NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Infrastructure resignation: Premier Smith

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Regional Dialogue on Social Justice Hosted by India Concludes at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    Regional Dialogue on Social Justice Hosted by India Concludes at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi

    Over 500 Participants from Asia-Asia Pacific Region and beyond Enriched Regional Dialogue

    Collaborative Approaches Explored for Responsible Business Practices, Promoting Decent Work within Global Value Chains and Harnessing AI for Decent Work & Equity

    Coalition Partners Reaffirmed the Need for Continued Dialogue And Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration to Drive Global Agenda for Social Justice

    Posted On: 25 FEB 2025 7:39PM by PIB Delhi

    Ministry of Labour and Employment and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in collaboration with Global Coalition for Social Justice and International Labour Organization, with the support Confederation of Industry (CII) – Employers Federation of India (EFI) hosted a two-day Regional Dialogue on Social Justice under the Global Coalition for Social Justice at Bharat Mandapam from 24-25 February 2025 in New Delhi.

    The event brought together more than 500 representatives from Coalition partners, governments, concerned Ministries of Government of India, employers’ and workers’ organizations, academia and enterprises, experts from international organizations bodies and ESIC members and officers.

    Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the two-day Regional Dialogue and launched key publications on  Responsible Business Conduct, Transforming India’s Social Protection Landscape, Compendium of Social Protection in India, and Shram Samarth, in the presence of Director General, International Labour Organization (ILO), Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Ms. Shobha Karandlaje, and Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Labour & Employment.

    The event also marked the 74th foundation day of ESIC celebrating seven decades of the organisation’s service to workers and their families across the country. The highlight of the occasion was the start of the ESIC Special Services Fortnight, a 15-day initiative aimed at enhancing worker welfare. Running from February 24th to March 10th, 2025, this initiative will involve participation from ESIC Field Offices, Hospitals, and Medical Institutions in a series of activities, including seminars, health talks, awareness camps, hygiene education, health check-ups etc.

    Global experts, policymakers, and industry leaders shared their insights during technical sessions to advance social justice in the region. Experts from international organizations including International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations India, UNICEF, UN Women and UNESCAP shared crucial insights and global perspectives.

     

    Representatives from Australia, Japan, Namibia, Philippines, Germany, Brazil, showcased their respective experiences and learnings, while participants discussed strategies on empowering the youth to drive sustainable growth for enterprises, expanding social security to informal workers, responsible business practices in safeguarding worker well-being, promoting decent work, living wages within global value chains and human centric approach to harnessing AI for decent Work & equity. Emphasizing corporate accountability and compliance with international labour standards, the discussions reinforced the importance of multi-stakeholder partnership in driving sustainable and inclusive economic growth while upholding workers’ rights and well-being.

     

    Representatives from Ministry of Labour & Employment presented its key initiatives and achievements including NCS and e-Shram, social security coverage and OSH in changing world of work during the technical sessions.

    Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary (Labour & Employment) emphasized the need for collaboration among social partners- industry and workers’ organizations for fostering social justice by promoting sustainable business models, driving inclusive growth and advancing quality employment generation. She further highlighted India’s commitment to leading global efforts on social justice in collaboration with the ILO as well as OECD on the development of an International Reference Classification of Skills and Occupations under the G20 framework.

    In her concluding remarks, Secretary, Labour and Employment elaborated on the strides taken by India towards Responsible Business conduct. She appreciated the efforts of Indian businesses who showcased practices for promoting responsible business conduct by ensuring health & safety of workers, living wages, and youth skilling while expanding social protection coverage.

    Ms. Dawra also emphasized India’s demographic dividend, skilling youth for future of work, quality employment generation, and workforce well-being as top priorities.

     

    Ms. Sana De Courcelles, Director of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, praised India’s pioneering efforts and strong commitment to taking the lead in the coalition as an active partner. She commended India not only for its leadership in the coalition but also for delivering concrete outcomes, fostering tangible actions for job creation, promoting shared prosperity, and encouraging collective efforts for ongoing dialogue.

    Interactive digital kiosks of Ministry of Labour and Employment and its organizations including ESIC, Employees’ Provident Fund Organization, Director General of Employment and Director General of Labour Welfare, received good response from the participants.

    Landmark initiatives of the Ministry including e-Shram, NCS portal, labour reforms Gig & Platform Worker, ELI Schemes, EPFO and ESIC were showcased through digital flipbooks. These engaging kiosks emphasized India’s commitment to leveraging technology to make social security more accessible, transparent, and efficient.

     

    The seminar concluded as the Joint Secretary, Labour & Employment, Shri Rupesh Kumar Thakur reaffirmed the need for continued dialogue and multi-stakeholder collaboration of Coalition Partners to drive the global agenda for social justice.

    ******

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2106221) Visitor Counter : 53

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKETO Jakarta celebrates Year of Snake in Penang

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    HKETO Jakarta celebrates Year of Snake in Penang
    HKETO Jakarta celebrates Year of Snake in Penang
    ************************************************

         ​The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Jakarta (HKETO Jakarta) hosted a Chinese New Year dinner in Penang, Malaysia, today (February 25) to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Some 220 guests from the local government, business, academic, cultural and media sectors attended the event.           In her welcome speech, the Director-General of the HKETO Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng, said that Hong Kong and Penang share a similar historic and cultural background. The HKETO Jakarta worked closely with the Penang State Government last year to strengthen bilateral exchanges, working together to facilitate numerous Hong Kong teams’ participation at the Penang International Dragon Boat Regatta and the Penang International Lion Dance-on-Stilts Competition, as well as the inaugural performances by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Dance Company in Penang.           “Over the past year, Hong Kong-based airlines have significantly expanded passenger services according to the direction set under the Policy Address. Hong Kong has now become one of Penang International Airport’s most frequent routes beyond the Southeast Asia region,” said Miss Cheng.     She added that visitor arrivals from Malaysia increased by 50 per cent year-on-year in 2024, fully reflecting Hong Kong’s glamour. With the grand opening of Kai Tak Sports Park on March 1, a host of sports and entertainment events are set to take place at this iconic venue. Meanwhile, Hong Kong is also committed to enriching visitors’ travel experience, including products related to the panda economy. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will take forward the relevant measures in the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 promulgated in December 2024 to attract more tourists from Malaysia and beyond.           “The robust air connectivity of our two cities will also enable Penang enterprises to export a diverse range of products to the world seamlessly via Hong Kong, leveraging Hong Kong International Airport’s advantages as the world’s busiest cargo airport and the various high value-added logistics facilities therein.”           Dignitaries attending the dinner included the Chief Minister of Penang, Mr Chow Kon Yeow; the Chinese Consul-General in Penang, Mr Zhou Youbin; the Director of Malaysia of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Ms Hoh Jee Eng; the President of the Hong Kong-Malaysia Business Association, Dato’ Dixon Chew, and senior representatives from other major local business chambers.           Also joining the event were the Penang State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy, Mr Wong Hon Wai, the Penang State Executive Councillor for Youth, Sports and Health, Mr Daniel Gooi Zi Sen, and other key local officials.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, February 25, 2025Issued at HKT 20:42

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sick Call Screener Course enhances operational readiness at NMRTC Twentynine Palms

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    The Adult Medical Care Clinic (AMCC) at Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms has implemented an innovative approach to improving medical care accessibility and operational readiness through its Sick Call Screener Course (SCSC).

    The AMCC provides acute and primary care services to the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School (MCCES) and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) headquarters units, supporting a population of 13,000 to 15,000 MCCES students. The clinic offers services ranging from acute care and medical readiness to laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, and physical therapy.

    “On a typical morning, our first challenge is managing anywhere between 60 to 80 acute sick call patients,” said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Matthew Ritchie, AMCC’s leading chief petty officer. “Because of this expected daily demand, we have made it a point to deliver huge improvements in clinic operations. We are proud to say that we have reduced average appointment wait times from six weeks to just seven days.”

    One of the key contributors to this improvement is leveraging the Sick Call Screener Course, a Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) program designed to equip hospital corpsmen with the necessary medical knowledge, skills, and abilities to serve in operational environments. The course enhances patient care accessibility by training corpsmen to act as provider extenders.

    “The primary creators of the course at this command are LCDR Bristow, HM1 Smith, and myself,” Ritchie said. “It was developed to increase hospital corpsmen’s medical proficiency while also improving access to care.”

    Sick Call Screeners play a critical role in the AMCC’s operations by triaging acute patients and conducting examinations under the supervision of healthcare providers. Their presence has significantly improved efficiency, allowing for quicker evaluations and streamlined medical services.

    “This program has increased our access to care and allowed us to support mission readiness more effectively,” Ritchie added. “Since its implementation, we’ve seen a substantial decrease in appointment backlog, allowing Marines to receive timely medical attention and return to duty faster.”

    As the AMCC continues upskilling its corpsmen, the success of the Sick Call Screener Course serves as a testament to the Navy Medicine’s commitment to enhancing operational medical readiness and keeping the warfighter in the fight. By empowering hospital corpsmen with critical medical skills, NMRTC Twentynine Palms is ensuring that Marines receive the care they need while maintaining peak mission effectiveness.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: England subsidises drugs like Ozepmic for weight loss. Could Australia follow?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Karnon, Professor of Health Economics, Flinders University

    Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock

    People with a high body weight living in England can now access subsidised weight-loss drugs to treat their obesity. This includes Wegovy (the weight-loss dose of Ozempic, or semaglutide) and Mounjaro (one of the brand names for tirzepatide).

    These drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, can improve the health of people who are overweight or obese and are unable to lose weight and keep it off using other approaches.

    In Australia, the government subsidises the cost of semaglutide (Ozempic) for people with diabetes.

    But it is yet to subsidise semaglutide (Wegovy) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for weight loss.

    This is despite Australia’s regulator approving GLP-1 agonists for people with obesity, and for overweight people with at least one weight-related condition.

    This leaves Australians who use Wegovy for weight loss paying around A$450–500 out of pocket per month.

    But could Australia follow the England’s lead and list drugs such as Wegovy or Mounjaro on the PBS for weight loss? Doing so could bring the price down to $31.60 ($7.70 concession).

    Australia has already knocked back Wegovy for subsidies

    The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) reviews the submissions pharmaceutical companies make for their drug therapies to be subsidised through the PBS.

    For every such recommendation, PBAC publishes a public document that summarises the evidence and the reasons for recommending that the drug should be added to the PBS – or not.

    In November 2023, PBAC reviewed Novo Nordisk’s submission. It proposed including semaglutide on the PBS for adults with an initial BMI of 40 or above and a diagnosis of at least two weight-related conditions. At least one of these related conditions needed to be obstructive sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis of the knee, or pre-diabetes.

    Sleep apnoea was one of the weight-related conditions in the original application.
    JPC-PROD/Shutterstock

    However, PBAC concluded semaglutide should not be subsidised through the PBS because it didn’t consider the drug cost-effective at the price proposed.

    PBAC referred to evidence on the long-term benefits from weight loss for people at increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or having a stroke. However, it didn’t factor these effects into its calculations when estimating the cost-effectiveness of semaglutide.

    The committee suggested a future submission could focus on patients with either pre-existing cardiovascular (heart) disease, type 2 diabetes, or at least two markers of “high cardiometabolic risk”. This could include hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease, fatty liver disease or pre-diabetes.

    What did England decide?

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has a similar role to the PBAC, informing decisions to subsidise medicines in England.

    As a result of NICE’s recommendation, semaglutide is subsidised in England for adults with at least one weight-related condition and BMI of 30 or above. Patients must be treated by a specialist weight-management service and prescriptions are for a maximum of two years.

    More recently, NICE approved another GLP-1 agonist, tirzepatide, for adults with at least one weight-related condition and a BMI of 35 or above.

    This approval didn’t restrict prescriptions to those treated in a specialist weight-management service. However, only 220,000 of the 3.4 million who meet the eligibility criteria will receive tirzepatide in the next three years. It is not clear how the 220,000 patients will be selected.

    The limits on tirzepatide will reduce the impact of GLP-1 agonists on the health budget. It is also intended to inform the broader roll-out to all eligible patients.

    For both semaglutide and tirzepatide, NICE noted that clinicians should consider stopping the treatment if the patient loses less than 5% of their body weight after six months of use.

    Australians who use Wegovy for weight loss or heart disease pay A$450–$500 out of pocket per month.
    antoniodiazShutterstock

    Why did they reach such different decisions?

    NICE assessed the use of GLP-1 agonists for a broader population than PBAC: people with one weight-related condition and a BMI of 30 or above.

    Another difference was that NICE’s cost-effectiveness analysis included estimates of the longer-term benefits of these drugs in reducing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular (heart) disease, stroke, knee replacement and bariatric surgery.

    The proposed prices of the GLP-1 agonists in England and Australia are not reported. We can only observe the estimated health benefits. These are represented as the additional number of “quality-adjusted life years” (QALYs) associated with using the drugs. One QALY is the equivalent of one additional year of life in best imaginable health.

    Committees estimate the amount of additional health spending required to gain QALYs, to see if it’s worth the public investment. Looking at the committees’ estimates of weight-loss drugs (without a two-year maximum):

    • NICE reported a gain of 0.7 QALYs per patient receiving semaglutide for a target population with a BMI of 30 or more

    • PBAC reported a gain of 0.3 QALYs, but for a population with a BMI of 40 and above.

    Part of the explanation for the difference in estimated QALY gains is that PBAC did not consider the reduced risk of future weight-related conditions, only the impact on existing conditions.

    In contrast, NICE referred to substantial cost offsets due to reduced weight-related conditions, in particular because some patients would avoid developing diabetes.

    England and Australia’s estimates of the benefits of Wegovy differed.
    Matt Fowler KC/Shutterstock

    Time to rethink PBAC’s focus?

    Both NICE and PBAC are clearly concerned about the impact of GLP-1 agonists on the health budget.

    PBAC is trying to restrict access to a limited pool of people at highest risk. It is also being more conservative than NICE in estimating the expected benefits of GLP-1 agonists. This would require manufacturers to reduce their price in order for PBAC to consider these drugs cost-effective.

    Maybe this approach will work and the Australian government will pay less for these drugs the next time it considers publicly funding them.

    However, GLP-1 agonists are not on the agenda for the forthcoming PBAC meetings, so there is no timeline for when GLP-1 agonists might be funded in Australia for weight loss.



    Read more:
    People on Ozempic may have fewer heart attacks, strokes and addictions – but more nausea, vomiting and stomach pain

    Jonathan Karnon receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund.

    – ref. England subsidises drugs like Ozepmic for weight loss. Could Australia follow? – https://theconversation.com/england-subsidises-drugs-like-ozepmic-for-weight-loss-could-australia-follow-245367

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: National Sales Director for New York-Based Mobil Diagnostic Company Charged in Kickback Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A New York national sales director was charged on Feb 20, 2025 in federal court in Boston for allegedly conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.

    David Fuhrmann, 59, of Port Jefferson, N.Y. was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.

    According to the charging documents, it is alleged that from at least June 2013 through at least September 2020, Fuhrmann conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. It is alleged that Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. It is further alleged that some doctors were paid in cash and others by check. Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators allegedly created rental and administrative service agreements. On paper, these agreements made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were allegedly shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.  

    According to the charging documents, the scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare.  

    The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Kelly M.  Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

    he details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cherry Point Sailors Get a Taste of Officer Life and Lunch at Mentorship Session

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    A mentorship session conducted aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point on Thursday, February 13, 2025, educated enlisted service members about the opportunities available for them to commission as officers.

    Sailors serving aboard Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point attended a Commissioning Lunch and Learn mentorship session hosted by the facility’s Staff Education and Training Department to hear from their peers and fellow staff about the pathway to becoming commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy.

    “A Commissioning Lunch and Learn is a crucial opportunity for Sailors who aspire to become officers in the U.S. Navy,” said Lieutenant William Hookes, Department Head of the facility’s SEAT team. “Many enlisted Sailors are interested in advancing their careers but may not fully understand their options for becoming commissioned officers.

    Sailors attending the mentorship session heard from Navy Reserve Healthcare Officer Recruiters as well as one of their peers, Hospital Corpsman First Class Michael Barros. Barros serves aboard the clinic in the Warrior Wellness and Readiness clinic and will soon participate in the Medical Service Corps Inservice Procurement Program.

    The program provides an avenue for enlisted Sailors to attend undergraduate and graduate training with the goal of earning a commission in the Navy’s Medical Service Corps.

    Barros spoke about the challenges he overcame in applying to the program and the obligation and commitment required to meet the program’s requirements and complete the application process.

    “This event helps Sailors navigate their choices and determine which pathway aligns with their career goals,” said Hookes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    ———————————

    Highlights:

    – Security Council/ Middle East
    – Occupied Palestinian Territory
    – Ukraine/Security Council
    – Biodiversity
    – Deputy Secretary-General
    – Senegal
    – DR Congo/humanitarian
    – DR Congo/peacekeeping
    – Chad
    – Haiti
    – International Organization for Migration
    – Financial Contributions

    ** Security Council/ Middle East
    You saw Sigrid Kaag, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Senior Humanitarian Coordinator for Gaza, brief the Security Council. She told the members that this may be our last chance to achieve a two-state solution, reiterating that all hostages must be released and while in captivity, they must be allowed to receive visits and assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross. And she said that the resumption of hostilities must be avoided at all costs. Ms. Kaag called on both sides to fully honour their commitments to the ceasefire deal and conclude negotiations for the second phase.
    She told the Council that we are ready to support reconstruction efforts, and that Palestinians must be able to resume their lives, must be able to rebuild, and to construct their future in Gaza. There can be no question of forced displacement.

    **Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Turning to the situation on the ground in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that our humanitarian partners, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Gaza, yesterday continued to administer polio vaccinations for the third day to 548,000 children under the age of 10. This represents 93 per cent of the target population. The campaign has been extended until tomorrow to ensure full coverage.
    Since the start of the ceasefire, our friends at the World Food Programme have brought in more than 30,000 metric tonnes of food into Gaza. More than 60 kitchens supported by WFP across the Gaza Strip, including in North Gaza and in Rafah, have handed out nearly 10 million meals.
    For its part, the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, tells us that its teams have reached nearly 1.3 million people with flour and reached about two million people with food parcels since the start of the ceasefire.
    The head of Gaza’s Ministry of Health has said today that six children from the Gaza Strip have died in recent days due to the severe cold wave recently, bringing to 15 the total number of children who’ve passed away from the cold.
    And the Food and Agriculture Organization reports that last week it delivered animal feed in northern Gaza for the first time since the ceasefire, benefiting 146 families with livestock in Gaza city alongside another 980 in Deir al Balah. So some in Gaza City and some in Deir al Balah.
    Over the past four days, our partners working in education have identified additional schools in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al Balah that were used as shelters for displaced people. These schools will be assessed and repaired to prepare for their reopening.
    And turning to the situation West Bank, OCHA reports that the security situation remains alarming, with the ongoing Israeli operations in the north causing further casualties, mass displacement and generating additional humanitarian needs due to the displacement.
    In Jenin governorate, the two-day operation in Qabatiya was concluded yesterday.
    The operation was launched with bulldozers, involving exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinians, as well as detentions and significant destruction of infrastructure, including electricity lines, water lines, and the closure of schools.
    We once again warn that lethal, war-like tactics are being applied, raising concerns over use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards.
    Meanwhile, the World Food Programme said it reached 190,000 people in January with cash assistance and has provided one-off cash assistance to more than 5,000 displaced people from the Jenin refugee camp.
    ** Ukraine/Security Council
    Yesterday, Rosemary DiCarlo, our Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefed the Security Council on the situation in Ukraine.
    She said that during these three long years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 10 million Ukrainians remain uprooted – they are either internally displaced or refugees abroad. She reiterated our commitment to delivering assistance to those who need it as we’ve been telling you almost on a daily basis.
    Referring to the Resolution the Council adopted during the meeting, Ms. DiCarlo said that indeed it is high time for peace in Ukraine. This peace, however, must be just, sustainable and comprehensive, in line with the Charter of the United Nations, international law, and resolutions of the General Assembly, including the one that was adopted yesterday morning.

    Full Highlights:
    https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=25%20February%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB5VuMM8bYY

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Cross-border employees of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation – Hospital de Cerdanya/Hôpital de Cerdagne – E-002304/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for addressing this issue of apparent double taxation of workers by Spain and France. Such interventions are a valuable source of information to detect potential breaches of EU law by Member States but also practical problems cross-border workers face from a taxation perspective in the internal market.

    Commission is aware of the challenges posed by the Cerdanya Hospital as a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). It is the first example of a cross-border hospital supported by the cooperation programme Spain — France-Andorra POCTEFA, serving a French-Spanish mountain area with medical staff from both countries — and beyond. The Commission Regional Representation in Barcelona is following this flagship cross-border project closely.

    Double taxation issues are addressed by bilateral double taxation conventions concluded between the Member States. These legal instruments are the standard way to address double taxation of individuals in most instances.

    The affected workers have the possibility to launch appeals before the competent Spanish authorities and courts. Furthermore, they could submit the issue to the French and Spanish tax authorities under the mutual agreement procedure (Article 26 of the Double Taxation Convention between France and Spain of 1995), which however does not oblige those to solve the issue.

    Alternatively, the affected cross-border workers could also submit a complaint to each of the Member States concerned under the national provisions transposing Directive (EU) 2017/1852 on tax dispute resolution mechanisms in the EU[1]. This important EU instrument is intended to resolve disputes regarding double taxation and requires the competent tax authorities to come to a result.

    • [1] Council Directive (EU) 2017/1852 of 10 October 2017 on tax dispute resolution mechanisms in the European Union, OJ L 265, 14.10.2017, page 1.
    Last updated: 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Pain and non-communicable diseases – E-002948/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission recognises the importance of integrated patient care pathways in addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and associated chronic pain.

    For example, the joint action JACARDI[1] on cardiovascular diseases and diabetes aims to improve patient care pathways and address all aspects of a patient’s health, including chronic pain.

    The Commission will step up its efforts on preventive health ensuring a comprehensive approach to health promotion and disease prevention[2].

    The first exchange of views on these new priorities was held with the Expert Group on Public Health[3] on 30 January 2025. This provided the opportunity to discuss how the Commission can best and most effectively support Member States in preventing and managing NCDs, and associated conditions like chronic pain.

    The Commission recognises the need to develop solutions to efficiently tackle chronic pain. Two call topics[4] were recently opened under the Horizon Europe Programme[5] including one linked to the scoping review[6] that offered researchers in the pain area an opportunity to apply for research funding.

    Horizon Europe will continue to offer opportunities for research funding, as call topics are broad enough to accommodate for pain research.

    • [1] https://jacardi.eu/
    • [2] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/b628b5a2-ac1e-4b9c-bbdd-35b82da0ac6b_en?filename=mission-letter-varhelyi.pdf
    • [3] https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/expert-group-public-health_en
    • [4] These topics included: ‘Tackling high burden for patients, under-researched medical conditions’ https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-hlth-2024-disease-03-14-two-stage and ‘Novel approaches for palliative and end-of life care for non-cancer patients’ https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-hlth-2023-disease-03-01
    • [5] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en
    • [6] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/eae32303-96e3-11ed-b508-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
    Last updated: 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – WHO international health regulations and pandemic treaty – E-002841/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission sees the negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement (PA) and the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) as important opportunities to address gaps exposed by COVID-19.

    In line with the negotiating directives (addendum to Council Decision (EU) 2022/451[1]), the Commission, negotiating on behalf of the Union, prioritises prevention, including the One Health approach.

    The aim is to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR) to pandemics and other public health emergencies. No PA proposal or agreed amendments to the IHR affect the Member States’ responsibilities for the definition of their health policy and for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care as enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU[2]. Sovereignty stands as a guiding principle in the PA proposal and remains unchanged in the amended IHR.

    No new specific ‘PPPR mechanism’ is foreseen under either instrument. The amended IHR created the Coordinating Financial Mechanism which will support the identification of, and access to financing. Many Commission initiatives support and contribute[3] to PPPR, including participation in the Pandemic Fund.

    The Commission committed EUR 427 million to the Pandemic Fund[4], and the Fund aims at increasing health system resilience and adapting to local contexts, with a One Health approach.

    The Commission has three priorities in the 2022 Global Health Strategy[5]: deliver better health and well-being; strengthen health systems and advance universal health coverage; and prevent and combat health threats, including pandemics, applying a One Health approach.

    • [1] Council Decision (EU) 2022/451 of 3 March 2022 authorising the opening of negotiations on behalf of the European Union for an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, as well as complementary amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005).), OJ L 92, 21.3.2022, p. 1.
    • [2] Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
    • [3] Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, GPEI-Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, programmes for health with partner countries and regions.
    • [4] This represents 7.9% of EU commitments to global health development assistance (2021-2027).
    • [5] https://health.ec.europa.eu/internationalcooperation/global-health_en
    Last updated: 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WHO marks 20 years of its lifesaving tobacco control treaty

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Health

    A UN treaty that addresses the global tobacco epidemic has saved millions of lives over the past two decades, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. 

    The agency is this week celebrating the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) – one of the most widely embraced UN treaties in history.

    The Convention provides a legal framework and a comprehensive package of evidence-based tobacco control measures which include large pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages, smoke free laws and increased taxes on tobacco products.  

    Up to 5.6 billion people are now covered by at least one tobacco control policy in line with the treaty and studies have shown a decline in global smoking rates.

    ‘A plague on humanity’

    “Tobacco is a plague on humanity – the leading cause of preventable death and disease globally,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

    He noted that “since the entry into force of the WHO FCTC and the MPOWER technical package that supports it, global tobacco use prevalence has dropped by one-third.”

    The Convention is the first ever public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO. It came into effect on 27 February 2005 and currently there are 183 Parties covering some 90 per cent of the global population.

    An event will be held on Thursday in Geneva to mark the milestone anniversary.

    Bans and warnings

    Thanks to the Convention, 138 countries now require large pictorial health warnings on cigarettes packets. Dozens more have implemented plain packaging rules which require a standard shape and appearance without branding, design or a logo. 

    Both measures serve as powerful tools to reduce tobacco consumption and warn users about the dangers of tobacco use, WHO said.

    Furthermore, over a quarter of the world’s population is now covered by policies that ban smoking indoors and in workspaces, saving millions from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

    Meanwhile, over 66 countries have implemented bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, which include prohibitions against tobacco advertising in the media and sponsorship deals.

    Confronting a ‘deadly’ industry

    The treaty has also been instrumental in establishing legal defences in the face of the tobacco industry, which spends tens of billions of dollars on promotion. 

    “The tobacco industry is a deadly industry behind the tobacco epidemic, now trying to position itself as part of the solution while actively derailing efforts at tobacco control which could save millions more lives,” said Dr. Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the WHO FCTC Secretariat.

    The treaty “equips Parties with a comprehensive set of measures to protect populations from the industry’s ever-evolving tactics – designed to profit at the cost of people’s lives and the health of our planet,” she added, urging countries “to remain ever watchful against its predatory tactics.”

    The tobacco burden

    Tobacco use is a major driver of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), causing premature death and disability, WHO explained.

    Tobacco-related illnesses lead to catastrophic health expenditures, particularly for the world’s poor. Smokers are also more likely to lack access to nutritious food compared to non-smokers, including in wealthier countries. 

    The impacts go even further. 

    Tobacco cultivation uses large areas of land that could otherwise support sustainable food production systems, while its production further depletes vital resources such as land and water that are needed to produce food. 

    Additionally, trillions of discarded plastic-heavy cigarette butts pollute ecosystems every year, further harming the planet.

    Undermining public health

    WHO said the tobacco industry “continues to undermine public health efforts, aggressively targeting youth through marketing, lobbying against tobacco control policies, and positioning itself as part of the solution to the problem it created.” 
     
    Dr. Blanco Marquizo added that although great strides have been made in tobacco control, more remains to be done as “the tobacco industry continues to kill millions of people per year and its socio-economic burdens cause strains on entire populations.” 

    She urged countries to fully implement the measures under the WHO FTC, including by increasing tobacco taxes, implementing smoke free laws, enforcing comprehensive advertising and sponsorship bans, prohibiting and regulating ingredients that form tobacco products, and addressing the challenges brought by new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products. 

    “Through these measures we can save the lives of millions more people globally,” she said. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ascent Consumer Products Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System Due to Microbial Contamination

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    February 25, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    February 25, 2025
    Product Type:
    Drugs
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Microbial contamination of the product with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)

    Company Name:
    Ascent Consumer Products Inc.
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    SinuCleanse

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System

    Company Announcement
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 02/25/2025 Melville, NY. Ascent Consumer Products Inc. is voluntarily recalling one lot of SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System to the consumer level. The recall is being initiated due to a confirmed test result of microbial contamination of the product with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
    Risk Statement:
    Use of the SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System, contaminated with S. aureus, can result in blood infections in users whose nasal mucosa may be compromised due to inflammation and mechanical injuries, caused by nasal irrigation. Resulting secondary infections may occur, such as endocarditis (infection of the heart’s inner lining), bone and joint infections, splenic abscesses or meningitis, and bacterial sinusitis which may lead to eye tissue infections, vision problems, cranial nerve damage, or meningitis. These infections are serious and potentially life-threatening. To date, no adverse events have been reported to Ascent Consumer Products, Inc. related to this recall.
    SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System is used as a nasal wash of the nasal passages to help temporarily relieve symptoms associated with sinusitis, cold, flu, or allergies. The only affected product lot includes the following:

    Product Name 

    Lot Number 

    Expiration Date 

    SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System

    024122661A1

    12-31-2027

    The SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System is packaged in a carton, containing the squeeze bottle and 30 Saline Packets. The lot number and expiration date can be identified on the side of the carton or on the back of the Saline Packets within the carton. The affected lot was distributed in January 2025 nationwide through retail and online outlets.
    Ascent Consumer Products Inc. is notifying its distributors and customers by electronic mail. Distributors and retailers in possession of the affected lot should immediately cease distribution and remove the recalled SinuCleanse Soft Tip Squeeze Bottle Nasal Wash System lot from inventory. Consumers who have this product should discontinue use immediately and return it to the place of purchase or discard it.
    Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Ascent Consumer Products Inc. by email at cs@ascentconsumerproducts.com Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm ET. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they experience any problems related to the use of this product.
    Reporting Adverse Reactions
    Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program:

    This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Company Contact Information

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    02/25/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Journal of Infectious Diseases Publishes Article on 40 Years of NAMRU SOUTH Work and Research

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    LIMA, Peru – U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) SOUTH published a collection of peer-reviewed articles highlighting the command’s ongoing military medical research efforts in The Journal of Infectious Diseases on February 15.

    The articles cover 40 years of NAMRU SOUTH’s medical achievements in infectious disease surveillance, control and prevention in Peru and partner nations in Latin America, with the goal of ensuring U.S. service member readiness, and of reinforcing strategic global alliances.

    “The research conducted by NAMRU SOUTH plays a crucial role in detecting and characterizing infectious disease threats that can impact the U.S. warfighter in deployed operations,” said Capt. Michael Prouty, commanding officer for NAMRU SOUTH. “Through the efforts of our dedicated staff, of which 95% are Peruvian nationals, we are able to both maximize service member readiness, and protect the U.S. from emerging infectious diseases. Additionally, through our collaborations with partner nations, we also strengthen these partnerships, enhancing health security for both their military and civilian populations.”

    The Journal of Infectious Diseases publishes patient and disease-focused research for scientific audiences, to help translate laboratory science into the clinical and experimental setting. The Journal is produced by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, whose work focuses on research, education and prevention efforts.

    NAMRU SOUTH has driven research projects since 1983, when the Peruvian Navy invited the U.S to collaborate on shared health science research objectives.

    The command is one of six overseas organizations within the DoD dedicated to the detection, prevention, treatment and preventative measures of infectious disease prevalent in regions where military training, deployments or operations could occur.

    “Constant environmental changes contribute to more frequent spread of emerging infectious diseases, potentially threatening DoD’s readiness to achieve and maintain its national defense goals,” explained Dr. Henju Marjuki, chief science officer at NAMRU SOUTH. “The U.S. National Biodefense Strategy recognizes that pathogens are global risks, and that enhancing resilience means strengthening global health defense to protect the nation in the same ways we develop and project conventional defenses.”

    NAMRU SOUTH conducts research on a wide range of infectious diseases of military and public health significance, and supports Global Health Engagement through surveillance of those diseases, including dengue fever, malaria, diarrheal diseases and antimicrobial-resistant infections.

    NMR&D, led by Naval Medical Research Command, is engaged in a broad spectrum of activity from basic science in the laboratory to field studies in austere and remote areas of the world to investigations in operational environments. In support of the Navy, Marine Corps, and joint U.S. warfighters, enterprise researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, medical modeling, simulation, operational mission support, epidemiology and behavioral sciences.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin Slams Democrat Falsely Blaming Trump for Biden’s Disastrous Withdrawal from Afghanistan

    US Senate News:

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

    RELEASE: Senator Mullin Slams Democrat Falsely Blaming Trump for Biden’s Disastrous Withdrawal from Afghanistan

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, responded to Democrat Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) comments falsely blaming President Trump for former President Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan during the confirmation hearing for Deputy Defense Secretary Nominee Stephen A. Feinberg. During his remarks, the Senator also debunked false claims on the administration’s effort to shrink the federal government, and the U.S. posture towards Russia amid peace negotiations.
    “The disastrous withdrawal came 100% from the Biden administration. And American lives were left behind, and are still dying because of it,” said Senator Mullin. “And you’re going to sit there with a straight face and try to say that it was President Trump’s fault?”

    Watch the senator’s full remarks here.
    Highlights below:
    “And then, as the Senator that just asked questions wanted to bring up the Afghanistan withdrawal. Brother, that’s very, very close to me. That hits home. And you’re going to lay the withdrawal on President Trump, and say it was his fault?”
    “The Biden administration threw out the entire withdrawal plan that the Trump administration had and decided to go their own way. And man, wasn’t that great?” 
    “And then we’re going to start talking about President Trump not calling a bully out, like Putin. Do we forget what happened in 2017 when Trump 100% told Russia to stay out of Syria, not to be involved, especially with the bombing of Assad’s own people? And when they did, President Trump, within 30 minutes, took out the airfield that they operated out of, destroyed it, and then took back the airspace, and we had the airspace in Syria all the way up until Biden took office and we gave it back to Putin.”
    “Do we want to go back to Israel and Hamas and discuss the way the Biden administration handled that? And the way they refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization, and the Houthis a terrorist organization, and Iran a terrorist organization. And you’re going to sit there with a straight face and actually say that about President Trump?”
    “Are we serious saying that President Trump isn’t willing to stand up to a bully when underneath his administration, was the only time that Russia didn’t advance into Ukraine, because [Putin] did it underneath Obama, when they took Crimea and they did it underneath Biden, because they didn’t respect him, because of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. And every expert will tell you that.”
    “The President is bringing back hostages. He also brought back the hostage that Biden left behind, and he didn’t give up one thing to Russia, including a guy that was highly, highly considered a threat to the world… Doctor death, that we that we decided to trade for. And I’m sure you guys thought that was a good trade.” 
    “Guys, give me a break. We’re trying to advance America’s agenda and do what’s best for this country, and the American people agree with the direction we’re going.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Next Generation of Weight Loss Drugs Being Researched at UConn

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Dr. Se-Jin Lee first discovered myostatin in 1997, a protein that is part of a system of checks and balances that limits human muscle growth. That discovery launched an extensive effort in the pharmaceutical community to develop myostatin inhibitors to treat muscle diseases.

    Despite numerous drugs that were taken into clinical trials for a wide range of conditions characterized by muscle loss and weakness, the results of those trials were initially disappointing in terms of improving clinical outcome — until now.

    Three companies – Scholar Rock, Biohaven, and Roche – have been testing myostatin inhibitors in phase 3 trials in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare neuromuscular disease with devastating consequences. Based on the results of these trials, one of these companies, Scholar Rock, is now seeking FDA approval for their myostatin inhibitor, which is based on a fundamental mechanism discovered by Lee by which myostatin is regulated.

    Dr. Se-Jin Lee, joint faculty member of UConn Health/JAX.

    “I could not be more excited to see this effort now on the doorstep of finally reaching fruition,” says Lee, Presidential Distinguished Professor at UConn School of Medicine and professor at The Jackson Laboratory who consults for Biohaven.

    With the potential use of myostatin inhibitors in patients with SMA on the horizon, this is now accelerating into efforts to target myostatin for obesity.

    This effort has its origin over two decades ago with studies that Lee did showing that knocking out myostatin not only increased muscle growth but also reduced body fat. Fast forward decades later, his discovery of the power of the myostatin pathway is fueling new promising obesity drug development and clinical trial testing.

    As spotlighted in February’s Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, in which Lee’s myostatin discovery and ensuing investigations over the next three decades are featured, there are clinical trials of at least 10 drugs either underway or soon launching that target myostatin and the related protein activin A or their receptors in varied ways or with a combination of drugs, with even more clinical trials rapidly evolving.

    “Many major pharmaceutical companies as well as biotech companies are developing drugs capable of blocking this signaling pathway, as these drugs have the potential to simultaneously increase muscle mass and reduce body fat,” says Lee. “The potential indications for myostatin drug discovery are going to explode in the coming years.”

    Dr. Emily Germain-Lee, joint faculty member of UConn School of Medicine and Connecticut Children’s.

    At UConn School of Medicine Lee and his wife, Dr. Emily Germain-Lee, a physician-scientist and pediatric endocrinologist who is a professor of Pediatrics at the UConn School of Medicine and Head of Academic Affairs and Research for Endocrinology at Connecticut Children’s, are further co-investigating the underlying biologics of obesity and the potential for creating future healthier, weight loss drug options.

    Their study explorations are identifying the key tissues responsible for the regulation of obesity by myostatin and activin A and developing the most effective strategies for modulating the molecules’ signaling pathways. In 2019, they even sent mice to the International Space Station, where studies showed that blocking these molecules prevented bone and muscle loss in the mice, even in the setting of microgravity in which dramatic decreases in both bone and muscle mass typically occur. Now, they are building on their out-of-this-world research efforts to help tackle the obesity epidemic.

    Why myostatin?  

    The renewed interest in targeting myostatin for obesity coincides with the enormous success of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) obesity drugs. As effective as these drugs are in causing weight loss, one concern has been that up to 40% of that weight loss is not due to fat loss but rather due to muscle loss. Moreover, when patients discontinue these drugs, the weight that they regain is predominantly fat rather than muscle.

    The picture shows a mouse on the right with four times the normal muscle mass as a result of genetically targeting the myostatin signaling pathway. A normal mouse is shown on the left for comparison. (Taken from PLoS One 2:e789, 2007)

    As a result, there is an enormous interest in developing myostatin inhibitors to preserve muscle mass in patients receiving GLP-1 drugs. The UConn team’s research has already shown in the lab in mouse models that myostatin inhibitors cause fat loss, so they are currently examining the possibility of developing them as future obesity drugs that can also preserve muscle. The myostatin drugs work by helping muscles grow while in turn reducing fat as the muscles consume more energy.

    The UConn team’s goal is to try to find a more practical and potent solution and to offer obese patients a healthier muscle-sparing weight loss drug option with fewer side effects. Also, they believe the new-age myostatin drugs might work best if given alongside the injectable GLP-1 obesity drugs. The hope is the combination would allow for a reduction in GLP-1 doses leading to fewer untoward consequences.

    “The challenge of the obesity epidemic is widespread and one that even pediatricians face constantly,” adds Germain-Lee, who frequently sees first-hand in children the significant morbidity from obesity. She explains that “effective treatments having the least detrimental impact on the musculoskeletal system are crucial.”  As a physician-scientist with a long-term focus on both endocrine and rare disorders, particularly a rare condition in which obesity is unable to be treated by dietary measures or current therapeutics, she is very excited about the benefits that myostatin inhibitors could provide.

    In her role as director of the Scientific Center for Rare Disease at Connecticut Children’s Research Institute, Germain-Lee adds, “in addition to helping to tackle the global problem of obesity, the potential for seeing infants and children with SMA having their lives transformed by myostatin inhibitors is truly amazing.”

    February 28 marks National Rare Disease Day.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NHRC Helping Leaders Evaluate Command Climate: Meet the Civilian Research Team Working Towards Force Wellness

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    When a Navy ship or shore command is at risk or experiences adverse safety events, leaders need clear information about vulnerabilities that exist, who is most at risk and why, and what actions can be taken to prevent future incidents. Understanding how leadership, workplace cohesion and stressors influence and affect sailors’ mental and behavioral health is crucial for developing meaningful solutions to these issues.

    Civilian investigators at Naval Health Research Center developed the Rapid Response Surveillance (RRS) capability to assess these factors quickly and provide practical recommendations to Navy leaders. The multidisciplinary team is made up of researchers with expertise in psychology, public health, mixed-methods research and epidemiology, and can deploy when a command experiences an adverse event or mishap, such as suicide, or when a command is at a heightened risk for such events.

    After RRS has been requested by a command and funding is secured, the team schedules a one-week visit to conduct an anonymous and voluntary command survey as well as in-depth focus groups. The team may screen for depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms. They ask about alcohol use, sleep habits and aggressive behavior, and assess participant’s perceptions of leadership, workplace cohesion and stressors.
    While it can be challenging to recruit enough Sailors to make the study worthwhile, the team provides incentives to participate, and works to establish trust with the participants.

    “I think the fact that we are civilian researchers is very helpful because we don’t report to their chain of command,” said Robyn Englert, the RRS team study coordinator.

    Once data collection is complete, the RRS team works quickly to analyze their findings. They take extra care to review what they have learned and develop recommendations that can be readily implemented without interfering with the command’s mission.

    Findings are presented to command leadership, and infographics, handouts and summaries are distributed to relevant departments.

    “All of the data we collect is for the purpose of trying to make realistic, specific and actionable recommendations that the command can implement to make the experiences of Sailors better,” said Dr. Jennifer Belding, who was principal investigator of RRS from 2023-2024.

    What sorts of recommendations are made? Consider a hypothetical scenario where junior enlisted personnel face significant stress due to last-minute task assignments every Friday. Perhaps these tasks are communicated with short notice, leaving them scrambling to complete their duties by the end of the day. The RRS team may dig deeper and learn that these issues are due to chiefs receiving task information on Wednesday but then being unable to relay those assignments until Friday due to their own meeting schedules. One actionable recommendation may be to move the chiefs’ meetings earlier to Monday, thus allowing for earlier communication and providing junior enlisted members additional time to complete their tasks. This change could hypothetically reduce work-related stress and lead to positive outcomes.

    “It’s little changes to leadership style, schedules or making a tweak here or there in order to ease stressors that commonly can get overlooked,” explained Englert.

    The RRS capability spawned from a similar effort the team was conducting called the Challenges of Operational Environments (COPE) study. While similar in design and approach, COPE is unique from RRS in that it seeks to understand how work-related stressors impact the mental and behavioral health of sailors throughout the different phases of a command’s life cycle.

    “We know that Navy commands go through different phases or life cycles. For example, a carrier might be stationed in the U.S. for a while, deploy, then change homeports, then visit the shipyard for repairs. We do not currently have data about how these changes impact sailors’ well-being,” said Belding.

    By identifying which stressors are associated with harmful behaviors at specific times, the team can provide commands with crucial information, allowing leaders to anticipate common stressors, potentially preventing issues like suicidal ideation, aggressive workplace behaviors and hazardous drinking. The goal is to help commands offer targeted resources and support, promoting self-care and overall well-being among their personnel.

    The COPE project stalled when COVID-19 halted travel and fieldwork; however, it gained new life when a ship experiencing adverse events requested assistance. Despite initial travel restrictions, the team eventually conducted a rapid response assessment, administering surveys and conducting focus groups. They briefed the ship’s command on their findings within six weeks, which marked the birth of the RRS capability. The swift assessment and feedback proved invaluable, and word began to spread about this unique capability.

    Over the past year, RRS has supported five commands, four of which have requested the team conduct a reassessment as well. Even better, command leaders are sharing their experiences with other commands who might need support.

    “The way that people are getting information about this capability is through word of mouth because of positive experiences,” said Belding. “I think that is a success story.”

    The COPE study will continue to observe personnel aboard two aircraft carriers over a two- to three-year period. The data collected will be used to develop a predictive model of harmful behaviors among sailors over various phases of the ship’s life cycle. The team’s hope is that this model will prove a powerful tool in suicide prevention as well as benefit sailors’ overall readiness and performance.

    NHRC supports military mission readiness with research and development that delivers high-value, high-impact solutions to the health and readiness challenges our military population faces on the battlefield, at sea, on foreign shores and at home.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Nutriset, a French company, has helped alleviate hunger and create jobs in some of the world’s poorest places

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nicolas Dahan, Professor of Management, Seton Hall University

    Michel Lescanne, founder and president of the French company Nutriset, holds Plumpy’nut packets in 2005. Robert Francois/AFP via Getty Images

    About 19 million children under 5 around the world suffer from severe acute malnutrition every year. This life-threatening condition kills 400,000 of them – that’s one child every 10 seconds.

    These numbers are staggering, especially because a lifesaving treatment has existed for nearly three decades: “ready-to-use therapeutic food.”

    Nutriset, a French company, was founded by Michel Lescanne. He was one of two scientists who invented this product in 1996. A sticky peanut butter paste branded Plumpy’nut, it’s enriched with vitamins and minerals and comes in packets that require no refrigeration or preparation.

    Health care professionals were quickly convinced of its promise. What was harder to figure out was how to manufacture as many packets as possible while cutting costs. In 2008, ready-to-use therapeutic food producers like Nutriset charged US$60 for one box of 150 packets – the number needed to treat one severely malnourished child for the 6-8 weeks needed for their recovery.

    In a study we published in the Journal of Management Studies in October 2024, we explained how the international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, activists and for-profit companies involved in the product’s distribution managed to resolve a public controversy over the use of Nutriset’s patent and its for-profit business model.

    Contrary to the expectations of activists and many humanitarian NGOs, this for-profit company managed to reduce its prices down to $39 per box of Plumpy’nut packets by 2019 and keep them consistently lower than any nonprofit or for-profit competitors could, all the while enforcing its patent rights.

    We interviewed Jan Komrska, a pharmacist then serving as the ready-to-use therapeutic food procurement manager at UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children; Tiddo von Schoen-Angerer, a pediatrician who was leading the access to medicines campaign at Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity; and Thomas Couaillet, a Nutriset executive. We also studied documents issued over the course of a decade to find out why this company’s unusual approach to intellectual property protection was so successful.

    Helping franchisees in low-income countries get started

    Nutriset and humanitarian organizations disagreed at the start over how to proceed with the production of ready-to-use therapeutic food.

    Doctors Without Borders at first accused Nutriset of behaving like a big drugmaker, shielding itself from competition by aggressively enforcing its patents to charge excessively high prices. The nongovernmental organization demanded that Nutriset allow any manufacturer to make its patented packets, without any compensation for that intellectual property.

    By 2012, Nutriset had changed course. It had stopped being almost the sole producer of ready-to-use therapeutic food and instead allowed licensees and franchisee partners, chiefly located in low-income countries, to make the packets without having to pay any royalties. It did, however, make an exception for the United States. It allowed Edesia, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit, to become a Nutriset franchisee.

    It also provided these smaller producers with seed funding and technical advice.

    Nutriset is still the world’s largest ready-to-use therapeutic food producer, we have determined through our research. It’s responsible for about 30% to 40% of the world’s annual production, down from more than 90% in 2008.

    There are some other U.S. manufacturers, such as Tabatchnick Fine Foods, but they aren’t Nutriset partners.

    Nutriset produced this video in 2012 to explain the scale of hunger around the world and how its ready-to-use therapeutic food packets can help.

    Threatening legal action

    At the same time, the company continued to threaten to take legal action against potential rivals located in developed countries that were replicating their recipe without authorization. Usually, cease-and-desist letters were sufficient.

    Nutriset implemented this strategy to ward off competition from big multinational corporations that might try to establish their brands in new markets, gaining a foothold before flooding them with imported ultraprocessed food. A big risk, had that occurred, would have been less breastfeeding for newborns and the disruption of local diets.

    Nutriset’s strategy of opening access to its patent selectively has enabled UNICEF to double the share of packets it buys from producers located in the Global South.

    UNICEF, the world’s biggest buyer of ready-to-use therapeutic food, bought less than one-third of its supplies from those nations in 2011. That share climbed to two-thirds in 2022.

    Nutriset’s reliance on local franchisees has helped create over 1,000 jobs in hunger-stricken regions while strengthening the supply chain and reducing the carbon emissions of transportation, according to UNICEF.

    Nutriset’s creative patent strategy also helped its partner producers in low-income countries, which include nonprofit and for-profit ventures, compete with large corporations in developed countries by the time its patent expired in 2018.

    In this instance, a for-profit company not only managed to keep its prices lower than its competitors, including nonprofits, but used its patent to support economic development in developing countries by shielding startup producers from international competition.

    As a result of these successes, we found that nongovernmental organizations eventually stopped criticizing the French company and recognized that high prices were actually not due to Nutriset’s patent policy but rather to global prices of the packets’ ingredients.

    In recognition of its contributions and innovation, Nutriset won the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patents for Humanity Award in 2015.

    Offering a cheap, convenient and effective treatment

    One of the biggest advantages of ready-to-use therapeutic food is that parents or other caregivers can give it to their kids at home or on the go. That’s more convenient and cheaper than the alternative: several months of hospitalization where children receive a nutrient-dense liquid called “therapeutic milk.”

    The at-home treatment works most of the time. More than 80% of the children who get three daily food packets recover within two months.

    Severe acute malnutrition deaths remain high because historically only 25% to 50% of children suffering from it get treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food, due to insufficient funding. The treatment programs are run by governments, UNICEF and other international agencies, and NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders.

    USAID’s funding role

    The U.S. government spent about $200 million in 2024 through the U.S. Agency for International Development on ready-to-use therapeutic food, enough packets to treat 3.9 million children. That’s nearly as much as UNICEF, which treats about 5 million children annually.

    It’s unclear whether the Trump administration, which is trying to dismantle USAID, will discontinue its funding of ready-to-use therapeutic food that the U.S. government has purchased exclusively from U.S. manufacturers with U.S.-sourced ingredients.

    At a time when the flow of development aid from several wealthy countries is declining, the precedent Nutriset set suggests that humanitarian organizations, by teaming up with international agencies, governments and for-profit companies, can help drive down the costs of saving lives threatened by hunger while increasing the nutritional autonomy of the Global South.

    But the funding for ready-to-use therapeutic food and its distribution has to come from somewhere, whether it is from governments, foundations or other donors.

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

    – ref. How Nutriset, a French company, has helped alleviate hunger and create jobs in some of the world’s poorest places – https://theconversation.com/how-nutriset-a-french-company-has-helped-alleviate-hunger-and-create-jobs-in-some-of-the-worlds-poorest-places-249258

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: World Health Organization (WHO) Provides Urgent Medical Support to Ghana to Combat Meningitis Outbreak

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    Download logo

    Ghana is experiencing a worsening bacterial  meningitis outbreak in the Upper West Region, straining the country’s healthcare system as cases continue to climb. With limited resources and rising fatalities, health authorities are racing against time to contain the disease and provide critical treatment to those affected. In response to the escalating crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stepped in to provide much-needed technical and logistical support.

    As cases increased from 42 to 60, with 14 reported deaths, WHO donated 10,600 vials of Ceftriaxone, a potent antibiotic used in meningitis treatment. The donation, valued at approximately $23,000, was officially received by the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, at a brief ceremony in Accra. The Minister immediately handed over the vials to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, for swift deployment to affected communities.

    Speaking at the handing over of the items, Dr. Frank Lule, Officer in Charge of WHO Ghana, reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to Ghana’s health systems. He said, “This donation is another testament to WHO’s commitment to strengthening Ghana’s health systems. If additional vials are needed, we will be here to provide more support.”

    Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health, emphasized the importance of WHO’s support, saying: “We are currently managing several outbreaks, and this timely donation is crucial. I’m about to brief Ghana’s Parliament on our response and will highlight WHO’s support.”

    In addition to medical supplies, WHO has dispatched Dr. Nicolō Binello, a Technical Officer specializing in Meningitis and Epidemic Bacterial Diseases from its headquarters in Geneva. Dr. Binello will work closely with national and local health authorities to strengthen clinical care and response strategies, ensuring effective treatment for patients and mitigating further spread of the disease.

    Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director-General of Ghana Health Service, assured that the donation would be put to immediate use. “This donation will go directly to the affected areas. WHO has also deployed a technical officer to support Ghana’s meningitis response. We are truly grateful”, he said.

    As part of its response, the Ghana Health Service has intensified public education campaigns, urging citizens to seek medical care at the earliest signs of meningitis symptoms. Additionally, treatment for meningitis is being offered free of charge in all health facilities to eliminate financial barriers and reduce mortality rates.

    The ongoing collaboration between WHO, Ghanaian health authorities, and local communities highlights a unified commitment to addressing the meningitis outbreak. Through strategic interventions, expert deployment, and resource mobilization, efforts are being intensified to curb the disease and safeguard public health.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Crisis in the DRC: what’s happening?

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    This backgrounder was written by Lesley Myers, Editor for UN peacekeeping’s Strategic Communications team. Lesley is a political analyst and strategic planner with over 15 years’ experience in data-driven politics, development, and peacekeeping.

     

     

     

    There’s a crisis happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has led to immense human suffering, displacement, and a deepening humanitarian crisis. It has also sparked fears of a broader, regional war.  

    What’s happening?  

    In January, the M23 armed group rapidly advanced into North Kivu province in DRC’s east, reinforced with troops and equipment from Rwanda’s armed forces, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). The M23 has taken control of Goma, a trade hub with a population of over two million people, and the capital of DRC’s North Kivu province. In its latest push, the M23 has now moved into South Kivu province, capturing its capital city, Bukavu, and reports of heavy fighting continue. 

    The ongoing fighting has left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced,  deepening the country’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Civilians are facing shortages of food and water, overwhelmed hospitals, and a growing use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. They are impeding the movement of UN personnel and obstructing humanitarian corridors as civilian casualties continue to rise.  

    The human rights situation has also deteriorated significantly, with documented cases of forced recruitment, looting of displacement sites, and searches of hospitals and homes by M23 in search of both soldiers and civilians who they perceived to be opposed to their group. 

     

    Who are the M23? 

    The M23 are an armed group that  emerged in 2012 amidst tensions between countries in the region, supported by the RDF. They have been accused of war crimes and human rights violations, and have been sanctioned by the UN for committing serious violations of international law involving the targeting of women and children in situations of armed conflict in the DRC including killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction, and forced displacement.  

    At the time, the group violently seized territory in eastern DRC but were successfully repelled by the DRC’s national army, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, as well as international pressure on Rwanda.  

    However, in 2021, regional tensions reached new heights, triggering a re-emergence of the M23. The group has been progressively taking control of territories in eastern DRC, establishing a parallel administration and levying “taxes” on local populations, while mass killings and rape continue to be reported.  

    The M23’s resurgence has also contributed to the militarization of mining sites in eastern DRC, which is exceptionally rich in natural resources critical to making electronics like cell phones and electric cars.  

     

    What is UN Peacekeeping doing?  

    MONUSCO has been protecting vulnerable populations and unarmed Congolese defense forces who have sought refuge in its premises. The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office receives daily requests for individual protection from social actors who face threats of reprisals from the M23. 

    MONUSCO is also supporting demining efforts, and working to protect human rights defenders, journalists, and members of civil society organizations.  However, the M23 is severely restricting MONUSCO’s freedom of movement, hampering MONUSCO’s ability to fulfill these critical tasks. 

    Other UN organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO), the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), and  UN’s Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), are also working to provide life-saving assistance to communities in need. 

     

    What’s next?  

    Long-term peace requires a political solution at the regional level. MONUSCO’s leadership is engaging in diplomatic efforts to push for peace. The UN and the Security Council have called on Rwanda to end its support for the M23 and withdraw its forces from the DRC. The UN Secretary-General has called on both countries to remain engaged in peace talks to bring an end to the violence. 

     

    Why have UN peacekeepers been in DR Congo for 65 years? Learn more here. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Local ‘RAPID’ Bin Initiative takes more than 120,000 pills off borough’s streets

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Pictured at the new Future Proof premises are: Aisling Gillespie (PCSP), Constable Aine Campbell (PSNI) , Sherene Livingston (Connections Team) and Shauney (Future Proof staff).

    A campaign to help dispose of unwanted or unused drugs, whether prescribed or illegal, has taken more than 120,000 pills off the streets of the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) borough since its launch in 2018.

    Led by ABC Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), ‘RAPID’ (Remove All Prescription and Illegal Drugs) is an initiative that promotes and facilitates the removal of all types of prescription and illegal drugs from the local community and provides disposal bins in various places across the council area.

    There are 12 bins in total – with one in Banbridge recently being relocated to the new Future Proof new premises at 15 Commercial Road, Banbridge.

    The RAPID Bins – which are bright yellow – are also located at the Tommy Makem Arts and Community Centre, Keady; Milestone Supermarket, Rathfriland; Tesco Craigavon; Tesco Lurgan; SPAR Aghagallon; Portadown Health Centre and Asda Superstore, Portadown, Corcrain Community Hub, Portadown, The Mall Shopping Centre, Armagh, Vivoxtra, Banbridge and Vivo Ennis Close, Lurgan.

    “Over the last seven years, these bins have played a pinnacle role in helping to combat the illegal use of drugs and prescription medication within our local communities,” commented Alderman Mark Baxter, Chair of the PCSP.

    “The RAPID initiative provides a safe way for anyone to dispose of drugs, whether they are prescribed or illegal, and to do so discreetly and anonymously. Drug misuse, involving both illegal and prescription drugs, is sadly a common issue and has the potential to cause suffering and tragedy to individuals, families, and communities.

    “It is fantastic to see community organisations installing the RAPID bins within their facilities to make it easier for the disposal of unwanted or unused drugs, tablets or medicines.”

    Some of the most common drugs disposed of in the RAPID bins are Diazepam, Citalopram, Gabapentin, Quetiapine, Mirtazapine, Pregabalin, Tramadol, Naproxen, Co-Codamol, Amitriptyline, Paroxetine, Kapake, Fluoxetine and Codeine.

    For more information on RAPID please visit www.drugsandalcoholni.info/rapid or contact Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Policing and Community Safety Partnership on 0300 0300 900.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Crisis in the DRC: What is it about?

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    This backgrounder was written by Lesley Myers, Editor for UN peacekeeping’s Strategic Communications team. Lesley is a political analyst and strategic planner with over 15 years’ experience in data-driven politics, development, and peacekeeping.

     

     

     

    There’s a crisis happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has led to immense human suffering, displacement, and a deepening humanitarian crisis. It has also sparked fears of a broader, regional war.  

    What’s happening?  

    In January, the M23 armed group rapidly advanced into North Kivu province in DRC’s east, reinforced with troops and equipment from Rwanda’s armed forces, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). The M23 has taken control of Goma, a trade hub with a population of over two million people, and the capital of DRC’s North Kivu province. In its latest push, the M23 has now moved into South Kivu province, capturing its capital city, Bukavu, and reports of heavy fighting continue. 

    The ongoing fighting has left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced,  deepening the country’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Civilians are facing shortages of food and water, overwhelmed hospitals, and a growing use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. They are impeding the movement of UN personnel and obstructing humanitarian corridors as civilian casualties continue to rise.  

    The human rights situation has also deteriorated significantly, with documented cases of forced recruitment, looting of displacement sites, and searches of hospitals and homes by M23 in search of both soldiers and civilians who they perceived to be opposed to their group. 

     

    Who are the M23? 

    The M23 are an armed group that  emerged in 2012 amidst tensions between countries in the region, supported by the RDF. They have been accused of war crimes and human rights violations, and have been sanctioned by the UN for committing serious violations of international law involving the targeting of women and children in situations of armed conflict in the DRC including killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction, and forced displacement.  

    At the time, the group violently seized territory in eastern DRC but were successfully repelled by the DRC’s national army, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, as well as international pressure on Rwanda.  

    However, in 2021, regional tensions reached new heights, triggering a re-emergence of the M23. The group has been progressively taking control of territories in eastern DRC, establishing a parallel administration and levying “taxes” on local populations, while mass killings and rape continue to be reported.  

    The M23’s resurgence has also contributed to the militarization of mining sites in eastern DRC, which is exceptionally rich in natural resources critical to making electronics like cell phones and electric cars.  

     

    What is UN Peacekeeping doing?  

    MONUSCO has been protecting vulnerable populations and unarmed Congolese defense forces who have sought refuge in its premises. The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office receives daily requests for individual protection from social actors who face threats of reprisals from the M23. 

    MONUSCO is also supporting demining efforts, and working to protect human rights defenders, journalists, and members of civil society organizations.  However, the M23 is severely restricting MONUSCO’s freedom of movement, hampering MONUSCO’s ability to fulfill these critical tasks. 

    Other UN organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO), the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), and  UN’s Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), are also working to provide life-saving assistance to communities in need. 

     

    What’s next?  

    Long-term peace requires a political solution at the regional level. MONUSCO’s leadership is engaging in diplomatic efforts to push for peace. The UN and the Security Council have called on Rwanda to end its support for the M23 and withdraw its forces from the DRC. The UN Secretary-General has called on both countries to remain engaged in peace talks to bring an end to the violence. 

     

    Why have UN peacekeepers been in DR Congo for 65 years? Learn more here. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 5 years on, COVID remains NZ’s most important infectious disease – it still demands a strong response

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Baker, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago

    Getty Images

    This Friday, February 28, marks five years since COVID-19 was first reported in Aotearoa New Zealand. At a population level, it remains our most harmful infectious disease, with thousands of hospitalisations and 664 deaths last year.

    Understandably perhaps, many people want to move on from the early pandemic years, and there is a temptation to minimise COVID’s threat now the emergency response has passed.

    But it deserves a proportionate response that draws on the rich evidence we now have of how to minimise the harms of respiratory infections and the health and economic benefits that come from managing them well.

    The epidemiology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to change. Hospitalisations provide the most consistent measure of incidence trends. Wastewater testing shows similar successive waves of infection.

    The past five years divide into a successful elimination response from March 2020 to late 2021 and a mitigation period from February 2022 onwards.

    The mitigation phase, which has now lasted three years, has been driven by Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2, with seven waves of generally decreasing size (see graph above).

    Total hospitalisations have dropped from a peak of more than 22,000 in 2022 to about 9,000 in 2024 (a 60% decline). Deaths attributed to COVID have also decreased from 2,757 in 2022 to 664 in 2024 (a 76% decline). These drops are likely to reflect changes in both the virus and population immunity arising from vaccination and infection.

    The timing and size of COVID waves remain unpredictable. They are not following a seasonal pattern like influenza. Only two of the seven Omicron waves peaked in the flu season (see graph above).

    Although further declines are likely, it is possible a large-scale change in the virus could emerge – as we’ve seen with Delta and Omicron variants – and reverse this pattern. We still need to plan for the possibility of severe future variants as well as for other types of pandemics that might be becoming more likely.

    Health and economic impacts of Long COVID

    Despite a favourable downward trend, deaths and hospitalisations from COVID are still higher than those estimated for influenza, which is probably our next most burdensome infectious disease.

    It is also a major cause of health inequities with significantly worse infection outcomes for Māori and Pacific peoples.

    Continuing high rates of repeat infections are also driving Long COVID, with the risk estimated at 4-14% per infection. Long COVID occurs with infections of all intensities, with both initial infection and reinfections.

    Consequently, the prevalence of Long COVID is likely to increase over time, with substantial health and economic consequences.

    How to respond to the ongoing pandemic

    We know what works to reduce the harms from COVID. Above all, we need an evidence-informed national plan, clear communication, engagement with key partners (including the health sector, public and Māori), resources and implementation. Key elements include:

    1. Continuing and enhancing highly effective COVID surveillance

    Surveillance systems include use of wastewater testing and whole-genome sequencing which guide our response. We need to add a focus on hospital-acquired COVID which is an important source of infections and deaths, estimated to have caused about 14% of COVID deaths in New South Wales in 2023, which would represent about 150 deaths that year in New Zealand.

    2. Promoting regular repeat vaccinations

    The currently available Pfizer JN.1 vaccine provides a reasonable match with the circulating strain of the virus. This vaccine is very safe and effective at reducing many adverse effects of infection, including Long COVID, but requires regular additional doses for all age groups to maintain effectiveness.

    3. Using public health and social measures to reduce infections

    These measures include improving indoor air quality and promoting testing and self-isolation for those with respiratory symptoms. Reintroducing free RAT tests and sick-leave support would help.

    Wearing respirator masks (for example, N95) is highly effective, particularly in confined indoor environments such as public transport. Given the severe effects of hospital-acquired COVID, health settings need particular attention. Evidence supports the effectiveness and value of admission testing of patients and staff wearing N95 masks.

    4. Taking specific measures to reduce and manage Long Covid

    This means active steps to reduce both the incidence of infection (with public health and social measures) and the severity and duration of illness (with vaccination and antivirals). New Zealand needs to offer more than a single additional dose for younger age groups to improve their protection from Long COVID.

    5. Updating and implementing our pandemic preparedness and response plan

    The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID delivered a set of recommendations based on the pandemic experience. Now is the time to implement them.

    Our capacity could be supported through a New Zealand Centre for Disease Control and a pandemic cooperation agreement with Australia. Developing these pandemic capabilities would help to minimise COVID and other respiratory infections, including influenza.

    All of these measures would be supported by a strong, systematic response to the corrosive effects of misinformation and disinformation.

    The past five years have taught us a great deal about pandemic diseases and how to manage them. A key lesson from New Zealand’s highly successful early elimination response was the importance of good evidence-informed leadership and a cohesive plan.

    Such leadership is still needed now to mitigate the harm from COVID which remains an ongoing threat to individual and societal wellbeing.

    Michael Baker’s employer, the University of Otago, has received funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the New Zealand Ministry of Health for research he has carried out on COVID-19 epidemiology, prevention and control.

    Matire Harwood is a member of the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee to the Minister of Health.

    Amanda Kvalsvig, John Donne Potter, and Nick Wilson do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. 5 years on, COVID remains NZ’s most important infectious disease – it still demands a strong response – https://theconversation.com/5-years-on-covid-remains-nzs-most-important-infectious-disease-it-still-demands-a-strong-response-246873

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Crapo Celebrate Senate Passage of Bipartisan Resolution To Designate February As American Heart Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 24, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Caucus, today celebrated Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution to designate February 2025 as American Heart Month.  The resolution reaffirms the government’s commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease by supporting research and improving access to affordable, quality care to reduce long-term disability and mortality.
    “As the leading cause of death in the U.S., heart disease has touched nearly every American family.  It’s critical that we advance clinical research and treatments to support those suffering from cardiovascular diseases,” said Durbin.  “I’m encouraged that my Senate colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, saw the value in raising awareness around the damaging impacts of cardiovascular disease by passing my resolution with Senator Crapo.  I hope together we can use American Heart Month to build support for our efforts.”
    “Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in Idaho and in the United States.  We can all make changes to our lifestyle that will decrease our risk of heart disease, as well as the risk to our family members.  This month, the Senate reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to fighting cardiovascular disease,” said Crapo.
    In 2022, cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of more than 940,000 Americans, making it the leading cause of death in the United States.  Cardiovascular disease disproportionately affects women and communities of color.  Increased awareness of cardiovascular disease can lead to prevention or treatment, ultimately saving thousands of lives annually.  
    Durbin is a strong advocate for advancing research and treatments for cardiovascular diseases, particularly through his work on the Senate Committee on Appropriations to secure increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  In November 2024, Durbin’s bipartisan Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024 was signed into law, extending funding for public health efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve childhood survival rates, prevent premature death and disability, and increase quality of life for the 2.5 million Americans living with congenital heart disease (CHD).  Specifically, this funding supports data collection, research, and awareness efforts at the CDC for congenital heart defects, the most common and deadliest birth defect.  Since 2018, Durbin has increased appropriations for the cause from $4 million to $8.25 million. 
    A copy of the resolution can be found here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Irrigation district penalized for diver fatality

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lab Operator Convicted of $4M Medicare Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A federal jury in Detroit convicted a California man today for his role in defrauding Medicare of over $4 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary urine drug testing for patients receiving pain management treatment.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sherif Khalil, 50, of Redondo Beach, conspired with others to submit claims to Medicare for the highest-reimbursing urine drug testing panels, which doctors did not want or order.

    Sherif Khalil operated Spectra Clinical Labs, a toxicology lab located in Gardena, California. As the owner of Spectra, Khalil implemented a scheme to pay marketers a percentage of Medicare reimbursements and incentivize them to obtain doctors’ orders for expensive drug testing panels. Khalil concealed Spectra’s payments to marketers by routing the payments through nominally independent marketing companies that Khalil secretly controlled. To maximize Spectra’s profits and their own commission payments, Spectra’s marketers then trained staff members at doctors’ offices to send Spectra orders for medically unnecessary urine drug tests that doctors did not actually want or authorize. Khalil also knew that orders Spectra received from physician practices were not supported by documentation of medical necessity.

    The medically unnecessary laboratory tests ordered in exchange for illegal kickbacks to marketers caused Medicare to pay more than $4 million to the Spectra Clinical Labs.

    Khalil was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. Khalil is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud count and five years in prison on the count for conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

    The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys S. Babu Kaza, Jeffrey A. Crapko, and Kelly Warner and Assistant Chief Shankar Ramamurthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lab Operator Convicted of $4M Medicare Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A federal jury in Detroit convicted a California man today for his role in defrauding Medicare of over $4 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary urine drug testing for patients receiving pain management treatment.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sherif Khalil, 50, of Redondo Beach, conspired with others to submit claims to Medicare for the highest-reimbursing urine drug testing panels, which doctors did not want or order.

    Sherif Khalil operated Spectra Clinical Labs, a toxicology lab located in Gardena, California. As the owner of Spectra, Khalil implemented a scheme to pay marketers a percentage of Medicare reimbursements and incentivize them to obtain doctors’ orders for expensive drug testing panels. Khalil concealed Spectra’s payments to marketers by routing the payments through nominally independent marketing companies that Khalil secretly controlled. To maximize Spectra’s profits and their own commission payments, Spectra’s marketers then trained staff members at doctors’ offices to send Spectra orders for medically unnecessary urine drug tests that doctors did not actually want or authorize. Khalil also knew that orders Spectra received from physician practices were not supported by documentation of medical necessity.

    The medically unnecessary laboratory tests ordered in exchange for illegal kickbacks to marketers caused Medicare to pay more than $4 million to the Spectra Clinical Labs.

    Khalil was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. Khalil is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud count and five years in prison on the count for conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

    The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys S. Babu Kaza, Jeffrey A. Crapko, and Kelly Warner and Assistant Chief Shankar Ramamurthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Framingham Town Hall, Warren Lays Out Plan to Fight Back Against Trump Policies That Hurt Massachusetts Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    February 22, 2025
    “[U]ltimately, the power is not actually in the White House. The power is not actually in the Congress. The power lies with the people, and that’s what I’m counting on.”
    “[Billionaires like Elon Musk] believe that the rich can get even more squeezed out of this country and they can do it on the backs of everyone else in this nation, and they hope you won’t see that, and they are wrong. We see it, and we will stop it.” 
    “This is not just Republican versus Democrat. Not anymore. This is a whole lot bigger than that.”
    Video of Remarks (YouTube)
    Boston, MA – At a town hall in Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) shared her thoughts on President Trump and Elon Musk’s work to “bring down our government from the inside,” and laid out her plan to fight back against the Trump administration’s policies that hurt Massachusetts families. 
    February 22, 2025 As Delivered
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Hello Framingham! Hello Massachusetts! Oh, sit down, sit down. Damn, it is good to be here with you all. Not that it’s not fun to be in Washington. But thank you all for being here. 
    This is such an extraordinary moment. I know there’s a lot you could be out doing, but you’re in here because you care. And I’m so glad we have this chance to be together, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s a hard time out there. 
    It is a hard time when our federal government is firing the people who are trying to do cancer research. It is a hard time when our federal government, under co-presidents Elon Musk and Donald Trump, is laying off the people who keep our nuclear materials safe. It is a hard time when our co-presidents are firing veterans. It is a hard time when they are trying to bring down our government from the inside. It is a hard time when President Elon Musk is out there mowing through every federal database that has all your personal financial information, and in some cases, medical information, all of the ways that you can be identified. It is a hard time when that little consumer agency—can we hear it for the CFPB? Yeah. When the cop on the beat that has discovered more than 20 billion dollars of scams over the last dozen years shut them down and made the scammers give the money back to the people they cheated, and now co-president Musk wants to shut that down—not on my watch. You bet. Yeah. Yeah. Not here. And it is a hard time when co-president Trump thinks that he’s going to rule by bullying people, whether those people are immigrants, whether those people identify differently he does, whether or not those people are the governor of Maine. It’s not going to work. 
    Here’s the deal. Yes, it is a hard time. I acknowledge that, and we came together to talk about it. We don’t have all the tools we want. I get it. Boy, can I count to exactly 47 Democrats in the United States Senate and 53 Republicans. I can do that math. I understand that. But the fact that we don’t have as many tools as we want does not mean that we have no tools at all. We are in this fight. You bet. So, I want to do something today. I want to tell you, just as our topper, we’re going to ask some questions in a minute, but I want to tell you what I’m working on and what we’re all trying to do right now. 
    So part one: what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing in large parts of government is flatly illegal. It’s just illegal. It’s not like, “Well on the one hand, on the other.’ A big part of what they’re doing is illegal, and we are in the courts. We are in the courts, and we’re going to fight this out in the courts. That’s part one. 
    Part two: right in the United States Senate, we are the ones who are supposed to do advice and consent. Now, like I said, we’re in a 47-53. These nominees are horrible. It’s a term of art here. Right. They are terrible. We now have someone who’s going to be in charge of our Health and Human Services. Yep. Yep. Yep. Someone who’s in charge of the Department of Defense. The Director of National Intelligence. So, I see you’ve been reading, right? You’re staying up, you get who these people are. 
    The Republicans are going forward in the Senate with these people, Donald Trump has nominated them, going forward. Here’s the deal. We’re not giving it away for free. They can name horrible people, and maybe we don’t have the votes to stop them, but we are not giving it away for free. When RFK gets nominated—you bet—I tried to make clear with my questions: not only does he traffic in antiscience, traffic in antivaxx, but he’s making millions of dollars to do it, and that’s not right. When our Secretary of Defense is credibly accused of sexual assault, I managed to pry out the information: he paid $50,000 to hush that woman up. When he’s falling down drunk at work events and when he drove not one, but two nonprofits straight into the ground financially. We couldn’t stop him, but we didn’t give it away for free. 
    Here’s how I look at it, with all of these nominees. We’re putting a stink on them, and making sure the American people see it, and that every damn Republican who voted for him is going to feel a part of that stink now, and into the future. So, that’s part two. And part three is to try to raise a movement. To do it all across this country. Yep. If you’ve seen me on TV, if you’ve seen me on podcasts, if you’ve seen me out in the streets or sidewalks, you understand that’s what I’m trying to do and it’s what others are trying to do. Because ultimately, the power is not actually in the White House. The power is not actually in the Congress. The power lies with the people, and that’s what I’m counting on. 
    So, with that in mind, I know what we need. We’ve got people in this room. I don’t have to tell you not to give up. You don’t give up. You’re in this room because you were ready for this fight. So, I wanted to be here today to ask for three things. You know I always come with an ask. I mean everybody, anybody wants to meet me, “Oh, Elizabeth, what do you want now?” because that’s my job. So ask number one; tell the stories of what this means. Ask number one, that’s it. 
    Tell the stories of what it means if cancer research is halted. 
    Tell the stories about what it means if we’re going to shut down our national parks. 
    Tell the stories of what it’s going to mean if someone who has dedicated 22 years working in public service just gets laid off. 
    Tell the stories of what it means if you’re going to terrorize an immigrant community so that little business owners have to close their doors because people are afraid to be out on the sidewalks. 
    Tell the story about what it means when children are afraid to go to school. 
    Tell those stories. 
    And the reason for that is: we are at the moment of developing the national narrative for what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing. It is bad, and we need to tell that story, and I need you to tell it. So that’s part one, and by the way, when I say tell it, tell it everywhere. Tell it online, do it on your Facebook, do it on Insta, do it texting, but also the group you went to school with, your group that you work on, anybody, anywhere around the country. Go on these chats and tell the stories, because this is how, as a nation, we make the voice of people heard. So that’s part one. Part two: do not underestimate the value of organizing. Indivisible. God bless them. Some of you, we have some Indivisible members. And other organizations. I’m all in. One voice is powerful. Two voices is more than twice as powerful. Organizing and getting energy behind it—we keep each other going. So please, organize, get in a group that’s organized. Work with others, build your own, bring in your neighbors, but come. 
    And then, part three, you’ve got to take care. These are hard times, and remember how they say on the airplane, ‘Adjust your own mask before helping the person sitting next to you.’ You actually do have to take a deep breath. This is a time when Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to undermine our confidence and our ability to be with each other, to make our voices heard, to make this government work. And we have to take care of ourselves. 
    And that’s going to be a lot of different things for different people. I have my own. We can talk about that. But with your friends, with yourself, you got to take care, because we’re not in this just until tonight. We’re not in this just until the end of this month. We are in this for the long haul to save our country. 
    I know it’s hard right now. It’s hard to maintain focus. There’s so much going on. I sometimes think of this as feeling like you’re in a sandstorm, right, and it’s just buffeting, and things are coming from every direction. Understand that is intentional. They are doing this because they don’t want people to be able to get focused and respond. Why is that? Why all this noise? Why are they doing all these pieces at once? Because they want you to not see the driving force behind it. There is a driving force here, and the driving force is that billionaires like Elon Musk and a handful of the other cronies, they want giant tax cuts so that they can be even richer and so they can run this country. And they want regular folks, people who depend on a little help from the federal government, to be able to stay in a nursing home. People who need, a little kid down the street from you who has a severe disability and he needs an aide to be able to be in a public school. They believe that the rich can get even more squeezed out of this country and they can do it on the backs of everyone else in this nation, and they hope you won’t see that, and they are wrong. We see it, and we will stop it. You bet. Yup. I think of this as what we fight for. 
    This is not just Republican versus Democrat. Not anymore. This is a whole lot bigger than that. This is truly what we think our government is for. Why we organize and get out there, why we vote, why we show up. The Republicans right now have completely caved in. It’s Elon Musk and whatever he wants to do, and Donald Trump wants to name himself King. That’s where they’re headed. 
    We are the people who actually believe that we can build an America that doesn’t just work for a handful at the top. We believe in an America where everybody gets a fighting chance, and what that ultimately means is that we make those investments so people can get them. We make the investment, damn it, in public education—can we hear it for our teachers? You bet. We make those investments in healthcare because healthcare is a basic human right. And we’re in the fight to make those investments in housing so everyone has an opportunity to buy a home and build some security. 
    I’m here because I’m an optimist. And yeah, this is, this is, this tests me. I get it. But I’m still an optimist. I’m an optimist because I truly see up close and personal what happens when we work together. I see the things we build, and I see the people right now here in Framingham, here in Massachusetts, who show up to say investing in our government is worth it. So we’re going to stay in this fight. Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hassan, Shaheen Host Roundtable Discussion Highlighting Harmful Impact of Potential Republican Cuts to Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    (Manchester, NH) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) hosted a roundtable discussion highlighting the harmful impact of potential Republican cuts to Medicaid. This event comes after Democrats held the floor last week to push back against the Republican-led budget resolution that would pave the way for tax breaks for the wealthiest while slashing programs like Medicaid to pay for it. At the event, Senator Hassan, Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee, shared a new Joint Economic Committee analysis showing the impact that Medicaid cuts would have on Granite Staters including the fight to combat the opioid epidemic. Photos from the discussion can be found here. 

    “One in seven Granite Staters rely on Medicaid for their health insurance, and gutting the program would have devastating consequences for families, children, seniors, people that live with disabilities and more,” said Senator Shaheen. “We know that despite what President Trump may say about not touching this program, Republicans in Congress have made it clear that Medicaid is on the chopping block. That would cause real harm in our state and across the country. I’ll continue pursuing every avenue available to protect Medicaid and prevent health care costs from rising.” 

    “Medicaid helps strengthen our economy, our workforce, and the health of our families and our children,” said Senator Hassan. “The plan put forward by President Trump and Congressional Republicans will drastically cut Medicaid in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and special interests. It will have serious and severe consequences for people across New Hampshire and will prevent children and families from getting the health care that they need to thrive.”

    The discussion brought together Granite State health care professionals, Medicaid recipients, activists and elected officials. In addition to Shaheen and Hassan, roundtable participants included Jonathan Routhier, The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, Steve Ahnen, New Hampshire Hospital Association, Tess Kuenning, Bi-State, Ken Gordon, CEO, Coos Family Health, Jake Berry, New Futures, Maureen Beauregard, Easterseals, Katie Phillips, Able NH, Shawn Cannizzarro, Hope2Freedom Recovery, Carrie and Katie Duran, Medicaid recipients, Maggie Pritchard, CEO, Lakes Region Mental Health Center, Jay Couture, CEO, Seacoast Mental Health Center and Rep. Laura Telerski, NH Deputy House Democratic Leader.  

    Last week, the majority of Senate Republicans worked to block several amendments Shaheen offered that would have helped make health care more affordable and accessible, including an amendment that mirrors her Health Care Affordability Act—bicameral legislation she introduced last month that would make permanent the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits for Marketplace coverage. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if the tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of this year, health care premiums would skyrocket and 4 million Americans would lose their health insurance altogether.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: “Light up Your Life”: Stop smoking campaign launches across Birmingham and Solihull

    Source: City of Birmingham

    The Birmingham and Solihull Tobacco Control Alliance has launched a campaign to help you light up your life, by giving up smoking.

    Throughout February and March, the “Light Up Your Life” campaign will feature across social media, radio, buses, and outdoor spaces to raise awareness of the stop smoking services available across Birmingham and Solihull.

    Ruth Tennant, Chair of the Birmingham and Solihull Tobacco Control Alliance and Director of Public Health at Solihull Council, said: “Smokers keen to start their smokefree journey should know that we’re here to help.

    “Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health and your body starts to repair itself from the day you quit.

    “A range of support is available for smokers across Birmingham and Solihull, with more information available on the light up your life website.”

    Personalised support is available for smokers across Birmingham and Solihull, with tailored support available for people who smoke during pregnancy.

    Cllr Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Carecommented: “Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions a smoker can make for their health and wellbeing. We urge smokers to consider the numerous advantages of starting their smokefree journey by using the local resources available to them.

    Our free cessation programmes are personalised to meet individual needs, giving people the best chance to live a smokefree life and improve their health and wellbeing.”

    Smoking cessation services in Birmingham are delivered by community pharmacies and GPs with other support available, including the Quit with Bella App.

    Cllr Tony Dicicco, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health at Solihull Council, added: “I’d really encourage any smokers to think about lighting up your life. “We know that giving up smoking can be difficult, but our Smokefree Solihull service provides free support to anyone who is registered with a Solihull GP, has a Solihull postcode or who works in the borough.

    “Our team will provide you with the support you need to light up your life and look forward to a smoke-free future.”

    In Solihull, the Smokefree Solihull service is delivered by ABL, with other smoking cessation offers including Swap to Stop.

    Organisations involved in the campaign include Birmingham City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and the Birmingham and Solihull Tobacco Control Alliance.

    Nationally, Smokefree 2030 aims to reduce smoking rates to less than 5% by 2030, making England effectively smoke-free.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –