can get the care they deserve.”

    “Incubate Coalition appreciates Senator Tillis’ leadership in addressing the flaws of the IRA and supporting the EPIC Act, which restores incentives for life sciences investment based on scientific potential rather than arbitrary policy barriers,” said John Stanford, Executive Director of the Incubate Coalition. “His dedication to ending the pill penalty will create a fairer system, drive innovation, and ensure patients have access to the breakthrough treatments they need.” 

    “The schizophrenia community has been marginalized for decades. Now, people with this brain disease stand to suffer even more as the IRA endangers the promise of new schizophrenia treatments,” said Gordon Lavigne, CEO of the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance. “The EPIC Act is a much-needed fix that will help ensure that everyone with schizophrenia has access to a treatment that works for them. For the 2.5 million people living with schizophrenia in the United States, future treatment innovation is a matter of survival and dignity.”

    “As an organization representing the voice of cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers across America, the Cancer Support Community (CSC) would like to thank Senator Tillis alongside Senators Blackburn, Budd, Lankford, and Daines for introducing the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act,” said Sally Werner, Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Support Community. “Small molecule drugs are essential for the treatment of many cancers and are more accessible for patients due to their cost and convenience of taking them at home. Innovative oral cancer drugs are bringing improved efficacy and reduced side effects to patients, improving their treatment and lives. The EPIC Act would eliminate the unnecessary distinction between small and large molecule drugs in the IRA, allowing both to be eligible for negotiation eleven years after FDA approval. We must continue to ensure that all patients have access to the treatment best suited for them and that policies accurately reflect the needs and input of patients who will be most impacted by them.”

    Background:

    Under the Inflation Reduction Act’s price-fixing model, small molecule drugs are eligible for selection in the “Medicare Drug Price Negotiation” program seven years after FDA approval. A two-year “negotiation period” follows, with price controls taking effect in year nine. Conversely, biologics become eligible for selection 11 years after FDA approval, with price controls going into effect in year 13. 

    The cost to bring a new drug to market can range from several hundred million to several billion dollars. The IRA is crippling innovation by reducing the ability to recoup losses incurred during drug research and development, with many pharmaceutical companies halting research into groundbreaking treatments. This has left individuals battling cancer, mental health conditions, and rare disease without hope.  

    The impact is already devastating. R&D funding for small molecule medicines has plummeted by 70% since the IRA’s introduction in September 2021 and funding continues to be shifted to other projects. According to a University of Chicago policy brief, due to the 9-13 disparity, 188 fewer small molecule medicines will come to market, leading to a staggering 116 million life-years lost. 

    Full text of the bill is available HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida businessman sentenced for migrant labor employment scheme, payroll tax evasion, worker death

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — A Florida man was sentenced Feb. 20 to 48 months in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $5.5 million to the United States as well as forfeit numerous real properties and cash, and to pay over $55 million in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and willful violation of a workplace standard that resulted in the death of his employee following a joint agency investigation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Manual Domingos Pita, of Wesley Chapel, previously pleaded guilty to those charges on July 9, 2024.

    According to court documents, Pita owned and operated Domingos 54 Construction, a subcontracting business for the wood framing of new construction homes. Domingos 54 was a shell construction company that Pita used to provide workers, including undocumented aliens, with construction jobs. However, Pita failed to secure the required workers compensation insurance coverage for these employees by falsifying in worker’s compensation insurance applications the number of workers for which he sought coverage. In addition, Pita failed to pay any federal employment taxes on the wages that these workers earned during the course of the scheme between 2018 and 2022. As a result, Pita caused several worker’s compensation insurance companies to sustain a loss of over $22.7 million in premiums that they could have charged had they been aware of the number of workers which they had been manipulated into covering with their policies. In addition, Pita failed to pay to the IRS over $33.7 million in federal employment taxes on those workers’ wages.

    Between February and July 2019, investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued six citations to Domingos 54 for failure to provide fall protection to workers. Even after being cited for these violations, Pita continued to ignore OSHA requirements. In March 2020, Pita assigned a worker and three other carpenters to install sheeting on the roof of a residential home in windy conditions without providing the required fall-protection gear or ensuring its use. As a result, one of the workers was blown off the roof and died from his injuries.

    The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, ICE Tampa, Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Insurance Fraud-Criminal Investigations and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay L. Hoffer for the Middle District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis Highlights Investments in Community-Based Programs That Are Making Pennsylvania Safer

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    March 03, 2025 – WEST READING, PA

    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis Highlights Investments in Community-Based Programs That Are Making Pennsylvania Safer

    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis heard today from law enforcement officials, victims service providers and health care workers at Reading Hospital, which recently was awarded more than $600,000 in state grant funding to expand and enhance its hospital-based violence intervention program.

    “Gun violence is something we can – and indeed, must – do something about,” said Davis, who leads the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). “I want to commend local law enforcement for the work you’ve done to reduce the number of homicides in Berks County, but I also know that one act of gun violence is one too many. Every Pennsylvanian deserves to be safe and feel safe, whether you live in West Reading or West Hamburg. We’ve been making progress on the issue of gun violence, in Reading, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and many other cities and communities, but there is still much more work to be done.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PITTSBURGH – Shapiro Administration to Emphasize the Need for Postpartum Depression Screenings for All Pennsylvania Mothers

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    March 06, 2025 – Pittsburgh, PA

    ADVISORY – PITTSBURGH – Shapiro Administration to Emphasize the Need for Postpartum Depression Screenings for All Pennsylvania Mothers

    Shapiro Administration officials will join local maternal health leaders at the Allegheny Health Network’s Alexis Joy D’Achille Center for Perinatal Mental Health in Pittsburgh to highlight Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposal to identify postpartum depression more quickly and discuss the Administration’s efforts to implement universal postpartum depression screenings for all Pennsylvania moms.

    Postpartum depression can occur weeks and months after childbirth, where mothers experience extreme sadness, anxiety, and fatigue that may make it difficult to carry out daily tasks, including caring for themselves or their babies.

    Postpartum depression affects one in eight moms across the country.

    Building on Governor Shapiro’s $5 million investment to study and prevent maternal morbidity and mortality, the Governor’s 2025-2026 budget proposal directs the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) to prepare doctors and nurses to identify signs of postpartum depression more quickly and speed up referrals to mental health professionals.

    WHO:
    Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen
    Department of Human Services Special Advisor Sara Goulet
    Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Deputy Secretary Kelly Primus
    AHN West Penn Hospital President Dr. Brian Johnson
    AHN Women’s Behavioral Health Medical Director Dr. Ewurama Sackey
    UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Chief of Psychiatry and psychiatrist at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Dr. Priya Gopalan
    The Alexis Joy Foundation President Steven D’Achille

    WHEN:
    Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 11:30 AM

    WHERE:
    AHN West Penn Hospital
    4800 Friendship Avenue
    Pittsburgh, PA 15224
    (First Floor)

    PARKING: Event parking can be obtained by contacting Allegheny Health Network’s Senior Public Relations Analyst, Emily Beatty, by emailing emily.beatty@highmarkhealth.org or calling 513-678-9620.

    MEDIA RSVP: Media interested in attending must RSVP with the name of the reporter and photojournalist to ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Peters Introduce Bill to Protect Americans’ DNA, National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced the Genomic Data Protection Act to give Americans using at-home DNA tests the choice to delete their genomic data and destroy their biological samples. Around 21% of Americans have taken a mail-in a DNA test from a direct-to-consumer genomic testing company. The absence of privacy protections allows for the potential selling of American’s data, posing a risk to consumers and the country’s national security if a bad actors obtains the information.
    “Americans want to know what happens to their data after an at-home DNA test,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Let’s give them control over their own genomic data. It should be private if they want it to be.”
    “American citizens should have the right to control how their unique health and genetic information is being used and stored,” said Senator Peters. “This bill would give consumers the power to access their personal genomic data, delete it from a company’s platform, and ultimately destroy it if they choose.”
    Arizona, California, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming have consumer protections related to the genomic data held by direct-to-consumer genomic testing companies. However, there is no federal framework that empowers Americans to protect the privacy of their personal genomic data. The legislation tasks the Federal Trade Commission with enforcing the Genomic Privacy Protection Act.  
    The Genomic Data Protection Act would: 
    Require direct-to-consumer genomic testing companies to enable a consumer to access their genomic data, delete their genomic data, and destroy their biological samples;
    Require direct-to-consumer genomic testing companies to notify consumers about the upcoming purchase or acquisition of a direct-to-consumer genomic testing companies and remind consumers of their rights to access, delete, and destroy their genomic data and biological sample;
    Require direct-to-consumer genomic testing companies to process deletion requests within 30 days. The companies must also notify consumers that their request was processed 30 days after the data was deleted; and,
    Stipulate that deidentified data can only be used for medical research in compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Advice Plymouth contract extended to support local people

    Source: City of Plymouth

    We’re extending the contract for Advice Plymouth so that thousands of people can get the help they need to navigate issues such as benefits and tax credits.

    The Council has agreed to extend the contract for the health, social care, wellbeing and financial inclusion advice and information service which is currently delivered in partnership by Citizen’s Advice Plymouth and Improving Lives Plymouth.

    Last year the service supported Plymouth residents with a total of 18,647 issues, with the most common topics being benefits and tax credits, housing, employment, food banks, legal issues, relationships and families, debt and health and social care. 

    The service also supports residents with ‘Blue Badge’ and bus pass applications. 

    A decision is being signed today to extend the contract for two years from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027, with an option to extend this for another year if required, to give the Council time to fully explore how we can best help with residents’ advice and information needs for the future.

    NHS Devon Integrated Care Board contributes approximately 10 per cent of the current funding, which enables the service to go into clinical settings such as Derriford Hospital, the Glenbourne Unit and Plym Neurological Rehabilitation Unit, so that people can benefit from information, advice and support before they are discharged.

    Advice Plymouth is also commissioned by the Council’s Public Health team to contribute to key financial inclusion work in the city, including:

    • developing strong connections with ‘Community Builders’ and other partners to make sure information and advice is available in neighbourhoods, as part of the Council’s Community Resilience Project.
    • Distributing the Central Government Household Support Fund to eligible people to help with the cost of food, fuel for cooking and heating and other household essentials.

    Councillor Mary Aspinall, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said: “We are committed to making Plymouth a great place to grow up and grow old and to minimising the impact of the cost-of-living crisis – and this is a service that helps us with these priorities.

    “In the last financial year, the Advice Plymouth service helped people to successfully claim an incredible £5 million in previously unclaimed welfare benefits – that’s making an enormous difference, helping to make thousands of residents’ lives that bit better during difficult times and unlocking money they are entitled to.”

    Residents can find out more about help available from the Advice Plymouth service by visiting the Plymouth Online Directory Citizens Advice Plymouth – Plymouth Online Directory or by phoning 0808 278 7910

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Public Pressure from Senator Reverend Warnock, Trump Administration Partially Reinstates Critical CDC Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Following Public Pressure from Senator Reverend Warnock, Trump Administration Partially Reinstates Critical CDC Workforce

    Since the 10% Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) workforce cuts were announced last month, the Senator has hammered the Trump Administration on the disastrous impending consequences to public health
    Last month, Senator Reverend Warnock went to the Senate floor to defend the critical work of the Georgia-based CDC and the agency’s work to combat chronic diseases and protect the nation from health-related national security threats
    The Senator’s work to champion the CDC continues the legacy of Georgia Republican Senator Isakson, who worked to expand and invest in the centers
    Washington, D.C. – Today, following weeks of pressure from U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), the Trump Administration announced it was reinstating some Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) probationary staff and fellows who work on public health threats. The reinstatement, reported by PoliticoPro, comes after the Senator went to the Senate floor and defended the life-saving work on the Georgia-based CDC.
    “Today’s announcement is a welcome relief, but until all fired CDC employees are restored, our country’s public health and national security will continue to be at risk,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “The CDC works to ensure our food and water are safe, our brave servicemembers stay healthy when serving abroad, and top researchers have the resources they need to combat heart disease, maternal mortality, cancer, and diabetes. I’m glad my defense of the CDC was heard by the leadership of the Trump Administration, which is why I’m calling on the Trump Administration to reinstate all CDC employees.”
    Last year, the Senator visited the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia for the first time as Senator to learn about the agency’s efforts to protect public health, including work to combat the maternal mortality crisis and how federal funding plays a role in keeping Georgia and the country safe from infectious diseases. During Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s nomination hearing in committee, Senator Warnock spoke at length defending the importance of the CDC which employs over 10,000 hardworking Georgians. Shortly after, the Senator spoke for nearly an hour on the Senate floor, in large part in defense of the CDC’s critical work to defend public health and national security. The Senator continued to pressure HHS Secretary Kennedy to reverse the CDC firings.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Washington state joins lawsuit over illegal federal employee firings

    Source: Washington State News

    SAN FRANCISCO – The Washington State Attorney General’s Office today joined a lawsuit against the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and other federal agencies over the administration’s damaging and illegal efforts to fire federal employees en masse.

    President Trump has engaged in all-out assault on public service since taking office, arbitrarily firing thousands of workers providing critical services to American communities and pledging to fire thousands more under false claims of performance issues. The firings have reached workers with excellent performance records and some with many years (or even decades) of federal service, including those newly promoted to supervisory or management positions.

    There are more than 12 million acres of federal land in Washington, managed by agencies thrown into chaos by these labor cuts. These illegal actions damage Washingtonians across a spectrum of needs – including the reliability of the state’s energy supply, wildfire and forest management, services to veterans, and supports for small businesses.

    Washington has about 76,000 federal employees, according to the state Employment Security Department. Based on information collected, the state believes at least 1,000 Washingtonians have lost their public service jobs through the president’s illegal actions and expects this number to rise if the illegality is not stopped.

    “Many of the president’s power grabs have this problem in common – they’re illegal,” Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said. “These firings don’t save the public a dime, but they do make government less responsive, particularly in the communities across the nation where these employees live and serve.”

    The lawsuit, initially filed in Northern California on behalf of a coalition of labor groups and other impacted organizations, has already resulted in a temporary restraining order.

    The judge’s Feb. 27 order states the administration’s actions were likely illegal, directing the federal Office of Personnel Management to rescind its instruction to agencies to fire virtually all probationary employees.

    The original plaintiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Main Street Alliance; the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks; Common Defense Civic Engagement; the Western Watersheds Project; AFGE Local 1216; AFGE Local 2110; VoteVets; and United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP).

    -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 United Kingdom: Buffer zones protect patients and keep protests at bay

    Source: Scottish Greens

    05 Mar 2025 Health

    Abortion rights are healthcare.

    More in Health

    Scotland’s safe access zones have protected patients and staff and kept protesters at bay, says Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay.

    Ms Mackay was commenting on the first day of anti-choice protests near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow. At present there are no signs of protesters breaching the safe access zone.

    Ms Mackay introduced the bill that secured 200 metre wide safe access zones, or buffer zones, around abortion service providers to stop the intimidating anti-choice protests that have taken place across Scotland.

    Ms Mackay said:

    “Safe access zones were introduced to protect patients and staff at our hospitals and to keep the protesters at bay, and that is what they have done.

    “The fact that only a small number of protesters turned up and they have been consigned to roads that are further from the hospital is an important step forward.

    “Nobody should have to pass graphic banners and placards to access healthcare, and I hope that these protests will become a thing of the past.

    “I urge the protesters to read the testimony of the many women who have felt intimidated and judged by their actions and to ask themselves if they really want to be responsible for such hurt.

    “Over the days ahead we will learn from the implementation of the Act and how we can best protect people accessing healthcare.

    “I encourage anyone who has been badly impacted by today’s protests to get in touch with myself or the Scottish Government so that we can consider what else we can do going forward.”

    Ms Mackay added:

    “Abortion rights are human rights. The ignorant claims from the US Vice President have emboldened trolls on social media, but the vast majority of people in Scotland support the right to go to hospital without harassment.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 5 March 2025 Departmental update Funding cuts to tuberculosis programmes endanger millions of lives

    Source: World Health Organisation

    In the past two decades, tuberculosis (TB) prevention, testing, and treatment services have saved more than 79 million lives—averting approximately 3.65 million deaths last year alone from the world’s deadliest infectious disease. This progress has been driven by critical foreign aid especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly from USAID. However, abrupt funding cuts now threaten to undo these hard-won gains, putting millions—especially the most vulnerable—at grave risk.

    Based on data reported by national TB programmes to WHO and reporting by the US government to the creditor reporting system of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the U.S. government has provided approximately US$200–US$250 million annually in bilateral funding for the TB response at country level. This funding was approximately one quarter of the total amount of international donor funding for TB.

    The 2025 funding cuts will have a devastating impact on TB programmes, particularly in LMICs that rely heavily on international aid, given the U.S. has been the largest bilateral donor. These cuts put 18 of the highest burden countries at risk, as they depended on 89% of the expected U.S. funding for TB care. The African region is hardest hit by the funding disruptions, followed by the South-East Asian and Western Pacific regions.

    “Any disruption to TB services—whether financial, political, or operational—can have devastating and often fatal consequences for millions worldwide,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health. “The COVID-19 pandemic proved this, as service interruptions led to over 700,000 excess deaths from TB between 2020 and 2023, exacerbated by inadequate social protection measures. Without immediate action, hard-won progress in the fight against TB is at risk. Our collective response must be swift, strategic, and fully resourced to protect the most vulnerable and maintain momentum toward ending TB.”

    TB response in peril: Essential service disruptions escalate

    Mandated by Heads of State, WHO plays a crucial leadership role in guiding countries toward the End TB targets for 2027 and 2030. Early reports to WHO from the 30 highest TB-burden countries confirm that funding withdrawals are already dismantling essential services, threatening the global fight against TB. This includes health and community workforce crises with thousands of health workers in high-burden countries facing layoffs, while technical assistance roles have been suspended, crippling national TB programs.

    Drug supply chains are breaking down due to staff suspensions, lack of funds, and data failures, jeopardizing access to TB treatment and prevention services. Laboratory services are severely disrupted, with sample transportation, procurement delays, and shortages of essential consumables halting diagnostic efforts.

    Data and surveillance systems are collapsing, undermining routine reporting and drug resistance monitoring. Community engagement efforts—including active case finding, screening, and contact tracing—are deteriorating, reducing early TB detection and increasing transmission risks.

    Without immediate intervention, these systemic failures will cripple TB prevention and treatment efforts, reverse decades of progress, and endanger millions of lives.

    In addition, USAID, the world’s third-largest TB research funder, has halted all its funded trials, severely disrupting progress in TB research and innovation.

    WHO commitment

    In these challenging times, WHO remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting national governments, civil society, and global partners in securing sustained funding and integrated solutions to safeguard the health and well-being of those most vulnerable to TB.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 5 March 2025 Departmental update Advancing the healthier populations billion with multi-country virtual missions on tackling industry interference

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Between September and November 2024, officials and other nominees including nongovernmental organization representatives from six countries across all six WHO regions convened to share experiences and develop innovative solutions to meet the challenge of industry interference and address the commercial determinants of health. The missions, led by WHO’s Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact, together with WHO’s Department of Social Determinants of Health, explored lessons learned on how to overcome industry interference across critical public health issues including tobacco, alcohol, health-harming foods, sugary beverages and road safety.

    Participating countries discussed a number of shared challenges, including:

    • aligning economic objectives  with public health goals;
    • putting public health before commercial interests in complex situations, including where there are challenges with enforcement;
    • addressing gaps in conflict-of-interest policies, rules and approaches; and
    • addressing industry tactics to undermine health, including non-compliance, obfuscation and coalition-building.

    A common challenge presented during the missions was the structural power imbalances that make smaller countries vulnerable to industry interference by large transnational commercial actors. This has been previously identified as an area for increased WHO support to countries and is a topic being addressed through global and regional initiatives to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) including in a forthcoming WHO technical paper on the Economic and commercial determinants of health in Small Island Developing States.

    Countries also highlighted opportunities for progress, including:

    • strengthening multi-sectoral collaboration and whole-of-government approaches to address the commercial determinants of health;
    • building capacity to counter misinformation and implement conflict-of-interest safeguards; and
    • working with WHO to support evidence-based advocacy.

    WHO will strive to provide targeted technical assistance, support capacity-building, and foster a global community of practice on the commercial determinants of health to these and other countries to protect health, promote well being and save lives.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to a cohort study looking at the association between vaping and rates of smoking cessation and tobacco abstinence

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A cohort study published in JAMA Network Open looks at the association between vaping and smoking cessation rates. 

    Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst, said:

    Is this good quality research?  Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?

    “The authors do a thorough job of investigating results from a large, representative US survey. The type of methods they use mean they can talk about associations – whether something is more or less likely – but not about causal relationships. This research cannot establish whether e-cigarettes cause more or fewer people to stop smoking.

    How does this work fit with the existing evidence?

    “There is a large, high certainty body of evidence from randomized controlled trials that nicotine e-cigarettes help people quit smoking. Randomized controlled trials are considered the best way to establish the effects of an intervention, where feasible. 

    Have the authors accounted for confounders? Are there important limitations to be aware of?

    “The authors have accounted for a large range of confounders, but rightly note that there could be additional unmeasured confounders which affect relationships between vaping and subsequent smoking cessation. The most important limitation is that this is an observational data set, and the techniques they use cannot establish causality.

    What are the implications in the real world?  Is there any overspeculation?  

    “The authors conclude that these data “suggest vaping prolongs smoking and nicotine dependence among US smokers.” As noted above, substantial randomized controlled trial evidence – considered the gold standard – shows the opposite – namely that when you give people who smoke e-cigarettes, it helps them quit smoking.”

    Prof Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology, and Director of the Health and Lifestyle Research Unit, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

    “The study, like several earlier ones, compared future smoking cessation in people who at baseline did and did not use vapes BUT SMOKED and reports that vaping does not help with quitting smoking. This raises a question of how is that possible when randomised controlled trials as well as epidemiological data show that vaping is one of the most effective ways there are of helping smokers quit. The answer is that the study used a method that automatically generates skewed results. In the vaping group, only those unable to stop smoking despite using vapes were included. Vapers who stopped smoking were excluded. This makes it an obviously unfair comparison, a bit like staging a competition between two schools after removing the best competitors from one of them.”

    ‘Daily or Nondaily Vaping and Smoking Cessation Among Smokers’ by Quash et al. was published in JAMA Network Open at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 5th February.

    DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0089

    Declared interests

    Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce “I receive research funding for related work from Cancer Research UK and the NIH-FDA in the US.”

    Prof Peter Hajek “No COI”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study suggesting Aspirin may enhance the immune response against cancer metastasis in mice

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Nature suggests that Asprin enhances the immune response against cancer metastasis in mice. 

    Dr Harvey Roweth, a cancer biologist at the University of Reading, said:

    “I don’t think we can say that cancer patients should be taking aspirin – at least, not yet.

    “Aspirin is a very accessible drug, with relatively few side effects. This study in mice suggests we should further assess a role for aspirin in human metastatic cancer. It is worth noting that prior clinical studies that tested aspirin as a tool in fighting metastasis in human patients have been conflicting and often inconclusive. There are even some reports that conclude that aspirin may do more harm than good.”

    “The mouse models don’t capture the full complexity of metastatic disease. Plus, in this study, the mouse models used predominantly look at melanoma cells that metastasises to the lungs. So, the paper doesn’t account for different cancers and spread to other organs.

    “As a cancer biologist, the finding that is most exciting to me is that aspirin can preserve T-cell immune responses in an animal model.

    “What we need now – and I strongly agree with the authors on this – are new randomised controlled trials that focus on finding biomarkers of the patient’s immune response. This is how we will find out which cancers and which patients are most likely to benefit from aspirin.

    “It will also be important to consider that aspirin can be unsafe for certain individual patients. It can cause disruption of the stomach lining and increase the risk of bleeding in the gut. The study does not account for such side effects.

    “There is some promise that aspirin will help patients in the future. It will need to be considered alongside existing therapies – aspirin is extremely unlikely to become a stand-alone treatment for cancers.”

     

     

    Prof Mangesh Thorat, Honorary Reader, Queen Mary University of London & Consultant Breast Surgeon (Locum), Homerton University Hospital, London, said:

    “We have known for a while that the beneficial effect of aspirin in preventing deaths from certain cancers is greater in magnitude than its effect in preventing development of these cancers. This can only happen if aspirin prevented or abrogated metastases from such cancers. Although it was thought to be mediated through the anti-platelet role of aspirin, the exact mechanism remained elusive. This elegant study in mice sheds light on how aspirin’s anti-platelet action reverses the suppression of certain immune cells, which then prevent development of metastases. In many ways, this study provides the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle. There are several ongoing clinical trials of aspirin in certain cancers. The new insights from this study will now allow us to investigate data and materials from these trials to see if aspirin use can be personalised through use of biomarkers to achieve a more favourable benefit-harm balance. These insights will also allow us to develop new studies to investigate if aspirin and other immune-directed therapies can work in a synergistic manner to improve outcomes in advanced cancers.  

    “It is important to acknowledge that since it aimed to elucidate a specific mechanism, the study looked at only a few cancer types and only at lung and liver as metastatic sites. Although different cancers share many common pathways, each cancer type (and subtype) is unique. This means that the magnitude of effect likely varies between different cancers. It is therefore quite possible that the beneficial effects of aspirin will be limited to certain cancer types as the epidemiological data suggest. We will need to wait for mature data from the current trials before aspirin’s use as a cancer treatment can be considered.

    “If you are a cancer patient, don’t rush to your local pharmacy to buy aspirin just yet, but actively consider participation in ongoing or upcoming trials of aspirin.”

     

     

    Professor Alan Melcher, Professor of Translation Immunotherapy at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:

    “We have known for some time that aspirin can potentially boost the immune response to cancer. What this research tells us is a new mechanism of action that aspirin may be using to do this in mice.

    “This is an interesting finding but will not directly change how people should be using aspirin. The side effects of the drug are not trivial – such as stomach bleeding. Currently, there are large trials underway to determine the risk versus benefit of using aspirin as part of the treatment of cancer. This new research may help to design better, more targeted drugs, that interfere with the mechanism discovered here to do the good things that aspirin does, without the harmful side effects.”

    ‘Aspirin prevents metastasis by limiting platelet TXA2 suppression of T cell immunity’ by Jie Yang et al. will be published in Nature at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 5 March 2025.

    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08626-7

    Declared interests

    Prof Mangesh Thorat: No Financial interests to declare. Mangesh Thorat is a member of data monitoring committees of a few multi-national trials investigating aspirin, for example, ADD-Aspirin, CaPP3 and COLOPREVENT.

    Professor Alan Melcher: no interests to declare.

    Dr Harvey Roweth: Confirmed no COI’s. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Early Alert: Infusion Pump Issue from Baxter Healthcare Corporation

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    This communication is part of the Communications Pilot to Enhance the Medical Device Recall Program. The FDA has become aware of a potentially high-risk device issue. The FDA will keep the public informed and update this web page as significant new information becomes available.
    Affected Product

    Sigma Spectrum Infusion System        Spectrum IQ Infusion System
    The FDA is aware that Baxter Healthcare Corporation has issued a letter to affected customers recommending certain Spectrum infusion pumps be removed from where they are used or sold:

    Sigma Spectrum Infusion System V6 Platform

    Product Code: 35700BAX
    Unique Device Identifier (UDI): 00085412091570

    704198

    728888

    751492

    758399

    758614

    761662

    763197

    766291

    772611

    773302

    775486

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    1014856

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    1017546

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    1018703

    1024109

    Spectrum IQ Infusion System with Dose IQ Safety Software

    Product Code: 3570009
    Unique Device Identifier (UDI): 00085412610900

    3002100

    3003072

    3004069

    3006254

    3006831

    3009116

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    3746749

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    3749929

    3764591

    3767418

    What to Do

    On February 5, 2025, Baxter Healthcare Corporation sent all affected customers a letter recommending the following actions:

    Immediately locate, isolate, and cease all use of Spectrum pumps with the affected serial numbers. The product code and serial number can be found on the bottom of the infusion pump.
    Contact Baxter at 800-843-7867 to arrange for the return of the affected pumps for inspection and reservicing as applicable.
    If you received a communication directly from Baxter share Baxter’s communication with departments within your institution who use the affected products.
    If you are a dealer, wholesaler, distributor/reseller, or original equipment manufacturer that distributed any affected product to other facilities, please conduct a user-level recall of the affected product that you distributed to customers and check the associated box on the customer portal.

    Check this web page for updates. The FDA is currently reviewing information about this potentially high-risk device issue and will keep the public informed as significant new information becomes available.

    Reason for Early Alert
    Baxter Healthcare Corporation recalled the Spectrum infusion pumps due to the potential for missing motor mounting screws, which may have occurred during the servicing process.
    Baxter is requesting the return of the affected pumps for inspection and reservicing as applicable. Missing motor mounting screws may lead to insufficient or excessive therapy, interruption in therapy, or delay in therapy, which can result in serious adverse health consequences.
    Baxter has reported one serious injury related to this issue.
    Device Use
    These Baxter Spectrum infusion pumps are intended to be used for the controlled administration of fluids—including medicine, blood, and blood products—to patients.
    Contact Information
    Customers in the U.S. with questions should contact your Baxter sales representative or Baxter Global Technical Services at 800-843-7867 Monday through Friday, between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm Eastern Time.
    Unique Device Identifier (UDI)
    The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from distribution to use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified more quickly, and as a result, problems potentially resolved more quickly.

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

    Content current as of:
    03/05/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIH-funded research team engineers new drug targeting pain sensation pathway

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    Study of CB1 receptor has implications for chronic pain treatment.
    A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a medication that shows promise in treating acute and chronic pain. The drug, known as VIP36, targets the body’s cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). It was found to be effective in three different animal models for pain and does not appear to cause the harmful side effects that have frustrated other efforts to target CB1. These results enhance understanding of how to design safer and more effective drugs targeting cannabinoid receptors and are an important step towards developing novel, non-addictive treatments for pain.
    CB1 receptors can be found throughout the body and are particularly dense in the brain’s pain circuitry. They have long been considered a potential target for non-opioid-based pain treatment; however, previous attempts to target this pathway have been met with two challenges. First, repeated exposure to a drug leads to tolerance that limits its efficacy. Second, the dose required to reduce pain in the periphery tends to be high enough for the drug to make its way into the central nervous system. In humans, this can cause unwanted changes in mood, cognition, or emotional state.
    To overcome these issues, researchers leveraged computer modeling of the CB1 receptor to design molecules that better interact with CB1, much like a key fitting into a lock.  The newly designed drug, VIP36, is more “peripherally restricted” compared to previous drugs, meaning that much less of it leaks into the central nervous system where it can cause unwanted side effects. VIP36 also interacts with CB1 differently than treatments tested previously and in a way that reduces tolerance.
    CB1 is part of a wide-ranging class of receptors known as G-protein-coupled receptors, which are involved in countless functions throughout the body including smell, vision, mood regulation, immune system responses, autonomic nervous system responses such as blood pressure and heart rate, and growth and metastasis of some tumors. In addition to their implications in pain care, the findings of this study could also help spur the design of other drugs that target similar receptors involved in other conditions.       
    This research was funded by NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative®, an NIH-wide effort that seeks to speed scientific solutions to the overdose epidemic, including opioid and stimulant use disorders, and the crisis of chronic pain.
    Who
    Julia Bachman, Ph.D., HEAL Program Manager, NIH
    Article
    Rangari VA et al. “A cryptic pocket in CB1 drives peripheral and functional selectivity” Nature. March 5, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08618-7
    About the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): NINDS is the nation’s leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Call for Abstracts: Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine — X Ray Vision

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Exchanges will include the discussion of new trends in medical uses of radiation, such as using artificial intelligence in medical imaging and therapy, which can accelerate research to reduce patient radiation doses and calls for quality assurance programmes, interdisciplinary collaboration, and consideration of ethics, patient privacy and data security. Participants will also discuss ways to help raise the voices of patients in relation to their own healthcare plan.  

    The conference will provide a platform for enhanced networking opportunities among health professionals, including physicians practising in radiological imaging, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy, referring medical practitioners, medical physicists, medical radiation technologists and regulatory authorities. 

    Contributors interested in submitting a poster for the conference can find the topics of interest here, which includes areas such as the justification for the use of radiation in medicine, radiation protection of patients and staff in various diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and in interventional procedures, learning from unintended and accidental exposures in medicine, and strengthening radiation safety culture in healthcare. 

    This year’s Radiation Protection in Medicine conference is the third in the series, with the earlier ones hosted in 2017 and 2012. 

    How to Submit an Abstract 

    The guidelines and details for the submission of abstracts are available here. More information on registration and participation is available here. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Academic freedom and democracy under siege: how a Nobel peace prize could help defend them

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Stéphanie Balme, Director, CERI (Centre de recherches internationales), Sciences Po

    A rally for science drew a big crowd during the American Geophysical Union’s meeting in San Francisco. MarcioJoseSanchez/AP, CC BY

    March 7 has been recognized as the “Day of the Stand Up for Science Movement”, launched in 2017 in response to the anti-science actions of the first Trump administration. Under the second, attacks on scientists and scientific inquiry have escalated into a systematic assault–tantamount to a coup d’Etat against science itself.

    While Donald Trump is often portrayed as erratic, his policies in this area have followed a consistent trajectory. His new administration has once again declared ‘war’ on evidence-based national policymaking and science diplomacy in foreign affairs as evidenced by several early actions. Immediately after taking office, Donald Trump issued executive orders freezing or canceling tens of billions in research funding. All National Science Foundation projects have been halted pending review, while the National Institutes of Health faces suspensions under Health and Human Services directives. The US has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization, alongside a sweeping review of 90% of USAID-funded projects, signaling a major retreat from climate and global health diplomacy. Federal agencies and universities are in turmoil, leaving thousands of research-professors in limbo amid a politically driven funding freeze. The 2025 March simply calls for the restoration of federal research funding and an end to government censorship and political interference in science.

    Du lundi au vendredi + le dimanche, recevez gratuitement les analyses et décryptages de nos experts pour un autre regard sur l’actualité. Abonnez-vous dès aujourd’hui !

    The US is the world’s undisputed scientific superpower–for now

    While the Trump administration is not the sole force undermining academia worldwide, its actions are particularly striking coming from the world’s leading scientific superpower. Moreover, the situation is especially concerning because developments in the United States often have a ripple effect, shaping policies in other regions in the years that follow.

    Neither of the world’s top two scientific superpowers–Washington and Beijing–is positioned to champion academic freedom. China, having failed a liberal constitutional tradition and academic independence since the 1920s, restricts academic freedom to the confines of one-party rule. Caught between these rival scientific giants–both partners and competitors–the “old” Europe and like-minded coutries remain the only actors capable of setting new standards for academic freedom.

    A Nobel prize for academic freedom

    A decisive step toward its legal protection would be formal recognition by the Nobel Committees for Peace and Science of academic freedom’s fundamental role–both in ensuring scientific excellence and as a pillar of free, democratic societies.

    For the past decade, the Scholars at Risk association (SAR) has documented a broader global decline in academic freedom in its annual Free to Think Report. The 2024 edition highlights particularly alarming situations in 18 countries and territories (including the United States), which recorded 391 attacks on scholars, students, or institutions across 51 regions in a year. Data from the Academic Freedom Index in Berlin confirm that more than half of the world’s population lives in regions where academic freedom is either entirely or severely restricted. Some of the most concerning conditions are in emerging scientific ecosystems such as Turkey, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, or Saudi Arabia. The overall trend is deteriorating: only 10 out of 179 countries have improved, while many democratic regimes are increasingly affected.

    Academic freedom in the European Union remains relatively high compared to the rest of the world. However, nine EU member states fall below the regional average, and in eight of them, it has declined over the past decade–signaling a gradual erosion of this fundamental value. Hungary ranks the lowest among EU countries, placing in the bottom 20–30% worldwide. Recent laws have further weakened university autonomy across the EU: financial autonomy in Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Slovakia; organizational autonomy in Slovenia, Estonia, and Denmark; staffing autonomy in Croatia and Slovakia; and academic autonomy in Denmark and Estonia. Moreover, the European Parliament’s first report on academic freedom (2023) highlights emerging threats in France–political, educational, and societal–that impact the freedom of research, teaching, and study.

    Academic freedom, a professional right granted to a few for the benefit of all

    Freedom of expression, a fundamental pillar of academic freedom, has long been established as a human right, overcoming centuries of censorship and authoritarian control. In contrast, academic freedom is a more recent principle, granting scholars–recognized by their peers–the right and responsibility to research and teach freely in pursuit of knowledge. Like press freedom for journalists, it is a right granted to a few for the benefit of all.

    Rooted in medieval Europe, academic freedom has evolved from a privilege granted to students in the Quartier Latin to a recognized principle in international rights frameworks. It gained a collective and concrete dimension in the late 18th and early 19th centuries with the rise of the modern university. Wilhelm von Humboldt, founder of the modern public university in Berlin (1810), articulated the concept of ‘freedom of science’ (Wissenschaftsfreiheit), later enshrined in the Weimar Constitution of 1919, which declared that “art, science, and education are free.” The rise of American universities around the same time reshaped the concept, giving rise to “professional academic freedom.” This was formalized in the American Association of University Professors’ 1915 Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, which affirmed the scholar’s primary duty to seek and establish truth. Though its roots lie in Germany, academic freedom ultimately became a cornerstone of American academic discourse.

    In the United States, academic freedom draws from multiple sources, with its protection varying by state laws, customs, institutional practices, and the status of higher education institutions. However, U.S. Supreme Court rulings have gradually reinforced its constitutional foundation, particularly after the McCarthy era, by invoking the First Amendment. Landmark cases such as Adler v. Board of Education (1952), Wieman v. Updegraff (1952), and Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957) helped establish a constitutional doctrine on academic freedom. Finally, Keyishian v. Board of Regents (1967) extended First Amendment protections to academia, ruling that mandatory loyalty oaths violated both academic freedom and freedom of association.

    Interestingly, the American interpretation of academic freedom is currently more restrictive than the German model in certain respects. Article 5(3) of the 1989 Basic Law affirms the “right to adopt public organizational measures essential to protect a space of freedom, fostering independent scientific activity”. In contrast, the U.S. places greater emphasis on prohibitions and prioritizing individual rights over institutional autonomy.

    The ‘right to be wrong’

    Despite local variations, academic freedom is fundamentally tied to a shared vision of the university that upholds freedom of thought, with rationality and pluralism at its core. It includes the genuine “right to be wrong”–the understanding that a scientific opinion may be incorrect or even proven so does not diminish its protection. This stands in stark contrast to the anti-science, scientistic, or techno-nationalist approach, which views knowledge as a tool of power to serve a predetermined truth and objective of dominance. Authoritarian science, driven by power interests, seeks to diminish critical humanities and social sciences while elevating religion. It tends to reject interdisciplinary work, is exclusively mathematized, and is oriented toward a centralized yet deregulated autocratic tech-utopian state model.

    Since 1945, we have operated under the illusion that academic freedom is an indispensable condition for scientific excellence. However, we have recently learned that no systematic link exists between academic freedom and breakthrough scientific innovation in our era of new technologies. Given these circumstances, this proposal advocates for a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, for the first time in its history, in recognition of academic freedom.

    The Nobel Prize Committees for Science and Peace share the responsibility of using their prestigious platforms to uphold fundamental scientific and democratic values. They are uniquely positioned to champion humanist science, reinforcing its importance for scholars, students, and civil societies worldwide. Since the 1950s, around 90% of Nobel Prize laureates in scientific fields have either been US citizens or have studied and worked at Ivy League research institutions.

    While some US scientists are contesting actions of the Trump administration in court, academics worldwide should stand in solidarity with their American colleagues in resisting the erosion of science. To strengthen their efforts, they require the support of the Nobel Prize Committees.

    Stéphanie Balme ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Academic freedom and democracy under siege: how a Nobel peace prize could help defend them – https://theconversation.com/academic-freedom-and-democracy-under-siege-how-a-nobel-peace-prize-could-help-defend-them-251494

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Ministers Burke and Smyth welcome Government approval of roadmap for implementing the EU Artificial Intelligence Act

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    5th March 2025

    On Tuesday, 4 March 2025, the Government approved a recommendation from Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, that Ireland adopt a distributed model of implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. This approach will build on the deep knowledge and expertise of the established sectoral regulators. The Government approved the designation of an initial list of eight public bodies as competent authorities, responsible for implementing and enforcing the Act within their respective sectors. These authorities are,

    • Central Bank of Ireland,
    • Commission for Communications Regulation,
    • Commission for Railway Regulation,
    • Competition and Consumer Protection Commission,
    • Data Protection Commission,
    • Health and Safety Authority,
    • Health Products Regulatory Authority,
    • Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport.

    Additional authorities, and a lead regulator who will coordinate enforcement of the Act and provide a number of centralised functions, will be designated by a future Government decision to ensure comprehensive implementation of the Act.

    Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said,

    “AI presents Ireland with a strategic opportunity; it holds the prospect of major benefits for our economy and for our society. For business it can boost productivity, spur innovation and deliver better customer services; for the public it can provide enhanced public services; and for society, accelerated advances in science and medicine. It is a priority for me to ensure that we capture these benefits.

    “However, to capture these benefits, we must build trust in AI systems. For this reason, the landmark EU AI Act, the first in the world comprehensive regulation establishing guardrails for the safe and ethical use of AI, is a strategically important regulation for Ireland, as well as the EU. I am committed to an efficient and well-resourced implementation of the Act in Ireland, in a manner that provides the necessary safeguards, while spurring innovation for the benefit of our economy and our society.”

    Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth said,

    “The decision by Government to use the existing national framework of well-established sectoral authorities for enforcement of the EU AI Act will make compliance with the AI Act easier for businesses. It is also an important step towards the commitment in the Programme for Government to make Ireland an EU centre of expertise for digital and data regulation for companies operating across the EU Digital Single Market. Providing an efficient, comprehensive, fair and transparent implementation of the Act in Ireland will enhance Ireland’s reputation for quality regulation and its competitiveness for attracting further investment in this burgeoning technology.”

    ENDS

    For Editors

    The EU AI Act establishes a harmonised regulatory framework for AI systems developed or deployed in the EU. It is designed to provide a high level of protection to people’s health, safety, and fundamental rights and to simultaneously promote the adoption of human-centric, trustworthy AI. The Act entered into force in August 2024 and its provisions apply, in a phased manner, over the period to August 2027.

    The Act is a horizontal instrument that applies to all sectors of the economy, both public and private. However, there are exemptions for applications of AI relating to national defence; national security; scientific R&D; R&D for AI systems, models; open-sourced models; and personal use.

    The Act is risk-based so that its provisions are targeted and proportionate – it is not a blanket instrument applying to all AI systems. Most AI systems are not subject to any regulatory requirements under the Act as they are low risk. In addition, the Act gives special consideration to the needs of SMEs and startups. This will ensure that the EU remains competitive for AI investment and innovation. The key elements of the Act are as follows:

    • Eight AI practices are prohibited from February 2025 due to the unacceptable risk they pose:
      • Subliminal techniques likely to cause that person, or another, significant harm,
      • Exploiting vulnerabilities due to age, disability or social or economic situation,
      • Social scoring leading to disproportionate detrimental or unfavourable treatment,
      • Profiling individuals for prediction of criminal activity,
      • Untargeted scraping of facial images,
      • Inferring emotions in workplaces or education institutions,
      • Biometric categorisation of race, religion, sexual orientation…,
      • Real-time remote biometric identification for law enforcement…
    • Stringent conditions must be satisfied by high-risk AI systems, by their providers, and by their deployers, in order for such systems to be placed on the market or put into use. The Act identifies two classes of high-risk systems: 
      1. AI systems that are part of the safety components of twelve specific product categories e.g. toys, machinery (applies from August 2027).
      2. AI systems in eight specific uses e.g. employment, education, in relation to essential public and private services such as financial, healthcare (applies from August 2026).
    • Transparency conditions are placed on providers and deployers of four categories of AI systems that give rise to lower-order risks, such as chatbots (applies from August 2026).
    • Providers of General Purpose AI (GPAI) models (foundation models) are subject to obligations to mitigate the substantial risks, including systemic risks, they pose due to their power and generality. These obligations will be enforced by the European Commission, but with the cooperation of Member States (applies from August 2025).
    • The penalties for infringements of the Act are substantial: fines of up to €35M or 7% global turnover

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