NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • Planned parenthood vital for maternal, child health: JP Nadda on World Population Day

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Planned parenthood is essential for achieving better maternal and child health outcomes, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Friday, marking World Population Day.

    Observed every year on July 11, World Population Day aims to raise awareness about population-related issues. This year’s theme is “Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy for the Health and Well-being of Mother and Child.”

    “World Population Day serves as a platform to raise awareness about family planning and renew our commitment to addressing population-related challenges,” Nadda said in a post on X.

    “This year’s theme highlights the importance of planned parenthood for healthy outcomes for mothers and children,” he added.

    Nadda also underlined this year’s slogan: “माँ बनने की उम्र वही, जब तन और मन की तैयारी सही,” which translates to “The right age to become a mother is when both mind and body are ready.”

    He said the message underscores the need for informed and empowered decisions about parenthood, with adequate physical and emotional readiness.

    Highlighting government efforts, the Minister said that through public health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the Centre is delivering essential family planning services nationwide.

    “These centres are empowering families and paving the way for a healthier India,” he said.

    With a population of over 1.46 billion, India is now the world’s most populous country, surpassing China.

    Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India, told IANS that the conversation must shift from numbers to women’s empowerment.

    “India’s population story is not one of crisis, but of possibility—if we invest in women, young people, and address the needs of our growing elderly population,” Muttreja said.

    Pointing to India’s declining fertility rate, she stressed the need to focus on quality healthcare, education, skills development, and job creation.

    “True development and economic growth don’t come from forcibly influencing reproductive decisions, but from empowering individuals—especially women—to make informed choices about their bodies and lives,” she said.

    Muttreja also called for shared responsibility, gender equality, and reproductive autonomy to be central in all population policies and programmes.

    –IANS

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Assault – Nightcliff

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The NT Police Force are calling for information in relation to an assault that occurred at the intersection of Dick Ward Drive and Progress Drive yesterday evening.

    About 10pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that a female was allegedly physically and sexually assaulted by a male who then ran from the area.

    Members of the public intervened and assisted police in locating the suspect, who was arrested a short time later. The 19-year-old male was taken into police custody and investigations are ongoing. The detail of any relationship between the parties forms part of the investigation.

    The victim was conveyed to the Royal Darwin Hospital for medical assessment.

    Detective Senior Sergeant Caragh Hen said, “This incident occurred in a very public place, in full view of pedestrians and motorists.  The reported offending is abhorrent and brazen and has no place in our Community.”

    Investigations remain ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444 and reference job number NTP2500070146. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    If you have CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident, it may be uploaded here: https://ntpol.au.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/ntp2500070146

    The NT Police Force thanks the witnesses who intervened on this occasion to protect the victim and prevent further violence.

    If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline (131 114).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Mission Reviews China’s Regulatory Framework for Nuclear Safety

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today said China had made significant progress in further strengthening its regulation of nuclear safety, benefiting from the innovative use of digital tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the country continues to rapidly expand its nuclear energy programme.

    Noting the importance of the regulatory body’s staffing levels keeping up with China’s fast-growing nuclear industry, the peer review team also encouraged additional improvements in regulations and guidelines in some areas, including nuclear safety inspections and emergency preparedness and response.

    The Integrated Regulatory Review Service  (IRRS) team concluded a 12-day mission to the People’s Republic of China on 11 July, a full-scope review covering all facilities, activities and exposure situations. The 24-member expert mission was conducted at the request of the Government and hosted by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (the National Nuclear Safety Administration), which regulates nuclear safety in China.

    With the world’s second largest operating nuclear fleet after the United States, China is currently operating 59 units generating around 5% of its electricity. In addition, it is building 32 units and planning the construction of another 21 units. The previous IRRS mission to China – a follow-up review – was carried out in 2016, when it had 32 units in operation.

    “Over the past decade, China has made impressive headway in establishing a capable and independent regulatory body and promoting a healthy nuclear safety culture. China has a strong, competent and trusted national regulator that works effectively to ensure the safety of the public and environment,” said IRRS team leader Mark Foy, former Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector of the United Kingdom’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

    Using IAEA safety standards and taking advantage of international good practices, IRRS missions are designed to strengthen the effectiveness of the national regulatory infrastructure, while recognizing the responsibility of each country to ensure nuclear and radiation safety.

    The IRRS team comprised 20 senior regulatory experts from 17 IAEA Member States: Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The mission team also included four IAEA staff members and an observer from Japan.

    The team reviewed areas including: responsibilities and functions of the government and the regulatory body; the activities of the regulatory body including authorization, inspection and enforcement processes; development and content of regulations and guides; emergency preparedness and response; radiation sources; research reactors; nuclear power plants; fuel cycle facilities; radioactive waste management facilities; transport of radioactive material; decommissioning; occupational exposure; control of medical exposure and public exposure; and interfaces with nuclear security. 

    Two policy issues were discussed during the mission: the impact of the rapid development of AI on regulation and the shortage of human resources due to the surge in the number of operating reactor units in China.

    “The fast growth in China’s nuclear power programme will require the recruitment and training of a significant number of additional nuclear professionals in the regulatory field in the coming years. Its use of technology to support the effectiveness of its national regulator is an exemplar for all of us to learn from,” Foy, the mission team leader, said.

    During the mission, the team conducted interviews and discussions with staff of the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) and its leadership. Team members also met senior representatives from the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), which oversees the nuclear industry in the country, as well as the National Health Commission (NHC) and the China National Energy Authority (NEA).

    They observed regulatory oversight activities at: a nuclear power plant, a research reactor, a nuclear fuel cycle facility, a radiation sources facility, a radioactive waste management facility, a transport facility and a hospital.

    They identified several good practices by the regulatory body, including:

    • Unique advances in developing, adopting and exploiting the benefits of AI-based tools to significantly improve the efficiency of its decision-making, safety oversight and knowledge management.
    • Arrangements for regular, high-level exchanges with all senior industry stakeholders on domestic and global nuclear safety developments, ensuring a common understanding on nuclear safety priorities and required improvements across China’s nuclear industry.

    Recommendations and suggestions for further improvement of the overall effectiveness of China’s regulatory system included:

    • Clarifying protection strategies in the case of a nuclear or radiological emergency.
    • Providing a documented process for developing inspection plans for nuclear facilities.
    • Establishing and implementing a comprehensive safety culture oversight programme.
    • Enhancing its processes to ensure that updates to department rules, guides, and standards are completed to appropriately align with the latest IAEA safety standards.

    The mission team viewed China’s invitation of an international peer review as part of the second IRRS cycle as a sign of openness and transparency.

    “China has demonstrated a commendable commitment to continuous safety improvement by inviting this comprehensive full-scope IRRS mission,” said Karine Herviou, Deputy Director General and Head of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. “The team of senior regulatory experts recognized the Government’s unequivocal support to ensure a strong national safety regulator, including the provision of human and financial resources, while also proposing specific actions for further enhancements.”

    Baotong Dong, MEE Vice Minister and NNSA Administrator, said the IRRS peer review team had positively acknowledged China’s nuclear and radiation safety regulatory framework and practices and stressed that these would be further enhanced in future.

    “China has established a regulatory system that aligns with international standards while meeting national conditions. The Government will further enhance its regulatory capabilities, accelerate the development of a modern nuclear safety regulatory system, and promote a virtuous cycle of high-level nuclear safety and high-quality development in the nuclear sector,” Vice Minister Dong said. “China stands ready to contribute to strengthening global nuclear safety governance and elevating worldwide nuclear safety standards.”

    The final mission report will be provided to the Government of the China in about three months. The Government plans to make the report public. China will consider inviting an IRRS follow-up mission at a later stage.

    IAEA safety standards

    The IAEA safety standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: IAEA Mission Reviews China’s Regulatory Framework for Nuclear Safety

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

    An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today said China had made significant progress in further strengthening its regulation of nuclear safety, benefiting from the innovative use of digital tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the country continues to rapidly expand its nuclear energy programme.

    Noting the importance of the regulatory body’s staffing levels keeping up with China’s fast-growing nuclear industry, the peer review team also encouraged additional improvements in regulations and guidelines in some areas, including nuclear safety inspections and emergency preparedness and response.

    The Integrated Regulatory Review Service  (IRRS) team concluded a 12-day mission to the People’s Republic of China on 11 July, a full-scope review covering all facilities, activities and exposure situations. The 24-member expert mission was conducted at the request of the Government and hosted by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (the National Nuclear Safety Administration), which regulates nuclear safety in China.

    With the world’s second largest operating nuclear fleet after the United States, China is currently operating 59 units generating around 5% of its electricity. In addition, it is building 32 units and planning the construction of another 21 units. The previous IRRS mission to China – a follow-up review – was carried out in 2016, when it had 32 units in operation.

    “Over the past decade, China has made impressive headway in establishing a capable and independent regulatory body and promoting a healthy nuclear safety culture. China has a strong, competent and trusted national regulator that works effectively to ensure the safety of the public and environment,” said IRRS team leader Mark Foy, former Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector of the United Kingdom’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

    Using IAEA safety standards and taking advantage of international good practices, IRRS missions are designed to strengthen the effectiveness of the national regulatory infrastructure, while recognizing the responsibility of each country to ensure nuclear and radiation safety.

    The IRRS team comprised 20 senior regulatory experts from 17 IAEA Member States: Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The mission team also included four IAEA staff members and an observer from Japan.

    The team reviewed areas including: responsibilities and functions of the government and the regulatory body; the activities of the regulatory body including authorization, inspection and enforcement processes; development and content of regulations and guides; emergency preparedness and response; radiation sources; research reactors; nuclear power plants; fuel cycle facilities; radioactive waste management facilities; transport of radioactive material; decommissioning; occupational exposure; control of medical exposure and public exposure; and interfaces with nuclear security. 

    Two policy issues were discussed during the mission: the impact of the rapid development of AI on regulation and the shortage of human resources due to the surge in the number of operating reactor units in China.

    “The fast growth in China’s nuclear power programme will require the recruitment and training of a significant number of additional nuclear professionals in the regulatory field in the coming years. Its use of technology to support the effectiveness of its national regulator is an exemplar for all of us to learn from,” Foy, the mission team leader, said.

    During the mission, the team conducted interviews and discussions with staff of the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) and its leadership. Team members also met senior representatives from the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), which oversees the nuclear industry in the country, as well as the National Health Commission (NHC) and the China National Energy Authority (NEA).

    They observed regulatory oversight activities at: a nuclear power plant, a research reactor, a nuclear fuel cycle facility, a radiation sources facility, a radioactive waste management facility, a transport facility and a hospital.

    They identified several good practices by the regulatory body, including:

    • Unique advances in developing, adopting and exploiting the benefits of AI-based tools to significantly improve the efficiency of its decision-making, safety oversight and knowledge management.
    • Arrangements for regular, high-level exchanges with all senior industry stakeholders on domestic and global nuclear safety developments, ensuring a common understanding on nuclear safety priorities and required improvements across China’s nuclear industry.

    Recommendations and suggestions for further improvement of the overall effectiveness of China’s regulatory system included:

    • Clarifying protection strategies in the case of a nuclear or radiological emergency.
    • Providing a documented process for developing inspection plans for nuclear facilities.
    • Establishing and implementing a comprehensive safety culture oversight programme.
    • Enhancing its processes to ensure that updates to department rules, guides, and standards are completed to appropriately align with the latest IAEA safety standards.

    The mission team viewed China’s invitation of an international peer review as part of the second IRRS cycle as a sign of openness and transparency.

    “China has demonstrated a commendable commitment to continuous safety improvement by inviting this comprehensive full-scope IRRS mission,” said Karine Herviou, Deputy Director General and Head of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. “The team of senior regulatory experts recognized the Government’s unequivocal support to ensure a strong national safety regulator, including the provision of human and financial resources, while also proposing specific actions for further enhancements.”

    Baotong Dong, MEE Vice Minister and NNSA Administrator, said the IRRS peer review team had positively acknowledged China’s nuclear and radiation safety regulatory framework and practices and stressed that these would be further enhanced in future.

    “China has established a regulatory system that aligns with international standards while meeting national conditions. The Government will further enhance its regulatory capabilities, accelerate the development of a modern nuclear safety regulatory system, and promote a virtuous cycle of high-level nuclear safety and high-quality development in the nuclear sector,” Vice Minister Dong said. “China stands ready to contribute to strengthening global nuclear safety governance and elevating worldwide nuclear safety standards.”

    The final mission report will be provided to the Government of the China in about three months. The Government plans to make the report public. China will consider inviting an IRRS follow-up mission at a later stage.

    IAEA safety standards

    The IAEA safety standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: From AI to Actionable Care: Industry Leaders Chart the Future of Mobile Innovation at Galaxy Tech Forum

    Source: Samsung

    At Galaxy Unpacked 2025 on July 9, Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest Galaxy Z series devices and wearables — pushing the boundaries of foldable design and connected wellness experiences. These innovations mark the next step in the company’s mission to deliver meaningful, user-centered technology, with Galaxy AI and digital health emerging as key pillars of the journey ahead.
    To explore these themes further, Samsung hosted two panels at the Galaxy Tech Forum on July 10 in Brooklyn. Samsung Newsroom joined industry leaders and executives to examine how ambient intelligence and advanced health technologies are shaping the future of mobile innovation.
    (Panel One) The Next Vision of AI: Ambient Intelligence

    (From left) Moderator Sabrina Ortiz, Jisun Park, Mindy Brooks and Dr. Vinesh Sukumar
    The first panel, “The Next Vision of AI: Ambient Intelligence,” explored how multimodal capabilities are enabling the continued evolution of AI in everyday life — blending into user interactions in ways that feel intuitive, proactive and nearly invisible. Panelists discussed the smartphone’s evolving role, the importance of platform integration and the power of cross-industry collaboration to deliver secure, personalized intelligence at scale.
    Jisun Park, Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Language AI Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, opened the conversation by reflecting on Galaxy AI’s rapid adoption. Since the launch of the Galaxy S25 series in January, more than 70% of users have engaged with Galaxy AI features. He then turned the discussion to the next frontier, ambient intelligence — AI that is deeply personal, predictive and ever-present.

    Jisun Park from Samsung Electronics
    Samsung sees ambient intelligence as AI that is so seamlessly integrated into daily life it becomes second nature. The company is committed to democratizing Galaxy AI to 400 million devices by the end of 2025.
    This vision builds on insights from a yearlong collaboration with London-based research firm Symmetry, which revealed that 60% of users want their phones to anticipate needs without prompts — based on daily habits.
    “Some see AI as the start of a ‘post-smartphone’ era, but we see it differently,” said Park. “We’re building a future where your devices don’t just respond — they become smarter to anticipate, see and work quietly in the background to make life feel a little more effortless.”
    Mindy Brooks, Vice President of Android Consumer Product and Experience at Google, discussed how multimodal AI is moving beyond reactive response to deeper understanding of user intent across inputs like text, vision and voice. Google’s Gemini is designed to be intelligently aware and anticipatory — tuned to individual preferences and routines for assistance that feels natural.

    Mindy Brooks from Google
    “Through close collaboration with Samsung, Gemini works seamlessly across its devices and connects with first-party apps to provide helpful and personalized responses,” she said.
    Dr. Vinesh Sukumar, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies emphasized that as AI becomes more personalized, there is more information than ever that needs to be protected.
    “For us, privacy, performance and personalization go hand in hand — they’re not competing priorities but co-equal standards,” he said.

    Dr. Vinesh Sukumar from Qualcomm Technologies
    Both Brooks and Dr. Sukumar reinforced the importance of tight integration across platforms and hardware.
    “Our work with Samsung prioritizes secure, on-device intelligence so that users know where their data is and who controls it,” said Dr. Sukumar.

    The AI panel at Galaxy Tech Forum
    Moderator Sabrina Ortiz, senior editor at ZDNET, closed the session with a discussion on AI privacy. Panelists agreed that trust, transparency and user control must underpin the entire AI experience.
    “When it comes to building more agentic AI, our priority is to ensure we’re fostering smarter, more personalized and more meaningful assistance across our device ecosystem,” said Brooks.

    (Panel Two) The Next Chapter of Health: Scaling Prevention and Connected Care
    The second panel, “The Next Chapter of Health: Scaling Prevention and Connected Care,” focused on how technology can bridge the gap between wellness and clinical care — making health insights more connected, proactive and usable for individuals, healthcare providers and digital health solution partners. Panelists explored how the convergence of clinical data, at-home monitoring and AI is reshaping the modern healthcare experience.

    (From left) Moderator Dr. Hon Pak, Mike McSherry, Dr. Rasu Shrestha and Jim Pursley
    Health data is often siloed across systems, resulting in inefficiencies and gaps in care. Combined with rising rates of chronic illness, an aging population and ongoing clinician shortages, the result is a system under pressure to deliver timely, effective care.

    Dr. Hon Pak from Samsung Electronics
    “Patients and consumers around the world are asking us to hear them, to know them, to truly understand them,” said moderator Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team at Samsung Electronics. “And I believe this is the opportunity we have with Samsung, Xealth and partners like Hinge and Advocate. Together, we are creating a connected ecosystem where healthcare can truly make a difference — not just in the life of a patient, but in the life of a person.”
    Samsung is addressing this challenge through technological innovation and its recent acquisition of Xealth, a leading digital health platform with a network of more than 500 hospitals and 70 digital health solution providers. Through Xealth, Samsung plans to connect wearable data and insights from Samsung Health into clinical workflows — delivering a more unified and seamless healthcare experience.

    Mike McSherry from Xealth
    “This , plus your devices — the watch, the ring — are going to replace the standalone blood pressure monitor, the pulse oximeter, a variety of different devices,” said Mike McSherry, founder and CEO of Xealth. “It’s going to be one packaged solution, and that’s going to simplify care.”
    This collaboration is designed to empower hospitals with real-time insights and help prevent chronic conditions through early detection and continuous monitoring with wearable devices.

    Dr. Rasu Shrestha from Advocate Health
    “The reality is that with all of the challenges that exist in healthcare, it is not any one entity that can heroically go in and save healthcare. It really takes an ecosystem,” said Dr. Rasu Shrestha, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation & Commercialization Officer at Advocate Health. “That’s part of the reason why I’m so excited about Xealth and Samsung — and partners like us — really coming together to solve for this challenge. Because it is about Samsung enabling it. It’s more of an open ecosystem, a curated ecosystem.”
    The panel spotlighted the growing shift from hospital-based care to care at home — and the opportunities enabled by Samsung’s expanding ecosystem of connected devices. Data from wearables, including those equipped with Samsung’s BioActive Sensor technology, can provide high-quality input for AI-driven insights.
    Paired with Samsung’s SmartThings connectivity and wide portfolio of smart home devices, the company is uniquely positioned to support remote health monitoring and treatment from home.
    AI is expected to play a role in reducing clinician workload by streamlining administrative tasks and surfacing the most relevant insights at the right time. Platforms like Xealth offer users a personalized, friendly interface to access necessary information from one place for a more connected healthcare experience.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Oxfam reaction to ICIJ investigation exposing the World Bank’s harmful privatization of healthcare in Africa

    Source: Oxfam –

    In response to the investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealing how World Bank-backed healthcare investments are deepening poverty and denying care in Africa, Oxfam International’s Health Policy Manager Anna Marriott said:

    “Oxfam is deeply alarmed by the ICIJ’s findings, which once again show how the World Bank Group and other publicly funded development banks—including the UK’s—are bankrolling a brutal model of private healthcare that excludes and exploits patients and prioritizes profits over human lives.

    “The report exposes how millions in development funds are going to pay exorbitant management fees to private equity firms who are investing in expensive for-profit hospitals that leave patients indebted, denied care, and even imprisoned for being too poor to pay.

    “Despite repeated scandals, oversight of these investments remains shamefully weak. For over two years, Oxfam has urged the World Bank Group and high-income governments like the UK to halt these harmful investments and fully investigate and remedy the damage caused. Their failure to act makes them complicit in ongoing abuse.” 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – ProCare welcomes Pharmac’s move to improve access to asthma inhalers and long-acting contraceptives

    Source: ProCare

    ProCare welcomes Pharmac’s announcement to improve access to some asthma inhalers and long-acting contraceptives from 1 August. The changes represent a significant step forward in supporting equitable, patient-centred primary care across Aotearoa.

    The changes will impact funded treatments, including:

    • combination inhalers branded as Symbicort Turbuhaler, DuoResp Spiromax, and Vannair
    • long-acting contraceptives branded as Mirena, Jaydess, and Jadelle.

    From next month, patients will be able to receive a three-month supply of the inhalers at once, and these, along with the long-acting contraceptives will be stocked in general practices for the first time.

    This change will reduce the need for people to visit their pharmacy to pick up their prescription and mean people can learn how to use their inhalers and collect them at the same time, rather than returning for a follow-up.

    Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare sees the decision as a win for increasing accessibility to treatment and for efficiency of work in primary care.

    “Reducing barriers to get timely access to treatment, especially for people managing chronic conditions like asthma means our health care professionals can help them get better health outcomes sooner.

    “However, we do want to sound a warning to members of the public around the IUD insertions. As per Medical Council requirements, GPs are required to ensure that patients are informed and have time to ask questions before giving their consent to any procedure. Patients may need to book a double or triple appointment depending on the treatment chosen.

    Mihi Blair, Kaiwhakahaere Hauora Māori (General Manager – Māori Health and Equity) at ProCare believes these changes will mean the support provided to patients can be done more equitably.

    “For Māori, Pacific peoples, and those living in rural areas, easier access to essential treatments can make a real difference to their health. It’s encouraging to see Pharmac responding to the needs of our communities.”

    ProCare supports aligning medicine access with clinical guidelines and responding to how we can improve patient experience. The changes will help streamline care delivery, reduce administrative burden, and empower clinicians to provide timely, effective treatment.

    “We look forward to working with our practices to implement these changes smoothly and ensure patients are informed and supported,” says Norwell.

    About ProCare

    ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi. As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to more than 830,000 people across Auckland and Northland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau. For more information go to www.procare.co.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 11, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 11, 2025.

    ‘Storm clouds are gathering’: 40 years on from the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior
    From the prologue of the 40th anniversary edition of David Robie’s seminal book on the Rainbow Warrior’s last voyage, former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark (1999-2008) writes about what the bombing on 10 July 1985 means today. The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour on 10 July 1985 and the death of

    Dawn service held 40 years on from Rainbow Warrior bombing
    TVNZ 1News The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior has sailed into Auckland to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior in 1985. Greenpeace’s vessel, which had been protesting nuclear testing in the Pacific, sank after French government agents planted explosives on its hull, killing Portuguese-Dutch photographer Fernando Pereira. Today, 40 years

    What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so important for global shipping?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Belinda Clarence, Law Lecturer, RMIT University During the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s major shipping routes. Would that be possible, and what effects would it have? The Strait of Hormuz is a choke point

    Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Draper, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Canterbury The widely held view among rugby players, coaches and officials is that headgear can’t prevent concussion. If so, why wear it? It’s hot, it can block vision and hearing, and it can be uncomfortable. Headgear was

    Trump has flagged 200% tariffs on Australian pharmaceuticals. What do we produce here, and what’s at risk?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joe Carrello, Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Tanya Dol/Shutterstock US President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Australia’s pharmaceutical exports to the United States has raised alarm among industry and government leaders. There are fears that, if implemented, the tariffs could cost the Australian economy up to

    ‘Fashion helped the pride come out’: First Nations fashion as resistance, culture and connection
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treena Clark, Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design and Society, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains images of deceased people. First Nations garments have always held deep meaning. What we wear tells stories about culture, Country and

    Does AI actually boost productivity? The evidence is murky
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Whittle, Director, Data61, CSIRO Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock There’s been much talk recently – especially among politicians – about productivity. And for good reason: Australia’s labour productivity growth sits at a 60-year low. To address this, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened a productivity round table next month.

    Albanese’s China mission – managing a complex relationship in a world of shifting alliances
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Laurenceson, Director and Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute (UTS:ACRI), University of Technology Sydney Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leaves for China on Saturday, confident most Australians back the government’s handling of relations with our most important economic partner and the leading strategic power in Asia. Albanese’s domestic critics

    NZ’s new AI strategy is long on ‘economic opportunity’ but short on managing ethical and social risk
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Lensen, Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images The government’s newly unveiled National AI Strategy is all about what its title says: “Investing with Confidence”. It tells businesses that Aotearoa New Zealand is open for AI use, and

    Will my private health insurance cover my surgery? What if my claim is rejected?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne shurkin_son/Shutterstock The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has fined Bupa A$35 million for unlawfully rejecting thousands of health insurance claims over more than five years. Between May 2018 and August 2023 Bupa incorrectly rejected claims from

    Grattan on Friday: childcare is a ‘canary in mine’ warning for wider problems in policy delivery
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra It’s such a familiar pattern. When a big scandal breaks publicly, governments jump into action, ministers rush out to say they’ll “do something” instantly. But how come they hadn’t seen problems that had been in plain sight? Who can forget

    The special envoy’s antisemitism plan is ambitious, but fails to reckon with the hardest questions
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matteo Vergani, Associate Professor, Deakin University On July 6, an arson attack targeted the East Melbourne Synagogue. It was the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents recorded across Australia since October 7 2023, when Hamas carried out a horrific terrorist attack, killing about 1,200 Israelis. These

    Queensland’s horrific lion attack shows wild animals should not be kept for our amusement
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgette Leah Burns, Associate Professor, Griffith School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Luciano Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty Images Last weekend, a woman was mauled by a lioness at Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland, and lost her arm. The zoo, which keeps nine lions, has been operating for

    Does Donald Trump deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? We asked 5 experts
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally nominated United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the president is “forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one

    Does Australia really take too long to approve medicines, as the US says?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Australia’s drug approval system is under fire, with critics in the United States claiming it is too slow to approve life-saving medicines. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration balances speed with a rigorous assessment of safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness. So

    Skorts revolutionised how women and girls play sport. But in 2025, are they regressive?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer E. Cheng, Researcher and Lecturer in Sociology, Western Sydney University If you watched any of the 2025 Wimbledon womens’ matches, you’ll have noticed many players donning a skort: a garment in which shorts are concealed under a skirt, or a front panel resembling a skirt. You

    First the dire wolf, now NZ’s giant moa: why real ‘de-extinction’ is unlikely to fly
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nic Rawlence, Associate Professor in Ancient DNA, University of Otago Colossal Biosciences, CC BY-SA The announcement that New Zealand’s moa nunui (giant moa) is the next “de-extinction” target for Colossal Biosciences, in partnership with Canterbury Museum, the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and filmmaker Peter Jackson, caused widespread

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: Larissa Waters on why we deserve more than a government that just tinkers
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Greens had a poor election. They lost three of their four lower house seats including that of their leader Adam Bandt. This despite their overall vote remaining mostly steady. But they did retain all their Senate spots – though

    Envoy’s plan to fight antisemitism would put universities on notice over funding
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, has recommended universities that fail to properly deal with the issue should have government funding terminated. In her Plan to Combat Antisemitism, launched Thursday, Segal says she will prepare a report

    Keith Rankin Analysis – Public Debt, Japan, and Wilful Blindness
    Analysis by Keith Rankin. I just heard on Radio New Zealand a claim by a British commentator, Hugo Gye (Political Editor of The i Paper), that the United Kingdom (among other countries) has a major public debt crisis, and that if nothing is done about it (such as what Rachel Reeves – Chancellor of the

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is cannabis use disorder? And how do you know if you have a problem?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Dawson, PhD Candidate, School of Psychology and National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland

    Around 41% of Australians report they’ve used cannabis at some point in their life.

    Research estimates that 22% of recreational cannabis consumers meet criteria for a cannabis use disorder. This condition can make it difficult to control how often or how much cannabis they use.

    For medicinal cannabis, our research estimated the percentage of cannabis consumers who meet criteria for a cannabis use disorder was similar, around 25%.

    These figures may come as a surprise, as the perceived risks associated with cannabis have been steadily declining in many countries.

    So, how can you tell if your cannabis use is a problem?

    What does cannabis use disorder look like?

    A person might use cannabis to relax after a stressful day at work or to help them sleep. At first, they might do so every now and then. But over time, they might come to rely on using cannabis to stop feeling uncomfortable, stressed and sleepless.

    They might begin to use cannabis daily to feel “normal”.

    With regular use, the body develops tolerance to the effects of cannabis. So the person needs to use more cannabis to get the same “high”.

    People who consume cannabis might use more cannabis than they intended or might have problems performing at work because they’re high at the start of the work day, or they fail to do important things such as paying bills, and buy cannabis instead.

    The person might keep using cannabis despite noticing their use is causing clouded thoughts, memory issues and anxiety.

    Friends and family might notice problems with their cannabis use and recommend they stop or cut back. This can be difficult for people with cannabis use disorder because they may feel anxious, irritable and have difficulty sleeping if they suddenly stop using cannabis.

    Some people who use cannabis can’t function like they used to.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    These withdrawal symptoms can make it harder to quit or cut back. Withdrawal symptoms are quickly relieved by using cannabis, creating a cycle of relapse.

    How is it diagnosed?

    Health professionals use specific criteria to diagnose a cannabis use disorder.

    According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a person may have a cannabis use disorder if they show at least two symptoms within one year. Symptoms can include:

    • using larger amounts over longer periods than intended

    • cravings for cannabis, where the person feels a strong urge or desire to use cannabis

    • trying and failing to cut back on cannabis use

    • continuing cannabis use despite worsening physical or psychological problems

    • failing to fulfil major role obligations at work, school or home

    • needing to use a greater amount for the same effect, known as tolerance

    • experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as feeling anxious, irritable or having trouble sleeping.

    According to the DSM, two to three symptoms indicate a mild cannabis use disorder and few problems. A moderate disorder involves four to five symptoms, while six-plus symptoms means a severe disorder.

    Who is at greatest risk?

    In both recreational and medicinal consumers, the risk of cannabis use disorder is higher for people who use cannabis:

    • frequently, especially daily

    • by smoking or vaping

    • with higher levels of THC or in larger amounts.

    Other risk factors are starting cannabis use at a younger age and using cannabis to relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression and chronic pain.

    What’s the relationship with chronic pain?

    People struggling to manage their pain may turn to cannabis hoping to find relief.

    However, recent studies question the effectiveness of cannabis to manage pain.

    People who use cannabis to relieve chronic pain often use it more frequently.
    AYO Production/Shutterstock

    So people may increase how often they use cannabis or use more potent cannabis products in an unsuccessful attempt to control their pain.

    This can lead to a cannabis use disorder, making it more difficult to manage their pain and impairing their ability to cope with the demands of everyday life.

    How to reduce your risk

    Legal changes in many countries, including Australia, have allowed greater access to cannabis for medical reasons. People now often use cannabis for both recreational and medical reasons (dual-use).

    If you use cannabis, reduce your risk of developing a cannabis use disorder by avoiding daily use and avoiding cannabis products with high THC.

    If you’re concerned about your cannabis use, consult your medical practitioner or contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 for confidential advice.

    Wayne Hall has in the past five years been paid to advise the WHO on the adverse health effects of cannabis and to advise the Commonwealth Department of Health on the safety and effectiveness of medical uses of cannabis-based medicines.

    Danielle Dawson and Valentina Lorenzetti do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What is cannabis use disorder? And how do you know if you have a problem? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-cannabis-use-disorder-and-how-do-you-know-if-you-have-a-problem-256098

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China issues new rare disease guidelines

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The National Health Commission on Thursday released a second batch of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for 86 rare diseases.

    The batch covers conditions including achondroplasia, a disorder of bone growth that can cause dwarfism; acquired hemophilia; and acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that can lead to the enlargement of body parts.

    China has about 20 million patients with rare diseases, with more than 200,000 new cases each year.

    The first batch of treatment guidelines was published in 2019 and covered 121 rare diseases.

    The Peking Union Medical College Hospital said Thursday that the new guidelines were jointly compiled by the hospital and the China Alliance for Rare Disease at the commission’s request.

    “These guidelines have comprehensively outlined the clinical features, diagnostic standards, treatment approaches and long-term management strategies for 86 rare diseases, serving as a valuable reference for medical workers,” the hospital said in a statement.

    “Their implementation is expected to minimize diagnostic errors, optimize care and improve patient outcomes,” it said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Galaxy Unpacked 2025] From AI to Actionable Care: Industry Leaders Chart the Future of Mobile Innovation at Galaxy Tech Forum

    Source: Samsung

    At Galaxy Unpacked 2025 on July 9, Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest Galaxy Z series devices and wearables — pushing the boundaries of foldable design and connected wellness experiences. These innovations mark the next step in the company’s mission to deliver meaningful, user-centered technology, with Galaxy AI and digital health emerging as key pillars of the journey ahead.
     
    To explore these themes further, Samsung hosted two panels at the Galaxy Tech Forum on July 10 in Brooklyn. Samsung Newsroom joined industry leaders and executives to examine how ambient intelligence and advanced health technologies are shaping the future of mobile innovation.
     
     
    (Panel One) The Next Vision of AI: Ambient Intelligence
    ▲ (From left) Moderator Sabrina Ortiz, Jisun Park, Mindy Brooks and Dr. Vinesh Sukumar
     
    The first panel, “The Next Vision of AI: Ambient Intelligence,” explored how multimodal capabilities are enabling the continued evolution of AI in everyday life — blending into user interactions in ways that feel intuitive, proactive and nearly invisible. Panelists discussed the smartphone’s evolving role, the importance of platform integration and the power of cross-industry collaboration to deliver secure, personalized intelligence at scale.
     
    Jisun Park, Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Language AI Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, opened the conversation by reflecting on Galaxy AI’s rapid adoption. Since the launch of the Galaxy S25 series in January, more than 70% of users have engaged with Galaxy AI features. He then turned the discussion to the next frontier, ambient intelligence — AI that is deeply personal, predictive and ever-present.
     
    ▲ Jisun Park from Samsung Electronics
     
    Samsung sees ambient intelligence as AI that is so seamlessly integrated into daily life it becomes second nature. The company is committed to democratizing Galaxy AI to 400 million devices by the end of 2025.
     
    This vision builds on insights from a yearlong collaboration with London-based research firm Symmetry, which revealed that 60% of users want their phones to anticipate needs without prompts — based on daily habits.
     
    “Some see AI as the start of a ‘post-smartphone’ era, but we see it differently,” said Park. “We’re building a future where your devices don’t just respond — they become smarter to anticipate, see and work quietly in the background to make life feel a little more effortless.”
     
    Mindy Brooks, Vice President of Android Consumer Product and Experience at Google, discussed how multimodal AI is moving beyond reactive response to deeper understanding of user intent across inputs like text, vision and voice. Google’s Gemini is designed to be intelligently aware and anticipatory — tuned to individual preferences and routines for assistance that feels natural.
     
    ▲ Mindy Brooks from Google
     
    “Through close collaboration with Samsung, Gemini works seamlessly across its devices and connects with first-party apps to provide helpful and personalized responses,” she said.
     
    Dr. Vinesh Sukumar, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies emphasized that as AI becomes more personalized, there is more information than ever that needs to be protected.
     
    “For us, privacy, performance and personalization go hand in hand — they’re not competing priorities but co-equal standards,” he said.
     
    ▲ Dr. Vinesh Sukumar from Qualcomm Technologies
     
    Both Brooks and Dr. Sukumar reinforced the importance of tight integration across platforms and hardware.
     
    “Our work with Samsung prioritizes secure, on-device intelligence so that users know where their data is and who controls it,” said Dr. Sukumar.
     
    ▲ The AI panel at Galaxy Tech Forum
     
    Moderator Sabrina Ortiz, senior editor at ZDNET, closed the session with a discussion on AI privacy. Panelists agreed that trust, transparency and user control must underpin the entire AI experience.
     
    “When it comes to building more agentic AI, our priority is to ensure we’re fostering smarter, more personalized and more meaningful assistance across our device ecosystem,” said Brooks.
     
     
    (Panel Two) The Next Chapter of Health: Scaling Prevention and Connected Care
    The second panel, “The Next Chapter of Health: Scaling Prevention and Connected Care,” focused on how technology can bridge the gap between wellness and clinical care — making health insights more connected, proactive and usable for individuals, healthcare providers and digital health solution partners. Panelists explored how the convergence of clinical data, at-home monitoring and AI is reshaping the modern healthcare experience.
     
    ▲ (From left) Moderator Dr. Hon Pak, Mike McSherry, Dr. Rasu Shrestha and Jim Pursley
     
    Health data is often siloed across systems, resulting in inefficiencies and gaps in care. Combined with rising rates of chronic illness, an aging population and ongoing clinician shortages, the result is a system under pressure to deliver timely, effective care.
     
    ▲ Dr. Hon Pak from Samsung Electronics
     
    “Patients and consumers around the world are asking us to hear them, to know them, to truly understand them,” said moderator Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team at Samsung Electronics. “And I believe this is the opportunity we have with Samsung, Xealth and partners like Hinge and Advocate. Together, we are creating a connected ecosystem where healthcare can truly make a difference — not just in the life of a patient, but in the life of a person.”
     
    Samsung is addressing this challenge through technological innovation and its recent acquisition of Xealth, a leading digital health platform with a network of more than 500 hospitals and 70 digital health solution providers. Through Xealth, Samsung plans to connect wearable data and insights from Samsung Health into clinical workflows — delivering a more unified and seamless healthcare experience.
     
    ▲ Mike McSherry from Xealth
     
    “This [phone], plus your devices — the watch, the ring — are going to replace the standalone blood pressure monitor, the pulse oximeter, a variety of different devices,” said Mike McSherry, founder and CEO of Xealth. “It’s going to be one packaged solution, and that’s going to simplify care.”
     
    This collaboration is designed to empower hospitals with real-time insights and help prevent chronic conditions through early detection and continuous monitoring with wearable devices.
     
    ▲ Dr. Rasu Shrestha from Advocate Health
     
    “The reality is that with all of the challenges that exist in healthcare, it is not any one entity that can heroically go in and save healthcare. It really takes an ecosystem,” said Dr. Rasu Shrestha, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation & Commercialization Officer at Advocate Health. “That’s part of the reason why I’m so excited about Xealth and Samsung — and partners like us — really coming together to solve for this challenge. Because it is about Samsung enabling it. It’s more of an open ecosystem, a curated ecosystem.”
     
    The panel spotlighted the growing shift from hospital-based care to care at home — and the opportunities enabled by Samsung’s expanding ecosystem of connected devices. Data from wearables, including those equipped with Samsung’s BioActive Sensor technology, can provide high-quality input for AI-driven insights.
     
    Paired with Samsung’s SmartThings connectivity and wide portfolio of smart home devices, the company is uniquely positioned to support remote health monitoring and treatment from home.
     
    AI is expected to play a role in reducing clinician workload by streamlining administrative tasks and surfacing the most relevant insights at the right time. Platforms like Xealth offer users a personalized, friendly interface to access necessary information from one place for a more connected healthcare experience.
     
    ▲ The health panel at Galaxy Tech Forum
     
    Across both sessions, one theme was clear — realizing the potential of ambient intelligence and scaling prevention and connected care requires deep, cross-industry collaboration.
     
    From on-device privacy solutions like Knox Matrix to expanded integration across Galaxy devices, Samsung and its partners are building an ecosystem that’s not only intelligent but simple, secure and future-ready.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health Employment – Hospital nurses to take nationwide strike action – NZNO

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    More than 36,000 Te Whatu Ora nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora have voted to strike for 24-hours after Health NZ failed to address their safe staffing concerns.
    New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) Chief Executive Paul Goulter says there was strong support from members to take strike action after a new offer from Te Whatu Ora last week was worse than a previous one in May.
    “This latest offer from Te Whatu Ora fails to address concerns about safe staffing despite them being raised continually throughout the collective agreement bargaining process.
    “Patients are at risk because of short staffing. Nurses, midwives and health care assistants are stretched too thin and can’t give patients the care they need. This is heartbreaking for our exhausted members who became health care workers because they want to help people.
    “Te Whatu Ora data obtained by NZNO under the Official Information Act shows between January and November last year, 50% of all days shifts were understaffed across hospital wards in 16 health districts,” Paul Goulter says. (see table in editor’s notes)
    To “add insult to injury” members have again been offered a wage increase which doesn’t meet cost of living increases and will see them and their whānau go backwards financially, he says.
    “There were 30,000 New Zealanders who moved to Australia in the past year. We know some of them are burnt out nurses moving for better conditions and wages.
    “Te Whatu Ora needs to do more to retain our nursing workforce, employ graduate nurses and ensure patients get the care they need. This is about the health and wellbeing of real people and their whānau, not the need to meet some arbitrary budget set by the Government.
    “It looks like this Government has lost control of health,” Paul Goulter says.
    Notes:
    -The nationwide strike will be held from 9am on Wednesday 30 July until 9am on Thursday 31 July.
    -The strike will be a complete withdrawal of labour at every place in New Zealand where Te Whatu Ora provides health care or hospital care services.
    -Life preserving services will continue to be provided.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Nick Draper, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Canterbury

    The widely held view among rugby players, coaches and officials is that headgear can’t prevent concussion. If so, why wear it? It’s hot, it can block vision and hearing, and it can be uncomfortable.

    Headgear was originally designed to protect players from cuts and abrasions. But players still hope it will offer them a degree of protection against the collisions they experience in the game. Some players adopt it after previous concussions.

    We’re now seeing increasing numbers of professional players opting in. The Irish men’s team, for example, field up to five players each match sporting headgear. In Japan, it’s mandatory for juniors. And more parents in New Zealand are making their children wear it, too.

    The exact specifications for rugby match kit – boots, shorts, shoulder pads and
    headgear – are regulated through World Rugby’s Law 4 and Regulation 12. In 2019, the governing body launched a trial enabling players to wear headgear with new technical specifications in training and matches.

    The specifications have meant manufacturers can take advantage of novel “isotropic” materials that can potentially reduce the impact forces experienced by players.

    Conventional headgear is composed of soft foams that flatten when a player’s head collides with the ground or another player. As such, they can only minimally absorb those collision forces.

    Isotropic materials behave differently. They can absorb impacts from multiple directions and may offer a level of protection against the effects on a player’s head of a tackle or other collision event.

    Given these changes, and in light of recent research, we may need to change the narrative around rugby headgear: while it may not prevent concussion, it might reduce the total contact “burden” experienced by players in a game and over a whole season. And this could have benefits for long-term brain health.

    Impacts across seasons and careers

    Contact in rugby – through tackles, at the breakdown, and in scrums and lineouts – leads to players experiencing a number of collisions or “head acceleration events”. This contact is most commonly head to ground, head to body or head to head.

    By having players use “smart” mouthguards with embedded micro-accelerometers and gyroscopes to capture head movements, researchers can now measure each collision and each player’s contact load in a game – and potentially over a career.

    A player’s total contact load is found by adding together the magnitude of the impacts they experience in a game. These are measured as “peak linear accelerations” or “peak rotational accelerations”.

    While past research and media attention has focused on concussion, it has become clear the total contact burden in training and matches – the total “sub-concussive knocks” through head acceleration events – may be as important, if not more so.

    One of our own research projects involved following 40 under-16 players wearing smart mouthguards for all training and matches across one season. Peak Linear accelerations are measured as a g-force (g). Activities such as such as running, jumping and shaking the head would measure under 8g, for example, whereas heading a soccer ball might measure 31g.

    The results of our study showed the players differed greatly in their cumulative exposure over a whole season, from 300g to nearly 14,000g. These differences would be amplified further over an entire rugby career.

    Some of the variation is likely due to a player’s team position, with loose forwards having a greater burden than others. But it also seems some players just enjoy the contact aspects of the game more than others.

    Rugby is an impact sport: the Ireland and England women’s teams clash in 2025.
    Getty Images

    Potential benefits of new headgear materials

    Researcher Helen Murray at the University of Auckland has highlighted the need for more research into the burden of collisions, rather than just concussions, over a rugby career. In particular, we need to know more about its effect on future brain health.

    We hope to contribute to this by following our existing cohort of players through their careers. In the meantime, our research has examined the potential of existing rugby headgear and new isotropic materials to mitigate peak accelerations in rugby collisions.

    Using the field data collected from male and female players over the past four seasons, we have designed laboratory testing protocols to compare the conventional and newer materials.

    The results suggest the new forms of headgear do have the potential to reduce the impact burden for players.

    We found 55–90% of head acceleration events do involve direct contact with the head. As such, collision-mitigation headgear could be beneficial. And our laboratory testing produced an estimated 30% reduction in peak linear accelerations with the headgear compared to without.

    The nature of concussion is complex and related to the size of an impact as well as its direction and angle. For instance, we observed the concussions experienced by the junior players occurred between 12g and 62g – well below the male threshold of 70g requiring professional players to be removed from the field for a head injury assessment.

    Currently, it seems unlikely headgear can prevent concussion. But it does appear new headgear materials could significantly reduce the total impact burden for players during their careers. And this may help safeguard their future brain health.

    Nick Draper receives funding from the Health Research Council, Cure Kids, the Neurological Foundation, Canterbury Medical Research Foundation, Pacific Radiology Group, the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust, and the UC Foundation.

    – ref. Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career – https://theconversation.com/rugby-headgear-cant-prevent-concussion-but-new-materials-could-soften-the-blows-over-a-career-258912

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Booker, Vargas, Peters Announce Bicameral Bill to Clean Up Tijuana River

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff, Booker, Vargas, Peters Announce Bicameral Bill to Clean Up Tijuana River

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), along with Representatives Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), introduced bicameral legislation to help combat the ongoing Tijuana River sewage pollution crisis across the U.S.-Mexico border.

    The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2025 would designate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the lead agency to coordinate all federal, state, Tribal, and local agencies to build and maintain critical infrastructure projects to address long-standing, systemic water infrastructure and pollution issues in the Tijuana River and New River watersheds. The bill would create a new Geographic Program within EPA to manage each watershed through a comprehensive water quality management plan. These provisions and other key components of the bill follow the findings and recommendations of the Government Accountability Office’s February 2020 Report, “International Boundary and Water Commission: Opportunities Exist to Address Water Quality Problems.” The bill also directs EPA to consider projects based on new research examining how wastewater pollutants get into the air, harming air quality and public health.

    “Raw sewage and toxic waste from the Tijuana River are still shutting down public beaches, threatening the health of our families, and jeopardizing the readiness of our military and border personnel,” said Senator Padilla. “By assigning the Environmental Protection Agency with the clear role of coordinating with federal, state, local, and tribal leaders to maintain the health of the watershed, we’re bringing the full weight and commitment of the federal government to address the Tijuana River pollution crisis.”

    “The Tijuana River pollution crisis is one of the worst ongoing ecological crises in this country, posing serious environmental and public health risks to Californians living and working near the U.S.-Mexico border and nearby beaches. We must work quickly on a resolution, and this bill would provide clear direction and authority to EPA to work with state and local partners on a plan to give this crisis the focused attention it demands,” said Senator Schiff.

    “For too long, communities along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border have suffered the consequences of untreated sewage and toxic waste flowing into the Tijuana River,” said Senator Booker. “What I observed during my visit to Imperial Beach in May was unacceptable. This public health crisis, with growing economic and environmental impacts, would never be tolerated in Malibu or Mar-a-Lago and it shouldn’t be tolerated here. This bicameral legislation will ensure the EPA leads a comprehensive effort in coordination with local, state, and federal officials to clean up the Tijuana River and New River watersheds, and finally deliver clean air and water to the San Diego community.”

    “This horrible pollution has harmed the health of our communities, our local businesses, and our environment,” said Representative Vargas. “It’s absolutely critical that we have a streamlined response from the federal government. But right now, there is no one agency in charge of addressing the pollution. There are too many cooks in the kitchen. Our legislation would finally change that and charge the EPA with coordinating the whole-of-government effort needed to combat this pollution.”

    “This is an environmental crisis, a public health crisis, and an economic crisis for San Diegans. The federal government should treat it as such,” said Representative Peters. “Our legislation institutes a whole-of-government approach for resolving this disaster. This is the same type of program you see in the San Francisco Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and Great Lakes; San Diego is no less deserving.”

    Since 2018, more than 200 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities, forcing long-lasting beach closures and causing harmful impacts on public health, the environment, and water quality. U.S. military personnel, border patrol agents, and the local economy have also suffered harmful impacts from airborne and waterborne transboundary sewage flows. In 2023, sewage flowed across the border at the highest volume in a quarter century, exceeding 44 billion gallons.

    The Tijuana River pollution crisis has disproportionately harmed underserved communities along San Diego’s southern border for decades. U.S. military personnel, border patrol agents, and the local environment and economy have also suffered harmful impacts from waterborne and airborne transboundary sewage flows.

    To address these long-standing issues, the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2025 would:

    • Direct EPA, in coordination with relevant federal, state, Tribal, and local governments, to implement a comprehensive water quality management program for the Tijuana River and New River watersheds within 180 days;
    • Require EPA and its partners to identify a consensus list of priority projects, including incorporating a comprehensive suite of water quality projects identified by EPA and IBWC in the 2022 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement implementation plan, as well as the construction and operations and maintenance costs associated with them;
    • Provide transfer authority to EPA to accept and distribute funds to federal, state, Tribal, and local partners to construct, operate, and maintain the identified priority projects;
    • Provide technical assistance for restoration and protection activities to federal, state, Tribal, and local stakeholders;
    • Codify the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP) to fund water infrastructure projects that benefit U.S. communities;
    • Require the IBWC Commissioner to participate in the construction of projects identified in the Tijuana and New River comprehensive plans; and
    • Authorize the IBWC to address stormwater quality and accept funding made available by the bill.

    EPA currently administers 12 Geographic Programs that help protect local ecosystems through water quality improvement, ecosystem and habitat restoration, environmental education, and local capacity building. Establishing such a program for the Tijuana River and New River is important for the long-term improvement and monitoring of the watersheds during and after the expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP).

    Representatives Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), and Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25) are cosponsoring the bill in the House of Representatives.

    The legislation is endorsed by the City of San Diego, City of Coronado, County of Imperial, Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, SANDAG, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Surfrider.

    Senator Padilla has prioritized addressing the Tijuana River pollution crisis since he first came to the Senate, working with the San Diego Congressional delegation to secure $250 million in the federal disaster relief package last year to clean up the Tijuana River. This marked the final tranche of funding required to complete the SBIWTP upgrade project. The SBIWTP project broke ground in October 2024, and over the coming years, the SBIWTP will double in capacity, reducing transboundary flows by 90 percent. Crucially, Mexico’s rehabilitated San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant is now operational, which will help further reduce flows to California communities.

    In response to a request from Padilla and the San Diego Congressional delegation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently opened an investigation into the public health impacts of air pollution caused by the ongoing Tijuana River transboundary pollution crisis. Senator Padilla and the delegation also secured a $200 million authorization for the Tijuana River Valley Watershed and San Diego County through the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 to help address the ongoing transboundary sewage crisis through stormwater conveyance, environmental and ecosystem restoration, and water quality protection projects. They also delivered over $103 million in additional funding for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) in the bipartisan FY 2024 appropriations package. Padilla previously successfully secured language in the FY 2023 appropriations package to allow the EPA to unlock $300 million previously secured in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to the IBWC for water infrastructure projects.

    A one-pager on the bill is available here.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Guidance boosts safety with transport trailers

    Source: Worksafe New Zealand

    New guidance is plugging a critical gap for businesses which use transport trailers to shift heavy machinery, thanks to an agreement overseen by WorkSafe New Zealand.

    It follows a 2019 death of Sean Smyth, who was killed when a trailer ramp fell on him at work in Te Kuiti. WorkSafe’s investigation culminated in an Enforceable Undertaking (EU), where Mr Smyth’s employer Inframax Construction committed funds to a range of mandatory health and safety improvements. One of these was sponsoring Construction Health and Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ) to develop new guidance for the safe use and maintenance of low loader ramps.

    The guide helps owners, operators, maintainers, and designers of these trailers manage ramp operation and maintenance risks.

    WorkSafe is proud to have had an oversight role in bringing the new guidance about.

    “We know industry is extremely keen for fresh guidance, and EUs can be a powerful way to deliver industry-led responses to identified risk gaps. Delivering guidance through an EU model has been a productive way to achieve our shared safety goals,” says WorkSafe’s Mark Horgan.

    The guide had input from a range of industry bodies including Civil Contractors NZ, Transporting NZ, the New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association, and the Truck & Trailer Manufacturers Federation.

    “This guidance represents a vital step forward in making the transport and delivery of heavy machinery safer across New Zealand’s construction and infrastructure sectors. Low-loader ramps are deceptively routine but present some of the highest-energy risks on site,” says CHASNZ spokesperson, Jon Harper-Slade.

    “By bringing together technical insights from manufacturers, operators, and industry experts, and applying an evidence-based approach to high-energy hazard control, we’ve produced guidance that is practical, targeted, and grounded in what actually works on the ground. This resource will continue to benefit the sector for years to come.”

    Read the good practice guide | CHASNZ(external link)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Employment – Mental health worker numbers don’t tell full story of service under stress and strain – PSA

    Source: PSA

    The Government’s trumpeting of a rise in numbers of mental health and addiction service workers contrasts the everyday experiences of PSA members at the frontline.
    The Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey today said Health NZ payroll data showed total full-time staff employed in mental health growing by more than 9 per cent year on year between Quarter 3 in 2023 and Quarter 1 2025.
    But PSA members tell a different story.
    “Any increase in numbers is long overdue but this only scratches the surface and vacancies and roster shortages remain. With demand for services growing, partly due to a rise in drug use, we need far more mental health workers,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    “The Minster’s own officials are also telling him something else.”
    In May 3 News obtained a draft report showing the scale of the workforce crisis, but the official report to the Minister removed the numbers. The draft report said 1,485 more frontline mental health and addiction workers were needed right now, including 470 specialist nurses, 145 psychiatrists and 145 clinical psychologists.
    “Conditions and pay must improve or more workers will face assaults, burn-out and depart for Australia where pay and resources are far better.
    “Our members tell alarming stories of the pressure they are under including:
    – Long delays filling vacancies, sometimes more than a year
    – Constant threats to safety from patients at EDs and in patient clinics
    – Concerns falling on deaf ears of managers
    The Government is also relying on data that is more than a year out of date to trumpet a minor fall in the vacancy rate from 11% to 10%.
    “These problems have been exacerbated by the phased police withdrawal of support, which is happening without an increase in resources at the frontline. This needs to be paused immediately.
    “The Minister needs to take his rose-tinted glasses off and properly invest in this critically important health service. New Zealanders deserve better.”
    The PSA represents mental health workers including mental health nurses, community mental health workers, psychologists, social workers, and child and adolescent specialists.
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Markey and Rep. Barragán Introduce Resolution to Confront Rising Public Health Threats from Climate Change

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Resolution Text (PDF)

    Washington (July 10, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Representative Nanette Barragán (CA-44) today introduced a resolution recognizing climate change as a growing threat to public health and calling for a coordinated federal strategy to protect communities from worsening climate-fueled harms. The resolution urges the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies to lead a whole-of-government effort to protect public health and improve resiliency against climate-related threats throughout the health sector. Representatives Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Brad Schneider (IL-10) co-led the resolution in the House.

    The climate crisis is here. In 2024, the United States experienced 27 climate disasters that caused more than a billion dollars each in damage. Increasingly frequent and extreme events—like wildfires, floods, and heat waves—are driving spikes in illness, displacement, and death. More than 150 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy air, and people with disabilities are 2 to 4 times more likely to die or be injured in climate-related disasters. Frontline workers in agriculture, construction, delivery, and manufacturing face growing health risks from extreme heat and poor air quality on the job.

    “With deadly extreme weather disasters, devastating heat waves, and pollution that triggers asthma and other health crises all on the rise, climate change is a full-blown public health emergency—and we need to treat it that way,” said Senator Markey. “This resolution calls on our government to protect the people most at risk from climate-related threats—those on the frontlines of the climate crisis, including Black and Indigenous communities, low-income families, and workers, especially those in construction, delivery, manufacturing, and warehouses. While Republicans pass bills that kick people off their health care, we are fighting for a resilient health system that helps everyone survive a warming and increasingly chaotic world.”

    “The climate crisis affects us all, but especially economically disadvantaged communities, communities of color, and other marginalized communities,” said Representative Barragán. “Now more than ever, we see families across the country facing significant health risks as a result of climate disasters such as extreme heat, excessive flooding, and unpredictable storms. Yet the Trump Administration has dangerously chosen to ignore the threat of climate change to our public health – firing staff and canceling programs that were focused on improving our resilience to harmful environmental exposures, such as the HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity. That is why I am proud to lead this bicameral resolution with Senator Markey and Representatives Carbajal, Matsui, and Schneider to acknowledge the federal government’s responsibility to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect the health and well-being of all Americans.”

    Specifically, the resolution:

    • Demands the release of funding appropriated by Congress that would help to address climate-related health threats that has been held up by Federal agencies;
    • Details the public health dimensions of the climate crisis, including increased risks of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, mental health stressors, pregnancy complications, infectious disease outbreaks, and disaster-related displacement;
    • Highlights the disproportionate health burdens on children, people with disabilities, low-income households, communities of color, Tribal nations, and workers in high-risk occupations;
    • Calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to lead cross-agency coordination to strengthen health system climate resilience, support frontline providers, close gaps in climate-health data, and help the health sector lower its own environmental impact;
    • Affirms the importance of engaging environmental justice and community-based organizations in local climate-health preparedness and response efforts;
    • Urges the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt a national worker heat protection standard; and,
    • Calls for annual public reporting on federal climate-health resilience investments and progress.

    The resolution is cosponsored by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Representatives Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15).

    The resolution is endorsed by Health Care Without Harm, Center for American Progress, Climate Justice Alliance, International Transformational Resilience Coalition, Climate and Community Institute, Earthjustice Action, Public Citizen, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Center for Oil and Gas Organizing, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the American College of Physicians.

    “Health Care Without Harm applauds Senator Markey for introducing this important resolution and is pleased to endorse it,” said Jenny Keroack, Director of Program Strategy & Management in the U.S. Climate Program. “Climate change is causing more severe and frequent storms, wildfires, and extreme heat events, creating safety and public health crises across our country. Our government must have a science-based, coordinated approach to prepare for and respond to these growing threats, and the Department of Health and Human Services has an indispensable role to play as the guardian of our nation’s health and well-being. Vital programs have been attacked, including a grant program that assists families with energy costs so they can afford to cool and heat their homes, funding that helps hospitals stay open and operational when the grid goes down, and research on how best to protect farmworkers from increasing heat waves. Such programs and the expert civil servants who help protect our communities from environmental health threats like climate change must be immediately reinstated and supported. Now is not the time to retreat.”

    “With climate change and extreme weather events driving illness, injury, and death across the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services must harness its resources, leverage its authorities, and coordinate its expertise and action to prepare for and respond to the health and financial impact,” said Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health at the Center for American Progress.

    “This resolution is crucial because climate change isn’t just an environmental problem; it’s a public health crisis hurting families right now,” said KD Chavez, Executive Director of the Climate Justice Alliance. “Low-income communities bear the brunt – suffering more asthma attacks, heatstroke, and toxic exposure. But these communities also have the answers! They’ve developed practical, replicable solutions. We need bold action: stronger environmental safeguards, smart investments in resilient infrastructure, and policies that prioritize everyone’s health and safety, no matter where they live. Let’s protect our families and build a healthier future for all.”

    “The International Transformational Resilience Coalition (ITRC) strongly endorses this resolution,” said ITRC Founder and Coordinator Bob Doppelt. “We do so because the climate crisis is a public health crisis that requires significant leadership, support, and investments by the federal government to prevent and heal the accelerating climate-generated mental health, psychosocial, and physical health issues experienced by newborns, young children, adolescents, working age, and older adults nationwide.”

    “Our hospitals and clinics are already seeing the devastating health effects of climate change every day – from children struggling to breathe polluted air to seniors collapsing in extreme heat,” said Ranjani Prabhakar, Legislative Director of Healthy Communities, Earthjustice Action. “Over 200 medical journals have called climate change the greatest threat to human health this century, and Senator Markey’s resolution affirms this data by putting health at the center of environmental solutions. Recognizing this crisis for the public health emergency that it is, is essential to protect our families and communities.”

    “As the planet enters a period of increasing climate chaos, our collective response will either deepen disparities or address the drivers of climate breakdown and health inequity together,” said Batul Hassan, Labor Director at the Climate and Community Institute. “This resolution from Senator Markey establishes the urgent need for coordinated action across health and public health systems to ensure all people and generations to come can thrive in a warming world.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New study investigates miscarriage prevention guidance Researchers from the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh are looking into the use of progesterone for early pregnancy bleeding in Scotland.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Researchers from the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh are looking into the use of progesterone for early pregnancy bleeding in Scotland.
    Bleeding in the earliest stages of pregnancy is known as threatened miscarriage. It affects 1 in 5 pregnant women and whilst many pregnancies will continue normally, up to a third of women with early pregnancy bleeding may go on to lose the pregnancy. The hormone progesterone has been shown to reduce the risk of pregnancy loss in women experiencing bleeding who have had one or more previous miscarriages.
    In 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) made the decision to recommend that women with early pregnancy bleeding, who have had an ultrasound scan confirming ongoing pregnancy, and have had at least one miscarriage should be offered progesterone to protect against early miscarriage. However, research shows that progesterone is not equally effective in all women and appears to be more beneficial to those who have had several previous miscarriages. In addition, as with any medication used in pregnancy, the benefits of treatment need to be balanced against any possible unforeseen effects on babies.
    The PROTEA Study, funded by the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office, and led by Dr Andrea Woolner, Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen who is also an Honorary Consultant Obstetrician and Early Pregnancy Lead at NHS Grampian, is now underway across all Scottish health boards to fully evaluate this approach. The team will find whether the current ‘blanket’ approach is the most appropriate and understand how progesterone treatment is implemented in practice.
    As well as whether miscarriage is prevented, the team will also look at any impact in later pregnancy and early neonatal life as well as the costs associated with the current approach.
    They will use routinely collected NHS data to study what happens to pregnancies for women who present with early pregnancy bleeding and are appealing to all early pregnancy unit staff in all 14 Scottish Health Boards to keep helping them collect data on early pregnancy information until the study closes in 2027.
    The information collected will explore whether progesterone treatment affects the risk of other complications in pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia and if it has any effect on babies.

    We will monitor for any other effects progesterone might have, be that beneficial or potentially harmful, on the rest of the pregnancy and babies.” Dr Andrea Woolner

    Professor Colin Duncan, from the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh who is collaborating with Dr Woolner on the project, said: “We all want to ensure the best possible outcomes for women and babies.
    “This study allows us to explore the uptake, effectiveness and impacts of progesterone supplementation in threatened miscarriage in the real world by looking outcomes from the whole of Scotland.
    “The impressive record system within Scotland means we are ideally placed to carry out this important research.”
    Dr Woolner said: “We believe it is critical that this research is undertaken to follow up on the important findings from the clinical trials investigating this treatment to understand how progesterone may work in real-world settings and provide much-needed information on the benefits, safety, and consequences of progesterone use is made available as this treatment becomes part of normal care.
    “We will use routine data collected within Scottish hospitals to observe how well progesterone works in terms of preventing miscarriage when used across the population and what additional NHS resources are needed to support this service. We will monitor for any other effects progesterone might have, be that beneficial or potentially harmful, on the rest of the pregnancy and babies.”
    Vicki Robinson, Chief Executive Officer at the Miscarriage Association, said: “Miscarriage can be an incredibly painful and isolating experience, and research like this is vital to ensuring that care and treatment are grounded in strong, evidence-based guidance.
    “We’re pleased to be working alongside researchers and patients on this important study.”

    Related Content
    Related Links

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Crapo Take Bipartisan Action to Secure Clear Guidance for Claimants Following the Recent Extension and Expansion of RECA

    US Senate News:

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

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) urged the Trump administration to swiftly provide detailed guidance for claimants to access the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program following its expansion and extension by Congress. In letters to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Senators Luján and Crapo highlight the urgent need to implement guidance quickly and efficiently regarding the expanded RECA program as the current extension of RECA expires in just over two years.

    “After decades of advocacy, communities harmed by radiation exposure are set to finally receive long-overdue recognition and compensation. This achievement marks a significant step toward providing some justice to families who have waited far too long. After decades of struggle, we ask that the Department of Justice move swiftly to issue guidance for claimants to access the program,” the Senators wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

    “As you know, the current extension of the program expires in just over two years. This means time is limited to fulfill the promise of this expansion and ensure every eligible uranium miner and onsite participant receives compensation. We urge the Department of Labor to act swiftly and efficiently in developing and posting guidance to implement the expanded RECA and Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) programs,” the Senators wrote to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

    Since being elected to Congress, Senator Luján has played a leading role in advancing legislation to strengthen the RECA program, introducing RECA legislation in every Congress and twice passing it through the Senate.

    The full text of the letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi is available here.

    The full text of the letter to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Draper, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Canterbury

    The widely held view among rugby players, coaches and officials is that headgear can’t prevent concussion. If so, why wear it? It’s hot, it can block vision and hearing, and it can be uncomfortable.

    Headgear was originally designed to protect players from cuts and abrasions. But players still hope it will offer them a degree of protection against the collisions they experience in the game. Some players adopt it after previous concussions.

    We’re now seeing increasing numbers of professional players opting in. The Irish men’s team, for example, field up to five players each match sporting headgear. In Japan, it’s mandatory for juniors. And more parents in New Zealand are making their children wear it, too.

    The exact specifications for rugby match kit – boots, shorts, shoulder pads and
    headgear – are regulated through World Rugby’s Law 4 and Regulation 12. In 2019, the governing body launched a trial enabling players to wear headgear with new technical specifications in training and matches.

    The specifications have meant manufacturers can take advantage of novel “isotropic” materials that can potentially reduce the impact forces experienced by players.

    Conventional headgear is composed of soft foams that flatten when a player’s head collides with the ground or another player. As such, they can only minimally absorb those collision forces.

    Isotropic materials behave differently. They can absorb impacts from multiple directions and may offer a level of protection against the effects on a player’s head of a tackle or other collision event.

    Given these changes, and in light of recent research, we may need to change the narrative around rugby headgear: while it may not prevent concussion, it might reduce the total contact “burden” experienced by players in a game and over a whole season. And this could have benefits for long-term brain health.

    Impacts across seasons and careers

    Contact in rugby – through tackles, at the breakdown, and in scrums and lineouts – leads to players experiencing a number of collisions or “head acceleration events”. This contact is most commonly head to ground, head to body or head to head.

    By having players use “smart” mouthguards with embedded micro-accelerometers and gyroscopes to capture head movements, researchers can now measure each collision and each player’s contact load in a game – and potentially over a career.

    A player’s total contact load is found by adding together the magnitude of the impacts they experience in a game. These are measured as “peak linear accelerations” or “peak rotational accelerations”.

    While past research and media attention has focused on concussion, it has become clear the total contact burden in training and matches – the total “sub-concussive knocks” through head acceleration events – may be as important, if not more so.

    One of our own research projects involved following 40 under-16 players wearing smart mouthguards for all training and matches across one season. Peak Linear accelerations are measured as a g-force (g). Activities such as such as running, jumping and shaking the head would measure under 8g, for example, whereas heading a soccer ball might measure 31g.

    The results of our study showed the players differed greatly in their cumulative exposure over a whole season, from 300g to nearly 14,000g. These differences would be amplified further over an entire rugby career.

    Some of the variation is likely due to a player’s team position, with loose forwards having a greater burden than others. But it also seems some players just enjoy the contact aspects of the game more than others.

    Rugby is an impact sport: the Ireland and England women’s teams clash in 2025.
    Getty Images

    Potential benefits of new headgear materials

    Researcher Helen Murray at the University of Auckland has highlighted the need for more research into the burden of collisions, rather than just concussions, over a rugby career. In particular, we need to know more about its effect on future brain health.

    We hope to contribute to this by following our existing cohort of players through their careers. In the meantime, our research has examined the potential of existing rugby headgear and new isotropic materials to mitigate peak accelerations in rugby collisions.

    Using the field data collected from male and female players over the past four seasons, we have designed laboratory testing protocols to compare the conventional and newer materials.

    The results suggest the new forms of headgear do have the potential to reduce the impact burden for players.

    We found 55–90% of head acceleration events do involve direct contact with the head. As such, collision-mitigation headgear could be beneficial. And our laboratory testing produced an estimated 30% reduction in peak linear accelerations with the headgear compared to without.

    The nature of concussion is complex and related to the size of an impact as well as its direction and angle. For instance, we observed the concussions experienced by the junior players occurred between 12g and 62g – well below the male threshold of 70g requiring professional players to be removed from the field for a head injury assessment.

    Currently, it seems unlikely headgear can prevent concussion. But it does appear new headgear materials could significantly reduce the total impact burden for players during their careers. And this may help safeguard their future brain health.

    Nick Draper receives funding from the Health Research Council, Cure Kids, the Neurological Foundation, Canterbury Medical Research Foundation, Pacific Radiology Group, the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust, and the UC Foundation.

    – ref. Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career – https://theconversation.com/rugby-headgear-cant-prevent-concussion-but-new-materials-could-soften-the-blows-over-a-career-258912

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier calls for boosting basic pharmaceutical research, sci-tech innovation

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Chinese vice premier calls for boosting basic pharmaceutical research, sci-tech innovation

    Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits Peking University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, July 10 — Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong on Thursday stressed the need for efforts to enhance basic research and technological innovation capabilities in the pharmaceutical field.

    Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited Peking University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences to learn about medical research and development, as well as the construction and operations of key laboratories, and listened to opinions from various relevant parties at a symposium.

    Efforts should be made to strengthen collaborative research and policy implementation centering on people’s health, and to advance the development of innovative drugs and medical facilities, thereby providing strong support to advance the Healthy China initiative, Liu said.

    Noting the positive momentum of China’s pharmaceutical innovation in recent years, Liu called for joint research efforts from enterprises, universities, research institutions and medical institutions, and for full use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data to accelerate the development of life and health databases.

    He also urged efforts to expand high-level opening up, and to deepen international exchange and cooperation in the field of pharmaceutical technology so as to better safeguard the health and well-being of the people.

    Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits Peking University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DelBene Highlights Impact of Trump’s Nutrition Cuts on Washington Families

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) highlighted the historic and devastating cuts to federal food programs in President Trump’s megabill that he recently signed into law. Joined by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, nutrition advocates, educators, and local food providers, DelBene underscored that thousands of Washington families and children will go hungry because of the cuts in this law.

    Last week, Congressional Republicans sent a massive bill to President Trump that slashes over $200 billion from SNAP, imposes new burdens on states, and jeopardizes food assistance for families, children, and seniors across the country. These cuts, along with ones made to Medicaid and student loan repayment programs, were made to fund another massive tax giveaway to ultra-wealthy people and large corporations. The law is estimated to add over $4 trillion to the national debt.

    In Washington, 900,000 people receive SNAP with an average benefit of only $6 per day. Because of Trump’s new law, more than 130,000 residents could lose some or all of their benefits under this legislation. The state has said that all SNAP recipients in Washington will see their benefits cut to some degree.

    “No one should go hungry in the wealthiest country on Earth. This Republican megabill imposes cruel, unnecessary cuts that hurt working families, children, veterans, and seniors just to fund tax breaks for billionaires,” said DelBene. “These cuts will make it harder for people to feed their families and for local food banks to meet the growing need. I’ll continue fighting back against these harmful policies.”

    “President Trump’s cruel bill will literally take food away from thousands of Washington children to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” said Governor Bob Ferguson. “For many families, they’re already working to stretch every dollar. Hunger impacts kids’ performance in school, their health and their physical development. These cuts will adversely impact a generation of kids into the future.”

    “In recent years, we’ve seen firsthand how interconnected food security is with housing, healthcare, education, and employment. SNAP plays a vital role in the safety net. When benefits are reduced—especially at the scale we are now seeing—families don’t just feel the impact, they’re forced into impossible choices: rent or groceries, medication or meals,” said Carla Rankin, Executive Director, Arlington Food Bank. “While food banks like ours work tirelessly to bridge the gap, we are not a substitute for strong federal nutrition programs. We rely on public support, private donations, and an army of volunteers—and those resources are not infinite.”

    “What we anticipate with these SNAP and Medicaid cuts is we’re going to have increased demand on our services, because right now, we’re only serving about 50% of the eligible population for WIC, so we know our caseload is really going to increase,” said Nicole Flateboe, Executive Director, Nutrition First. “The One Big Beautiful Bill has also cut Medicaid, which we rely upon for establishing eligibility for our clients, so, that’s going to just create increased administrative burden and red tape for getting these folks on the program.”

    Organizations represented at the event included Arlington Community Food Bank, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Volunteers of America Western Washington, Arlington School District, Arlington Farmers Market, Washington State University SNAP-Ed, and Nutrition First.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to observational study of gabapentin and risk of dementia and cognitive impairments

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    An observational study published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine looks at gabapentin prescription for chronic pain and the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment. 

    Prof Ian Maidment, Professor in Clinical Pharmacy, Aston University, said:

    “This study found an association between gabapentin and dementia. It was an observation study and therefore conclusions about causality cannot be drawn. Furthermore, the research did not control for length of treatment or dose of gabapentin. Other similar recent studies have failed to find a link. Therefore, overall the jury is out on whether gabapentin causes dementia.”

    Prof Martin Prince, Professor of Epidemiological Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, said:

    “This is an interesting pharmaco-epidemiological study, using a retrospective (historical) cohort design, and reporting a significant increased risk of dementia incidence among those prescribed gabapentin for chronic low back pain. The authors are right to stress that they are reporting an association, and not necessarily a causal link. As I will discuss, confounding and reverse causality are tenable explanations for the observed effects. The strengths of the study include a large sample size, a long surveillance period, a state of the art propensity matching on a large number of potential confounding factors, and additional confounders controlled for in the analysis.

    “There are some issues apparent with the research.

    1. The most significant is that the title of the paper (which refers only to chronic low back pain) appears to be misleading. Closer reading of the research methods reveals that the inclusion criteria were actually “chronic pain (ICD- 10- CM G89.29), chronic pain syndrome (ICD- 10- CM G89.4), lumbar radiculopathy (ICD- 10- CM M54.16), or chronic low back pain (ICD- 10- CM M54.5)”. This is a much broader group, and would include, among other conditions, post-herpetic neuralgia and painful diabetic and other peripheral neuropathies, which are particularly common indications for prescription of gabapentin. There is an inconclusive literature linking shingles episodes to an increased risk of dementia (and suggesting that the Shingrix vaccine may lower the risk), and recent research using the UK biobank linking multisite chronic pain with the incidence of dementia and hippocampal atrophy (1). None of this body of potentially relevant research was referenced or discussed in the current paper. Confounding by indication therefore remains a distinct possibility – the condition that gabapentin is treating, rather than the drug itself being responsible for the increased dementia risk. Of note is that use of gabapentin would likely be reserved for those with more severe pain, and therefore a more severe underlying condition. While the investigators clearly sought to limit the potential for confounding by indication (for example by excluding from consideration individuals prescribed gabapentin for epilepsy), their efforts are likely to have been only partially successful. Reverse causality must always be considered in dementia cohort studies given the 20 years or more interval between the earliest detectable signs of Alzheimer’s Disease (from neuroimaging and blood biomarkers) and clinical onset. Those diagnosed with dementia would not, strictly speaking, have been dementia-free at cohort inception. It is possible that the CNS effects of Alzheimer’s disease modulate pain processing and appreciation, leading to more complaints of more severe pain, at multiple sites. Hence that Alzheimer’s disease caused the pain, and, ultimately the Gabapentin prescription, not vice versa. Or that there is an underlying common cause, for example inflammation, that is driving both the neurodegeneration and the neuropathic pain.
    2. I could not understand why mild cognitive impairment, frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy Bodies were listed as factors that were propensity matched at baseline, when the onset of mild cognitive impairment and all cause dementia were outcomes of interest and hence presumably excluded at baseline? It isn’t very clearly explained. It is possible that those with MCI at baseline were left in when assessing dementia as an outcome, but excluded when assessing MCI as an outcome. But leaving FTD and DLB cases in at baseline (with the implicit assumption that they could be considered as remaining at risk for developing AD or vascular dementia), seems to be an odd approach.  
    3. Since, apparently, separate diagnostic codes for Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular dementia were available, I am surprised that no attempt was made to explore whether the association with gabapentin prescription was similar or different across the two sub-types. The relationship of gabapentin use to both AD polygenic risk scores, and AD-specific blood biomarkers would also be another area for future research.”
    1. W. Zhao, L. Zhao, X. Chang, X. Lu, & Y. Tu, Elevated dementia risk, cognitive decline, and hippocampal atrophy in multisite chronic pain, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 120 (9) e2215192120, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215192120 (2023).

     

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

    “This study by Eghrari and colleagues examined medical records from over 24,000 people in the US and found that prescription of the medication gabapentin for chronic pain was associated with a higher risk of developing dementia.  While authors used statistical methods to try and account for other risk factors, this type of study cannot prove that gabapentin was the cause of increased dementia risk.  One very important factor that was not examined in this study is levels of physical activity.  People with chronic pain requiring gabapentin may have been less physically active, which is a known risk factor for developing dementia.”

     

    Prof Sir John Hardy, Group Leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, said:

    “While this is interesting, one has to worry that these types of findings are artefactual and result (for example) from a marginal acute effect on cognitive performance rather than effects on the underlying disease.”

     

    Dr Leah Mursaleen, Head of Clinical Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

    “Research shows that nearly half (45%) of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed if 14 health and lifestyle risk factors are addressed by people and society. At the moment, there’s not enough evidence to suggest pain medications are linked to higher dementia risk, but this research gives us interesting insights.

    “This large observational study looked at health records of over 26,000 people in the US diagnosed with chronic lower back pain and who were prescribed gabapentin within a 10-year period. They found gabapentin prescription was associated with an increased risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment, especially in people under the age of 65.

    “Some of the strengths of this research was the large sample size and some dementia risk factors were considered, such as age and high blood pressure.

    “However, this study only shows an association between gabapentin prescriptions and mild cognitive impairment or dementia, so we do not know if the medication is directly causing the higher risk. Gabapentin dosage wasn’t recorded, and there was no information on how long people were on the medication. 

    “Because this study only used health records of people with chronic pain, we cannot rule out other factors that might be influencing the findings. And previous studies looking at people prescribed gabapentin for other conditions like seizures, didn’t show a link between the medication and higher dementia risk.

    “Managing chronic pain is very important and if anyone has any concerns about the medication they are receiving, they should speak to their doctor.”

    ‘Risk of dementia following gabapentin prescription in chronic low back pain patients’ by Nafis B Eghrari et al. was published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine at 23:30 UK time on Thursday 10 July. 

    DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2025- 106577

    Declared interests

    Prof Ian Maidment: No declarations of interest

    Prof Martin Prince: No conflicts of interest to report

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

    Prof Sir John Hardy: Have consulted for Eisai

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Charges – Domestic violence – Nightcliff

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 22-year-old female in relation to a domestic violence incident at a residence in Nightcliff on Wednesday afternoon.

    About 9:50am yesterday morning, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received reports of a male being pushed over a balcony railing on Wednesday afternoon.

    Initial investigations and canvassing of nearby CCTV footage in the area indicates a male victim had been allegedly pushed off the balcony, about three to four metres off the ground, and suffered a lower leg injury. The victim proceeded to walk towards a bus stop on Progress Drive, leaving a trail of blood.

    The JESCC received a considerable number of calls in relation to the trail of blood in Nightcliff. The male victim is believed to have self-presented at the Royal Darwin Hospital for his injuries.

    The 22-year-old female was arrested yesterday by officers from the Territory Safety Division without incident and was later charged with:

    • Recklessly Endanger Serious Harm
    • Aggravated Assault

    She was remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court today.

    The Territory Safety Division has carriage of the investigation.

    Anyone who has information in relation to the incident is urged to make contact with police on 131 444.

    If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: International Criminal Court: War crimes, systematic sexual violence ongoing in Darfur

    Source: United Nations 2

    Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan told ambassadors in the UN Security Council that the ICC has “reasonable grounds to believe” that both war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed in region, where a deepening conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has plunged the region into a humanitarian disaster.

    Among the most disturbing patterns, she said, is the targeted use of sexual violence, including rape, abduction, and gender-based assaults – a campaign often directed at women and girls from specific ethnic communities.

    ‘An inescapable pattern’

    “There is an inescapable pattern of offending, targeting gender and ethnicity through rape and sexual violence,” Ms. Khan said, stressing that such crimes must be translated into evidence for the Court and the world to hear.

    She detailed ongoing efforts by the ICC’s Darfur Unified Team to document the atrocities, including through repeated field missions to refugee camps in Chad, the collection of over 7,000 items of evidence and enhanced cooperation with civil society and victims’ groups.

    Ms. Khan also emphasized a renewed focus on gender crimes, supported by the Court’s dedicated gender unit, and called on all partners to work more closely to “ensure there is no gap in our efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.”

    Deteriorating humanitarian crisis

    Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation worsens.

    According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), aid convoys are being targeted, hospitals bombed, and food and water deliberately withheld.

    In early June, five humanitarians were killed in an ambush in North Darfur, while airstrikes in West Kordofan killed over 40 civilians, including patients and healthcare staff.

    Active shelling

    In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, active shelling and armed encirclement by RSF forces have effectively cut off civilians from lifesaving assistance. Reports of extortion and diversion of aid in surrounding areas have further compounded the crisis.

    The outbreak of cholera is spreading across conflict zones, with Darfur now experiencing cross-border transmission into Chad and South Sudan.

    Health officials warn that the ongoing rainy season could worsen the epidemic by contaminating already-scarce water sources.

    Committed to justice

    Alongside humanitarian challenges, the ICC also faces formidable obstacles.

    Deputy Prosector Khan noted a series of challenges, including obstruction and hostility towards investigators on the ground, critical underfunding, limited cooperation from some States, and difficulties surrounding the arrest and transfer of individuals under ICC warrants.

    However, despite the challenges, she affirmed the ICC’s commitment to justice.

    She pointed to the pending verdict in the trial of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, as a milestone for accountability – and a warning to perpetrators who still believe themselves beyond the reach of international law.

    “They should understand: we are working intensively to ensure that this trial is only the first of many,” she said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick and Frankel Urge Protection of Medicare and Medicaid Access to Anti-Obesity Medications

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Florida 20th district))

    WASHINGTON, D.C. ─ Today, Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), and 10 House Democrats sent a letter to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz urging him to preserve access to affordable anti-obesity medications (AOMs) for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.  
     
    In November 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration proposed a rule that would have expanded coverage for AOMs for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries living with obesity. Under current law, Medicare and Medicaid do not cover AOMs for weight loss management. This rule would have lowered the cost of AOMs by as much as 95% for 3.4 million Medicare beneficiaries and 4 million Medicaid beneficiaries. In April 2025, CMS rescinded the proposed rule, jeopardizing access to these critical medications. 
     
    Without intervention, the U.S. is currently projected to spend upwards of $4.1 trillion on obesity-related healthcare costs, thereby placing enormous strain on the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Fortunately, it is clinically proven that AOMs both lead to significant long-term weight loss for individuals living with obesity and reduce the prevalence of costly chronic conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea. 
     
    “As you may know, obesity impacts 95 million Americans and is the second-leading cause of preventable death in the U.S, contributing to 300,000 deaths annually,” thelawmakers wrote. “Given this administration’s firm commitment to reduce the rate of chronic disease and ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ we urge you to immediately finalize the “Part D Coverage of Anti-Obesity Medications and Application to the Medicaid Program” proposed rule.” 
     
    The full text of the letter can be found here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vice Premier of the State Council of China calls for increasing fundamental research and scientific and technological innovation in pharmaceuticals

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong on Thursday stressed the need to enhance fundamental research and scientific and technological innovation capacity in the pharmaceutical field.

    Liu Guozhong, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, visited the Institute of Materia Medica of Peking University, where he learned about the pharmacological research and development, construction progress and operation of key laboratories, and held a symposium to hear opinions and suggestions from various interested parties.

    According to the Vice Premier of the State Council, it is necessary to intensify joint research and policy implementation, putting people’s lives and health first, and promote the development of innovative drugs and medical equipment, thereby providing strong support for the promotion of the Healthy China initiative.

    Noting the positive dynamics of innovative development of Chinese pharmaceuticals in recent years, Liu Guozhong called for joint research efforts by enterprises, universities, research institutes and medical institutions, stressing that new technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data should be fully utilized to accelerate the formation of databases related to life and health.

    Liu Guozhong also called for expanding high-level opening-up and deepening international exchanges and cooperation in pharmaceutical technology to better protect people’s health and well-being. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 11 July 2025 Departmental update WHO establishes communities of practice for pathogen genomics surveillance

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (ISPN), set up by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, has set up three communities of practice (CoPs), each designed to drive  progress in pathogen genomics surveillance.

    The first CoP focuses on addressing the barriers to effectively leverage genomics data for public health decision-making, the second emphasizes strengthening emergency response capabilities using genomics data, and the third is dedicated to developing best-practices for wastewater and environmental surveillance. These targeted communities provide a structured framework for collaboration, ensuring that expertise is shared and applied effectively across critical domains to address challenges.

    CoP on Pathogen Genomics Data

    The implementation of genomic sequencing into public health laboratories has demanded a parallel increase in bioinformatics capacity to store, process, share and integrate genomics data to effectively leverage its public health utility. The CoP on genomics data brings together 60 experts from across the IPSN network representing all WHO regions to envision a scalable, interconnected, and sustainable bioinformatics ecosystem that supports equitable access to pathogen genomic surveillance.

    Since its inception in 2024, ‘CoP Data’ has provided a forum to identify gaps in the pathogen genomics data architecture and has prioritized discussions that will help address them. These discussions have included examining the benefits of and barriers to pathogen data sharing in emergency response, exploring the pathogen data infrastructure landscape, and considering efforts to support equitable access to computational resources for genomic surveillance. The expert group has also guided the development of an upcoming document on defining the principles and attributes pathogen genomic data sharing platforms should aspire to in order to deliver their public health function. 

    From these discussions, it is clear that an optimized data architecture is essential to support both local and global surveillance and to help the community to reimagine how genomic data is most effectively exchanged and utilized to drive public health decision-making. Addressing this data challenge should lead ultimately to a more effective response to current and future infectious disease threats.   

    CoP on Specialised Surveillance for Emergency Response

    Genomic surveillance data is increasingly integral to public health decision-making in emergency response, providing insights into disease transmission and  strain evolution and facilitating analysis of differential strain virulence that contributes to the evidence base for risk assessment. In August 2024, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjacent African countries constituted a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations (2005). To support this response, IPSN established the CoP on Specialized Surveillance for Emergency Response (SSER) to facilitate the coordination of pathogen genomics actors.

    This CoP supports knowledge exchange among members, enabling them to address challenges and identify opportunities for leveraging pathogen genomics and wastewater surveillance in emergency responses. Within the pathogen genomics workstream, the group has focused on supporting harmonization and in-country deployment of the bioinformatics analysis of MPXV genome data to strengthen quality of the analysis. Additionally, the group is developing a guidance document outlining analytical considerations for MPXV genomic surveillance.

    In parallel, the wastewater surveillance workstream convened experts over 5 sessions across 30 countries, to explore the feasibility of detecting MPXV from sewered and unsewered settings; to review the current uptake of wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) for mpox response,  and to discuss enabling factors for its use, and ongoing technical, regulatory and data utilization constraints. These efforts underscore the need for a more cohesive and consistent wastewater surveillance community for emergency response.

    CoP on Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance

    In June 2025, IPSN launched its newest CoP dedicated to the advancement of genomics in wastewater and environmental surveillance (CoP WES).  The CoP WES aims to enhance global awareness and confidence in the WES capabilities and limitations for genomics, ultimately supporting policy-makers in making evidence-based decisions on how to tailor the use of genomic WES as part of their public health surveillance systems.

    The use of genomics in wastewater and environmental surveillance has significant potential to enhance collaborative surveillance through pathogen detection and tracking, providing situational awareness and supporting early warning capabilities. Scientific developments have also resulted in an enhanced characterization of population pathogen diversity and faster detection of new variants. Yet genomics WES remains a nascent field hindered by barriers to progress, including a fragmented knowledge landscape, limited standardization and consensus on best practices, and uncertainty as to how the data can be leveraged by public health systems.

    The CoP WES offers a structured platform for continuous collaboration and knowledge sharing and capture that tackles many ongoing obstacles faced by the field today. Drawing on existing momentum and activities of other leading experts and organizations in the genomics WES ecosystem, the COP WES will serve as a hub for evidence generation and curation, reducing duplication of efforts, amplifying successful models and creating new products to fill unmet needs.

    Collaboration for effective global public health surveillance

    Communities of Practice are powerful mechanisms for fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and addressing complex challenges in pathogen genomics surveillance. By uniting experts, facilitating knowledge exchange, and developing actionable guidance, these CoPs are laying the groundwork for a more interconnected and effective global public health surveillance system. Moving forward, the IPSN will continue to convene and strengthen these platforms to develop scalable, sustainable solutions that strengthen preparedness and response to infectious disease threats worldwide.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Returning Home Safely After the Rowena Fire

    Source: US State of Oregon

    s residents return to areas impacted by the Rowena Fire, safety remains a top priority. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM), Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Wasco County strongly recommend property owners not perform cleanup themselves, because of the serious toxic hazard threats posed by burned homes and outbuildings.

    Doing your own cleanup without proper protection puts your health at risk. Burned materials are hazardous and require more than gloves and a mask to protect your health. Buildings constructed before 2004 are likely to contain asbestos, which is carcinogenic.

    If residents do decide to do their own clean-up rather than hiring a qualified contractor, they should wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

    Before entering your property:

    • Wear sturdy shoes, eye goggles, heavy-duty work gloves and an N95 mask when inspecting damage.
    • Watch for hazards such as unstable structures, ash pits, smoldering debris and electrical hazards including downed power lines.
    • Take photos of damage for insurance and recovery documentation.

    Avoid bringing ash from outside to the inside:

    • Don’t let children play on or near any ash. Wash off toys before children play with them.
    • Wash fruits and vegetables from your garden thoroughly before you eat them. Read the OHA Healthy Gardening fact sheet for more tips.
    • Remove shoes before you enter your home or use “sticky mats” in entries and doorways to remove dust and ash from your shoes.
    • Keep pets out of areas where there is any ash. Bathe them when exposed to ash.
    • Wash off any ash right away if it gets on your body or clothing.

    Keep indoor spaces clean from ash. Minimize other pollutants:

    • Protect your home from outside air, this includes proper seals for windows and doors. Home weatherization assistance may be available for people with low income.
    • Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) or non-ozone producing electrostatic precipitator (ESP) filter in your central air system to filter air throughout your home. There are also DYI air filter tutorials.
    • Make sure any air purifier you buy has an airflow rate of at least two to three times the size of the room.

    See Oregon Health Authority’s Long-Term Wildfire Recovery Healthy Home Advice Fact Sheet for more detailed information.

    Smoke may linger even after flames are out. To protect yourself and your family:

    • Limit time outdoors and keep windows and doors closed.
    • Use air purifiers indoors if available.
    • If you have heart or lung conditions, consult your doctor about potential impacts and monitor symptoms closely.
    • Visit Oregon Smoke Blog for local air quality conditions and tips.

    Additional Cleanup Resources:

    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is providing technical assistance and coordinating with subject matter experts to support safe debris management. Guidance on proper cleanup procedures and disposal of fire debris can be found at: https://www.oregon.gov/deq
    Local recovery and safety resources are also available through Wasco County Emergency Management Long-term Recovery page
    Residents are encouraged to sign up for Wasco County Citizen Alert for the latest updates on recovery, road access, and support services.

    For more information on state-led wildfire recovery and preparedness efforts, visit:
    wildfire.oregon.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Sends Letter to Pentagon & Defense Health Agency Advocating for Fort Leonard Wood’s Community Hospital

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Stephen Ferrara and Acting Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Dr. David J. Smith, urging them to protect Fort Leonard Wood’s newly built hospital, the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital (GLWACH). 
    Senator Hawley wrote, “In recent weeks, members of my staff have received credible reports that DHA continues to consider major changes to the resourcing of GLWACH. I am particularly worried about the implications of DHA’s shift to the Capitated Accountability Readiness Evaluation (CARE) model, which I understand could considerably shrink the amount of funding provided to GLWACH.”
    He continued, “As I wrote to Dr. Smith last month, significant reductions to GLWACH funding, personnel, or services would degrade the healthcare of thousands of servicemembers and their families, as well as imperil the ability of Ft. Leonard Wood to support its critical military functions.”
    Senator Hawley is following up on a letter he sent to Dr. Smith on May 13, 2025, in which he outlined his concerns over potential reductions to the hospital’s funding, personnel and services. 
    Read the full letter here or below. 
    Dr. Steve FerraraActing Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health AffairsOffice of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness4000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-4000
    Dr. David J. SmithActing Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and Acting DirectorDefense Health Agency7700 Arlington Blvd., Suite 5101 Falls Church, VA 22042
    Dear Dr. Ferrara and Dr. Smith,
    I write to follow up on my letter to Dr. Smith of May 13, 2025 concerning the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital (GLWACH) at Ft. Leonard Wood. Thank you for your June 16, 2025 response—it provided some helpful information, but did not allay my concerns regarding the future of GLWACH.
    In recent weeks, members of my staff have received credible reports that DHA continues to consider major changes to the resourcing of GLWACH. I am particularly worried about the implications of DHA’s shift to the Capitated Accountability Readiness Evaluation (CARE) model, which I understand could considerably shrink the amount of funding provided to GLWACH.
    As I wrote to Dr. Smith last month, significant reductions to GLWACH funding, personnel, or services would degrade the healthcare of thousands of servicemembers and their families, as well as imperil the ability of Ft. Leonard Wood to support its critical military functions.
    I therefore request that you provide me with written answers to the following questions by August 1, 2025:
    1. Does DHA intend to reduce the funds, personnel, or other resources available to GLWACH?
    2. Does DHA intend to change the care or services provided by GLWACH? 
    3. Can DHA commit to maintaining GLWACH’s current scope of care, including its Surgery, Emergency Room, OBGYN, Labor and Delivery, Inpatient Services, and Outpatient Allergy and ENT Services departments?
    4. What effects will recent or planned changes to DOD’s resourcing model for direct care—including a potential shift to the Capitated Accountability Readiness Evaluation (CARE) model—have on GLWACH and Ft. Leonard Wood?
    5. Does DHA have a plan to solicit and consider input from the Army, local community members and groups, and other stakeholders before it makes changes to the resourcing or management of GLWACH?

    MIL OSI USA News –