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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Application window for Connect Me grant scheme opens soon12 February 2025 ​Local charities and organisations will be able to apply for grants from the Government of Jersey of up to £5,000 from Monday 3 March to Friday 4 April. The Connect Me: Connecting Our Communities… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    12 February 2025

    ​

    Local charities and organisations will be able to apply for grants from the Government of Jersey of up to £5,000 from Monday 3 March to Friday 4 April. 

    The Connect Me: Connecting Our Communities Grant Scheme aims to build a more connected and healthier community by providing funding for projects that promote participation in arts, culture and physical activities. 

    Since its start in 2022, the scheme has supported 159 different projects, benefitting over 40,000 Islanders. The scheme fosters collaboration between local charities and helps create a sense of community by increasing the wellbeing of Islanders through arts and physical activities. 

    Organisations that have previously benefited from the scheme include; CYPES – ​Jersey Youth Choir, The Shelter Trust – Walking Football and EYECAN – Accessible Swimming for All. 

    Each project will be evaluated by a panel based on the objective outlined below: 

    • to engage a large cross section of the Jersey community in arts and/or physical activity aimed at enhancing sustainable wellbeing over the next two years 
    • to increase participation in the arts and/or physical activity across the whole population 
    • to provide a means for Government to progress towards the delivery of the strategic objectives outlined in: 
    • Common Strategic Policy 
    • Government Plan 
    • Arts Strategy 
    • Heritage Strategy 
    • Inspiring an Active Jersey Strategy 
    • Cancer Strategy 
    • Disability Strategy 
    • Dementia Strategy or any other health and wellbeing related strategies and policies 
    • to stimulate the creative economy by providing coordinated work for creatives and arts practitioners 
    • to cooperate with other organisations, where possible, in delivery of the project 
    • new applicants will have precedence over repeat projects supported. 

    Organisations that have received funding from the Connect Me scheme are also showcased on Elemental, an online social prescribing platform. Elemental allows healthcare professionals to refer patients to community programs and services that can help them improve their health and wellbeing. Islanders also have the flexibility to self-refer or seek assistance from a link worker. 

    Applicants can apply via the online application form. 

    For further information or if you have any questions regarding the application please email connectme@gov.je​.​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Wilbur You and You Capital Investment Firm Partner with Sol Nutrition, Inc. to Revolutionize Herbal Supplements

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — You Capital Investment Firm, led by Managing Partner Wilbur You, is proud to announce its strategic equity partnership with Sol Nutrition, Inc., a premier herbal supplement company owned by renowned wellness expert Dr. Liu. This collaboration is set to redefine the global herbal supplement industry by combining world-class investment expertise with cutting-edge nutritional science.

    With a shared vision of promoting holistic well-being, this partnership will fuel Sol Nutrition’s expansion and innovation, ensuring the production of the highest-quality herbal supplements. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Sol Nutrition is already recognized for its commitment to natural, scientifically backed formulations, and with the support of You Capital, the company is poised for significant growth and market impact.

    “This partnership marks a new era for the health and wellness industry,” said Wilbur You, Managing Partner of You Capital. “Dr. Liu and Sol Nutrition have built an incredible foundation, and we are excited to provide the resources and strategic guidance to elevate their reach and influence.”

    Dr. Liu, Founder of Sol Nutrition, added, “Our mission has always been to deliver the world’s best herbal supplements, and with the backing of You Capital, we are now in a position to bring our vision to a global audience. Together, we will set new standards in quality and innovation.”

    Dr. Liu is a highly respected doctor and the owner of Eastern Medicine, where she has built a reputation for excellence in holistic healing. She has served a distinguished clientele from all over the world, offering tailored wellness solutions that integrate traditional and modern medical practices. Her expertise and influence in the health and wellness industry further solidify Sol Nutrition’s standing as a leader in herbal supplementation.

    This investment underscores You Capital’s commitment to fostering businesses that prioritize health, sustainability, and excellence. The partnership will enable Sol Nutrition to enhance its research and development, expand its product offerings, and strengthen its global distribution network.

    Wilbur You brings a wealth of business acumen to this partnership, having successfully built and scaled Youtech, a full-service digital marketing and technology agency. Under his leadership, Youtech has grown into a nationally recognized firm specializing in marketing, digital strategy, and business transformation. His experience in scaling businesses and leveraging innovative marketing strategies will play a crucial role in positioning Sol Nutrition as a global leader in the herbal supplement industry.

    For media inquiries, please contact:
    Jessica Starman
    jessica@elev8newmedia.com
    (888) 461-2233

    About You Capital Investment Firm
    You Capital Investment Firm specializes in strategic partnerships and equity investments that drive business growth and industry innovation. Led by Managing Partner Wilbur You, the firm focuses on transformative opportunities in health, technology, and sustainable industries.

    About Sol Nutrition, Inc.
    Sol Nutrition, Inc. is a leading herbal supplement company dedicated to creating science-backed, high-quality natural products. Under the leadership of Dr. Liu, Sol Nutrition continues to pioneer advancements in holistic health and wellness.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Holiday Activity and Food Programme agreed in Preston for 2025/2026

    Source: City of Preston

    Following the Full Council meeting on 30 January, Preston City Council agreed to accept funding of up to £600,000 to deliver the Holiday Activity and Food programme (HAF) in Preston.

    The HAF programme is an initiative funded by the Department for Education for the delivery of food, along with activities for children aged between 5 – 19 years, during the school holidays.

    A competitive grant application process for providers wishing to deliver elements of the programme from April 2025 will now be put into place.

    The programme provides healthy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning. It is primarily aimed at children in receipt of benefits related free school meals but is not exclusively for them and successful providers will be able to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits, but those who the local authority believe could benefit from the initiative.

    Councillor Zafar Coupland, Cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, said:

    “As a result of this programme, the children attending the activities and accessing the food programme will benefit from being active and eating healthily during the school holidays and will have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition to help them in the future.

    “This is a very important initiative, and I hope the children and young people who take part in the engaging and enriching activities take advantage of the support available in developing resilience, character and wellbeing.”

    More information

    • The expansion of the programme year-on-year has meant a total of 5.4 million HAF days provided between Christmas 2022, Easter and Summer 2023. For several years, local authority areas across Lancashire have been allocated Department of Education funding from Lancashire County Council to provide a funded HAF programme. Since 2022, the HAF programme has provided 10.7 million HAF days to children and young people in this country.
    • With a new contract period under negotiation to start in April 2025, there is an opportunity for Preston City Council to manage the HAF programme in-house to build on the work done previously by an external agency. This would enable the provision of further opportunities for providers due to an increase in capacity and skills at the Council. Lancashire County Council would now prefer a direct award to Preston City Council for simplicity.
    • This funding is for one year only and ends on 31 March 2026.
    • Full details on this funding can be found in the Council HAF report – January 2025
    • Preston City Council actively applies and prioritises the principles of Community Wealth Building wherever applicable and appropriate. Community Wealth Building is an approach which aims to ensure the economic system builds wealth and prosperity for everyone.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: More than 90 thousand schoolchildren and students took part in the competition “Science. Territory of Heroes”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Welcome speech by Dmitry Chernyshenko to the participants of the popular science competition “Science. Territory of Heroes”

    16 hours ago

    The final of the popular science competition “Science. Territory of Heroes” for schoolchildren and students from all over the country took place at the National Center “Russia”. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.

    The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the advantages of the profession of a scientist and spoke about the opportunities it opens up for young people.

    “The profession of a scientist in Russia is becoming increasingly popular and prestigious. Our scientists are real superheroes! We are in fifth place in the world in terms of the number of people engaged in research and development. Almost every second scientist in Russia is under 40 years old. The competition “Science. Territory of Heroes” is also gaining popularity. More than 90 thousand schoolchildren and students from all over the country have already become its participants. By involving tens of thousands of young researchers in the scientific field, we are solving one of the main tasks of the Decade of Science and Technology announced by President Vladimir Putin,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    Participants in the final of the popular science competition “Science. Territory of Heroes”

    He added that the country’s future will depend on talented youth. The government will continue to support young people and create conditions so that the path in science is not so difficult and leads to success.

    The head of the Ministry of Education and Science, Valery Falkov, congratulated the winners of the competition and noted that today more and more young people want to connect their lives with science.

    “All necessary conditions are being created for scientific creativity in our universities and scientific organizations, including the opening of youth laboratories, the updating of the equipment base, and serious grant support. I would like to separately note the strengthening of cooperation between universities, research institutes and the real sector of the economy,” the minister added.

    This year, 10 talented children from all over the country competed in the final duel – from Zavolzhye to Chelyabinsk Oblast. Young researchers answered scientific questions, talked to young scientists and famous popularizers of science, including Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor of the Institute of Laser and Plasma Technologies of the National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI” Vladimir Reshetov, Ambassador of the project – biologist Ilya Gomyranov.

    Third place went to Andrey Khokhlov from Michurinsk, second place went to Timofey Kovalev from Pskov. First place was awarded to Alexander Valov from Klin.

    They received additional points for admission to the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, as well as awards from the competition partner companies. Rosatom State Corporation provided three winners with the opportunity to undergo career consultations, the purpose of which is to help build an individual professional path. Beeline awarded one winner with a grant of 200 thousand rubles for conducting research work and improving competencies in the chosen field. The remaining finalists received gift certificates and prizes from the competition partners, and also took part in an interactive tour of the Sber office.

    The winners of the competition will receive individual internships at the country’s leading scientific centers: the Far Eastern Federal University, the Interuniversity Student Campus of the Eurasian World-Class Scientific and Educational Center, and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. There, the students will gain unique experience in scientific research, study the areas in which they plan to develop in the future, and meet practicing scientists from the scientific field that interests them.

    The competition “Science. Territory of Heroes” is held annually within the framework of national projects of Russia and is part of the “Science of Winning” initiative of the Decade of Science and Technology.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nurses and Corpsmen enhance multidisciplinary skills at Naval Hospital Bremerton

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    Critical multidisciplinary skill sustainment training included a little faux assistance at Naval Hospital Bremerton, February 11, 2025.

    As Navy Nurse Corps officers, civilian registered nurses and hospital corpsmen filed into NHB’s Skills Fair, amongst the training modules designed to refresh their proficiency levels reclined a Mr. [mannequin] Smith.

    Mr. Smith was acknowledged as a 43-year old bedridden patient who had been in the hospital for the past four days, suffering from a chest injury caused by a car accident. His lung had a compressed injury resulting in a chest tube for hemothorax. There were other apparent health complications, including medication management and patient-safety needs.

    Nurse Corps officers assigned to the main hospital, from the branch health clinics located on Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Base Everett, civilian registered nurses and hospital corpsmen
    were tasked to determine what was wrong with Mr. Smith, as well as detect any errors which could compromise patient care and patient safety within the inpatient room setting.

    “This is getting nursing back to nursing,” said Lt. Essie Gutierrez, Directorate of Health Services division officer who organized the event. “We can touch, we can feel, we can do hands-on training. We hope that skills someone hasn’t used in a while get refreshed, so they get more confident in being able to use their skills.

    According to Gutierrez, Navy Nurse Corps officers are required to be able to handle their duties when called upon and must perform a minimum of 144 hours per year of clinical sustainment competency. Joint collaboration with Madigan Army Medical Center is a viable option, but not everyone can afford to take the time away from their current responsibilities.

    “Our chief nursing officer decided to do a skills fair here. It is incumbent upon us, even without an inpatient unit, to ensure we have our clinical sustainment in our hospital by setting up these training modules,” Gutierrez said.

    The mannequin Mr. Smith was part of the “What’s Wrong with the Room” training module. A lengthy list of mistakes was reported by the nurses and corpsmen, which included noting that the patient bed was too high, and the patient had no way to relieve himself. The patient also had no visible identification, lacked nonskid socks, and had an infection bleeding around a chest tube. There was also medication left on a side table by the inpatient bed and more.

    “The What’s Wrong with the Room, is great because it encompasses medication administration, errors with the patient and errors with the inpatient room setting which we just don’t get here,” remarked Gutierrez.

    The other training scenarios included a Wound Care module, which featured such instruction as burn wound care, wound cleaning and irrigation of traumatic wound(s), and dealing with pressure injuries.

    The Airway module went over oxygen therapy with nasal cannula and oxygen mask, cervical collar management and electrocardiogram use.

    The Lines and Specimen Collection module discussed such needs as urinary catheter use, blood product administration and intravenous therapy.

    The Postmortem Care module covered grief support, operational stress control and peer debriefing.

    Each participant was provided a passport, designed as a guide for each of the five training modules. Upon completion of each instructional session, their passport would be stamped as having completed that module.

    Gutierrez affirmed that Nurse Corps officer clinical sustainment is vital for mission readiness and is in keeping with the Navy surgeon general’s priority of being a ready medical force able to support a medically ready force. “Having our corpsmen taking part to improve their knowledge base and any other staff is a plus,” she said.

    The two-day event was tailored to provide critical multidisciplinary skill sustainment training which nurses in an ambulatory care setting like NHB might not use as much as they used to.

    One module at a time.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 133 Ambulances, including 7 River and 1 Air Ambulance, deployed for Pilgrims on Magh Purnima

    Source: Government of India

    133 Ambulances, including 7 River and 1 Air Ambulance, deployed for Pilgrims on Magh Purnima

    43 Hospitals in Mahakumbh Nagar on High Alert, with high-tech arrangements for minor to major surgeries in every sector of the Mela

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 10:30PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government has made extensive preparations for the safety and health of the pilgrims, visiting the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj, for Magh Purnima. All hospitals in the Mahakumbh area, as well as in the city and district, will remain on high alert. Surveillance through water, land, and air will be in place to ensure the safety of pilgrims. Accordingly, 133 ambulances have been deployed to provide immediate relief in case of emergencies. This includes 125 ambulances, seven river ambulances, and one air ambulance specifically stationed.

    High-Tech Medical Services in every Sector of Mahakumbh

    State-of-the-art medical services are available in each sector of the Mahakumbh area. The facilities range from minor operations to major surgeries. Dr. Gaurav Dubey, the nodal medical officer of the Mahakumbh Mela, stated that the government’s emergency services, especially ambulance services, play a critical role. Over 2,000 medical staff will be deployed in the Mahakumbh area, and more than 700 medical personnel at SRN Hospital will remain on high alert.

    250 Beds Reserved at SRN, Blood Bank Fully Prepared

    As per special instructions from the administration, 250 beds have been reserved at SRN Hospital. Additionally, 200 units of blood are stored to handle emergencies. All 43 hospitals in Mahakumbh Nagar with a 500-bed capacity are fully operational.

    Hospitals Equipped with Modern Facilities

    Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital has reserved 40 beds for the trauma center, 50 beds for the surgical ICU, 50 beds for the medicine ward, 50 beds for the PMSSY ward, and 40 beds for the burn unit. In addition, a 10-bed cardiology ward and a 10-bed ICU are also fully prepared.

    Special Focus on Medical Supervision and Cleanliness 

    To ensure smooth medical services, 30 senior doctors have been specially assigned, along with 180 resident doctors and over 500 nursing and paramedical staff. The hospital administration has instructed housekeeping agencies to ensure no negligence in cleanliness.

    Administration’s Commitment to Health Services

    Dr. Vatsala Mishra, Principal of Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, mentioned that all arrangements have been made to handle any emergency during the Magh Purnima bath. She appealed to the pilgrims to contact the hospital immediately in case of any health issues, assuring them of free and high-quality medical services.

    Deployment of Expert Doctors, 24-Hour Medical Service Available

    Along with 150 medical personnel from the AYUSH department, 30 expert doctors will be deployed to serve the pilgrims. Experts from AIIMS Delhi and BHU will also remain on alert.

    *****

    AD/VM

    (Release ID: 2102068) Visitor Counter : 49

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya to Inaugurate First-Ever Regional Dialogue on Global Coalition for Social Justice in New Delhi on 24-25 Feb 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya to Inaugurate First-Ever Regional Dialogue on Global Coalition for Social Justice in New Delhi on 24-25 Feb 2025

    Hosted by Ministry of Labour & Employment in collaboration with CII-EFI

    Coalition Theme is Responsible Businesses for Inclusive and Sustainable Societies

    Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to Deliver Keynote Address

    80+ Coalition partners from Asia Pacific region and beyond, including representatives from Governments, Employers’ and Workers’ Organizations, International Agencies, Research and Academic Institutions, International NGOs and Enterprises to Attend

    Participating Ministries include Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 5:41PM by PIB Delhi

    Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Employers’ Federation of India (EFI), is set to host the first-ever Regional Dialogue on Social Justice on 24-25 February 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This landmark event is a significant contribution to the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

    Launched by ILO in 2023, the Coalition is a platform for governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international and regional organizations, financial institutions and development banks, enterprises, international non-governmental organizations and academia committed to advancing social justice and engaging in collaborative efforts to achieve shared objectives. The Coalition leverages collaboration among partners to amplify the unique strengths of each participant, comprehensively and coherently addressing social justice challenges.

    As a member of the Asia Pacific Coordinating Group, India is spearheading the first ‘Regional Dialogue’ under the Global Coalition for Social Justice and championing the key intervention “Responsible Businesses for Inclusive and Sustainable Societies” under the Coalition’s thematic area of “Expanding access to and capabilities for Productive and freely chosen Employment and Sustainable Enterprises.”

    The Regional Dialogue will bring together over 80+ Coalition partners from the Asia Pacific region and beyond to explore innovative approaches, exchange best practices, and strengthen collaboration to advancing social justice in the region.

    Hon’ble Union Minister for Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje and Secretary (Labour& Employment), Ms. Sumita Dawra will grace the inaugural session of this regional dialogue. The event will feature Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO, as the keynote speaker.

    The event will also mark the 74th Foundation Day of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), celebrating its unwavering commitment to ensuring dignified healthcare and economic security for India’s workforce. The ESIC Foundation Day is an occasion to recognize the vital contribution of the organization in fostering social justice through the extension of comprehensive social security benefits for workers and their families in the formal sector. 

    Discussions will focus on critical dimensions of social justice, including responsible business conduct and social protection, aligning with the Coalition’s thematic priorities.

    The event will feature exchange of knowledge and experience sharing through technical discussions and coalition partner’s experiences. The deliberations would strengthen the joint collaboration among partners in the area of promoting social justice in the region.

    Key themes include:

    • Skills, Employment and Social Justice: Empowering Youth and Enterprises for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth
    • Social Protection to Social Justice: Ensuring No One is Left Behind
    • Responsible Businesses: Upholding Fair Working Conditions, Safety, and Health for Enhanced Productivity and Sustainability
    • Building a Bigger Table: Promoting Inclusion and Women’s Participation in the World of Work
    • Advancing Decent Work: Strengthening Corporate Governance and Sustainable Global Value Chains
    • Digitalization for Social Justice – Harnessing AI for Decent Work and Equity

    Key Stakeholders: The thematic dialogue will bring together Coalition partners and other key stakeholders, including representatives from governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international and/or regional organizations, research organizations, academia, international NGOs and enterprises.

    Event Highlights

    Day 1 | 24 February 2025

    The first day of the Regional Dialogue on Social Justice will commence with an Inaugural Session. Key highlights include the showcasing of Responsible Business Conduct by Indian employers’ organisation and international business chambers, a joint statement of workers and employers organisations on responsible business practices, and the launch of publications on social justice and social protection. Technical sessions will focus on skills and employment for youth, social protection for informal workers, and promoting women’s participation in the workforce, featuring insights from global partners and stakeholders.

    Day 2 | 25 February 2025
    The second day will delve into responsible business practices, emphasizing fair working conditions, occupational safety, and health, with contributions from the International Organizations and foreign business chambers. Discussions on sustainable global value chains will highlight the role of multinational enterprises in advancing decent work and ethical labour practices. The final session will explore digitalization and AI as tools for social justice, focusing on equitable access, worker rights, and aligning AI with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2102377) Visitor Counter : 58

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ9: COVID-19 oral drugs

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Judy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):Question:     In 2022, in consultation with experts, the Government introduced the COVID-19 oral drugs Paxlovid and Molnupiravir through the Hospital Authority (HA), and prescribed the two drugs to suitable patients through various channels such as public hospitals, designated clinics and residential care homes for the elderly. The Government has indicated that the fee for each course of treatment in respect of the two drugs is over $6,000. There are views that the fees for the two drugs are excessively high, and the Government should expeditiously introduce other less expensive drugs with similar efficacy. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the details of the vetting and approval process for introducing the two drugs by the Government in consultation with experts at that time, and whether such vetting and approval process was different from the general approval process for introducing new drugs; if so, of the reasons for and details of that;(2) of the current clinical guidelines for prescribing the two drugs, and the number of revisions made in the past;(3) whether it knows the following information on the use of each of the two drugs by HA in each of the past three years: (i) the quantity purchased and expenditure incurred, (ii) the quantity used (with a breakdown by the channels through which they were used), and (iii) the quantity discarded due to expiry or other reasons;(4) whether there has been any change to the approved shelf life of the two drugs since their introduction, and of the current respective shelf life; whether it knows the respective stock of the two drugs currently kept by HA; and(5) whether the authorities have plans to introduce other drugs with efficacy similar to that of the two drugs; if so, of the progress and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?Reply:President,     With the ever evolvement of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the prevention and treatment capacities of the local healthcare system and the handling capacity of society as a whole have been enhanced significantly. COVID-19 has been managed as an upper respiratory tract illness by the Government since early 2023. Despite this, the World Health Organization still highlights the importance of ensuring access to appropriate treatments for patients with COVID-19, including providing oral antiviral drugs to high-risk patients on a need basis taking the local situation into account. High-risk persons concerned include the elderly, immunocompromised individuals or persons with chronic illnesses.     The Health Bureau, together with the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA), have been keeping abreast of the latest development of clinical treatment and scientific evidence-based research relating to SARS-CoV-2 virus, while making reference to the latest data from drug regulatory authorities and drug manufacturers globally so as to provide appropriate treatment for COVID-19 patients.     In consultation with the DH and the HA, the reply to the question raised by the Hon Judy Chan is as follows: (1) According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138), pharmaceutical products must satisfy the criteria of safety, efficacy and quality for registration with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (Board) before they can be sold or supplied in Hong Kong.      During the COVID-19 pandemic, the then Pharmacy and Poisons (Registration of Pharmaceutical Products and Substances: Certification of Clinical Trial/Medicinal Test) Committee (Committee) established under the Board considered that, in view of the public health emergency and the local medical need at the time, together with the relevant scientific evidence, the benefits of the use of COVID-19 oral antiviral drugs, namely Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, in the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 outweighed the risks and hence conditionally approved the applications of the relevant drugs for registration in February and March 2022 respectively. As part of the conditional approval of registration, the corresponding drug registration certificate holders were required to submit additional data through clinical studies and post-marketing report to the Board according to the conditions imposed by the Committee (including that the concerned products can only be supplied to doctors or medical institutions). The certificate holders of the drugs have been continuously providing relevant reports and data to substantiate their products’ safety, efficacy and quality. In this connection, Paxlovid was granted full registration in February 2024.(2) According to the existing mechanism, the expert panel formed by the DH and the HA closely monitors the efficacy and possible side-effects of the relevant drugs in light of the evolving scientific evidence, and also evaluates various drugs treating COVID-19 while reviewing and updating the clinical guidelines in a timely manner with reference to the latest clinical development and research data in the Mainland and overseas, with a view to providing patients with appropriate treatments to reduce their risk of severe complications and death.     Based on the above principle, the relevant clinical guidelines have been updated for 27 times so far. Under the current guidelines, healthcare professionals will consider prescribing relevant drugs to patients aged 70 or above, and patients aged below 70 with high-risk conditions or chronic diseases according to their clinical needs.(3) Apart from providing antiviral drugs for treating COVID-19 at public hospitals/clinics under the HA, the Government has been providing private doctors with the two aforementioned COVID-19 oral drugs procured by the HA for free prescription to eligible COVID-19 confirmed patients since April 2022. Private doctors who have registered under the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS) can make requests for provision of the two COVID-19 oral drugs via the dedicated online platform. Private doctors must follow the aforementioned treatment guidelines set out by the HA. Besides, the DH’s clinic dispensaries also distributed a small amount of treatment courses.     From 2022 to 2024, the HA has prescribed the two COVID-19 oral drugs to about 471 300 HA patients (a single patient may be prescribed with COVID-19 oral antivirals for more than once), including about 314 600 patients prescribed with Paxlovid and about 156 700 with Molnupiravir. Separately, about 181 700 treatment courses were prescribed by private doctors to eligible COVID-19 confirmed patients for free, in which about 104 000 Paxlovid treatment courses and about 77 700 Molnupiravir treatment courses were prescribed. About 1 500 treatment courses were prescribed by clinics under the DH (including Families Clinics and Elderly Health Centres).     Detailed figures on the quantity and expenditure incurred by the HA in purchasing the two COVID-19 oral drugs are tabulated below: * Figures adjusted to the nearest thousands     Following the prevailing practice, the HA dispenses drugs before the expiration dates based on the “first-expired, first-out” principle. For those drugs requiring disposal, including unserviceable ones, the HA will dispose of them in accordance with the established procedures. There has not been any disposal of COVID-19 oral drugs so far.(4) The shelf-life of the two COVID-19 oral antiviral drugs, namely Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, are 24 and 30 months respectively. The HA has sufficient stock of drugs for prescription to COVID-19 patients, and will continue to closely monitor the supply and utilisation of the relevant drugs in order to cater for the needs of patients.(5) The DH and the HA will continue to keep in view the latest data from drug regulatory authorities and drug manufacturers globally (including the Mainland) and introduce suitable drugs in a timely manner based on the available scientific evidence to ensure that patients are prescribed with drugs of proven safety and efficacy.     Apart from Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, no other COVID-19 oral antivirals drugs are currently registered in Hong Kong. Based on the latest scientific evidence, there are no other COVID-19 oral antiviral drugs in the market that can provide the same level of appropriate treatment especially for high-risk patients.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: New District Officer for Central and Western assumes office (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Miss Jeanne Cheng will assume the post of District Officer (Central and Western) tomorrow (February 13), succeeding Mr David Leung.
     
         Since joining the Administrative Service in 2002, Miss Cheng has served in various bureaux and departments, including the Home Affairs Department, the then Economic Development and Labour Bureau, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau, the then Food and Health Bureau, and the Chief Executive’s Office.
     
         She was the Principal Assistant Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Children) at the Labour and Welfare Bureau before taking up the new post of District Officer (Central and Western).   

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 2.11.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 11, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Karen Morrison, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Morrison has held multiple positions at the Department of Pesticide Regulation since 2018, including Chief Deputy Director and Science Advisor since 2022, Assistant Director and Chief Science Advisor from 2019 to 2022, and Environmental Program Manager and Science and Policy Advisor from 2018 to 2019. She was a Senior Environmental Scientist and Policy Advisor at the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery from 2014 to 2018. Morrison was a Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the California Council on Science and Technology from 2013 to 2014. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, and she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College. This position requires Senate confirmation, and compensation is $213,651. Morrison is registered without party preference. 

    Nicholas Lutton, of Fresno, has been appointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Lutton was the Program Manager at Family Voices of California from 2022 to 2024. He was an Educational Resource Specialist at EPU Children’s Center from 2019 to 2022. Lutton is a member of the Editorial Board at the American Association of Pediatrics and Fresno County In-Home Services Advisory Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lutton is a Democrat.

    Eric Bergersen, of Long Beach, has been appointed to the Physician Assistant Board. Bergersen has been the Regional Medical Director at Bicycle Health Medical Group since 2020. He was the APC Director at VEP Healthcare from 2018 to 2020. Bergersen was an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant at VEP Healthcare from 2017 to 2019. He was a Clinical Consultant at GYANT from 2018 to 2019. Bergersen was the Lead Emergency Department Technician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center from 2012 to 2015. He is a member of Physician Assistants in Virtual Medicine and Telemedicine. Bergersen earned a Master of Science degree in Health Care Administration from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from George Washington University, and Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bergersen is a Democrat.

    Ed Perez, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Physician Assistant Board. Perez was a manager at Labor Relations and Performance Management, California Department of Water Resources from 2019 to 2024. He was a Labor Relations Specialist, Department of Water Resources from 2015 to 2019. Perez was a Labor Relations Specialist & Labor Relations Analyst at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2013 to 2015. He is a member of the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association (APAPA), the Hamptons Community Foundation, the Hamptons Owners Association, the Gardenland-Northgate Neighborhood Association, and a Community Activist with AARP. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Perez is a Democrat.

    Drake Dillard, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Disability Access, where he has served since 2020. Dillard has been a Senior Project Manager at Perkins & Will since 2014. He was a Senior Healthcare Architect at Parsons from 2007 to 2013. Dillard was a Project Architect at Kaiser Permanente from 1989 to 1998. He is a member of the Crenshaw Design Review Panel, American Institute of Architects and the National Organization of Minority Architects. Dillard earned a Master of Arts degree in Architecture from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Dillard is registered without party preference.

    Jaqueline Jackson, of San Diego, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Disability Access, where she has served since 2020. Jackson has been a Non-Profit Management Consultant since 1994. She was Development Director and Consultant for the San Diego Center for the Blind from 2002 to 2004. Jackson was Director of Charter School Development for Norman and Norman Inc. from 1996 to 2005. She was an Education Consultant for the School Futures Research Foundation from 1994 to 1996. Jackson was the Director of Education for Health and Family Support Services at the San Diego Urban League from 1988 to 1994. She is a member of the City of San Diego Accessibility Advisory Board, City of San Diego Senior Affairs Advisory Board, and the County of San Diego Registrar of Voters Accessibility Advisory Committee. Jackson earned a Master of Education degree from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, San Diego. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Jackson is a Democrat.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 11, 2025

    News What you need to know: Across all of state government, highly-specialized personnel and response equipment are on the ground working to protect communities statewide from storm impacts.  Los Angeles, California – With another significant winter storm system…

    Feb 11, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order today ordering the state to ensure that childcare providers impacted by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles are aware of their potential eligibility for Disaster Unemployment Assistance and…

    Feb 11, 2025

    News What you need to know: The fastest large-scale debris removal in modern state history began today in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, in roughly half the time it took to start similar operations after the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire.  LOS ANGELES – Governor…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: With biggest winter storm of the season looming, California takes early, proactive steps to protect communities and harden burn scar areas  

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 11, 2025

    What you need to know: Across all of state government, highly-specialized personnel and response equipment are on the ground working to protect communities statewide from storm impacts. 

    Los Angeles, California – With another significant winter storm system expected to reach California later this week, work continues statewide to ensure communities impacted by recent wildfires – including the firestorms in Los Angeles – are protected.

    To prepare for this storm, Governor Gavin Newsom is directing a whole-of-government response to bolster local resources.

    In Altadena today, Governor Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom surveyed ongoing work by state crews to prepare the Eaton Fire burn scar area ahead of rain. 

    At Governor Newsom’s direction, the state has installed emergency protection materials to contain burn scar debris from the Eaton and Palisades fires from entering creeks, rivers, and other bodies of water. The state is coordinating locally requested materials such as K-rails (concrete barriers) to divert debris flow and has completed debris basin clean-up activities over the last month to mitigate potential impacts in vulnerable areas.

    California has been in a constant state of readiness preparing for extreme winter weather. Crews have been on the ground for weeks working to secure areas against possible mudslides and debris flows. If you’re in the storm’s path, please remain vigilant and follow all guidance of local authorities.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    California is monitoring storm impacts, in particular to burn scar areas that pose the threat of mudslides and debris flows. According to the National Weather Service, this storm system will bring far-reaching impacts across the state, including risks of urban flooding and burn scar impacts in Southern California, high winds and heavy snow. 

    State actions to protect communities include:

    • 319,000 sandbags and 5,600 super sacks have been deployed to Southern California locations through the Department of Water Resources (DWR).
    • 242 total CAL FIRE engines are deployed throughout the state to rapidly respond, including 109 engines CAL FIRE Southern Region and 133 engines CAL FIRE Northern Region.
    • Cal OES has prepositioned flood fighting and debris flow resources and more than 400 personnel in 8 counties, including Colusa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Glenn, Tulare, Ventura and Santa Barbara. In total the state is deploying through the Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System the following:
      • 48 fire engines
      • 8 dozers 
      • 5 helicopters
      • 8 dispatchers
      • 6 hand crews
      • 8 swiftwater rescue teams
      • 3 local Incident Management Teams
      • 1 Regional Task Force
      • 2 excavators 
      • 2 loaders
      • 5 heavy rescue teams
    • Nearly 120 miles of emergency protection materials, including straw wattle, compost sock and silt fencing, have been installed through the California Conservation Corps to contain burn scar debris from entering creeks, rivers and other bodies of water. 
    • 30 watershed protection specialists have been deployed to burn scar areas.
    • Caltrans is placing erosion-control devices, including wattles, to limit mudflows. Caltrans is mobilizing crew members to monitor for rocks and other debris falling from burned slopes on the Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. 
    • 14 geologists are deployed to study and map burn scars of the Palisades, Eaton and Kenneth fires. The California Geological Survey is using this information to determine where debris flow could occur and where to install mitigation. The department also coordinated aerial flights over the scars to gather LiDAR data to further study burn areas for possible debris flow.
    • 70 soldiers and heavy engineering equipment through the California National Guard are deployed in the area to support debris removal efforts.
    • The California Department of Social Services is coordinating with local partners on shelters and warming centers to serve impacted communities.
    • The California Department of Public Health is supporting licensed healthcare facilities. 

    These early actions add on to the work the state has done in recent weeks to protect California communities and boost the state’s water supply. On January 31, the Governor signed an executive order to direct state agencies to direct additional water storage by maximizing excess water from winter storms.

    Residents in affected areas are urged to stay informed about potential debris flow risks, especially during storms, and to follow guidance from local emergency officials. For resources and information specific to the Los Angeles firestorms, visit CA.gov/LAfires.

    Preparing for upcoming weather

    On Thursday, rainfall rates could approach 1” per hour near thunderstorms. In addition, there’s anticipated heavy mountain snow, with levels dropping to 2,000-3,000 feet across the north and down to 6,500 feet in the far south. Parts of the state will see wind gusts of 35-55 mph in Central and Southern California.

    The incoming storm could bring an increased risk of power outages, flooding in small streams and low-lying areas, and debris, rocks and mudslides on roadways.

    Residents are encouraged to not drive through flooded roadways, prepare in advance for power outages and reduce injury risks from falling limbs and trees by staying inside during high wind events.

    Residents are urged to stay informed and listen to local authorities about actions they should take including evacuation orders or safety recommendations. In burn scar areas, officials recommend preparing for possible sudden debris flows by having a go-bag packed and knowing evacuation routes.

    For more information on winter storm preparedness visit ready.ca.gov.

    Recent news

    Feb 11, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order today ordering the state to ensure that childcare providers impacted by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles are aware of their potential eligibility for Disaster Unemployment Assistance and…

    Feb 11, 2025

    News What you need to know: The fastest large-scale debris removal in modern state history began today in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, in roughly half the time it took to start similar operations after the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire.  LOS ANGELES – Governor…

    Feb 10, 2025

    News What you need to know: The state continues to upgrade CA.gov/LAfires to provide more resources and information for firestorm survivors.  LOS ANGELES – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced new efforts to provide accountability with ongoing Los Angeles firestorm…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News Release – Developmental Disabilities Council 2025 Day at the Capitol Event

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    News Release – Developmental Disabilities Council 2025 Day at the Capitol Event

    Posted on Feb 11, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

    KA ʻOIHANA OLAKINO

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    KE KIA‘ĀINA

    KENNETH S. FINK, MD, MGA, MPH
    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

    STATE COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

    ‘A’UNIKE MOKU’ĀPUNI NO KA NĀ KĀWAI KULA

    DAINTRY BARTOLDUS

    EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR

    LUNA HO‘OPONOPONO HO‘OKŌ

    HAWAI’I TO CELEBRATE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH WITH DAY AT THE CAPITOL EVENT ON MARCH 5, 2025

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 11, 2025

    HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i State Council on Developmental Disabilities (DD Council), along with community partners, will celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month with the annual Day at the Capitol event on March 5, 2025. The event is expected to bring together 500 self-advocates, family members, service providers, and advocates to build awareness of the abilities and strengths of individuals with developmental disabilities.

    This year’s theme, “Respect Yourself and All People with Disabilities,” highlights the importance of fostering respect, participation, and opportunities for all individuals, regardless of ability. Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is part of a nationwide campaign to promote greater understanding and recognition of the contributions individuals with developmental disabilities bring to our communities.

    “This year’s theme reminds us that respect and inclusion are fundamental values that strengthen our entire community,” said DD Council Executive Administrator Daintry Bartoldus. “We encourage people to get to know individuals with developmental disabilities, recognize their talents, and work together to create a more inclusive Hawai‘i.”

    Throughout the Day at the Capitol, participants will engage in discussions with legislators from their home districts, attend public hearings, take a tour of the State Capitol, give testimony at a mock hearing, and learn about the legislative process through a presentation from the Public Access Room. The event also provides an opportunity for networking among advocates, families, and organizations working to enhance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities.

    The annual “Day at the Capitol” event is a collaborative venture coordinated by the DD Council in partnership with the Family Health Services Division, the University of Hawai‘i Center on Disability Studies, Hawai‘i Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Public Access Room – Legislative Reference Bureau, Hawai‘i Disability Rights Center, Hawai‘i Self Advocacy Advisory Council, Disability and Communication Access Board, Special Parent and Information Network, Office of Language Access, the Hilopa‘a Family to Family Health Information Center, Maternal and Child Health Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program, Department of Human Services Med-Quest Division, Office of Elections, Department of Education Community Children’s Council, and Hawai‘i State Department of Education Monitoring and Compliance Branch.

    As Hawai‘i observes Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, the Council encourages all residents to celebrate the achievements of individuals with developmental disabilities, advocate for their full inclusion in all aspects of life, and work toward a more supportive and inclusive community.

    About the Hawaiʻi State Council on Developmental Disabilities:

    The Hawaiʻi State Council on Developmental Disabilities works to ensure individuals with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to lead full and meaningful lives. By advocating for policies and fostering partnerships, the Council supports individuals and families in achieving self-determination, independence, and inclusion in all aspects of community life.

    # # #

     

    Media Contact:

    Daintry Bartoldus

    Executive Administrator

    Hawai‘i State Council on Developmental Disabilities

    [email protected]

    Phone: 808-586-8100

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Regulator to investigate Christian aid charity over unexplained spending

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Total Healing World Outreach over concerns about financial decisions.

    Total Healing World Outreach was established to advance the Christian faith in the UK and overseas, and to prevent and relieve poverty.

    The Charity regulator for England and Wales began engaging with the charity in June 2023 as trustees had failed to supply the charity’s accounts and financial information on time every year since its registration, except for the year ending July 2023.

    The Charity Commission has now escalated its engagement to a statutory inquiry after a financial analysis uncovered so far unexplained payments made to several individuals and companies. The inquiry will examine the charity’s finances in more detail, including whether the loans taken out by the trustees were in the charity’s best interests.

    The investigation will also consider if trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance and management of the charity, specifically looking at:

    • the charity’s financial management, including the extent of any related party transactions, unauthorised trustee personal benefit and the trustees’ compliance with their legal obligations to file the charity’s accounts and annual returns on time and to an appropriate standard
    • if the trustees are adequately managing the charity in accordance with its governing document and in accordance with their legal duties
    • the extent to which any failings or weaknesses identified in the administration of the charity are a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees

    The Commission may extend the scope of either inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.

    It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. 

    ENDS

    Notes to editors

    1. The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Find out more: About us – The Charity Commission – GOV.UK
    2. On 15th January 2025, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 as a result of its regulatory concerns that there is or has been misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.
    3. A statutory inquiry is a legal power enabling the Commission to formally investigate matters of regulatory concern within a charity and to use protective powers for the benefit of the charity and its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation.
    4. An inquiry will investigate and establish the facts of the case so that the Commission can determine the extent of any misconduct and/or mismanagement; the extent of the risk to the charity, its work, property, beneficiaries, employees or volunteers; and decide what action is needed to resolve the concerns.

    Press office

    Email pressenquiries@charitycommission.gov.uk

    Out of hours press office contact number: 07785 748787

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ22: Work safety on bamboo scaffolding

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ22: Work safety on bamboo scaffolding
    LCQ22: Work safety on bamboo scaffolding
    ****************************************

         Following is a question by the Hon Lam Chun-sing and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (February 12): Question:      The revised Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety (the Code), which officially took effect on October 19 last year, aims to enhance the safety of bamboo scaffolding works. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the number of industrial accidents involving bamboo scaffolding works recorded by the authorities in each of the years from 2018 to October 18 last year, and since the implementation of the Code on ‍October 19 last year, together with the number of casualties involved in such accidents, and set out in Table 1 a breakdown by nature of works (i.e. (i) new works and (ii) repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works), type of works (i.e. (I) public works and (II) ‍non-‍public works) and type of cases (i.e. (a) fatal cases (the‍ number of fatalities) and (b) non-fatal cases (the number of injuries)); Table 1

    Date
    (i)
    (ii)

    (I)
    (II)
    (I)
    (II)

    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)

    2018
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    ……
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    From January 1 to October 18, 2024
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Since October 19, 2024
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Total
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    (2) of the respective numbers of (i) workplaces inspected by the Government for bamboo scaffolding works, as well as (ii)‍ improvement notices (together with their compliance rates) and (iii) suspension notices (together with their compliance rates) issued by the Government to contractors involved in non-compliances in relation to bamboo scaffolding works, in each of the years from 2018 to ‍October 18 last year, and since the implementation of the Code on ‍October 19 last year, and set out in Table 2 a breakdown by nature of works (i.e. (a) new works and (b) repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works) and type of works (i.e. (I) public works and (II) ‍non-‍public works); Table 2

    Date
    (i)
    (ii)
    (iii)

    (I)
    (II)
    (I)
    (II)
    (I)
    (II)

    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)

    2018
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    ……
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    From January 1 toOctober 18, 2024
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Since October 19, 2024
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Total
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     (3) in respect of the improvement notices issued by the Government as mentioned in (2)(ii), of (a) the non-compliances primarily involved and (b) the average time taken by contractors to remedy non-‍compliances or cease illegal acts, and set out in Table 3 a breakdown by nature of works (i.e. (i) new works and (ii) repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works); Table 3

    Date
    (i)
    (ii)

    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)

    2018
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

    ……
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

    From January 1 toOctober 18, 2024
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

    Since October 19, 2024
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     (4) in respect of the suspension notices issued by the Government as mentioned in (2)(iii), of (a) the non-compliances primarily involved by contractors and (b) the average time taken for such notices getting revoked by the authorities, and set out in Table 4 a breakdown by nature of works (i.e. (i) new works and (ii) repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works); Table 4

    Date
    (i)
    (ii)

    (a)
    (b)
    (a)
    (b)

    2018
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

    ……
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

    From January 1 to October 18, 2024
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

    Since October 19, 2024
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     (5) of the respective numbers of prosecutions instituted by the authorities and convictions for non-compliances in respect of bamboo scaffolding works involving contractors, in each of the years from 2018 to October 18 last year, and since the implementation of the Code on October 19 last year, as well as the major non-compliances involved and the average sentences imposed; (6) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of employers who, in each of the past seven years and this year to date, have failed to take out employees’ compensation insurance (commonly known as labour insurance) as required under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282) for workers involved in the industrial accidents mentioned in (1), and on the number of employers prosecuted as a result; among such prosecution cases, of the number of convicted cases and the average sentences imposed; (7) of the number of applications for taking out labour insurance received and approved by the Employees’ Compensation Insurance Residual Scheme Bureau from employers in the bamboo scaffolding industry in each of the past seven years and this year to date; what measures the Government has put in place to strengthen assistance for the construction industry in taking out labour insurance for workers engaged in bamboo scaffolding works in order to enhance the protection for these workers; (8) given that at the meeting of the Panel on Manpower of this Council on March 16, 2021, the authorities proposed amending the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations (Cap. 59I) to include small-‍scale construction works involving higher risks (including truss-out scaffolding works) within the scope of mandatory notification to facilitate the Labour Department in arranging targeted inspections, of the latest progress and the specific timetable for the relevant legislative amendment work; and (9) how the Government will strengthen its promotion of the enhanced application of technology in the industry to enhance the occupational safety and health of frontline workers working on bamboo scaffolds?Reply: President,      The Government attaches great importance to workplace safety. Pursuant to the risk-based principle and keeping close tabs on the occupational safety and health (OSH) risk levels and trends of various industries (in particular the construction industry), the Labour Department (LD) has been formulating and adjusting the strategies of inspection and enforcement, publicity and promotion, as well as education and training in a timely manner to raise the OSH level in Hong Kong.     With the objective of enhancing scaffolding safety, the Government held a meeting on “Enhancement of Scaffolding Safety” on January 24, 2025 with relevant organisations and stakeholders. The LD is considering carefully the opinions of the trade representatives and will continue to work closely with relevant organisations and stakeholders to explore ways to enhance the safe use of scaffolds.      My reply to the Hon Lam Chun-sing is as follows:(1) The numbers of fatal cases and fatalities of industrial accidents (Note 1) involving bamboo scaffolds on construction sites from 2018 to 2025 (as at January 26) are tabulated below. These cases did not involve Public Works Projects (Note 2). 

    Year
    Industrial accidents involving bamboo scaffolds

    (i) New Works (Note 3)
    (ii) Repair, Maintenance, Alteration, and Addition Works (Note 4)

    Number of fatal cases (number of fatalities)
    Number of fatal cases (number of fatalities)

    2018
    1 (1)
    4 (4)

    2019
    3 (3)
    1 (1)

    2020
    1 (1)
    1 (1)

    2021
    –
    4 (4)

    2022
    –
    4 (4)

    2023
    –
    –

    2024 (Note 5)(January 1, 2024 – October 18, 2024)
    1 (2)
    2 (2)

    2024 (Note 5)(October 19, 2024 – December 31, 2024)
    –
    –

    2025 (Note 5)
    –
    –

    Note 1: Industrial accidents refer to injuries and deaths arising from industrial activities in industrial undertakings in Hong Kong as defined under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance.Note 2: Public Works Projects refer to construction sites under the Architectural Services Department, Drainage Services Department, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Highways Department, Water Supplies Department, and Civil Engineering and Development Department.Note 3: New Works refer to construction sites where new development or re-development works take place. Such works include building, piling, demolition, site formation and civil engineering works.Note 4: Repair, Maintenance, Alteration, and Addition Works refer to minor works such as minor alterations, repairs, maintenance and interior decoration of existing buildings, term maintenance or repair contracts (such as roads, water and drainage works).Note 5: The numbers of fatal cases of industrial accidents of 2024 and 2025 are recorded as at January 26, 2025.     The LD does not keep the numbers of injury cases and injuries of industrial accidents involving bamboo scaffolds on construction sites. (2) to (5) The enforcement figures related to construction sites by the LD from 2018 to 2024 are tabulated below.(i) The number of inspections conducted and enforcement figures of new works construction sites from 2018 to 2024

     
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    2022
    2023
    2024(Jan – Oct)
    2024(Nov – Dec)

    Inspections
    27 709
    35 202
    23 419
    29 525
    26 664
    26 788
    25 024
    4 781

    Prosecutions taken
    1 435
    1 453
    1 101
    1 095
    1 171
    1 494
    1 277
    272

    Improvement notices
    1 264
    1 954
    1 340
    2 433
    2 103
    2 985
    2 631
    368

    Suspension notices
    246
    124
    116
    153
    351
    131
    81
    31

    (ii) The number of inspections conducted and enforcement figures of repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works sites from 2018 to 2024

     
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    2022
    2023
    2024(Jan – Oct)
    2024(Nov – Dec)

    Inspections
    42 928
    52 466
    34 616
    41 538
    38 907
    44 447
    36 965
    7 640

    Prosecutions taken
    1 077
    848
    910
    774
    838
    828
    685
    97

    Improvement notices
    835
    1 051
    762
    851
    956
    1 158
    1 018
    240

    Suspension notices
    353
    353
    204
    284
    270
    157
    132
    64

         The LD does not keep the numbers of safety inspections, enforcement figures and convictions breakdown by the bamboo scaffolding trade or works category.      The LD will assess the severity and consequences of the violation of law and take different enforcement means in accordance with the established guidelines and procedures, including the issuance of improvement notices or suspension notices to duty holders, if violation is detected during inspection of construction site.     The LD does not keep the statistics of the time required for revoking improvement notices or suspension notices. In general, the LD will take follow up actions in a timely manner in accordance with the established procedures after the notice has been issued. The notice would be revoked when the LD is satisfied that measures have been taken by the duty holders to abate the relevant risks. There is no specified timeframe for revoking a notice, which will be dependent on the attitude of the duty holders and the complexities of the actual work to abate the relevant risks. (6) Among the 22 fatal cases of industrial accidents provided in part (1), five employers were prosecuted by the LD for failing to take out the employees’ compensation insurance (EC insurance) policies at the time of the accidents. Relevant prosecution figures are tabulated below: 

    Year of accidents
    Number of summonses heard
    Number of summonses convicted
    Fine imposed

    2018
    1
    1
    $25,000

    2019
    1
    1
    $8,000

    2020
    1
    1
    $5,000 (Note)

    2021
    1
    1
    $3,000

    2022
    1
    1
    $6,000

    Note: In addition to the fine of $5,000, the employer was concurrently sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.(7) The Employees’ Compensation Insurance Residual Scheme (ECIRS) serves as a market of last resort to assist employers who cannot procure EC insurance in the market, with a view to ensuring that employers can acquire EC insurance. Relevant figures pertaining to the applications by employers in scaffolding industry received and approved by the Employees’ Compensation Insurance Residual Scheme Bureau (ECIRSB) from 2018 to January 2025 are as follows: 

    Year
    Number of applications received from the employers(a)
    Number of applications approved and provided cover by ECIRSB(b)

    2018
    15
    15

    2019
    12
    12

    2020
    14
    13 (Note 1)

    2021
    15
    15

    2022
    19
    31 (Note 2)

    2023
    24
    23 (Note 1)

    2024
    25
    25

    2025(as at January)
    3
    2 (Note 3)

    Note 1: The figures in column (b) are lower than that in column (a) of the above table as the employers have either taken out EC insurance directly through ECIRS’s member insurers or they did not take out EC insurance through ECIRS eventually.Note 2: In exercise of its authority under section 35(2)(b) of the Insurance Ordinance, the Insurance Authority appointed Managers to take full control of the affairs, business and property of Target Insurance Company Limited (Target) in 2022. As a participating member of ECIRS, Target jointly underwrote the EC insurance policies issued under ECIRS. Due to Target’s inability to continue operations because of insolvency, ECIRS had to reissue the affected insurance policies to the insured in 2022, including 12 policies specific to the scaffolding industry.Note 3: One application is under processing.     The Government is deeply concerned about the procurement of EC insurance by employers in the scaffolding sector. ECIRSB has been offering premium discounts to the employers in the scaffolding sector and implemented flexible arrangements, including short-term EC insurance policies, tailored to the circumstances of the scaffolding industry. The Government will continue to maintain close communication with ECIRSB to assist employers in the scaffolding sector who have implemented enhanced occupational safety measures in qualifying for higher premium discounts, thus ensuring compliance with the requirement to procure EC insurance.(8) The LD is studying the refinement of statutory notification mechanism for construction works and its feasibility.      At the same time, to enhance the bamboo scaffolding safety, the LD updated the Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety last year, strengthening the regulation against truss-out bamboo scaffold (TOS). This includes requiring workers engaged in TOS works to hold valid certificates issued by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) to bolster safeguards for workers.      In addition, the LD has been actively collaborating with the scaffolding and insurance industries as well as other stakeholders in recent years to improve the occupational safety of bamboo scaffolding industry through various measures. This aims to reduce related insurance premiums, enabling employers in the bamboo scaffolding industry to take out employees’ compensation insurance at relatively reasonable prices, so as to form a virtuous cycle uplifting the overall safety standards of the industry to further lower the premium for labour insurance. (9) The Government supports the construction industry in using innovative technologies to improve site safety. The LD has been working closely with the Development Bureau (DEVB), relevant government departments and organisations to promote the industry to effectively use innovative technologies and expand their scope of application to enhance site safety.      The LD is collaborating with the DEVB to promote the implementation of the Smart Site Safety System (4S) in more construction projects to enhance monitoring and risk management of construction sites, and further improve the overall site safety standards. The LD has also actively participated in the work of the Task Force on Smart Site Safety System Standardisation set up by CIC, and will continue to keep in view the development of various advanced technology and encourage the industry to adopt appropriate technological equipment for preventing accidents.      In addition, the LD, in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Council, organised the first OSH Innovation and Technology Expo in March 2024 to introduce and showcase innovative solutions, products and technologies in the field of OSH for promoting innovative developments in this area. Meanwhile, the LD will provide advice on OSH legislation for technology products developed by industries to facilitate the introduction and application of more such products.      At the meeting of “Enhancement of Scaffolding Safety” on January 24, 2025, the LD has discussed with the industry and other relevant stakeholders to explore measures from various aspects (including the application of technology) to enhance the bamboo scaffolding safety.      However, we must point out that technology is merely an auxiliary tool. It is more important to address the issue at the root by enhancing the overall OSH culture in the construction industry, as well as raising workers’ safety awareness. The Government will continue to strive for promoting OSH culture through the adoption of multi-pronged strategies, including promotion, education and training, inspections and enforcement as well as the application of technologies, to help reduce accidents.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 12, 2025Issued at HKT 15:25

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Royalty Pharma Announces R&D Funding Collaboration With Biogen

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Royalty Pharma plc (Nasdaq: RPRX) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Biogen to provide research and development (R&D) funding of up to $250 million for litifilimab, a first-in-class investigational drug candidate in Phase 3 with demonstrated proof-of-concept in both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE).

    “We are excited to collaborate with Biogen on litifilimab,” said Pablo Legorreta, Royalty Pharma’s founder and Chief Executive Officer. “Royalty Pharma offers tailored, win-win funding solutions for promising therapies in areas of high unmet medical need. Litifilimab has the potential to significantly improve treatment outcomes for patients living with lupus, and we are excited to support its Phase 3 development through this funding collaboration.”

    “This agreement highlights Biogen’s growing lupus portfolio and the potential of litifilimab, with its distinct mechanism of action, to address SLE and CLE – two forms of lupus where there are currently insufficient treatment options,” said Priya Singhal, M.D., M.P.H., Head of Development at Biogen. “We know patients are waiting, and this investment further supports the advancement of this promising investigational treatment through critical development stages.”

    Litifilimab is currently in Phase 3 trials for both SLE and CLE with results expected between 2026 and 2027. With a differentiated mechanism of action, litifilimab demonstrated proof of concept and a generally well-tolerated safety profile in SLE and CLE with results published in the New England Journal of Medicine1. Importantly, SLE is estimated to affect greater than 3 million patients worldwide. There are no targeted biologics specifically approved for CLE where litifilimab has the potential to be a first-in-disease medicine for these patients.

    Transaction Terms

    Royalty Pharma will provide up to $250 million over six quarters to Biogen to support the development of litifilimab in exchange for regulatory milestones and mid-single digit royalties on annual worldwide sales.

    Advisors

    Goodwin Procter, Dechert and Maiwald acted as legal advisors to Royalty Pharma.

    About Royalty Pharma

    Founded in 1996, Royalty Pharma is the largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a leading funder of innovation across the biopharmaceutical industry, collaborating with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and non-profits through small and mid-cap biotechnology companies to leading global pharmaceutical companies. Royalty Pharma has assembled a portfolio of royalties which entitles it to payments based directly on the top-line sales of many of the industry’s leading therapies. Royalty Pharma funds innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry both directly and indirectly – directly when it partners with companies to co-fund late-stage clinical trials and new product launches in exchange for future royalties, and indirectly when it acquires existing royalties from the original innovators. Royalty Pharma’s current portfolio includes royalties on more than 35 commercial products, including Vertex’s Trikafta, GSK’s Trelegy, Roche’s Evrysdi, Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya, Biogen’s Tysabri and Spinraza, AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson’s Imbruvica, Astellas and Pfizer’s Xtandi, Novartis’ Promacta, Pfizer’s Nurtec ODT and Gilead’s Trodelvy, and 15 development-stage product candidates.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The information set forth herein does not purport to be complete or to contain all of the information you may desire. Statements contained herein are made as of the date of this document unless stated otherwise, and neither the delivery of this document at any time, nor any sale of securities, shall under any circumstances create an implication that the information contained herein is correct as of any time after such date or that information will be updated or revised to reflect information that subsequently becomes available or changes occurring after the date hereof. This document contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that express the company’s opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results, in contrast with statements that reflect historical facts. Examples include discussion of Royalty Pharma’s strategies, financing plans, growth opportunities, market growth, and plans for capital deployment. In some cases, you can identify such forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “target,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “goal,” “predicts,” “project,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to the company. However, these forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of Royalty Pharma’s performance, and you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to many risks, uncertainties and other variable circumstances, and other factors. Such risks and uncertainties may cause the statements to be inaccurate and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Many of these risks are outside of Royalty Pharma’s control and could cause its actual results to differ materially from those it thought would occur. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date hereof. Royalty Pharma does not undertake, and specifically declines, any obligation to update any such statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any such statements to reflect future events or developments, except as required by law. For further information, please reference Royalty Pharma’s reports and documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Royalty Pharma Investor Relations and Communications

    +1 (212) 883-6637
    ir@royaltypharma.com

    _______________________
    1Trial of Anti-BDCA2 Antibody Litifilimab for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, New England Journal of Medicine, 9/7/2022; Trial of Anti-BDCA2 Antibody Litifilimab for Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus, New England Journal of Medicine, 7/27/2022

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles – 12-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU’s automotive sector is resource-intensive. There are 286 million motor vehicles on the road in the EU, and every year around 6.5 million vehicles become waste. If improperly managed, these vehicles may cause environmental damage and the economy may lose millions of tonnes of materials. In July 2023, the European Commission presented a proposal for a regulation addressing the whole life cycle of vehicles, from design to end-of-life, aimed at improving design and end-of-life management of vehicles for a more resource-efficient automotive sector. It would set circularity requirements on vehicle design and production concerning reusability, recyclability, recoverability and the use of recycled content. It would also lay down requirements on information and labelling of parts, components and materials in vehicles. In addition, the proposed regulation would establish requirements on extended producer responsibility, collection and treatment of end-of-life vehicles, and on the export of used vehicles from the EU to third countries. The proposal is now in the hands of the co-legislators. In the European Parliament, the Committees on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) are jointly responsible for the file. The joint committee vote is scheduled for June 2025. Second edition. The ‘EU Legislation in Progress’ briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tatyana Golikova: All-Russian Occupational Safety Week 2025 will be held from September 15 to 18 at Sirius

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Tatyana Golikova held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the 10th All-Russian Occupational Safety and Health Week (VNOT-2025) in 2025. On the left is the Minister of Labor and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov

    February 12, 2025

    Tatyana Golikova held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the 10th All-Russian Occupational Safety and Health Week (VNOT-2025) in 2025

    February 12, 2025

    Tatyana Golikova held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the 10th All-Russian Occupational Safety and Health Week (VNOT-2025) in 2025

    February 12, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Tatyana Golikova held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the 10th All-Russian Occupational Safety and Health Week (VNOT-2025) in 2025. On the left is the Minister of Labor and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov

    The 10th All-Russian Occupational Safety Week will be held from September 15 to 18, 2025, in Sirius. This decision was made at a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the 10th All-Russian Occupational Safety Week (VNOT-2025) in 2025, which was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova.

    The following took part in the work of the organizing committee: Advisor to the President of Russia Anton Kobyakov, Minister of Labor Anton Kotyakov, Head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency Veronika Skvortsova, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin, as well as representatives of the Administration of the President of Russia, the Government of Russia, federal and regional ministries and departments, the Roscongress Foundation, Rostec, Rosatom, Gazprom, the FNPR and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

    As noted by Deputy Prime Minister, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee for the All-Russian Week of Labor Protection Tatyana Golikova, the All-Russian Week of Labor Protection plays a vital role in drawing attention to modern challenges in the social and labor sphere and popularizing safety at work. Within the framework of the All-Russian Week of Labor Protection, specialists in the field of labor protection and industrial safety have the opportunity to exchange best practices in promising solutions, new technologies and developments aimed at preserving the life and health of workers. “In today’s conditions, when we feel a shortage of labor, we began to implement the national project “Personnel” from January 1, 2025, we are rebooting the education system so that it corresponds to the training of personnel that the economy needs, labor protection issues are becoming one of the most important. Therefore, holding the All-Russian Week of Labor Protection is more relevant than ever. In 2025, the anniversary 10th All-Russian Week of Labor Protection will be held from September 15 to 18 in the federal territory “Sirius”. At the same time, the scale of this event is expanding every year, and this year it is also planned to hold satellite events in St. Petersburg and Krasnoyarsk,” said Tatyana Golikova.

    Adviser to the President of Russia Anton Kobyakov noted in his speech that the agenda of the event is becoming more ambitious every year and raises issues not only of labor protection, but also of a broad range of social security issues for citizens. “Over the years of its existence, the All-Russian Labor Protection Week has evolved from a conference into the country’s main forum on social protection, labor protection, industrial safety and other issues of supporting working people. The agenda of the Week is becoming more ambitious every year, and its international component is growing from year to year. About 10 thousand participants are expected at the anniversary forum, and it is planned to increase the number of foreign guests, manufacturing, consulting companies and participants in the exhibition of personal protective equipment manufacturers. It is also proposed to supplement the VNOT program with international format events with friendly countries, including BRICS countries. In addition, in the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, its special role will be reflected in the VNOT-2025 program and at the forum site,” Anton Kobyakov emphasized.

    The main strategic theme of the VNOT 2025 business program will be “Population conservation – a guarantee of sustainable development”.

    “In 2025, the All-Russian Occupational Safety Week celebrates its anniversary – 10 years since the first event. During this time, the forum has become an integral part of the personnel agenda, and has taken its rightful place among the key business events of the country. One of the most important goals of the national development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 and for the future up to 2036 is to preserve the population, meet the needs of the labor market, as well as realize the potential of each person and develop their talents. Taking this into account, the theme of VNOT-2025 will be “Population conservation – a guarantee of sustainable development”. The program of the event is expanding annually, new interesting tracks appear. Within the framework of VNOT-2025, work will continue on the international track, including in terms of the labor protection network of the BRICS countries,” said Anton Kotyakov, head of the Ministry of Labor.

    Also, on the sidelines of the All-Russian National Exhibition of Labour and Employment, a meeting of the Advisory Council on Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Population of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States will traditionally be held.

    At the anniversary VNOT, the exhibition exposition will be expanded: stands will be added dedicated to industrial robotics and the development of innovations in the field of safe work in production. Particular attention will be paid to the rehabilitation and restoration of workers’ health, as well as the adaptation and employment of veterans of the SVO.

    With the support of Delovaya Rossiya and Opora Rossii, it is planned to create and launch a special track of the business program of the All-Russian Occupational Safety Week, aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.

    Traditionally, the VNOT-2025 will include a Youth Day with the participation of HR specialists from the largest enterprises, and the results of the professional excellence competition in the field of social services and labor protection competitions will be summed up. Satellite events of the VNOT-2025 will be held in April in St. Petersburg and in June in Krasnoyarsk.

    The organizer of the All-Russian Occupational Safety Week is the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the operator is the Roscongress Foundation. Last year, VNOT was held from September 10 to 13 in Sirius. Official website of VNOT: HTTP: // Rruusafetesk.kom.

    The key topic of the plenary session in 2024 is the formation of a culture of safe work. Traditionally, the VNOT platform hosted conferences, round tables, all-Russian industry seminars and meetings and international meetings, including a meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Labor and Employment. The business program, which consisted of more than 150 events, was attended by more than 8 thousand people from 89 regions of Russia and 27 countries, 200 foreign delegates and representatives of more than 1.7 thousand companies.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WRRC Webinar: Paving the Way: Optimizing Governance Mechanisms for Resilient Recovery

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Venue

    Online participation via Zoom

    This webinar, held in the lead-up to the World Resilient Recovery Conference (WRRC), will examine the instrumental role in strengthening governance systems for effective and inclusive disaster recovery. When governance structures are prepared in advance—with clear mandates, strong institutional frameworks, and well-coordinated leadership—they enable faster, more effective recovery while reducing long-term vulnerabilities. The session will highlight key governance challenges and opportunities, focusing on how readiness can drive better coordination, resource allocation, and decision-making in post-disaster contexts.

    The discussion will draw on lessons from past disaster recoveries, showcasing how different governance models have shaped recovery outcomes. Key themes include cross-sectoral coordination, institutional capacity, financing mechanisms, and strategies for ensuring inclusive decision-making. Insights from global case studies will inform practical approaches to strengthening governance for resilient recovery, aligning with Sendai Framework Priority 4 and the Global Call to Action for Investing in Readiness for Resilient Recovery.

    This webinar is jointly organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and the World Health Organization (WHO).

    Session objectives

    This session will explore the role of governance systems in recovery, highlighting how pre-established institutional frameworks, policy arrangements, coordination mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement contribute to effectively manage recovery efforts, including from complex crisis. By examining different governance models, the discussion will emphasize how clear mandates, inclusive decision making, and well-coordinated response structures can enhance recovery readiness and long-term 

    The outcomes of this session will directly contribute to the implementation of the Global Call to Action for Investing in Readiness for Resilient Recovery and inform the broader agenda of the World Resilient Recovery Conference (WRRC). By focusing on governance, this discussion will inspire global efforts to prioritize readiness and resilience in recovery strategies.

    This session further aims to:

    1. Examine Governance Approaches: Analyze different governance models for disaster recovery, focusing on institutional arrangements, policies and coordination mechanisms that contribute to effective recovery processes and highlight the importance of defining these beforehand. 
    2. Examine the key components of a ‘ready’ governance mechanisms that is capable of driving resilient recovery
    3. Identify Success Factors for effective governance to drive : Highlight successful governance models from global recovery efforts, with lessons on what worked and what did not. Highlight essential components of effective governance, such as clear mandates, cross-sectoral coordination, clear financing mechanisms, and community engagement, that enable resilient and inclusive recovery.
    4. Identify actionable strategies for strengthening inclusivity, transparency, and efficiency in recovery governance.
    5. Generate Actionable Recommendations and Establish Governance Benchmarks:  Develop practical guidance and benchmarks for policymakers, practitioners, and development partners to strengthen governance systems, ensuring that pre-disaster institutional arrangements are in place to facilitate rapid and effective recovery efforts.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ4: Ten-year Hospital Development Plan

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ4: Ten-year Hospital Development Plan
    LCQ4: Ten-year Hospital Development Plan
    ****************************************

         Following is a question by the Hon Tony Tse and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 12): Question:      The Government has implemented the first 10-year Hospital Development Plan (HDP) since 2016, setting aside $200 billion for the construction, redevelopment and expansion of a number of hospitals and the provision of other healthcare facilities. In 2018, the Government invited the Hospital Authority to commence planning for the second 10-year HDP, which is expected to cover 19 projects involving about $270 billion. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the implementation of the first 10-year HDP, the estimated final expenditure, the additional annual recurrent expenditure involved and the assessment of the effectiveness of HDP; (2) of the planning for the second 10-year HDP, the projects to be covered and the expenditure (including recurrent and non-recurrent expenditures) to be involved; and (3) whether the formulation of the second 10-year HDP has taken into account circumstances and development trends emerged in recent years, including: the latest projections on the population and the supply and demand of healthcare manpower; the community’s greater emphasis on mental health, Chinese medicine and Chinese-‍Western medicine collaboration (especially for cancer treatment); the public’s demand for public dental services; the Government’s more proactive promotion of preventive and primary healthcare services; the continuous improvement in the quality of Mainland’s healthcare services and their enhanced accessibility to the Hong Kong public; the increasing number of Hong Kong people who are willing to go north for medical treatment and age in the Mainland; as well as the financial positions of the Government and Hospital Authority? Reply: President,      Having consulted the Hospital Authority (HA), my consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Tony Tse is as follows: (1) In 2016, the Government and the HA commenced the implementation of the First Hospital Development Plan (HDP) with $200 billion set aside for a total of 16 projects, covering the redevelopment and expansion of 11 hospitals, the construction of a new acute hospital, three community health centres and one supporting services centre.      Up till now, 14 out of those 16 projects have been upgraded to Category A with a total commitment of about $186,339 million (in money-of-the-day prices). Approval for upgrading the remaining health centre and community health centre building projects to Category A will also be sought later. Upon completion of the First HDP, it is anticipated that a total of about 2.2 million square metre of additional construction floor area, including an addition of 6 557 bed spaces (Note) and 94 operating theatres, will be provided for the whole public healthcare system. It is also anticipated that the total number of public hospital bed spaces under the HA will increase from about 30 000 in March 2022 to about 35 000 in 2031, while that of operating theatres from about 250 to about 350. Meanwhile, there will be more room for increasing service quotas of specialist and general out-patient clinics.      Among the projects, the new Phase 1 Building of the redevelopment project of Kwong Wah Hospital (KWH) was completed in late 2022, providing a construction floor area of about 145 000 square metre. As compared to the old KWH, four operating theatres, one cardiac catheterisation room, four endoscopy rooms, one magnetic resonance imaging room and a one-stop ambulatory care centre are provided additionally. For the new Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, which is approximately three times the size of the old one, it has an additional Emergency Medicine Ward with 40 beds, isolation areas for infection control and other supporting facilities. With the commissioning of the new A&E department, the average waiting time for patients who, after treatment at the A&E department of KWH, need to wait before being admitted to the hospital has dropped by 24 per cent in the previous two quarters (i.e. the third and fourth quarters of 2024) as compared with the same period in 2023. Besides, upon the full operation of the North District Community Health Centre Building following its completion in the end of 2024, it is estimated that the total number of attendances of the general out-patient and family medicine specialist clinics of the North District Family Medicine Centre will increase by approximately 143 000 and 44 000 respectively.      Some capital works projects under the First HDP involve in-situ redevelopment. Taking the expansion of United Christian Hospital as an example, certain facilities have to be temporarily closed or adjusted and workspace is limited, with clinical services being maintained under limitations. The Health Bureau (HHB) and the HA would like to express their gratitude towards all healthcare staff for their patient-oriented spirit and standing fast at their posts to provide high-quality services under such conditions during the construction period, as well as towards the public for their understanding of the importance of the construction works in improving healthcare services and their patience towards the inconveniences arising from the construction works.      Since some of the projects under the First HDP remain underway while some other are pending commencement, there is currently no complete information on its final expenditure and evaluation of its effectiveness. As for the operating expenses of the new hospitals, they will be covered by the subvention allocated by the Government to the HA. The HA will enhance and provide additional services and make good use of the recurrent provision from the Government having considered the growth of service demands of clusters, the scale, progress and plans of various hospital redevelopment and expansion projects. The Government also reviews and administers the subvention to the HA in accordance with the prevailing mechanisms. (2) and (3) The Government announced under the 2018 Policy Address and set out in the 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 Budgets that it has invited the HA to commence planning for the Second HDP. The preliminary idea of the projects under the Second HDP was presented by the then Food and Health Bureau (FHB) to the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Health Services in April 2019. The preliminary planning idea back then, which was based on the 2014-based Territorial Population and Employment Data Matrix compiled by the Planning Department and population projections by the Census and Statistics Department up to 2031, was to implement the Second HDP within ten years from 2026 to 2035 to meet the projected service demand up to 2036. A total of 19 projects were covered in the plan back then with an aim to provide over 9 000 additional beds and other necessary healthcare facilities.      With the changes in the population structure, planning and development situation of Hong Kong, the HHB and the HA are currently reviewing the Second HDP. Amongst others, in view of the territory-wide and regional planning and development strategies as announced by the Planning Department, including the “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030” and the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, the corresponding population projections of Hong Kong including the latest changes in overall population, its distribution and demographics, as well as the population policy and talent attraction initiatives of the Government and more, the HHB and the HA have to adopt a planning horizon of up to 2040 and beyond for the Second HDP, and to project healthcare service demand and consider the supply and conditions of the land required, thereby optimising the Second HDP.      The Government also considers factors such as the needs for and cost-effectiveness of renovation, refurbishment, redevelopment or addition of facilities for individual hospitals, and the convenience of public access to healthcare services under various major transport infrastructure development plans for determining the distribution, scale and priority, etc. of various hospital development projects under the Second HDP. Upon completion of the review, the Government will announce the revision details of the Second HDP in due course. In the course of planning, the HA will forecast future service demand and corresponding healthcare manpower requirements and make corresponding assessments and planning, with a view to flexibly deploying manpower and recruiting additional staff during the commissioning of new hospital facilities and phased introduction of services.      In planning and implementing the Second HDP, the HA will proactively tie the projects in with the policy initiatives of the Government, especially those for healthcare reform, including the development of primary healthcare services, mental health services, and Chinese medicine services, integrated Chinese-Western Medicine, the third medical school and development into an international health and medical innovation hub, while providing better healthcare services to the public by reserving spaces in newly built hospital facilities to facilitate the development of various services, increasing resources as appropriate and optimising services. As for the use of healthcare services provided in the Mainland by Hong Kong citizens, the HHB has a strong determination to enhance local healthcare and shoulder the primary responsibility for the health of all citizens, while offering convenience to Hong Kong citizens across the boundary and closely monitoring the needs for cross-boundary healthcare services and the progress of the healthcare collaboration initiatives in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits.      Thank you, President. Note: The figures include the additional beds at Kai Tak New Acute Hospital, which are provided for the relocation of the services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). Currently, QEH has around 1 940 beds and the reprovisioning of these beds will depend on the reallocation or redevelopment plan of its vacated buildings after its service relocation.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 12, 2025Issued at HKT 19:15

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ16: Tobacco duty

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-fai and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):     Question:     It has been reported that smoking prevalence has been reduced slightly from 9.5 per cent to 9.1 per cent, following the Government’s measures to increase tobacco duty by 31.48 per cent and 31.92 per cent in 2023 and last year respectively. Some members of the community have pointed out that while an increase in tobacco duty by more than 30 per cent should have brought substantially more tax revenue since there has not been any significant decrease in the number of smokers, the revenue from tobacco duty dropped from $7.93 billion before the duty increase in 2022-2023 to $7.25 billion afterwards in 2023-2024, and the tax revenue reduced even more significantly last year after the Government drastically increased tobacco duty again. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:     (1) of the monthly revenue from tobacco duty in the past three years (set out in the table below);(2) whether it has examined the reasons for reduction in the Government’s revenue from tobacco duty; whether it has assessed (i) the amount of revenue from tobacco duty reduced each year as a result of the increase in tobacco duty in 2023 and last year, and (ii) how much of such amount may be channelled to the market of illicit cigarettes; if it has assessed, of the details; if it has not assessed, the reasons for that;(3) of the number of illicit cigarettes seized, the market value of such illicit cigarettes and the number of persons arrested in each month of the past three years;(4) of the respective numbers of persons prosecuted by the Government for (i) trafficking and (ii) purchasing illicit cigarettes, as well as the penalties imposed on the convicted persons, in each of the past three years; and(5) whether it will consider restoring the tobacco duty rate to the level prior to the duty increase last year, with a view to bringing the revenue from tobacco duty back to the previous level, thereby increasing the Government’s revenue by billions of dollars and at the same time minimising the benefits brought to lawbreakers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?Reply:President,     Having consulted the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), the consolidated reply to the various parts of the Hon Shiu Ka-fai’s question is as follows.     Hong Kong is facing an ageing population and a continuous rising number of chronic disease patients. Numerous scientific studies have shown that smoking is the most important and preventable risk factor leading to chronic diseases and deaths. According to the estimation of the World Health Organization (WHO), the global economic loss caused by tobacco products amounts to US$1,800 billion annually, and a research of the University of Hong Kong in 2021 also revealed that the economic loss resulting from tobacco-induced health problems was estimated to be about HK$8.2 billion every year. It is therefore beyond doubt that smoking brings harm to the economy. On the contrary, that tobacco control harms the economy is disinformation created by the tobacco companies.     The results of the Thematic Household Survey (THS) on smoking pattern in 2023 conducted by the Census and Statistics Department showed that there are about 580 000 people in Hong Kong who are still daily smokers of conventional cigarettes, and nearly half of them are aged between 40 and 59. Smoking-induced diseases suffered by smokers who continue to smoke will pose a heavy burden on the healthcare system. In order to stop the tobacco hazards, the Government need to curb the use of tobacco and more importantly, prevent the public, especially the younger generation, from picking up smoking habit. Increasing tobacco duty is recognised internationally as the most effective means of reducing tobacco use. Through raising the costs of smoking, it provides a greater incentive for smokers to quit smoking, and dampens the eagerness of non-smokers, the youth in particular, to smoke.     Following an increase of tobacco duty by 60 cents in 2023-24, the Government has raised the tobacco duty by another 80 cents to $3.306 per stick in 2024-25. The measure can ensure that tobacco prices are maintained at a relatively high level which help prevent a rebound in smoking prevalence upon lifting of the mask-wearing requirements after resumption of normalcy after the epidemic, conveying a clear message to the society on the Government’s commitment and determination to safeguard public health through stringent tobacco control measures. The effectiveness of tobacco duty adjustment should be evaluated by whether it can effectively control and reduce the number of smokers, rather than the amount of additional revenue it brings to the Government.      Past experience in increasing tobacco duty indicated that increasing tobacco duty is conducive to reducing smoking prevalence. The greater the tax hike, the greater the drop in smoking prevalence. The number of calls to the Department of Health’s Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline (Quitline) immediately after the increase in tobacco duty is also a sensitive indicator of smokers’ response (i.e. their intention to quit smoking) to the duty increase. In the first month after the duty increase was announced in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Budget, the number of calls to the Quitline increased by about three times respectively when compared to the monthly number of calls received in the previous three months, reflecting the strong intention of smokers to quit smoking as a result of the duty increase. The number of calls received by the Department of Health’s Quitline increased from about 7 400 in 2022 to about 9 300 in 2024, representing an increase of more than 20 per cent.     The tobacco duty revenue, as well as smoking prevalence/smoking consumption and arrival passengers statistics from 2018 to 2024 are set out at Annex I. As 2020-22 was within the epidemic period, the pre-epidemic situation of 2018-19 is also presented for ease of comparison. The figures revealed that the number of duty-paid cigarettes and tobacco duty revenue in 2024 have decreased by about 39.4 per cent and 23.0 per cent respectively compared with 2023, and by 46.7 per cent and 18.5 per cent respectively when compared with 2019 (i.e. before the epidemic).      Tobacco duty revenue is collected from tobacco products as a dutiable commodity imported into Hong Kong, and therefore the amount of revenue generated is affected by many factors. Apart from the local sales volume of duty-paid tobacco products, it also depends on the commercial decisions of tobacco companies such as pricing strategies, timing of import and quantity, storage capacity of duty-paid tobacco products (there are no relevant figures as the commercial behaviour of tobacco companies is not transparent), as well as tobacco products purchased, by arrival passengers, outside Hong Kong or at duty-free shops at border control points and brought into Hong Kong (whether legally or illegally (Note)). Cross-boundary travel was greatly affected during the epidemic and the public were unable to bring back duty-free cigarettes through border control points. Tobacco duty was about 20 per cent higher than that before the epidemic, indicating that cross-boundary passenger travel has a great impact on tobacco duty. The number of passenger arrivals in 2024 was close to 150 million, which has fully restored to the pre-epidemic level, with the number of passenger arrivals at land boundary control points being close to 125 million exceeding the pre-epidemic level. It is estimated that the tobacco products brought into Hong Kong by inbound passengers will inevitably have a significant impact on tobacco duty revenue.     At the same time, the local sales volume of duty-paid tobacco products is also affected by the smoking population and their average consumption, whereas the increased cost of smoking will reduce the consumption of tobacco products. The WHO pinpoints that every 10 per cent increase in cigarette price will reduce the overall tobacco consumption by four per cent in high-income regions. In aggregate, tobacco duty was raised by 73.5 per cent in 2023 and 2024. Following the increase of tobacco duty in 2023, the THS conducted from May to August in the same year revealed that smoking prevalence dropped from 10.2 per cent in 2019 and 9.5 per cent in 2021 to 9.1 per cent in 2023. The number of smokers is estimated to have decreased by 60 600 or 9.5 per cent. The number of cigarettes consumed by smokers per day also dropped from 12.7 sticks in 2019 and 2021 to 12.1 sticks in 2023, which together represented a 13.8 per cent reduction in tobacco consumption. The Government has further increased tobacco duty in 2024 and the relevant THS will be conducted at a later time. It is expected that the drop in demand for tobacco products would be reflected in the survey results.       On the other hand, illicit cigarettes activities have always existed and the rebound in cross-boundary freight after resumption from the epidemic might also lead to increase in illicit cigarettes activities. That said, industry statistics from international market research companies revealed that the sales of illicit cigarettes in Hong Kong did not show an upward trend. As a matter of fact, both the WHO and the World Bank have pointed out that there is no direct correlation between the increase in tobacco duty and illegal tobacco trade activities. Combatting illicit cigarette trading activities and raising tobacco duty should be regarded as complementary measures. Taking into consideration the above factors, we are of the view that the drop in tobacco duty is attributable to a number of factors. The full effect of tobacco duty in reducing tobacco use is to be ascertained subject to the availability of latest data, and at this stage, we cannot rule out the possibility that some of the revenue from tobacco duty may be lost as a result of illicit cigarettes activities, but there is no evidence to suggest that illicit cigarettes activities are the main cause of the drop in tobacco duty.     In any case, as an important pillar under the tobacco control strategy, the Government will spare no efforts in combatting illicit cigarettes. The C&ED will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach and take stringent enforcement actions at all levels to combat the sale of illicit cigarettes. The monthly tobacco duty revenue and the relevant enforcement figures against illicit cigarettes (including smuggling, storage and distribution as well as sale) in the past three years are set out at Annex II. The increase in the number of seizures of illicit cigarettes reflects the effectiveness of the C&ED’s stepped-up enforcement actions against illicit cigarettes and the success of its enforcement strategy does not denote an expanding scale of illicit cigarettes activities.     The Government announced the “10 measures for tobacco control” in June last year. Stepping up enforcement against illicit cigarettes was accorded the highest priority among the 10 measures, including – (i) introducing a duty stamp system to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from non-duty-paid cigarettes;(ii) requiring tobacco products being sold at a price lower than the tobacco duty need to be proved duty-paid;(iii) increasing the maximum penalty for handling, possessing, selling or buying duty-not-paid cigarettes; and (iv) listing the relevant offences under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455), so as to enable the C&ED to apply for freezing and confiscating illicit proceeds and assets associated with illicit cigarette activities by virtue of the Ordinance.     On duty stamp system, taking into account factors such as enforcement effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, we propose to require the affixing of duty-paid labels on the retail packages of cigarettes at this stage. Through the application of anti-forgery features and related digital technologies, frontline officers of the C&ED would be able to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones in a more effective manner, thereby enhancing enforcement efficiency. The C&ED expects that a pilot scheme on the duty stamp system will be rolled out in the middle of this year to work out the practical operating requirement of the scheme, which will then be launched next year at the earliest.      The Government expects that the above measures will increase the deterrent effect and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement departments in combating illicit cigarettes. The Government will continuously review the effect of tobacco control measures as a whole and the pace of future adjustments in tobacco duty. Our ultimate aim is to further lower the smoking prevalence so that the whole society and our healthcare system does not have to pay a heavy price for smoking-related diseases.Note: Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), a person aged 18 or above may bring into Hong Kong 19 cigarettes duty-free for his own personal use.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Conditional extension of timeline to small and medium pharmaceutical manufacturers for compliance with revised Schedule ‘M’ notification

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 4:23PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has conditionally extended the due date for implementation of revised Schedule M (Good Manufacturing Practices provision) in respect of small and medium manufacturers having turnover of Rs. 250 crores or less, up to 31st December, 2025.

    On 28th December, 2023, the Government of India had notified revised Schedule M requirements wherein “good manufacturing practices” was upgraded to “good manufacturing practices and requirements of plan and equipment for pharmaceutical products”. The category of manufacturers was divided into two; the first category was of large manufacturers having turnover more than 250 crores. A timeline of 6 months was given to such manufacturers for compliance. For small and medium manufacturers having turnover less than or equal to 250 crores, a timeline of 12 months was given for compliance. The revised Schedule M requirements have been implemented for large manufacturers w.e.f. 28th June, 2024.

    Small and medium manufacturers had represented for extension of timeline to enable improvement in infrastructure, training of personnel and arranging financial resources. The same has been considered and the small and medium manufacturers have been given a time of 3 months from 11th February, 2025 to submit their plan for upgradation in Form A to the Central License Approving Authority. For such manufacturers who submit these details, the timeline of implementation would be extended till 31st December, 2025.

    The revised Schedule M requirements are a positive step towards ensuring the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products being manufactured in India.  The new regulations would enable the pharma companies to not only strengthen their domestic position but also become more competitive globally.

    ****

    MV

    HFW/Extension of Revised Schedule M/12Feb2025/1

    (Release ID: 2102291) Visitor Counter : 72

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cluster of influenza A cases in Kowloon Hospital

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Cluster of influenza A cases in Kowloon Hospital
    Cluster of influenza A cases in Kowloon Hospital
    *************************************************

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:     The spokesman for the Kowloon Hospital made the following announcement today (February 12):      Six patients (aged 70 to 97) in a male rehabilitation ward have presented with symptoms of fever or respiratory symptoms since February 8. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patients, and their test results were positive for Influenza A. Two patients passed away due to their underlying illnesses. One patient is in critical condition due to his underlying illness. The remaining three patients are in stable condition.      Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward concerned are under close surveillance.      The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up. 

     
    Ends/Wednesday, February 12, 2025Issued at HKT 18:45

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Raksha Mantri holds bilateral meetings with Defence Ministers of Zimbabwe, Yemen, Ethiopia, Gambia & Gabon on Day 3 of Aero India 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 4:03PM by PIB Delhi

    On the margins of Aero India 2025, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with Minister of Defence, Zimbabwe Mrs Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri; Minister of Defense, Yemen Lt Gen Mohsen Mohammed Hussein Al Daeri; Minister of Defense, Ethiopia Mrs Aisha Mohammed (Eng.); Minister of Defence, Gambia Mr Sering Modou Njie and Minister of National Defence, Gabon Ms Brigitte Onkanowa in Bengaluru on February 12, 2025.  

    During the meeting with the Defence Minister of Zimbabwe, both sides reviewed existing bilateral defence cooperation and agreed to cooperate in areas of training, military courses and capacity building of the Armed Forces of Zimbabwe. Both leaders signed an MoU on defence cooperation and expressed confidence that this would lead to further deepening of ties. They underscored the importance of regular engagements between the Defence Ministers to effectively implement the MoU. Both countries affirmed their commitment to deepen collaboration between the defence industries for production and maintenance of assets. Cooperation in the fields of Military Medicine was also discussed. 

    During the meeting with the Ethiopian Defence Minister, both leaders expressed satisfaction at the growing bilateral defence ties. Acknowledging the importance of close and active engagement, both Ministers signed an MoU cooperation in the field of defence for institutionalising the ongoing ties. Both sides considered collaboration in various areas including military training, courses, peacekeeping and capacity building of the Armed Forces of Ethiopia. Discussions to further strengthen defence industry cooperation were also held and India’s emerging private sector was highlighted. 

    In the meeting with the Defence Minister of Yemen, both leaders took note of enhancing engagements in the field of defence. To take this a step further, both leaders held discussions for partnership in the field of military training, courses and capacity building of the Armed Forces of Yemen. The meeting gave an additional impetus and guidance to the deepening of the defence cooperation between India and Yemen.  

    During the meeting with the Gambian Defence Minister, both leaders reiterated their commitment to working together in defence domain. The two leaders reaffirmed their desire to enhance cooperation for capacity building, capability enhancement and sharing of best practices for the mutual benefits of both sides. Both sides also highlighted the huge potential for defence industry cooperation. 

    Raksha Mantri’s meetings with the Defence Minister of Gabon provided both sides with an opportunity to discuss the matters related to bilateral defence cooperation. Both leaders pledged to continue to deepen cooperation and focused their discussions on key issues related to training and capability enhancement of the Armed Forces. Both sides also explored the possibility to collaborate in the area of defence industry. 

     ***

    VK/Savvy

    (Release ID: 2102275) Visitor Counter : 24

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CONSUMER PRICE INDEX NUMBERS ON BASE 2012=100 FOR RURAL, URBAN AND COMBINED FOR THE MONTH OF January 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

    I. Key highlights:

    1. Headline Inflation: Year-on-year inflation rate based on All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of January 2025 over January 2024 is 4.31% (Provisional). There is decline of 91 basis points in headline inflation of January, 2025 in comparison to December 2024. It is the lowest year-on-year inflation after August, 2024.

    1. Food Inflation: Year-on-year inflation rate based on All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) for the month of January 2025 over January, 2024 is 6.02% (Provisional). Corresponding inflation rate for rural and urban are 6.31% and 5.53%, respectively. All India inflation rates for CPI(General) and CFPI over the last 13 months are shown below. A sharp decline of 237 basis point is observed in food inflation in January, 2025 in comparison to December, 2024. The food inflation in January, 2025 is the lowest after August, 2024.

    1. Rural Inflation: Significant decline in headline and food inflation in rural sector observed in January 2025. It is 4.64% (provisional) in January, 2025 while the same was 5.76% in December, 2024. The CFPI based food inflation in rural sector is observed as 6.31% in January, 2025 in comparison to 8.65% in December, 2024.

    2. Urban Inflation: Sharp decline from 4.58% in December, 2024 to 3.87% (Provisional) in January, 2025 is observed in headline inflation of urban sector. Similar decline is observed in food inflation which is decreased from 7.9% in December, 2024 to 5.53% in January, 2025.

    3. Housing Inflation: Year-on-year Housing inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 2.76%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 2.71%. The housing index is compiled for urban sector only.

    4. Education Inflation: Year-on-year Education inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 3.83%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 3.95%. It is combined education inflation for both rural and urban sector.

    5. Health Inflation: Year-on-year Health inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 3.97%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 4.05%. It is combined health inflation for both rural and urban sector.

    6. Transport & Communication: Year-on-year Transport & communication inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 2.76%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 2.64%. It is combined inflation rate for both rural and urban sector.

    7. Fuel & light: Year-on-year Fuel & light inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is -1.38 %. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was -1.33%. It is combined inflation rate for both rural and urban sector.

    8. The significant decline in headline inflation and food inflation during the month of January, 2025 is mainly attributed to decline in inflation of Vegetables, Egg, Pulses & Products, Cereals and Products, Education, Clothing and Health.

    9. Top five items with highest inflation: The top five items showing highest year on year Inflation at All India level in January 2025 are Coconut oil (54.20%), potato (49.61%), coconut (38.71%), garlic (30.65%), peas [vegetables] (30.17%).

    10. Top five items with lowest inflation: The key items having lowest year on year inflation in January, 2025 are jeera (-32.25%), ginger (-30.92%), dry chilies (-11.27%), brinjal (-9.94%), LPG (excl. conveyance) (-9.29%). For other data related to All India Item Index and Inflation, please visit the website www.cpi.mospi.gov.in.

    11. Top five major states with high Year on Year inflation for the month of January 2025 are shown in the graph below.

     

    1. All India Inflation rates (on point to point basis i.e. current month over same month of last year, i.e.

    January 2025 over January 2024), based on General Indices and CFPIs are given as follows:

     

    All India year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on CPI (General) and CFPI: January 2025 over January 2024

     

    January 2025 (Prov.)

    December 2024 (Final)

    January 2024

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Inflation

    CPI (General)

    4.64

    3.87

    4.31

    5.76

    4.58

    5.22

    5.34

    4.92

    5.10

    CFPI

    6.31

    5.53

    6.02

    8.65

    7.9

    8.39

    7.91

    9.02

    8.30

    Index

    CPI (General)

    196.0

    190.6

    193.5

    198.4

    192.0

    195.4

    187.3

    183.5

    185.5

    CFPI

    198.8

    204.1

    200.7

    204.7

    210.3

    206.7

    187.0

    193.4

    189.3

                          Notes: Prov.  – Provisional, Combd. – Combined

     

    1. Monthly changes in the General Indices and CFPIs are given below:

         Monthly changes (%) in All India CPI (General) and CFPI: January 2025 over December 2024

    Indices

    January 2025 (Prov.)

    December 2024 (Final)

    Monthly change (%)

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    CPI (General)

    196.0

    190.6

    193.5

    198.4

    192.0

    195.4

    -1.21

    -0.73

    -0.97

    CFPI

    198.8

    204.1

    200.7

    204.7

    210.3

    206.7

    -2.88

    -2.95

    -2.90

           

    Note: Figures of January 2025 are provisional.

    1. Response rate: The price data are collected from selected 1114 urban Markets and 1181 villages covering all States/UTs through personal visits by field staff of Field Operations Division of NSO, MoSPI on a weekly roster. During the month of January 2025, NSO collected prices from 99.7% villages and 98.5% urban markets while the market-wise prices reported therein were 88.7% for rural and 93.1% for urban.

    2. Next date of release for February 2025 CPI is 12th March 2025 (Wednesday). For more details, please visit the website www.cpi.mospi.gov.in or esankhyiki.mospi.gov.in

    List of Annex

    Annex

    Title

    I

    All-India General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for December 2024(Final) and January2025(Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Annexure I)

    II

    All-India inflation rates (%) for General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Annexure II)

    III

    General CPI for States for Rural, Urban and Combined for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) (Annexure III)

    IV

    Year-on-year inflation rates (%) of major States for Rural, Urban and Combined for January 2025(Provisional) (Annexure IV)

    V

     Time Series Data for All India General CPI (Base 2012 =100) Since January 2013 (Annexure V)

    VI

     Time Series Data for All India Year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on General CPI (Base 2012=100) Since January 2014 (Annexure VI)

                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Annex I

    All-India General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Base: 2012=100)

     

    Group Code

    Sub-group Code

    Description

    Rural

    Urban

    Combined

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    Weights

    Dec.24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)

    (6)

    (7)

    (8)

    (9)

    (10)

    (11)

    (12)

     

    1.1.01

    Cereals and products

    12.35

    198.9

    199.8

    6.59

    196.5

    197.5

    9.67

    198.1

    199.1

     

    1.1.02

    Meat and fish

    4.38

    219.1

    220.9

    2.73

    228.7

    230.8

    3.61

    222.5

    224.4

     

    1.1.03

    Egg

    0.49

    209.8

    206.1

    0.36

    215.8

    210.8

    0.43

    212.1

    207.9

     

    1.1.04

    Milk and products

    7.72

    187.3

    187.7

    5.33

    187.9

    188.2

    6.61

    187.5

    187.9

     

    1.1.05

    Oils and fats

    4.21

    189.0

    189.0

    2.81

    174.6

    175.6

    3.56

    183.7

    184.1

     

    1.1.06

    Fruits

    2.88

    189.0

    192.1

    2.90

    192.4

    193.8

    2.89

    190.6

    192.9

     

    1.1.07

    Vegetables

    7.46

    242.4

    203.6

    4.41

    289.2

    245.6

    6.04

    258.3

    217.8

     

    1.1.08

    Pulses and products

    2.95

    212.4

    207.8

    1.73

    217.4

    213.0

    2.38

    214.1

    209.6

     

    1.1.09

    Sugar and Confectionery

    1.70

    130.0

    129.6

    0.97

    132.7

    132.4

    1.36

    130.9

    130.5

     

    1.1.10

    Spices

    3.11

    229.0

    227.3

    1.79

    224.1

    222.9

    2.50

    227.4

    225.8

     

    1.2.11

    Non-alcoholic beverages

    1.37

    186.7

    187.7

    1.13

    175.5

    176.6

    1.26

    182.0

    183.1

     

    1.1.12

    Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.

    5.56

    201.2

    201.7

    5.54

    211.7

    212.9

    5.55

    206.1

    206.9

    1

     

    Food and beverages

    54.18

    203.9

    198.8

    36.29

    209.4

    204.6

    45.86

    205.9

    200.9

    2

     

    Pan, tobacco and intoxicants

    3.26

    208.7

    208.2

    1.36

    212.2

    212.6

    2.38

    209.6

    209.4

     

    3.1.01

    Clothing

    6.32

    200.4

    200.6

    4.72

    190.0

    190.3

    5.58

    196.3

    196.5

     

    3.1.02

    Footwear

    1.04

    193.7

    193.9

    0.85

    175.6

    176.0

    0.95

    186.2

    186.5

    3

     

    Clothing and footwear

    7.36

    199.4

    199.7

    5.57

    187.8

    188.1

    6.53

    194.8

    195.1

    4

     

    Housing

    –

    –

    –

    21.67

    181.7

    182.5

    10.07

    181.7

    182.5

    5

     

    Fuel and light

    7.94

    182.3

    183.1

    5.58

    170.5

    170.6

    6.84

    177.8

    178.4

     

    6.1.01

    Household goods and services

    3.75

    187.0

    187.3

    3.87

    178.3

    178.8

    3.80

    182.9

    183.3

     

    6.1.02

    Health

    6.83

    200.2

    200.8

    4.81

    194.5

    195.4

    5.89

    198.0

    198.8

     

    6.1.03

    Transport and communication

    7.60

    176.7

    177.2

    9.73

    165.8

    166.1

    8.59

    171.0

    171.4

     

    6.1.04

    Recreation and amusement

    1.37

    181.5

    181.6

    2.04

    176.7

    177.0

    1.68

    178.8

    179.0

     

    6.1.05

    Education

    3.46

    192.2

    192.5

    5.62

    187.9

    188.0

    4.46

    189.7

    189.9

     

    6.1.06

    Personal care and effects

    4.25

    206.3

    208.4

    3.47

    208.0

    210.2

    3.89

    207.0

    209.1

    6

     

    Miscellaneous

    27.26

    190.8

    191.5

    29.53

    182.0

    182.6

    28.32

    186.5

    187.2

    General Index (All Groups)

    100.00

    198.4

    196.0

    100.00

    192.0

    190.6

    100.00

    195.4

    193.5

    Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)

    47.25

    204.7

    198.8

    29.62

    210.3

    204.1

    39.06

    206.7

    200.7

    Notes:

    1. Prov.       : Provisional.

    2. CFPI        : Out of 12 sub-groups contained in ‘Food and Beverages’ group, CFPI is based on ten sub-groups, excluding ‘Non-alcoholic beverages’ and ‘Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.’.

    1. –   : CPI (Rural) for housing is not compiled.

    Annex II

    All-India year-on-year inflation rates (%) for General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Base: 2012=100)

     

    Group Code

    Sub-group Code

    Description

    Rural

    Urban

    Combined

     

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

     

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)

    (6)

    (7)

    (8)

    (9)

    (10)

    (11)

    (12)

     

    1.1.01

    Cereals and products

    187.5

    199.8

    6.56

    187.1

    197.5

    5.56

    187.4

    199.1

    6.24

     

    1.1.02

    Meat and fish

    209.9

    220.9

    5.24

    219.4

    230.8

    5.20

    213.2

    224.4

    5.25

     

    1.1.03

    Egg

    204.8

    206.1

    0.63

    206.1

    210.8

    2.28

    205.3

    207.9

    1.27

     

    1.1.04

    Milk and products

    182.6

    187.7

    2.79

    182.8

    188.2

    2.95

    182.7

    187.9

    2.85

     

    1.1.05

    Oils and fats

    161.2

    189.0

    17.25

    155.8

    175.6

    12.71

    159.2

    184.1

    15.64

     

    1.1.06

    Fruits

    169.7

    192.1

    13.20

    174.5

    193.8

    11.06

    171.9

    192.9

    12.22

     

    1.1.07

    Vegetables

    179.9

    203.6

    13.17

    226.2

    245.6

    8.58

    195.6

    217.8

    11.35

     

    1.1.08

    Pulses and products

    202.5

    207.8

    2.62

    207.7

    213.0

    2.55

    204.3

    209.6

    2.59

     

    1.1.09

    Sugar and Confectionery

    129.7

    129.6

    -0.08

    131.0

    132.4

    1.07

    130.1

    130.5

    0.31

     

    1.1.10

    Spices

    245.9

    227.3

    -7.56

    235.5

    222.9

    -5.35

    242.4

    225.8

    -6.85

     

    1.2.11

    Non-alcoholic beverages

    182.3

    187.7

    2.96

    169.8

    176.6

    4.00

    177.1

    183.1

    3.39

     

    1.1.12

    Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.

    195.0

    201.7

    3.44

    203.1

    212.9

    4.83

    198.8

    206.9

    4.07

     

    1

    Food and beverages

    187.7

    198.8

    5.91

    194.2

    204.6

    5.36

    190.1

    200.9

    5.68

     

    2

    Pan, tobacco and intoxicants

    203.2

    208.2

    2.46

    208.9

    212.6

    1.77

    204.7

    209.4

    2.30

     

    3.1.01

    Clothing

    195.3

    200.6

    2.71

    185.1

    190.3

    2.81

    191.3

    196.5

    2.72

     

    3.1.02

    Footwear

    190.4

    193.9

    1.84

    171.8

    176.0

    2.44

    182.7

    186.5

    2.08

     

    3

    Clothing and footwear

    194.6

    199.7

    2.62

    183.1

    188.1

    2.73

    190.0

    195.1

    2.68

     

    4

    Housing

    –

    –

    –

    177.6

    182.5

    2.76

    177.6

    182.5

    2.76

     

    5

    Fuel and light

    184.1

    183.1

    -0.54

    175.7

    170.6

    -2.90

    180.9

    178.4

    -1.38

     

    6.1.01

    Household goods and services

    182.9

    187.3

    2.41

    173.0

    178.8

    3.35

    178.2

    183.3

    2.86

     

    6.1.02

    Health

    193.2

    200.8

    3.93

    187.8

    195.4

    4.05

    191.2

    198.8

    3.97

     

    6.1.03

    Transport and communication

    172.0

    177.2

    3.02

    162.1

    166.1

    2.47

    166.8

    171.4

    2.76

     

    6.1.04

    Recreation and amusement

    177.2

    181.6

    2.48

    172.2

    177.0

    2.79

    174.4

    179.0

    2.64

     

    6.1.05

    Education

    185.8

    192.5

    3.61

    180.8

    188.0

    3.98

    182.9

    189.9

    3.83

     

    6.1.06

    Personal care and effects

    188.6

    208.4

    10.50

    189.9

    210.2

    10.69

    189.1

    209.1

    10.58

     

    6

    Miscellaneous

    183.4

    191.5

    4.42

    175.2

    182.6

    4.22

    179.4

    187.2

    4.35

     

    General Index (All Groups)

    187.3

    196.0

    4.64

    183.5

    190.6

    3.87

    185.5

    193.5

    4.31

     

    Notes:

    1. Prov.       : Provisional.

    2. –               : CPI (Rural) for housing is not compiled.

     

    Annex III

    General CPI for States for Rural, Urban and Combined for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) (Base: 2012=100)

     

    Sl. No.

    Name of the State/UT

    Rural

    Urban

    Combined

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)

    (6)

    (7)

    (8)

    (9)

    (10)

    (11)

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    5.40

    199.5

    199.1

    3.64

    199.4

    199.2

    4.58

    199.5

    199.1

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    0.14

    199.1

    197.6

    0.06

    —

    —

    0.10

    199.1

    197.6

    3

    Assam

    2.63

    200.1

    198.4

    0.79

    196.7

    194.8

    1.77

    199.4

    197.7

    4

    Bihar

    8.21

    195.7

    189.7

    1.62

    203.1

    199.1

    5.14

    196.8

    191.1

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    1.68

    193.1

    188.9

    1.22

    185.9

    182.6

    1.46

    190.3

    186.5

    6

    Delhi

    0.28

    176.5

    175.2

    5.64

    171.2

    171.7

    2.77

    171.5

    171.9

    7

    Goa

    0.14

    183.6

    183.1

    0.25

    181.9

    182.7

    0.19

    182.6

    182.9

    8

    Gujarat

    4.54

    193.4

    191.0

    6.82

    182.8

    179.9

    5.60

    187.4

    184.7

    9

    Haryana

    3.30

    200.3

    197.5

    3.35

    186.3

    184.7

    3.32

    193.7

    191.5

    10

    Himachal Pradesh

    1.03

    182.9

    180.9

    0.26

    187.4

    185.3

    0.67

    183.7

    181.7

    11

    Jharkhand

    1.96

    191.5

    186.7

    1.39

    193.6

    191.0

    1.69

    192.3

    188.3

    12

    Karnataka

    5.09

    200.2

    199.9

    6.81

    200.9

    201.2

    5.89

    200.6

    200.6

    13

    Kerala

    5.50

    204.2

    205.4

    3.46

    199.1

    200.3

    4.55

    202.4

    203.6

    14

    Madhya Pradesh

    4.93

    196.6

    193.4

    3.97

    196.0

    193.8

    4.48

    196.4

    193.6

    15

    Maharashtra

    8.25

    196.3

    193.8

    18.86

    188.2

    186.8

    13.18

    190.9

    189.1

    16

    Manipur

    0.23

    239.4

    233.9

    0.12

    193.0

    191.0

    0.18

    224.7

    220.3

    17

    Meghalaya

    0.28

    179.5

    177.8

    0.15

    187.3

    187.4

    0.22

    181.9

    180.8

    18

    Mizoram

    0.07

    207.7

    207.4

    0.13

    183.1

    181.9

    0.10

    192.7

    191.8

    19

    Nagaland

    0.14

    202.5

    201.1

    0.12

    187.7

    186.9

    0.13

    196.2

    195.1

    20

    Odisha

    2.93

    204.9

    201.3

    1.31

    191.8

    189.4

    2.18

    201.2

    198.0

    21

    Punjab

    3.31

    191.3

    189.4

    3.09

    181.8

    179.9

    3.21

    187.0

    185.1

    22

    Rajasthan

    6.63

    193.6

    192.0

    4.23

    191.3

    189.2

    5.51

    192.8

    191.0

    23

    Sikkim

    0.06

    205.9

    203.7

    0.03

    189.9

    189.0

    0.05

    200.7

    198.9

    24

    Tamil Nadu

    5.55

    204.2

    203.8

    9.20

    200.8

    200.2

    7.25

    202.2

    201.7

    25

    Telangana

    3.16

    207.3

    205.9

    4.41

    200.2

    199.4

    3.74

    203.4

    202.3

    26

    Tripura

    0.35

    216.5

    209.9

    0.14

    207.7

    203.4

    0.25

    214.2

    208.2

    27

    Uttar Pradesh

    14.83

    198.5

    194.9

    9.54

    193.8

    191.2

    12.37

    196.8

    193.6

    28

    Uttarakhand

    1.06

    190.8

    188.5

    0.73

    195.8

    193.7

    0.91

    192.7

    190.4

    29

    West Bengal

    6.99

    201.9

    198.2

    7.20

    195.1

    193.4

    7.09

    198.7

    195.9

    30

    Andaman & Nicobar Islands

    0.05

    206.1

    203.2

    0.07

    192.0

    191.8

    0.06

    198.9

    197.4

    31

    Chandigarh

    0.02

    195.8

    192.0

    0.34

    181.2

    179.3

    0.17

    182.0

    180.0

    32

    Dadra & Nagar Haveli

    0.02

    183.8

    182.2

    0.04

    190.5

    188.5

    0.03

    188.3

    186.4

    33

    Daman & Diu

    0.02

    200.6

    199.5

    0.02

    190.3

    189.0

    0.02

    196.3

    195.1

    34

    Jammu & Kashmir*

    1.14

    205.8

    204.7

    0.72

    199.6

    197.5

    0.94

    203.6

    202.2

    35

    Lakshadweep

    0.01

    199.9

    197.5

    0.01

    190.8

    185.5

    0.01

    195.2

    191.4

    36

    Puducherry

    0.08

    210.8

    208.1

    0.27

    199.4

    198.8

    0.17

    202.3

    201.2

    All India

    100.00

    198.4

    196.0

    100.00

    192.0

    190.6

    100.00

    195.4

    193.5

    Notes:

    1. Prov.:  Provisional

    2. –:  indicates the receipt of price schedules is less than 80% of allocated schedules and therefore indices are not compiled.

    3. *: Figures of this row pertain to the prices and weights of the combined Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir

    and Ladakh (erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir).

    Annex IV

     

    Year-on-year inflation rates (%) of major@ States for Rural, Urban and Combined for January 2025 (Provisional) (Base: 2012=100)

     

    Sl. No.

    Name of the State/UT

    Rural

    Urban

    Combined

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)

    (6)

    (7)

    (8)

    (9)

    (10)

    (11)

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    191.4

    199.1

    4.02

    191.5

    199.2

    4.02

    191.4

    199.1

    4.02

    2

    Assam

    189.3

    198.4

    4.81

    186.4

    194.8

    4.51

    188.7

    197.7

    4.77

    3

    Bihar

    180.9

    189.7

    4.86

    188.0

    199.1

    5.90

    181.9

    191.1

    5.06

    4

    Chhattisgarh

    176.8

    188.9

    6.84

    175.2

    182.6

    4.22

    176.2

    186.5

    5.85

    5

    Delhi

    169.9

    175.2

    3.12

    168.4

    171.7

    1.96

    168.5

    171.9

    2.02

    6

    Gujarat

    183.9

    191.0

    3.86

    173.2

    179.9

    3.87

    177.8

    184.7

    3.88

    7

    Haryana

    187.1

    197.5

    5.56

    176.6

    184.7

    4.59

    182.2

    191.5

    5.10

    8

    Himachal Pradesh

    173.6

    180.9

    4.21

    178.2

    185.3

    3.98

    174.4

    181.7

    4.19

    9

    Jharkhand

    183.3

    186.7

    1.85

    184.1

    191.0

    3.75

    183.6

    188.3

    2.56

    10

    Karnataka

    190.0

    199.9

    5.21

    191.8

    201.2

    4.90

    191.0

    200.6

    5.03

    11

    Kerala

    191.4

    205.4

    7.31

    189.3

    200.3

    5.81

    190.7

    203.6

    6.76

    12

    Madhya Pradesh

    183.9

    193.4

    5.17

    187.5

    193.8

    3.36

    185.4

    193.6

    4.42

    13

    Maharashtra

    188.9

    193.8

    2.59

    179.9

    186.8

    3.84

    182.9

    189.1

    3.39

    14

    Odisha

    188.5

    201.3

    6.79

    182.0

    189.4

    4.07

    186.7

    198.0

    6.05

    15

    Punjab

    180.6

    189.4

    4.87

    173.7

    179.9

    3.57

    177.5

    185.1

    4.28

    16

    Rajasthan

    184.3

    192.0

    4.18

    183.3

    189.2

    3.22

    183.9

    191.0

    3.86

    17

    Tamil Nadu

    193.4

    203.8

    5.38

    191.3

    200.2

    4.65

    192.2

    201.7

    4.94

    18

    Telangana

    201.2

    205.9

    2.34

    195.2

    199.4

    2.15

    197.9

    202.3

    2.22

    19

    Uttar Pradesh

    185.5

    194.9

    5.07

    184.3

    191.2

    3.74

    185.1

    193.6

    4.59

    20

    Uttarakhand

    180.6

    188.5

    4.37

    183.4

    193.7

    5.62

    181.6

    190.4

    4.85

    21

    West Bengal

    191.0

    198.2

    3.77

    187.9

    193.4

    2.93

    189.5

    195.9

    3.38

    22

    Jammu & Kashmir*

    194.3

    204.7

    5.35

    190.2

    197.5

    3.84

    192.9

    202.2

    4.82

    All India

    187.3

    196.0

    4.64

    183.5

    190.6

    3.87

    185.5

    193.5

    4.31

    Notes:

    1. Prov.     :  Provisional.

    2. *               : Figures of this row pertain to the prices and weights of the combined Union Territories of Jammu &                            Kashmir and Ladakh (erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir).

    3. @               : States having population more than 50 lakhs as per Population Census 2011.

     

    Annexure V

    Time Series Data for All India General CPI (Base 2012 =100) Since January 2013

     

    Year

    Jan

    Feb

    Mar

    Apr

    May

    Jun

    Jul

    Aug

    Sep

    Oct

    Nov

    Dec

    2013

    104.6

    105.3

    105.5

    106.1

    106.9

    109.3

    111.0

    112.4

    113.7

    114.8

    116.3

    114.5

    2014

    113.6

    113.6

    114.2

    115.1

    115.8

    116.7

    119.2

    120.3

    120.1

    120.1

    120.1

    119.4

    2015

    119.5

    119.7

    120.2

    120.7

    121.6

    123.0

    123.6

    124.8

    125.4

    126.1

    126.6

    126.1

    2016

    126.3

    126.0

    126.0

    127.3

    128.6

    130.1

    131.1

    131.1

    130.9

    131.4

    131.2

    130.4

    2017

    130.3

    130.6

    130.9

    131.1

    131.4

    132.0

    134.2

    135.4

    135.2

    136.1

    137.6

    137.2

    2018

    136.9

    136.4

    136.5

    137.1

    137.8

    138.5

    139.8

    140.4

    140.2

    140.7

    140.8

    140.1

    2019

    139.6

    139.9

    140.4

    141.2

    142.0

    142.9

    144.2

    145.0

    145.8

    147.2

    148.6

    150.4

    2020

    150.2

    149.1

    148.6

    151.4

    150.9

    151.8

    153.9

    154.7

    156.4

    158.4

    158.9

    157.3

    2021

    156.3

    156.6

    156.8

    157.8

    160.4

    161.3

    162.5

    162.9

    163.2

    165.5

    166.7

    166.2

    2022

    165.7

    166.1

    167.7

    170.1

    171.7

    172.6

    173.4

    174.3

    175.3

    176.7

    176.5

    175.7

    2023

    176.5

    176.8

    177.2

    178.1

    179.1

    181.0

    186.3

    186.2

    184.1

    185.3

    186.3

    185.7

    2024

    185.5

    185.8

    185.8

    186.7

    187.7

    190.2

    193.0

    193.0

    194.2

    196.8

    196.5

    195.4

    2025

    193.5*

    Notes:

    1. * :Index Value for January 2025  is  Provisional.

    Annexure VI

     

    Time Series Data for All India Year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on General CPI (Base 2012=100) Since January 2014

     

    Year

    Jan

    Feb

    Mar

    Apr

    May

    Jun

    Jul

    Aug

    Sep

    Oct

    Nov

    Dec

    2014

    8.60

    7.88

    8.25

    8.48

    8.33

    6.77

    7.39

    7.03

    5.63

    4.62

    3.27

    4.28

    2015

    5.19

    5.37

    5.25

    4.87

    5.01

    5.40

    3.69

    3.74

    4.41

    5.00

    5.41

    5.61

    2016

    5.69

    5.26

    4.83

    5.47

    5.76

    5.77

    6.07

    5.05

    4.39

    4.20

    3.63

    3.41

    2017

    3.17

    3.65

    3.89

    2.99

    2.18

    1.46

    2.36

    3.28

    3.28

    3.58

    4.88

    5.21

    2018

    5.07

    4.44

    4.28

    4.58

    4.87

    4.92

    4.17

    3.69

    3.70

    3.38

    2.33

    2.11

    2019

    1.97

    2.57

    2.86

    2.99

    3.05

    3.18

    3.15

    3.28

    3.99

    4.62

    5.54

    7.35

    2020

    7.59

    6.58

    5.84

    –

    –

    6.23

    6.73

    6.69

    7.27

    7.61

    6.93

    4.59

    2021

    4.06

    5.03

    5.52

    4.23

    6.30

    6.26

    5.59

    5.30

    4.35

    4.48

    4.91

    5.66

    2022

    6.01

    6.07

    6.95

    7.79

    7.04

    7.01

    6.71

    7.00

    7.41

    6.77

    5.88

    5.72

    2023

    6.52

    6.44

    5.66

    4.70

    4.31

    4.87

    7.44

    6.83

    5.02

    4.87

    5.55

    5.69

    2024

    5.10

    5.09

    4.85

    4.83

    4.80

    5.08

    3.60

    3.65

    5.49

    6.21

    5.48

    5.22

    2025

    4.31*

    Notes:

    1. * :Inflation Value for January  2025  is Provisional.

    2. – :Inflation was not compiled and released due to Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. 

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Ayush and Department of Social Justice & Empowerment Sign a Memorandum of Understanding to Enhance Geriatric Healthcare and Combat Substance Abuse

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Ministry of Ayush and Department of Social Justice & Empowerment Sign a Memorandum of Understanding to Enhance Geriatric Healthcare and Combat Substance Abuse

    By leveraging the holistic approach of Ayush systems alongside social welfare initiatives, we aim to empower our senior citizens and those affected by substance abuse: Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Ayush

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 3:59PM by PIB Delhi

    In a landmark move aimed at improving the well-being of senior citizens and addressing the growing concern of substance abuse, the Ministry of Ayush and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi today. This strategic partnership seeks to implement Ayush-based interventions to promote geriatric healthcare and combat substance abuse.

    The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, and Shri B.L. Verma, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Sh. Amit Yadav, Secretary and senior officials from both ministries were also present on the occasion.

    Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister of State (IC), Ministry of Ayush, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, stated, “Geriatric healthcare and substance abuse are critical areas that require special focus, especially as we face an ageing population and growing concerns around addiction. This collaboration between the Ministry of Ayush and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment represents a significant step towards addressing these challenges. By leveraging the holistic approach of Ayush systems alongside social welfare initiatives, we aim to empower our senior citizens and those affected by substance abuse.”

    While addressing the gathering, the Union Minister of State, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri B L Verma, said, “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, our government has taken several steps to ensure the welfare of our senior citizens. The signing of the MoU with the Ministry of Ayush will benefit our senior citizens in a big way. The development of elderly-specific training modules, treatment protocols, yoga training programs, sharing of preventive and curative practices, etc., under the MoU will go a long way in enabling our senior citizens to lead a healthy life. By joining hands with the Ministry of Ayush, I am sure that together we can provide comprehensive services to the community.”

    While highlighting the initiatives of the Ministry of Ayush for geriatric healthcare, the Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, stated, “We have various programmes and initiatives to address the challenges being faced by the ageing population, such as the Geriatric Healthcare Camps under the National Ayush Mission. The Ministry of Ayush remains committed to enhancing the health and well-being of senior citizens, and this MoU will boost our efforts to provide quality health care to the senior citizens.”

    Sh. Amit Yadav, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, said, “By signing of MoU with Ayush, the Ministry will try to make this country a place free from any addiction of drugs with the help of Ayush by adopting their model of treatment and living a healthy life. And ensure that our senior citizens lead a healthy and dignified life by adopting a series of interventions devised through the Ministry of Ayush.

    The MoU is a pioneering step to develop cooperative initiatives for health promotion among senior citizens and those affected by substance abuse. By leveraging the strengths of Ayush systems, both Ministries committed to working together on various initiatives, including awareness programs, capacity-building for service providers and the establishment of geriatric health and de-addiction units under Ayush autonomous bodies.

    Key objectives of the MoU include:

    1. Cooperative Efforts: Developing cooperation, convergence, and synergy between the Ministry of Ayush and DoSJE to foster innovative initiatives for promoting the health of senior citizens, reducing the demand for drugs, addressing substance abuse, and aiding mental rehabilitation. This will be achieved through awareness generation and capacity building of service providers using Ayush systems.
    2. Research Promotion: Encouraging research in the areas of geriatric health, substance abuse, and mental health, with a focus on exploring the therapeutic benefits of traditional healthcare practices.
    3. Health Promotion Activities: Supporting additional activities for health promotion tailored to both the geriatric population and individuals affected by substance abuse.

    The MoU marks a significant milestone in India’s healthcare journey, combining the strengths of both Ayush systems and social justice initiatives to create a healthier and more inclusive society.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ12: Tackling smoking problems

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Lillian Kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):Question:     It is learnt that recent years have seen a trend of vapers getting younger, and there are even primary pupils among them, which is worrying. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the number of cases reported by schools to the Government in each month of the past three years regarding students vaping or smoking at school;(2) of the numbers of enforcement actions and prosecutions initiated by the Government in each month of the past three years against the illegal sale of tobacco products by shop operators to persons under 18 years of age;(3) whether the Government will ramp up efforts in education and publicity about smoking bans, including educational efforts targeting such e-cigarette oils as “space oil” which contain illegal harmful substances; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and(4) whether the Government will allocate additional resources for smoking cessation counselling services to assist smokers in smoking cessation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?Reply:President,     Having consulted the Security Bureau (SB) and the Education Bureau (EDB), the consolidated reply to the various parts of the Hon Lillian Kwok’s question is as follows:     The Government has been adopting a multi-pronged and progressive approach, including legislation, taxation, publicity, education, enforcement and promotion of smoking cessation services, in a bid to reduce the hazards caused by smoking products to the public and the society. Currently, the EDB does not require schools to report figures relating to the number of students who smoke e-cigarettes or cigarettes. The Census and Statistics Department conducts Thematic Household Surveys (THS) regularly to keep track of the local smoking situation. The THS results in 2023 showed that the percentage of daily conventional cigarette smokers among all persons aged 15 and above has dropped steadily from 11.1 per cent in 2010 to 9.1 per cent in 2023. The percentage of daily conventional cigarette smokers among teenagers aged 15 to 19 decreased continuously from 2.5 per cent in 2010 to 1.0 per cent in 2017. In the survey conducted in 2019, 2021 and 2023, the sample count for smokers aged 15 to 19 was too small to produce a representative prevalence estimate. Regarding e-cigarette use, in 2023, about 11 600 persons aged 15 and above reported daily use of e-cigarettes, accounting for 0.2 per cent of the population. The relevant sample count was also too small to produce a representative estimate of the proportion of such persons aged 15 to 19. The proportion of daily smokers from 2010 to 2023 is at Annex I. Separately, the Health Bureau (HHB) has commissioned the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong to conduct school-based surveys on smoking among students (school-based survey) since 2010, and the results of the last school-based survey conducted in 2023 showed that the smoking prevalence among primary and secondary school students (see Annex II) maintained at a low level.     However, over the years, tobacco companies have been using a myriad of tactics to lure young people to smoke so as to sustain their long-term profitability. Considering the harm brought about by tobacco products to the society, especially young people, there is a need for the Government to implement more effective and targeted tobacco control measures to combat smoking hazard and to prevent smoking prevalence from rebounding. Therefore, the Government announced in June last year the introduction of 10 tobacco control measures to safeguard the health of the community.     First, the findings of the THS showed that the younger the age group, the higher the rate of smoking flavoured cigarettes. For instance, among the conventional cigarette smokers aged from 20 to 29, over 70 per cent of them currently smoke flavoured cigarettes, while nearly 70 per cent smoked flavoured cigarettes when they first smoked. Besides, over 70 per cent of female smokers of conventional cigarettes currently smoke flavoured cigarettes; and over 60 per cent of current female smokers of conventional cigarettes smoked flavoured cigarettes when they first smoked (see Annex III). Scientific evidence shows that flavoured cigarettes, such as menthol or fruit-flavoured cigarettes, reduce the awareness of the hazard of tobacco and in turn increase the chances of non-smokers (especially teenagers) to start smoking. They also make consumers more vulnerable to getting into and continuing with the smoking habit. Flavoured cigarettes are indeed “sugar-coated poison”. Tobacco companies add flavours to conventional cigarettes to cover up the harshness of tobacco smoke, so as to lure members of the public, especially young people, to smoke and become addicted to smoking. The situation is worrying. The Government therefore proposes to prohibit adding flavours in conventional smoking products to counteract the intention of tobacco companies to use flavouring agents to disguise the toxicity of tobacco products and attract young people to smoke.     Secondly, alternative smoking products (ASPs) have rapidly gained popularity around the world in recent years. The Government resolutely banned the import, promotion, manufacture, sale or possession for commercial purposes of ASP on April 30, 2022, so as to reduce the chance for tobacco companies to use ASPs as another means to lure the public, especially the younger generation, to become addicted to smoking.     Recently, e-cigarette devices have even been used for drug abuse. E-liquid, mixed with drugs such as etomidate (commonly known as “space oil drugs”), a psychoactive substance, can be inserted into e-cigarette devices and heated to generate aerosol for smoking. By their appearance, “poisonous capsules” (or “zombie capsules”) containing “space oil drugs” or other regulated drugs or narcotics are no different from regular e-cigarettes capsules, and it is difficult to distinguish the ingredients by bare eye, thus largely increasing the possibilities of smokers to abuse drugs through ASPs anytime, anywhere and in a more covert manner. Young people may become addicted to drugs by smoking e-cigarettes containing “poisonous capsules” without realising it.     The Government will strengthen the control of etomidate, which is the main active ingredient of “space oil drugs”, and planned to gazette to list etomidate as a dangerous drug (i.e. narcotic) on February 14, 2025, so as to increase deterrence and enable law enforcement agencies to effectively respond to the relevant situation.     On publicity and education on the harmful effects of smoking and ASPs, the Department of Health (DH) and the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) will strengthen their collaboration with the EDB to publicise the harmful effects of smoking and ASPs to students through seminars, dramas and mentorship programmes. The EDB has also been organising seminars and professional development programmes continuously for teachers to enhance their understanding and awareness of tobacco products, especially ASPs. On school curriculum, health education (including resistance to harmful substances) is a key component of values education. The Values Education Curriculum Framework (Pilot Version) issued in 2021 has further strengthened values education in related areas (including resistance to harmful substances including drugs, traditional tobacco products and ASPs) and outlined the expected learning outcomes for students across various key learning stages. The Whole School Health Programme launched by the DH will also step up publicity and education on tobacco hazards.     On the other hand, the Narcotics Division (ND) of the SB has been collaborating with various government departments, the COSH and non-governmental organisations to explain the harmful effects of “space oil drug” to the public through different channels, raise self-awareness on drug prevention among the public, and seek more ways to reach out to hidden drug abusers. To target drug traffickers selling “space oil drugs”, the Government is stepping up efforts to educate students on their harmful effects. The ND and the EDB will jointly launch an “anti-space oil drug” week in schools, during which a series of activities will be held, including talks, anti-drug video broadcast, anti-drug drama shows, with a view to preventing the spread of “space oil drugs” among the younger cohort and to tie in with the legislative work.      The relevant ban on ASPs has been in force for nearly three years. At present, there are no legal channels to import or purchase ASPs, and ASPs purchased for personal use before the ban came into effect should have been largely consumed after a certain period of time. Yet the findings of the aforementioned school-based survey indicated that the ratio of primary and secondary school students who smoke e-cigarettes to those who smoke conventional cigarettes is nearly one to one, suggesting that e-cigarettes, among other tobacco products, are particularly popular amongst the younger generation. It is worrying that young people are still exposed to ASPs despite the implementation of the ban on their import and sale. Prevailing legislation does not prohibit the possession of ASPs for non-commercial use. To suppress the continued circulation of ASPs, which are hazardous novel tobacco products, in Hong Kong and to tackle the problem of “poisonous capsules” at its root, the HHB will further strengthen the regulation of ASPs, including banning the possession of relevant products, so as to curb the emergence of ASPs as an alternative drug abuse product. Details will be announced later.     Thirdly, to prevent young people from smoking and suppress the harm posed by tobacco on them, the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) stipulates that no person shall sell any conventional smoking product to any person under the age of 18. The number of complaints/referrals received, the number of inspections conducted and the number of summonses issued by the DH in relation to the restrictions on the sale or giving of conventional smoking products under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) from 2022 to 2024 are set out in Annex IV. For the comprehensive protection of the underaged, the Government proposes to further prohibit giving tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 such that the provider is to be held liable.     Fourthly, the Government has been actively conducting public education programmes on multiple fronts to promote a smoke-free environment. The DH collaborates with the COSH, non-governmental organisations and healthcare professionals to promote the harms of smoking and smoking cessation, including joining with district service organisations to disseminate smoke-free messages through promotional activities, smoking cessation competitions, smoking cessation counselling, targeting at young people, women, elderly groups, etc. Promoting smoking cessation is also an important pillar under the tobacco control strategy. Since 2021, the DH has launched the Quit in June campaign to promote smoking cessation services and one-week nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) trial packs have been distributed for free at more than 250 designated community pharmacies, smoking cessation clinics and District Health Centres (DHC)/DHC Expresses with a view to encouraging smokers to attempt quitting. Last year, the DH introduced a trial programme on the use of Chinese medicine ear-point patches for smoking cessation. So far, more than 3 500 NRT trial packs and more than 300 Chinese Medicine Ear-point Patch trial packs have been distributed, and most of the smokers who have tried the ear-point patches have found them helpful in alleviating the symptoms of addiction and the response has been very positive.     Besides, the DH has subvented two more service providers (increased from two to four) since last year to operate smoking cessation clinics focusing on counselling and pharmacotherapy, and is planning on subventing three more Chinese medicine smoking cessation service providers (increased from one to four) in the second half of this year to operate smoking cessation clinics focusing on counselling and acupuncture. It is expected that the number of service users can be increased by about 40 per cent and doubled respectively.     The Government will continue to step up the work on smoking cessation and explore various tobacco control measures in the medium and long term in order to eliminate the hazards posed by tobacco products on the society in all aspects and protect the health of the community under a progressive and multi-pronged approach.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ11: Work of the Joint Office for Investigation of Water Seepage Complaints

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Kwok Wai-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):     Question:     Some members of the public have relayed that even through complaints about water seepage problems in building units have been lodged with the Joint Office for Investigation of Water Seepage Complaints (JO) formed by the Buildings Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the problems remain unresolved because the occupants of the units suspected of causing water leakage cannot be found, or water seepage has recurred after JO’s intervention and handling of the cases. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the following statistics on cases of water seepage in buildings handled by JO in each of the past three years: the respective numbers of reports (i) received and (ii) handled, (iii) cases with consultants engaged to conduct investigation, (iv) cases with the source of water seepage successfully identified and investigation completed, (v) cases with the source of water seepage not identified but investigation terminated, (vi) cases referred to other government departments, (vii) cases with Nuisance Notices issued, cases with (viii) Warrants to Effect Entry into Premises and (ix) Nuisance Orders issued by the court, and cases with (x) prosecutions instituted and (xi) convictions secured, and set out in the table below a breakdown by District Council district and nature of cases (i.e. (a) cases handled for the first time and (b) recurring cases (i.e. those with water seepage reportedly occurring at the same address as a case previously handled));District Council district:                                                             (2) of the respective average costs incurred by the JO in handling cases mentioned in (1)(iii) and (iv) in the past three years;(3) given that according to the information of the JO, for simple and straightforward cases with the co-operation of the owners/occupants concerned, the investigation and tests can normally be completed within 90 working days, whereas for cases in which the investigation cannot be completed within 90 working days, the complainants will be notified of the investigation progress in writing, (i) whether the JO has broken down the 90 working days for handling cases into work stages and drawn up performance pledges for each of them; (ii) whether the JO will inform the complainants in writing of the relevant investigation and test results; if not, of the reasons for that; and (iii) among the cases mentioned in (1)(ii) in the past three years, of the number and proportion of those in which the investigation could not be completed within 90 working days;(4) given that in the reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on January 10 last year, the authorities indicated that most of the cases in which the JO could not complete the investigation within 90 working days were more complicated (e.g. involving more than one source of water seepage, repeated or intermittent water seepage, requiring multiple tests to identify the source, and failure of owners or occupants to co-operate with the investigation), whether the authorities have kept a breakdown of such cases by the reasons for not being able to complete the investigation within 90 working days; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;(5) whether the authorities have compiled statistics on, among the cases referred to other government departments as mentioned in (1)(vi) in the past three years, (i) the number of cases in which the handling has been completed as well as the average time taken to handle them, and (ii) the number of cases in which the handling has yet to be completed; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;(6) as it is learnt that at present, the JO is conducting on a trial basis Stage II initial investigation and Stage III professional investigation in parallel under the General Procedures for Investigating Water Seepage in six “pilot districts” (i.e. Wong Tai Sin, North, Yuen Long, Islands, Tai Po and Kwai Tsing Districts), and has introduced new testing technologies such as infrared thermography and microwave tomography at Stage III in most districts, whether the authorities will consider standardising the relevant procedures, extending such new testing technologies across the territory, and conducting the Stage II and Stage III investigation procedures in parallel in all districts, so as to enhance investigation efficiency; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and(7) as there are views that water seepage or leakage caused by defective fresh water mains, gutters or waterproofing membranes at rooftops of buildings cannot be dealt with under the existing section 12(1)(b) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), resulting in JO having no alternative but to refer relevant complaints received to other government departments, and thus prolonging the time during which members of the public are subjected to nuisances, whether the authorities will consider amending the legislation to bring the aforesaid situation under the regulation of Cap. 132 or expanding the JO’s functions, so as to save the time required for referral of cases among government departments; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?Reply:President,     If water seepage occurs in private buildings, the owners concerned may first co-operate among themselves to engage professionals/consultancy firms for carrying out water seepage investigation to identify the source of seepage and conducting necessary repair works to fulfill owners’ responsibilities of proper management, maintenance and repair of buildings. Consultancy firms or professionals are also available in the market to provide services for investigating and resolving water seepage problems. A list of consultancy firms and experts providing professional advice and services on water seepage problems has also been uploaded onto the websites of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Buildings Department (BD) for public reference. When the water seepage condition concerned has caused health nuisance, risk to structural safety of the building or water waste, the Government will intervene to handle the case in accordance with the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) (PHMSO), the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) (BO) and the Waterworks Ordinance (Cap. 102) respectively.     If owners are unable to resolve water seepage problems in consultation with their neighbours, they can seek assistance from the Joint Office (JO) jointly set up by the FEHD and the BD. Through inter-departmental co-ordination, the JO seeks to identify the source of water seepage using one-stop and systematic testing methods and require the owners concerned to carry out repair works by exercising the powers conferred by the law, leveraging the expertise of relevant departments and with co-operation of the owners or occupants concerned.     Having consulted the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the FEHD, the replies to the various parts of the question are as follows:(1) The investigation of water seepage cases in buildings by the JO can be divided into the following stages (Note):     Stage I: Identify the water seepage situation;     Stage II: Conduct initial investigation; and     Stage III: Conduct professional investigation.     The statistics of water seepage cases in buildings and repeated reports handled by the JO in each of the past three years are set out at Annex.  (2) The manpower and expenses involved in handling each water seepage case by the JO vary, depending on factors such as the complexity (e.g. water seepage involving multiple sources of seepage or intermittent seepage), the investigations required for each case (e.g. not all cases will undergo Stage II or III investigations). The need to engage consultancy firms to assist in professional investigations also requires appropriate arrangements to be made in light of the actual circumstances (e.g. internal renovations of the premises affected by the water seepage), and the cost of each case also varies. Although the JO does not compile statistics of the relevant average cost, the annual cost of engaging consultancy firms for Stage III investigation is about $40 million.(3) For cases that are simple and easy to handle (i.e. officers can access the premises for investigation, there is no difficulty in tracing the source of water seepage, multiple sources or multiple tests are not involved, and there is no need to confirm the test results of the source of water seepage with government laboratories) and where the owners/occupants concerned are willing to co-operate in the investigation, the performance indicator of the JO is to complete the investigation within 90 working days from the receipt of the report and to notify the informant of the investigation results in writing.     Although the JO has not set specific performance pledges for each of the stages mentioned above, for such simple cases, investigation can generally be completed within 90 working days: the processing time for Stage I was six working days, 32 working days for Stage II, and 52 working days for Stage III.     Based on statistics of reported cases received, including those simple and easy to handle as well as those relatively complicated cases, the percentage of cases in which investigation could be completed within 90 working days from the receipt of the report and the informant could be notified of the investigation result was 70 per cent, 68.5 per cent and 65.4 per cent in 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively. The corresponding figures for cases that could not be completed or for which the informant could not be notified of the results within 90 working days were 30 per cent, 31.5 per cent and 34.6 per cent respectively.      In addition to the performance indicator mentioned above, the existing performance pledges of the JO include contacting the informant within six working days upon receipt of a case about water seepage to arrange for investigation at the premises concerned; and issuing a Nuisance Notice within seven working days upon verification of the investigation results on the source of the water seepage nuisance.(4) The progress of investigation depends on multiple factors, including the complexity of cases. For example, a case may involve more than one source of water seepage, repeated or intermittent water seepage requiring multiple tests to identify the source, and co-operation of owners or occupiers with the JO’s investigation. Moreover, each case may involve more than one factor. The JO does not compile statistics on the reasons affecting the progress of investigation.     Nevertheless, the JO will continue to optimise the workflow for handling water seepage cases to expedite investigation. In terms of regulations, the Government is working on amending the relevant legislation on environmental hygiene, which include proposals to extend the time for entering premises suspected of causing public health nuisance (including water seepage in buildings) to the evening, as well as making non-compliance with the Notice of Intended Entry issued by government officers illegal, so as to enable government officers to promptly enter the relevant premises for investigation.     In terms of the handling process, the current procedure involves conducting Stage I and Stage II investigations first, and only proceeding to Stage III professional investigation if the water seepage source cannot be identified. The JO has implemented a pilot to carry out in parallel Stage II and Stage III investigations in six pilot districts, namely Wong Tai Sin, North District, Yuen Long, Islands, Tai Po, and Kwai Tsing. Under this arrangement, Stage III professional investigation can be carried out earlier without waiting for the results of Stage II investigation, which aims to reduce the investigation time required for most of the applicable cases by approximately 30 per cent from 90 working days to about 64 working days.  (5) Cases are referred to the relevant departments for appropriate follow-up and enforcement actions in accordance with their respective purview. For example, cases involving building structural issues, defective exposed drain pipes in buildings, or where suspected water seepage source involves “actionable” unauthorised building works will be referred to the BD; and cases involving defective water supply pipes will be referred to the Water Supplies Department (WSD). Therefore, the JO does not compile breakdown statistics of the number of cases completed by the relevant departments or their average processing time. The JO would explore the feasibility of periodically requesting the relevant departments to provide updates on the status of case processing.(6) The JO is implementing the pilot to carry out Stage II and Stage III investigations in parallel in the six pilot districts as mentioned in Part (4) above. The JO will review the effectiveness of the new investigation mode in the pilot districts, continuously optimise relevant workflow and technical guidelines, and assess resources, manpower arrangement, and the availability of consultancy service providers with a view to considering gradual extension of the parallel investigation mode to more districts.     Infrared thermography and microwave tomography (advanced testing technologies) used during Stage III professional investigation are mainly for detecting the location and extent of the water seepage area and whether waterproofing facilities of floor slabs are defective. Up to December 2024, the JO has extended the use of advanced testing technologies as a preferred investigation tool in the stage of professional investigation for applicable cases in 16 districts and the relatively complicated cases in the remaining two districts. The JO will review the supply of relevant service providers in the market and extend the application of advanced testing technologies to applicable cases in the remaining two districts progressively. Nevertheless, under special circumstances where the advanced technologies cannot be applied effectively due to site conditions, such as spalling of ceiling concrete affected by water seepage, uneven surfaces or tile finishes, blockage by pipes or other facilities on the ceiling, the JO has to continue to employ the conventional testing methods (such as colour water test for drains or ponding test for floor slabs) in order to identify the source of water seepage.(7) Upon receiving a report regarding water seepage in a building, the JO will send officers to the concerned premises to conduct inspections and tests. After confirming the source of the water seepage, if the source is a water nuisance specified in section 12 of the PHMSO, the JO would issue a Nuisance Notice to the owner(s) of the premises causing the water seepage problem. Other cases not involving nuisances under the PHMSO, including water seepage caused by water supply pipes, exposed drain pipes or rooftop issues, there is already a mechanism for referring the cases expediently in order to handle them effectively under the relevant regulations.     For example, in respect of water seepage cases caused by water supply pipes, the JO will immediately refer relevant cases involving continuous dripping or visible seepage of water supply pipes discovered during investigation to the WSD for follow-up in parallel. The WSD will investigate whether the cases has caused water wastage due to seepage in the water supply system. If so, the WSD will issue a repair notice to the registered user concerned in accordance with the Waterworks Ordinance and require them to repair the defective pipes within a specified period. If the user fails to comply with the requirements of the repair notice and complete the repair, the WSD will consider arranging disconnection of water supply.     In cases of water seepage caused by damaged waterproofing layers on building rooftops or rainwater pipes, if building structural safety hazards (such as spalling concrete from ceiling and rusty reinforcement) or problems with improper or defective exposed drain pipes (such as rainwater pipes or foul water pipes) are identified during the water seepage investigation, the JO will immediately refer the case to the BD for follow-up under the BO, including issuing advisory letters and/or building repair orders, investigation orders or drainage repair orders under the BO to the owners concerned. For defective buildings or drainage systems, any person who fails to comply with the statutory orders served on him under the BO for remedial works shall be liable to prosecution.Note: Generally speaking, the JO carries out investigation on water seepage cases in three stages. Stage I investigation ascertains whether the moisture content of the water seepage areas reaches 35 per cent or above. The JO will not investigate reports of water seepage with moisture content below 35 per cent. If the moisture content reaches 35 per cent or above, Stage II investigation will be arranged. Stage I (confirmation of water seepage) and Stage II (initial investigation, including monitoring of moisture content at the water seepage areas, dye tests for drain pipes, and reversible pressure tests for water supply pipes) are carried out by JO officers. If the source of water seepage cannot be identified, Stage III professional investigation will be conducted. In Stage III, the JO will engage contract consultancy firms to assist in carrying out investigation, including monitoring of moisture content at the water seepage areas, ponding tests for floor slabs, water spray test on walls, and reversible pressure tests for water supply pipes. New testing technologies such as microwave tomography and infrared thermography will be employed for suitable cases.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India – France Joint Statement on the visit of Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India to France

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 3:22PM by PIB Delhi

    At the invitation of the President of the French Republic, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, paid a visit to France on 10-12 February 2025. On 10 and 11 February 2025, France and India co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, gathering Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, small and large enterprises, representatives of academia, non-governmental organizations, artists and members of civil society, in order to build on the important milestones reached during the Bletchley Park (November 2023) and Seoul (May 2024) summits. They underlined their commitment to take concrete actions to ensure that the global AI sector can drive beneficial social, economic and environmental outcomes in the public interest. Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Macron on France’s successful organization of AI Action Summit. France welcomed India’s hosting of the next AI Summit.

    This was Prime Minister Modi’s sixth visit to France, and follows President Macron’s visit to India in January 2024 as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day of India. Prime Minister Modi and President Macron held bilateral discussions on the entire gamut of the exceptionally strong and multifaceted bilateral cooperation and on global and regional matters. Both leaders also went to Marseille where President Macron hosted a private dinner for Prime Minister Modi, reflecting the excellent relationship between the two leaders. They jointly inaugurated India’s Consulate General in Marseille. They also visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor facility.

    President Macron and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, outlined in the Joint Statement issued following President Macron’s State Visit to India in January 2024 and in the Horizon 2047 Roadmap published during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to France in July 2023 as the Chief Guest of the Bastille Day Celebrations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership. They commended the progress achieved in their bilateral cooperation and committed to accelerating it further across its three pillars.

    The two leaders reiterated their call for reformed and effective multilateralism to sustain an equitable and peaceful international order, address pressing global challenges and prepare the world for emerging developments, including in the technological and economic domains. The two leaders stressed, in particular, the urgent need for the reform of the United Nations Security Council and agreed to coordinate closely in multilateral fora, including on UNSC matters. France reiterated its firm support for India’s permanent membership of the UNSC. The two leaders agreed to strengthen conversations on regulation of use of the veto in case of mass atrocities. They held extensive discussions on long-term global challenges and current international developments and agreed to intensify their global and regional engagement, including through multilateral initiatives and institutions.

    Acknowledging the paramount importance of advancing scientific knowledge, research and innovation, and recalling the long and enduring engagement between India and France in those areas, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi announced the grand inauguration of the India-France Year of Innovation in New Delhi in March 2026 by launching its Logo.

    Partnership for Security and Sovereignty

    Recalling the deep and longstanding defence cooperation between France and India as part of the Strategic Partnership, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the continuation of the cooperation of air and maritime assets in line with the ambitious Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed in 2024. Both leaders commended progress in collaboration in construction of Scorpene submarines in India, including indigenization, and in particular the work carried out with a view to the integration of DRDO developed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) into P75-Scorpene submarines and the analyses conducted regarding the possible integration of the Integrated Combat System (ICS) into the future P75-AS submarines. Both leaders welcomed the commissioning of the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene-class project, INS Vaghsheer, on 15 January 2025.Both sides welcomed the ongoing discussions in missiles, helicopter engines and jet engines. They also welcomed the excellent cooperation between the relevant entities in the Safran group and their Indian counterparts. Prime Minister Modi also invited the French Army to take a closer look at the Pinaka MBLR, emphasizing that an acquisition of this system by France would be another milestone in Indo-French defence ties. In addition, President Macron welcomed the decision to include India as an observer to the Eurodrone MALE programme managed by OCCAR, which is another step forward in the growing strength of our partnership in defence equipment programmes.

    Both leaders appreciated the regular conduct of military exercises in all domains including maritime exercises and joint patrolling by maritime patrol aircraft. They noted the recent visit of the French Carrier Strike Group Charles De Gaulle to India in January 2025, followed by the Indian Navy’s participation in the French multinational exercise La Perouse, and the future conduct of the Varuna exercise in March 2025.

    They welcomed the launch of FRIND-X (France-India Defence Startup Excellence) in Paris on 5-6 December 2024, involving the DGA and the Defence Innovation Agency, in line with the vision enshrined in HORIZON 2047 and the India-France Defence Industrial Roadmap. This collaborative platform brings together key stakeholders across both defence ecosystems, including defence startups, investors, incubators, accelerators, and academia, fostering a new era of defence innovation and partnership.

    In order to deepen the research and development partnerships in defence, both leaders stressed on the early launch of an R&D framework through a Technical Arrangement for cooperation in defence technologies between DGA and DRDO. Inaddition, both leaders welcomed the ongoing discussions between L’Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to identify technologies for R&D partnerships. Further, India welcomes the participation of Indian students, alongside French students, in the challenge on distributed intelligencelaunched recently by Interdisciplinary Center for Defence and Security from the Institut Polytechnique de Parisand encourages organizing of more joint challenges in the future to evoke the interest of students in defence.

    Both leaders had a detailed conversation on international issues, including on the Middle-East and the war in Ukraine. They agreed to pursue their efforts to coordinate and remain closely engaged on a regular basis.

    The two leaders recalled the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) on the margins of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023 and agreed to work together more closely on implementing the initiative. Both leaders stressed the importance of IMEC to foster connectivity, sustainable growth trajectories and access to clean energy across these regions. In this regard, they acknowledged the strategic location of Marseille in the Mediterranean Sea.

    They underlined the key importance of strengthening EU-India relations, in view of the upcoming India-EU summit at the earliest possible in New Delhi.

    They appreciated the growing cooperation in trilateral format with Australia and with the United Arab Emirates. They commended the joint military exercises that took place between France, India and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the participation of India, France and Australia in each others’ multilateral military exercises. At the invitation of the United Arab Emirates and India, France joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate. They directed their concerned officials to work together with officials from the Governments of United Arab Emirates and Australia, towards identifying concrete projects of trilateral cooperation in the field of economy, innovation, health, renewable energy, education, culture, and the maritime domain, including under the IPOI and IORA as identified during the focal points meeting held virtually last year for both the trilateral dialogues.

    The two leaders underlined their common commitment to a free, open, inclusive, secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.

    They reiterated their desire to continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in the space sector. Taking note of the substantial contribution of the first two sessions of the India-France Strategic Space Dialogue to furthering this objective, they agreed to hold its third session in 2025. They commended the strength of the partnership between CNES and ISRO and supported the development of collaborations and synergies between their space industries.

    The two leaders reaffirmed their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They called for the disruption of terrorism financing networks and safe havens. They further agreed that no country should provide safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts. The leaders also called for concerted action against all terrorists, including through designations of individuals affiliated with groups that are listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. The two sides emphasized the importance of upholding international standards on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, consistent with Financial Action Task Force recommendations. Both countries reiterated their commitment to work together in FATF, No Money For Terror (NMFT) and other multilateral platforms.

    They commended the cooperation between the National Security Guard (NSG) of India and the Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN) for agency-level cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. The two leaders welcomed the outcomes of the counter-terrorism dialogue held in April 2024, reflecting the growing India – France counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation. The two leaders also looked forward to the successful organization of Milipol 2025 in New Delhi.

    They welcomed the ongoing discussions to create a comprehensive framework for an enhanced bilateral cooperation in the civil aviation sector, which are at advanced stages.

    Prime Minister Modi and President Macron launched an India-France Roadmap on Artificial Intelligence (AI), rooted in the philosophical convergence in their approaches focusing on the development of safe, open, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence. They welcomed the inclusion of Indian startups at the French Startup Incubator Station F. They also welcomed the expanded possibilities for using India’s real-time payment system – Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – in France. The two leaders reiterated the strategic significance of cyberspace and their wish to strengthen their coordination at the United Nations regarding the application of international law and the implementation of the framework for responsible State behaviour in cyberspace, as well as the need to address issues arising from the proliferation of malicious cyber tools and practices. They looked forward to the next India-France Strategic Cybersecurity and Cyberdiplomacy Dialogues to be held in 2025.

    Partnership for the Planet

    Prime Minister Modi and President Macron stressed that nuclear energy is an essential part of the energy mix for strengthening energy security and transitioning towards a low-carbon economy. Both leaders acknowledged the India-France civil nuclear ties and efforts in cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, notably in relation with the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant Project. They welcomed the first meeting of the Special Task Force on Civil Nuclear Energy, and welcomed the signing of a letter of intent on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) and the Implementing Agreement between India’s GCNEP, DAE and France’s INSTN, CEA for cooperation in training and education of nuclear professionals.

    The two leaders reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to jointly address the environmental crises and challenges including climate change and promoting sustainable lifestyles. The leaders welcomed the renewal of bilateral cooperation in the field of environment between the Ministries of Environment. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to the principles established by the Paris Pact for People and the Planet for reform of the international financing system towards supporting vulnerable countries in addressing both the eradication of poverty and the preservation of the planet. Both leaders affirmed the significance of United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC-3) as an important milestone in international efforts towards conservation and sustainable use of oceans. In the context of upcoming UNOC-3 to be held in Nice in June 2025, France and India recognize the importance of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond Areas of Natural Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), as one of the pillars of inclusive and holistic international ocean governance. Having already signed the treaty, they called for its entry into force at the earliest. Prime Minister Modi offered India’s support to France for UNOC-3 in June 2025.

    They lauded the launching of the India-France Indo-Pacific Triangular Development Cooperation, aiming to support climate- and SDG-focused projects from third countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders welcome the partnership between Proparco and the concerned Indian microfinance institutions for an equity agreement of 13 million Euros in the areas of financial inclusion and women empowerment. They also commended the strong and fruitful cooperation within the framework of the Franco Indian presidency of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the International Solar Alliance.

    Noting the record level of bilateral trade in 2024, they acknowledged that there is vast untapped potential for trade and investment between the two countries. Both leaders highlighted the need to maintain strong confidence for companies investing in France and in India. They commended the numerous economic cooperation projects announced in 2024 in the field of urban development. They recalled the participation of India as guest of honor of the 7th Choose France Summit in Versailles in May 2024. The two leaders were delighted with the organization of the bilateral CEOs Forum in November 2024 and February 2025.

    The two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the unprecedented momentum initiated for cooperation between the two Ministries of Health, with the first mission in Paris of India’s Ministry for Health and Family Welfare last January. Digital health, anti-microbial resistance and exchange of health professionals have been identified as the main priorities for bilateral cooperation in 2025. The two leaders welcomed the signature of a Letter of Intent between PariSante Campus and the C-CAMP (Centre for Molecular Platforms), and the creation of the Indo-French Life Sciences Sister Innovation Hub.

    Partnership for the People

    Recalling the ambition underpinning the Letter of Intent signed on the occasion of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France in July 2023, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the signature of the Agreement between the National Museum in Delhi and France Muséums Développement in December 2024. This agreement paves the way for further collaboration as well as broader museum cooperation including training of Indian professionals. France offered to continue consultations on its participation in the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex.

    To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the first cultural agreement between India and France in 1966, both sides agreed to undertake multiple cultural exchanges and programs in the context of the Year of Innovation 2026 which is a cross-sectoral initiative that includes culture.

    Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Macron on the successful organization of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 and thanked President Macron’s willingness to share France’s experience and expertise regarding the organization and securing of major international sporting events in the context of India’s bid to host the Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2036.

    Both Leaders welcomed the launch of a regional edition of the Raisina Dialogue focusing on Mediterranean issues in Marseille in 2025, to foster high-level dialogue involving representatives of governments, industry leaders, experts on trade and connectivity issues and other relevant stakeholders with an aim to enhance trade and connectivity between the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific regions.

    Both leaders welcomed the successful launch in September 2024 of the International Classes Scheme under which Indian students are taught French as a foreign language, and methodology and academic contents in highly reputed French universities in France during one academic year, before entering their chosen curricula in France. It will create conducive conditions to increase student mobility and meet the target of 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030. In that regard, they welcomed the rising number of Indian students in France, with 2025 figures expected to reach an unprecedented 10,000.

    Both leaders also welcomed the operationalization of the Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) under India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) which will facilitate two way mobility of youth and professionals, further strengthening the bonds of friendship between people of India and France. Moreover, both leaders stressed on early conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding to foster cooperation in the fields of skill development, vocational education and training which will create opportunities for both countries to strengthen cooperation in this field.

    To foster their dynamic and comprehensive Strategic Partnership, both countries committed to constantly deepen their long-term cooperation following the ambitions expressed in the bilateral Horizon 2047 Roadmap.

    ***

    MJPS/SR/SKS

    (Release ID: 2102247) Visitor Counter : 146

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Tackling medicines shortages in the EU – P-000606/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-000606/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Aurelijus Veryga (ECR)

    Addressing the issue of medicines shortages in the EU requires taking into account not only the physical shortage of medicines – caused as much by the lack of production of active pharmaceutical ingredients as by disruptions in the production of medicines themselves and the inadequate forecasting of demand – but also the relative shortage of medicines resulting from issues related to the availability of medicines at competitive prices and the reimbursement regime. In most cases, long-established and widely used medicines are considered to be critical, but occasionally new and innovative medicines with different mechanisms for ensuring accessibility should also be considered critical. The completely uneven situation and the opacity of the process lead to very different prices and timelines for inclusion in reimbursement schemes across the EU.

    In 2017-2019, the Visegrad + Lithuania initiative to jointly negotiate on medicines and explore opportunities for the joint purchasing of expensive innovative medicines was implemented. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the discontinuation of this initiative. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a mechanism was put in place where not only were the prices and procurement of vaccines agreed at EU level, but Member States also contributed financially to the funding of vaccine development.

    • 1.What measures does the Commission intend to take in the new Critical Medicines Act to ensure the affordability and availability of new and innovative medicines and medical devices?
    • 2.Are there plans to establish a common EU procurement mechanism for innovative medicines based on the voluntary principle?
    • 3.Is consideration being given to entrusting the coordination and implementation of public procurement at EU level to the European Medicines Agency?

    Submitted: 10.2.2025

    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Commissioner Várhelyi : “European Health Union: Recent Commission Action and Beyond” – Committee on Public Health

    Source: European Parliament

    Olivér Várhelyi during the confirmation hearing 2024 © European Union, 2024 – EP

    On 20 February, SANT Members will hold an exchange of views with Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare on the topic of : “European Health Union: Recent Commission Action and Beyond”.

    MIL OSI Europe News –