NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Australia: CEO Update: Coming together to address gaps in psychosocial supports

    Source: Mental Health Australia

    Our sector is undergoing significant changes including multiple, large-scale reforms in psychosocial supports.  

    Which is why tomorrow we’re establishing a Mental Health Australia Members Psychosocial Network to create a platform for member input to our policy and advocacy positions in this area, and to facilitate collective advocacy on addressing the gap in psychosocial supports outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).  

    As the Analysis of Unmet Need for Psychosocial Supports Outside of the NDIS – Final Report highlighted, 493,600 people in our community need psychosocial supports but don’t have access. 

    It is plain that the mental health sector is eager to work with governments to urgently address this gap. Mental Health Australia and our members support comprehensive, long-term reform, which truly turns the tide on unmet psychosocial need. 

    Additionally, late last year National Cabinet agreed to jointly design and commission Foundational Supports outside the NDIS, which the NDIS Review recommended should include psychosocial supports. The Australian Government’s consultation process on the design of these Foundational Supports has now opened and we would encourage your contributions.  

    There are also significant reforms underway through the NDIS for participants with psychosocial disability. We note the recent changes introduced by the passing of the NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024. Effective from October 3rd, these changes introduce a new definition of NDIS Supports and mean that NDIS plans will now show a total budget rather than line-by-line supports. 

    We understand the National Disability Insurance Agency is actively considering the design of a NDIS psychosocial early intervention approach recommended in the NDIS Review, alongside other reforms aimed at improving the recovery-oriented approach within the Scheme. Our Members Psychosocial Network will contribute to Mental Health Australia’s input to these changes. 

    The reforms underway are numerous, complex, and intersecting – and come with significant opportunity for us to influence both their design and implementation. It has never been more important for us to come together to collaborate to provide clear, unified advice to governments, focusing on those actions that will most improve the lives of people with lived experience of mental ill-health, and their family, carers and supporters.  

    Thank you to those who have already signed up to the Mental Health Australia Members Psychosocial Network. I look forward to our first meeting tomorrow, and to working collaboratively with members to continue to influence reform in psychosocial supports – as well as many other areas. As our recent advocacy efforts have shown, we’re stronger together. 

    Carolyn Nikoloski 

    CEO, Mental Health Australia 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fluffy, super snuggly and loves people!

    Source: Waikato District Health Board

    L-R Waikato ED staff enjoying a visit from Amethyst – Kneeling – Tanya Suthers, Amethyst, Back – Rushi Jeyakumar, Lillian Pan, Lynne Kemp, Rhi Buckley and Collene Pacis

    According to registered nurse Lynne Kemp, these are just some of the qualities needed for being a successful therapy dog. Lynne is talking about Amethyst, her 17-month-old Border Collie, who visits Waikato Hospital’s emergency department (ED) once a week.

    Amethyst and Lynne are registered with Canine Friends Pet Therapy, a New Zealand-wide network of owners who bring their dogs to visit people in hospitals and residential care facilities.

    “I started working with Canine Friends about four years ago, with Sapphire, my six-year-old long-haired Weimaraner,” says Lynne. “I love doing things with my dogs, and I loved the idea of being able to bring my dog to work. When I heard the ED was considering a canine therapy programme, I jumped at the chance to be involved.”

    At Waikato Hospital, therapy dogs already visit the Critical Care Unit, Paediatric wards and others, but Emergency Medicine Consultant Dr Lillian Pan could see the positive impact they would have in the ED.

    “The benefits of pet therapy are well established,” says Lillian. “But there are only a handful of studies done in emergency departments.

    “A 2022 Canadian study demonstrated a significant reduction in pain, anxiety and depression after a 10-minute therapy dog visit, and an American study from 2019 noted that patients who interacted with therapy dogs needed less opioid pain medication during their ED stay.

    “We wanted to gauge how people would feel if we brought dogs into our ED. We surveyed a total of 126 staff, patients and whānau and the response was overwhelmingly positive, with 93% in favour.

    “The comments ranged from ‘People would love this, especially the kids’ and ‘When people see dogs in an unusual setting, it makes them focus less on their pain or trauma’, to ‘Just pure unconditional love – what’s not to love?’” says Lillian.

    “It’s often a scary experience coming into the ED, with lots of people and plenty of activity going on,” adds Lynne. “Interacting with a dog is a great distraction, and it seems to have a calming effect on patients and whānau.”

    That initial proposal was put forward over a year ago and, since July, Lynne and Amethyst have been visiting Waikato ED once a week to spend time with paediatric and short-stay patients. A staff volunteer acts as a ‘doggie chaperone’ and pre-screens patients for suitability, while care is taken for infection control and hygiene.

    Just last week, they had a special encounter with a 10-year-old girl.

    “I entered the room and Amethyst went over to her. Her whole face lit up with the biggest smile,” says Lynne.  “Her mum said that was the first time she had seen her smile since their arrival the day before.

    “It was so heartwarming to see, and reinforced the reason for my visits,” she says.

    The visits are not just for patients, either. Both Lynne and Lillian are quick to emphasise how beneficial canine therapy is for the ED’s kaimahi.

    “Amethyst’s visits brighten everyone’s day. It’s good for staff, especially when it’s busy and they have upsetting cases to deal with,” says Lynne.

    So, what makes a paw-fect therapy dog?

    L-R Lyn Kemp and Amethyst spent some time with patient Jan who thought Amethsyt was just lovely

    “My dog Frankie, an eight-year-old Bichon Frise, is ideally suited to being a therapy dog and regularly visits a local nursing home. He’s calm, loves everyone and is happiest when he’s the centre of attention – especially if there are treats involved,” says Lillian.

    “When I first visited a rest home with Sapphire, it didn’t go so well. There was a cat that Sapphire spent all her time trying to find! So being calm and not easily distracted is important,” explains Lynne.

    Lillian agrees: “Dougal, my other dog, is a little scamp and would cause chaos if he ever went on a visit!” she laughs.

    There has been tremendous support from staff to get the project off the ground. The Critical Care Team shared information about their therapy dog mahi, and Lillian had two ED trainees, Rushi Jeyakumar and Julie Taylor, to support the ED programme with her. ED leadership staff Liz Courtney and Simon Ainsworth were instrumental in pushing the project ahead.

    Lillian says the benefits of pet therapy in emergency departments is a topic that needs further exploration within the medical community. “Implementing this programme gives Waikato Hospital ED a unique opportunity to contribute to further research in the area,” she says.

    “I love coming in with Amethyst. Even though we are only there for an hour, seeing the happiness she brings is lovely,” adds Lynne.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China diversifies rural elderly care with localized solutions

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

    BEIJING, Sept. 24 — In a village in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, a center whose name translates as “happy mutual aid” offers two meals a day to over 20 senior citizens.

    Each day, the elderly villagers of Wenhua Village gather in the center to enjoy their meals and chat. Some also bring vegetables they have grown or help in the kitchen, which largely relies on social donations for its operations.

    Li Huizhi, a retiree who pioneered the institution two years ago, said the place not only helps feed the elderly customers, but also helps them feel less lonely. “Many of the elderly live alone because their children have left home in search of better job opportunities,” Li added.

    With 120 million people in rural areas aged 60 or above, China has been exploring diverse and targeted solutions to care for seniors scattered across vast rural areas. They generally have lower incomes than their urban peers and are less willing to live in commercial institutions for daily care.

    In June this year, the Chinese government issued a national-level guideline specifically on promoting rural elderly care. The document called for joint participation from the government, villages, non-profit organizations, companies and financial institutions to support the cause.

    Data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs shows that China currently has around 16,000 rural elderly care nursing homes that collectively provide over 1.68 million beds. The rural areas are also home to around 145,000 mutual-aid elderly care facilities.

    Lu Jiehua, deputy director of the Peking University Center for Healthy Aging and Development, expects China to find the most suitable models of elderly care in the coming years based on grassroots experiences, which include pooling together villagers for mutual aid and integrating medical and elderly care services.

    Li Yuqing, 54, is a member of the mutual aid team in a village in the mountainous Miyun District, Beijing. She often visits the homes of her more senior neighbors and checks on their state of health.

    “Our team members carry medical kits containing common drugs and tools to test the blood pressure and blood sugar levels of the seniors,” Li said.

    They are part of the local government’s effort to employ public-spirited villagers in their 40s and 50s to help elderly neighbors living alone. Each of the younger villagers is designated 10 neighbors nearby to help with cleaning, shopping and accessing medical services.

    Zhang Hao, an official with the civil affairs bureau of Miyun, said this model of villagers helping their elderly neighbors suits areas like Miyun because the villages are far away from each other and the elderly are not willing to live in commercial nursing homes.

    Apart from mobilizing rural residents, local governments are also pinning hopes on eligible businesses providing door-to-door services to rural seniors.

    Lang Zhizun, who runs an elderly care service company in Beijing, said they provide door-to-door services for rural elderly people four times a month, and the local civil affairs bureau pays for it. “We talk to the seniors first and offer help according to their requests,” he said.

    Experts believe more input is needed from both the government and social organizations to increase elderly care services and facilities in rural areas, and to optimize the whole system.

    In the June document, China set the targets for the further improvement of its rural elderly care service network by 2025. The overall coverage rate of elderly care service centers at the township level will be no less than 60 percent, it noted.

    Lu Zhiyuan, minister of civil affairs, has pledged greater efforts to shore up the weaknesses in rural elderly care and ensure the accessibility of basic elderly care services to all senior individuals.

    Since 2016, China has also piloted and expanded its trials for long-term care insurance that provides recipients with caregiving guarantees and fiscal subsidies. The initiative prioritized the group of disabled or partially disabled elderly people. China also provides assistance to the low-income rural population with special difficulties, including the elderly.

    “I hope more public financial resources can be directed to rural areas to genuinely improve the sense of security and happiness for the elderly there,” said Lu Jiehua.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Crapo, Grassley Call Out Abuses in the Biden-Harris Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led 41 bicameral Republican colleagues in a letter urging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to work with Congress to root out abuses in their administration’s unaccompanied migrant children program and stop the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s cover-up of the crisis.

    The lawmakers are urging Biden and Harris to “make changes to [their] policies and procedures” in order to “end this public safety crisis.” They are specifically calling on the Biden-Harris administration to enhance information-sharing with law enforcement and Congress, fully cooperate with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) child exploitation investigation and thoroughly respond to all congressional oversight requests.

    “[The Biden-Harris HHS] must stop its cover-up and cooperate with law enforcement and Congress to end this crisis and protect unaccompanied children and the American people,” the lawmakers concluded.

    More than 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children have crossed the southwest border under the Biden-Harris administration, while cartel trafficking activity surged an estimated 2,500 percent. Amid this crisis, the lawmakers note the Biden-Harris administration limited background checks for sponsors of unaccompanied children, cut back on familial DNA testing at the border and decreased information sharing with law enforcement.

    Joining Risch, Crapo, and Grassley on the letter are U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.),  John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Kennedy (R-La.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and 15 members of the House of Representatives.

    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greater investment in FASD support and prevention

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has announced a $4.85 million package of initiatives aimed at understanding the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), promoting better education and supporting women to stay alcohol free during pregnancy.

    “People with FASD can experience lifelong physical, behavioural, learning, and mental health problems. Those impacts are shared by families, caregivers, and communities,” says Dr Reti. 

    “In April, I announced five initiatives that will benefit hundreds of New Zealand families affected by FASD. I am pleased to report we are already seeing progress.  

    “Following the publication of New Zealand’s first tailored FASD diagnostic guidelines, 30 healthcare professionals will be trained to better recognise and diagnose FASD end of the year. 

    “The community support pilot is well underway and the FASD prevention campaign will launch in October. Health agencies are collaborating with the FASD community on the refreshed FASD Strategic Action Plan, which is on track to be published in 2025. 

    “However, with an estimated three to five Kiwi kids born with FASD every day, we simply cannot wait for a long-term plan to take meaningful action. We have listened to the best community and expert advice and have already made a start.”

    The three initiatives announced today are: 

    • Undertaking an FASD prevalence study, to understand the true nature of the challenge FASD presents in New Zealand, rather than relying on extrapolated overseas data. 
    • Providing structured education for clinical and community settings to grow FASD awareness and capacity in communities and across health, disability and social services.
    • Supporting initiatives that promote alcohol-free pregnancies and reduce the stigma of FASD.

    “FASD has significant economic and social costs to New Zealand. It’s a condition which significantly challenges lifelong learning and development and makes things very difficult for families,” says Dr Reti. 

    “We want people to thrive, leading lives they aspire to and contributing to society and the economy. 

    “There’s strong evidence that prevention, early detection and intervention are the most effective ways to improve the health and wellbeing for people with FASD.

    “Evidence-based outcomes is a key principle of this Government’s investments – every initiative must provide clear, demonstrable value to communities. I expect to see real progress through these programmes, significantly shifting the dial on FASD. 

    “We want New Zealand to be a country where people are supported to have alcohol-free pregnancies, where the prevalence of FASD is well understood, where health and disability services have the training they need to diagnose FASD, and people living with FASD and their families are well supported.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Construction on track for Fairy Meadow’s new ambulance station

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 25 September 2024

    Released by: Minister for Health

    Construction of Fairy Meadow’s new ambulance station is on track for completion, with local paramedics soon to be handed the keys to the new purpose-built ambulance station.

    Fairy Meadow’s first ambulance station will be co-located at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus.

    The state-of-the-art ambulance station will feature internal parking bays including an internal wash bay, administration and office areas, staff rest facilities, gym, logistics and storage areas and on-site parking.

    With construction almost complete, landscaping and other finishing touches will be underway in the coming months. Finalising the IT infrastructure and cabling systems will be a priority during this time to ensure seamless connectivity and functionality for the new ambulance to operate effectively.

    The new ambulance station is being delivered as part of the NSW Government’s $232 million Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration (RAIR) program. 

    The RAIR program is delivering 54 new or upgraded ambulance stations and is the single largest infrastructure investment in regional NSW Ambulance’s almost 130-year history.

    The NSW Government is recruiting 2,500 additional staff including paramedics, nurses, doctors and support staff to optimise ambulance response times and meet current and future demand.

    Additional stations are also planned to bolster the network of stations across the Illawarra at Warilla and Unanderra as part of the NSW Government’s $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program.

    Expressions of Interest for suitable sites to build a new ambulance station at Unanderra are open until 3pm Thursday 10 October 2024.

    To find out more, or to lodge an Expression of Interest, visit the Health Infrastructure website

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:

    “Fairy Meadow’s new ambulance station will provide paramedics with a high-quality base with the latest facilities and equipment to meet the current and future emergency care needs of the local community.

    “The new ambulance station on Innovation Way will significantly enhance access to mobile emergency health care for the growing community across the Illawarra.

    “The Minns Labor Government is committed to investing in rural and regional health infrastructure to support better health outcomes for local communities.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for Wollongong Paul Scully:

    “I’m pleased Fairy Meadow’s first ambulance station is nearly complete and look forward to the day when paramedics can move in to this state-of-the-art facility and add to the local ambulance network.

    “As Wollongong grows, it is important that we invest in health infrastructure to meet the needs of the community.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How do women with disability and LGBTQIA+ people experience menopause?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate O’Reilly, Director International (Programs & Engagement) | Lecturer School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University

    pikselstock/Shutterstock

    After hearing about the experiences of the diverse spectrum of people across Australia, the Senate inquiry into issues relating to menopause and perimenopause has released its final report with 25 recommendations.

    The first recommendation is to establish a comprehensive evidence base to better understand the experiences of under-served groups, including LGBTQIA+ people and women with disability.

    Gaps in knowledge of menopause can be significant barriers to diagnosis and treatment. More than 85% of people with distressing menopause symptoms do not receive appropriate care. These barriers can be compounded for people, women and those presumed female at birth who have a disability and/or are LGBTQIA+.

    Here’s what we know so far about how people from diverse groups experience menopause and the health-care gaps they face.

    Remind me, what is menopause?

    Generally menopause is experienced across three phases.

    Perimenopause (meaning around menopause) starts when hormones, particularly oestrogen, fluctuate.

    Menopause occurs when a person has their final menstrual period. These stop because the person’s ovaries no longer release eggs. This definition reflects the different ways menopause can occur (natural menopause, premature ovarian insufficiency, surgery or cancer treatment).

    Post-menopause is the stage after menopause marking the end of the reproductive stage.

    We experience it differently

    Everyone’s experience of menopause is different. People living with disability can experience unique symptoms and challenges.

    Autistic people, for example, may describe the experience of menopause as turbulent or catastrophic. Symptoms for this group include intensified sensory stimuli and increased difficulty with:

    • executive functioning (planning, concentrating and multitasking)
    • recognising or regulating emotions and internal body cues
    • communication
    • socialising.

    As one research participant explained:

    [O]ur society doesn’t talk about, address, understand women our age (menopausal onset) in general very well. And so when you have the added dimension of autism […] there’s no resource […] to tell me how to handle that. And there’s no room in society for it either […] we don’t talk about menopause, let alone autistic menopause.

    LGBTQIA+ experiences of menopause and ageing are diverse and are often absent in media, health care and research.

    For some trans and gender diverse people, menopause can be positive and affirming. For others, the distress can be profound. As one research participant explained:

    Personally I was fine (gender-identity-wise) with experiencing periods and pregnancy/childbirth, but I have found menopause much more conceptually difficult. I think in large part because the social narrative is so much about ‘menopausal women’ and also often denigratory or shame-laden.

    Barriers to menopause diagnosis and care

    LGBTQIA+ people and people with a disability can face assumptions about their gender, sexuality or anatomy which interfere with the care they require.

    When people have had prior negative experiences of health care, and have experienced stigmatisation and pathologising of their disability, intersex variations, diverse gender or their sexuality, they may delay accessing care for menopause. Such a delay can result in poorer physical and mental health outcomes.

    People with disability can experience earlier menopause with more profound symptoms. And as Women with Disabilities Australia highlighted, when there are pre-existing health concerns, impairments, or other support needs, as is the case with disability, menopause symptom management can be particularly complex.

    Women living with a disability in Australia are far less likely to access health care due to stigma and lack of specialist care. They are not always screened for or routinely asked about their reproductive or menopausal health experiences.

    Lack of clinician education and provider bias can result in a tendency to either ignore menopausal symptoms or attribute them to mental health concerns. This can lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment or a complete denial of care for cisgender women and people who live with disability, and LGBTQIA+ folk.

    The absence of inclusive, accurate language in health promotion information that does not recognise the diversity of experiences of menopause for people who identify as LGBTQIA+ or live with disability can make them more vulnerable to misinformation and contribute to increased health-care disparities.

    What can we do about it?

    Policy responses to reducing health-care disparities must be led by those with lived experience, and focus on:

    Inclusive and accurate language

    Language around menopause should reflect the diverse populations who experience it. Terms such as women and those presumed female at birth can be used to acknowledge trans and gender diverse folk, however all identities should be listed where possible.

    Education

    Undergraduate and postgraduate university and clinical education on menopause and perimenopause is lacking and should include the lived experience of menopause among diverse groups. This may reduce provider bias and prevent assumptions that could result in missed care and poor health outcomes.

    At the individual level, content on menopause should be included in sexual health education programs in schools. This education should reflect the diverse experiences of menopause and use age-appropriate language.

    Affirming and specific care

    Welcoming clinical environments for LGBTQIA+ people who may have had prior negative experiences can ease past concerns. Peer-led credentialed online support networks can provide alternative and complementary safe spaces to seek care.

    For people living with disability specific information for support workers and family carers can help facilitate ongoing affirming care.

    The authors 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. How do women with disability and LGBTQIA+ people experience menopause? – https://theconversation.com/how-do-women-with-disability-and-lgbtqia-people-experience-menopause-239485

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hezbollah fires 300 rockets at Israel

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2024 shows a house damaged in a rocket attack from Lebanon, in Rosh Pinna, northern Israel. [Photo/JINI via Xinhua]

    Israel’s army said on Tuesday night that Hezbollah had fired around 300 rockets and other projectiles into Israel amid the second day of Israel’s heaviest attacks on Lebanon since 2006.

    An explosive drone fell in Atlit, a coastal town south of Haifa, northern Israel, marking the first time Hezbollah’s rocket fire has reached this region, said the Israel Defense Forces, adding that two additional drones were launched toward the area but were intercepted. The drones caused no casualties, according to Israel’s rescue services.

    Most of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s aerial defense systems, the army said.

    Hezbollah confirmed the attack in a statement, saying its fighters launched “an aerial operation with a squadron of assault drones against the headquarters of Israel’s special naval task unit Shayetet 13 in the Atlit base, targeting the positions of its officers and soldiers and striking the targets precisely.”

    In other cases, rockets or parts of interceptor missiles that fell to the ground sparked fires in the Mount Meron area of Upper Galilee. In Rosh Pina, a town in Upper Galilee, a residential home was hit and extensively damaged.

    Hospitals in the affected areas reported treating about 23 people, but later statements from Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency health service indicated that those treated were suffering from panic, not physical injuries.

    At nightfall, Israel launched a new wave of attacks in Lebanon. The Air Force “conducted a number of extensive strikes on dozens of terrorist targets belonging to Hezbollah in the Beqaa region and several other areas in southern Lebanon,” the military said.

    During the day, Israeli warplanes continued the massive strikes, which, according to the military, dismantled “dozens” of infrastructures where weapons were stored and numerous launchers aimed at Israeli territory were located.

    Also on Tuesday night, unnamed Lebanese military sources told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes carried out ten raids on towns in the Tyre area deep in southern Lebanon and raided Hezbollah sites in the Jezzine area, also in the south of Lebanon.

    Amid the sharp escalation, the Israeli military conducted Tuesday an exercise simulating fighting inside Lebanon, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant remarked that “the series of blows on Hezbollah’s command chain, operatives, and weapons were tough.” According to Gallant, Israel has destroyed “tens of thousands” of rockets, missiles, and launchers since Monday.

    Answering questions in a press briefing on Monday night, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari neither confirmed nor denied whether Israel plans a ground operation in Lebanon.

    Israel began its most extensive bombardment of Lebanon since 2006 on Monday, resulting in more than 550 deaths, including civilians, and over 1,800 injuries across the country. The flare-up has raised concerns about the potential for a full-scale conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with fears that other nations could also become involved.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 09/23/2024 Blackburn, Sullivan, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Hold VA Accountable for Financial Shortfall

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and 12 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Protecting Regular Order (PRO) for Veterans Act to hold the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accountable for the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) nearly $3 billion budget shortfall and the $12 billion projected shortfall in Fiscal Year 2025 for VA medical care.

    Last week during a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, Senator Blackburn questioned the VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs and Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal on the VA’s gross mismanagement of federal funds.  

    “The VA’s budget shortfall that put millions of veterans’ benefits at risk is only the agency’s latest failure to responsibly manage federal funds under the Biden-Harris administration’s leadership, and it proves the VA needs to be subject to greater accountability and oversight,” said Senator Blackburn. “This legislation would require the VA to provide regular, in-person budget reports to Congress to ensure they are properly managing taxpayer dollars.”

    PROTECTING REGULAR ORDER FOR VETERANS ACT:
    • This legislation would institute a three-year requirement for the VA to submit quarterly in-person budget reports to Congress to give federal legislators the opportunity to ask questions and strengthen oversight and accountability of the VA. 
    • Earlier this year, a watchdog report found that the VA improperly awarded $10.8 million in bonuses to senior executives at its central office.
    • If there are VA budget shortfalls outside of regular order, this legislation would restrict bonuses for Senior Executive Service (SES) employees in the VA’s central office as well as employees at the Office of Management and Budget.

    CO-SPONSORS:
    • This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). 

    Click here for bill text. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Republicans Block Senate Democrats’ Resolution Affirming Right to Lifesaving Emergency Care for Women

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Murray Leads Congressional Democrats in Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Affirm that EMTALA Requires Hospitals to Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care Including Abortion Care, Preempts Idaho’s Draconian Abortion Ban
    ICYMI: Senator Murray Challenges Republicans to Join Democrats in Affirming the Right to Lifesaving Emergency Care for Women
    ICYMI – FROM PROPUBLICA: Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable.
    ***WATCH: SENATOR MURRAY’S FLOOR SPEECH HERE***
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), took to the Senate floor in an effort to pass her resolution, which simply expresses the sense of the Senate that every patient has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care, regardless of where they live.  Murray’s resolution was blocked by Republican Senator James Lankford (R-OK), who falsely claimed that no doctors are prevented from providing lifesaving care because of Republican abortion bans and tried to misleadingly place the blame for Amber Thurman’s death on the rare side effects she encountered rather than Thurman’s doctors not providing immediate treatment as a result of Georgia’s abortion ban. ProPublica’s reporting made plain that—according to the state’s own medical review board—Amber Thurman’s death was preventable and doctors and researchers continue to make clear that medication abortion is safe.
    Lankford also incorrectly claimed no women have been investigated or criminalized following a miscarriage—a new report found that from June 2022 to June 2023 there was a record 200 cases where pregnant women faced criminal charges for conduct associated with pregnancy, pregnancy loss or birth.
    “Let me be perfectly clear about what is happening,” said Senator Murray after Republicans blocked her resolution. “Here in America, in the 21st century, pregnant women are suffering and dying—not because doctors don’t know how to save them, but because doctors don’t know if Republicans will let them. There are skyrocketing maternal death rates in states like Texas. And as I spoke out on the floor last week—there are, at least, two women dead in Georgia today because of Republican abortion bans. Those kids are now growing up without a mother. That is the harsh reality. Republicans can’t ignore that. Donald Trump can’t shout over it. And the American people will not—ever—forget it.”
    Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade over two years ago, nearly two dozen US states led by Republicans have passed, banned, or severely restricted access to abortion. These strict laws have created confusion around the treatment doctors can provide even when a pregnant patient’s life is in danger, as physicians fear that they may lose their medical license, be sued, or even charged with a felony if they perform life-saving emergency care. Despite the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act’s (EMTALA) requirements that Medicare-participating hospitals treat and stabilize pregnant patients in need of emergency medical care, women are being turned away from emergency rooms following the Dobbs decision.
    In Moyle v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court had the opportunity to reaffirm that federal law requires pregnant patients to have access to life-saving emergency care in every state, but instead, the Court dismissed the case and sent it back to the lower courts, effectively punting on making a decision on the case itself. While the litigation continues in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the health and lives of women remain at risk as uncertainty around emergency abortion care persists. 121 Congressional Republicans, including 26 Senators, filed an amicus brief arguing that EMTALA does not require hospitals to provide abortion care as emergency stabilizing care in order to save a patient’s life.
    Senator Murray is a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the floor multiple times. Senator Murray also co-leads the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore the right to abortion nationwide. This January, Murray led her colleagues in hosting a “State of Abortion Rights” briefing with women who have suffered firsthand from Republican abortion bans. On June 4th of this year, Senator Murray chaired a HELP Committee hearing titled “The Assault on Women’s Freedoms: How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America.” Recently, Murray also helped lead efforts to force Republicans on the record on votes to protect access to contraception and access to IVF (twice). Murray has also led her colleagues in raising the alarm about how a second Trump administration intends to wage an all-out assault on reproductive rights and abortion access in every state, as outlined in Project 2025.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, before seeking unanimous consent are below:
    “I come to the floor to offer a simple resolution, one that reaffirms the basic principle that when you go to the ER, the emergency room, they should be allowed to treat you. When your life is in danger, doctors should be able to do their job. When you need emergency care—including an abortion—no politician should stop you from getting it.
    “Now this seems incredibly simple to me. It should not be controversial. Especially if everyone who talks about protecting the life of the mother seriously means it.
    “After all—that is what emergency care is for—saving the life of the mother.
    “And yet, when the Biden-Harris Administration tried to make clear that these women should get care, many Republicans actually opposed them. I really want to emphasize—we are talking about women whose water breaks dangerously early, or who are experiencing uncontrollable hemorrhaging, sepsis, or pre-eclampsia.
    “And still, Republicans actually filed a brief in court saying essentially, ‘No, we DON’T think doctors should be required to provide abortion care when a patient’s life is at stake.’
    “Their brief rejected the idea—that basic medical reality—of abortion as stabilizing care. That is really shocking to me. It should be shocking to everyone.
    “After a brief like that—I am not going to let any of my Republican colleagues off the hook just for saying they care about the life of the mother…
    “Not if they won’t lift a finger to actually protect women, and to actually make clear that emergency care can include abortion.
    “We need to send a clear message on that. The Senate needs to speak with one voice and tell the American people, ‘Yes, we want to make sure your doctor can save your life. Your doctor can save your life.’
    “And before my Republican colleagues get up to object, let me be clear: You will not get by pretending a resolution like this isn’t necessary—not when we are hearing firsthand from doctors wracked with guilt for decisions that Republican politicians made for them, not when we are hearing firsthand from women who have bled, suffered, and nearly died because their care was delayed, and certainly not when Texas saw maternal deaths skyrocket following its strict abortion ban.
    “The data in Texas paints a clear, brutal picture of the reality: these abortion bans are killing women. Republicans are also not going to get by trying to shift blame and argue ‘emergency care is already protected.’ Because, the whole point of this resolution is to say emergency care is protected!
    “So if you oppose the Senate actually SAYING that don’t you see how that could be part of the problem? Don’t you see how that could be very dangerous for women?
    “And again, and I can’t emphasize this enough—if you don’t see, if you don’t understand—all you have to do is listen.
    “Women are speaking out. Doctors are speaking out. They are terrified. They are heartbroken. They are angry. And they are watching right now, to see if we can pass this resolution and do the very bare minimum of saying, with one voice: ‘women have a right to get abortion care when their life is at stake.”
    Senator Murray’s full remarks as delivered following Senator Lankford’s objection are below:
    “I disagree with the Senator from Oklahoma. Let me be perfectly clear about what is happening.
    “Here in America, in the 21st century, pregnant women are suffering and dying—not because doctors don’t know how to save them, but because doctors don’t know if Republicans will let them.
    “There are skyrocketing maternal death rates in states like Texas. And as I spoke out on the floor last week—there are, at least, two women dead in Georgia today because of Republican abortion bans.
    “Those kids are now growing up without a mother. That is the harsh reality. Republicans can’t ignore that. Donald Trump can’t shout over it. And the American people will not—ever—forget it.
    “Every day we are going to continue to hold the people opposed to this accountable for the cruelty of these abortion bans. The fact is that the resolution that I offered simply says that doctors can provide emergency care for the life of the mother. I don’t understand where the disagreement is, M. President. And I hope that we can pass this and give doctors and women the confidence that when you are pregnant and having a severe emergency medical situation you’ll be treated. Thank you. I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Slams PBM Price Gouging Tactics in Ozempic and Wegovy Drug Pricing Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Slams PBM Price Gouging Tactics in Ozempic and Wegovy Drug Pricing Hearing
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. questioned the CEO of Novo Nordisk, the company that created the blockbuster drugs Ozempic (semaglutide) and Wegovy (semaglutide). As part of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on drug pricing, Senator Marshall questioned the CEO about the role that Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) play in inflating the prices of essential drugs. His series of questions exposed how these middlemen are reaping enormous profits at the expense of patients and pharmaceutical companies.
    Senator Marshall has been a leading voice against abusive pricing practices by PBMs, who control which medications are covered by insurance, driving up costs for consumers. During the hearing, Marshall emphasized that Novo Nordisk receives only 26% of the revenue from drugs like Ozempic, while PBMs take 74%, highlighting the need for urgent reform of PBMs to lower prescription drug prices for patients.

    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full remarks and questioning.
    Highlights from Marshall’s questioning include:
    On PBMs:
    “Novo Nordisk is not the villain in this story – they’re a hero. We should be here celebrating this miracle innovation that’s responding to this diabetic epidemic we have in this country. It’s a miracle drug. 38 million Americans with diabetes that we’re helping out. This nation is spending $250, maybe $350, billion a year treating diabetes, not to mention the loss of work, and here’s a drug that’s going to help us treat the problem.”
    “We all agree on this committee across the Senate that the cost of health care is too much, and that prescription drugs are too high, especially the out-of-pocket expenses, but we need to figure out who the villain is…Whatever the cost is, whichever number we want to use, Novo Nordisk keeps 24% of it, and the PBMs extract 74% – 26% and 74% – so really, the PBMs are making the bank here.”
    “Let’s talk about PBMs for a second here, the real culprit in this room, in this story. So, these three big parent companies, the three big PBMs, control 80%-85% of the industry. Their gross revenue last year was $800 billion.”
    “This committee has worked so hard on PBM reform. We’ve not passed our delinking bill, and I would ask the chairman to consider bringing the delinking bill back to the committee and let us mark it up as well. In that delinking bill, PBMs would receive a flat fee for their efforts, as opposed to a percentage of the sale, so we go to a flat fee model.”
    “The other thing we can still work on is bringing competition. Promoting competition will bring this price down. We passed legislation, the President signed legislation that helps drive biosimilars and generics to market more efficiently.”
    “I’ll just close one more time, just emphasizing that this committee needs to demand that the leader bring our PBM reform to the floor, but we need to include that delinking bill. There’s other opportunities to drive this price down. Again, Novo Nordisk is not the villain in the story.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary for Health leads delegation to visit Beijing

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Secretary for Health leads delegation to visit Beijing
    Secretary for Health leads delegation to visit Beijing
    ******************************************************

         ​The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, will lead a delegation for a two-day visit to Beijing this afternoon (September 25) to call on relevant Mainland ministries to introduce the latest developments of and seek support for various healthcare reforms of Hong Kong, with a view to further deepening exchanges and co-operation with the Mainland on healthcare-related areas.     Members of the delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; Deputy Secretary for Health Mr Sam Hui; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Henry Fan; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko. Professor Lo will return to Hong Kong on September 27. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, will be the Acting Secretary for Health.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, September 25, 2024Issued at HKT 11:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man arrested over death of infant

    Source: South Australia Police

    A man has been arrested after the death of an infant in July.

    It will be alleged that about 4pm on Wednesday 24 July, a 7-week-old male infant was conveyed by ambulance to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital as a result of injuries sustained that day at a northern suburbs address.

    The infant sadly died from these injuries six days later, on Tuesday 30 July.

    On 31 July 2024, the death of the infant was declared a major crime.

    Today (Wednesday 25 September), Major Crime Investigation Branch detectives arrested a 50-year-old Parafield Gardens man for the manslaughter of the infant.

    It will be alleged the arrested man inflicted the injuries to the infant while in his care on the afternoon of Wednesday 24 July.

    The man was charged with manslaughter and has been refused bail to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today.

    CO2400038901

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Company and director of nursery fined $42,500 for breaking plant import quarantine rules

    Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

    The company and director of a nursery who illegally took 220 imported plants out of quarantine after just one day, has been fined $42,500.

    Elliott Wholesale Nursery Limited is a Ministry for Primary Industries registered Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility. Under the Biosecurity Act, imported plants should be in quarantine for 3 months.

    Jeffrey Wayne Elliott (65) and Elliott Wholesale Nursery Limited were sentenced in the Christchurch District Court today on one charge under the Biosecurity Act. They earlier pleaded guilty following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

    “Mr Elliot is highly experienced and knew the quarantine regulations. These rules are there for a reason – to protect New Zealand from any potential pests and diseases which could be a risk to our biosecurity,” says MPI regional manager, investigations south, Gerald Anderson.

    In September 2022, Elliott’s Wholesale Nursery imported 600 Nandina domestica tissue culture – an evergreen shrub from Australia. The plants were unpacked and placed in a Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility quarantine, where they needed to remain for 3 months. However, after just one day, Mr Elliot removed 220 of these plants, placing them in a non PEQ area.

    “To avoid detection and to circumnavigate the biosecurity rules designed to protect New Zealand from potentially unwanted pests and diseases – he replaced these plants with similar looking domestic plants, which he admitted doing to an employee who questioned him.

    “When an MPI inspector conducted an audit – the nursery passed because at the time, the inspector believed the swapped plants were the imported nandina plants from Australia.

    While Mr Elliot declined to be formally interviewed by MPI, he admitted to MPI investigators that he knew he had broken the law.

    No pests or diseases were found on the plants that were taken out of the quarantine facility.

    For general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

    For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Baldwin Calls on Senate to Pass Her Bill to Create a Reproductive Health Travel Fund

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WATCH: Baldwin speaking on the Senate floor in support of the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) went to the U.S. Senate floor to advance her legislation to break down barriers to abortion care for women in states without access. The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act would help offset the cost of travel-related expenses associated with traveling long distances to access reproductive health care, such as travel, lodging, meals, childcare, and more. Senator Baldwin’s call to unanimously advance the bill failed after a Senate Republican objected.
    “Across the country, women have been stripped of the freedom to make their own decisions about their family, their health, and their future. Judges and politicians have inserted themselves into exam rooms, telling doctors they cannot treat their patients, sometimes even if that treatment would save her life,” said Senator Baldwin. “The rights you have as an American should not depend on the state you live in. If we cannot restore Roe this Congress, we should at the very least extend a lifeline to the millions of women who are unable to access needed care in their own communities.”
    For 15 months from June 2022 until September 2023, women in Wisconsin lived under an 1849 abortion ban. Prior to the Dobbs decision, only 16%, or one in six, of Wisconsin abortion patients received out-of-state care. In 2023, that number was up to 88%, meaning that nine out of ten patients had to seek out-of-state care. Wisconsinites have traveled to Illinois for care from all 72 counties. In 2023, over 6,000 Wisconsinites fled to Minnesota and Illinois to get abortion care. The average cost of seeking care out of state exceeded $1,000, with patients spending an average of $330 on lodging alone. Even with limited access to abortion returning to Wisconsin in September 2023, the monthly number of traveling patients from Wisconsin to Illinois remains three times higher than it was pre-Dobbs.
    The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act would set up a grant program to help ease the financial burden associated with traveling long distances to access safe and legal reproductive health care. Specifically, the bill would allow the Treasury Secretary to award grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses and logistical support for individuals accessing abortion services. Funds, made available through a competitive grant, could be used for round trip travel, lodging, meals, childcare, translation services, doula care, patient education and information services, and lost wages.
    Eligible entities include non-profits or community-based organizations that assist individuals seeking abortions. Grants would be prioritized for entities that serve people who live in a jurisdiction that has banned or severely restricted access to abortion, serve those who travel to a jurisdiction to access abortion care, or have a program in operation that helps patients access abortion services.
    Watch Senator Baldwin’s full remarks here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech to the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Symposium 2024

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Thank you very much for the generous welcome Reverend Reihana.

    Thank you to Alcohol Healthwatch and your organising committee, including representatives from: FASD-CAN Aotearoa; Te Iho Tātai-ā-Rongo (the Māori FASD Coalition); Hauora Māori Services and Health Promotion Directorates, Health New Zealand; Oranga Tamariki; and the Centre for Addiction Research, University of Auckland, for inviting me to this important event.

    Alongside the organising committee, I would also like to acknowledge Raawiri Ratuu, from Kookiri ki Taamakimakaurau Trust, and the advice and practical support he has provided in preparation for this symposium.

    I am very pleased to be addressing the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) community today. 

    I would like to take this moment now to recognise all of you and your tireless efforts and commitment. 

    FASD has gone under-recognised and under-supported for too long in New Zealand, but you have remained strong and dedicated as we now stand on the precipice of meaningful change. 

    I acknowledge that you have had to navigate difficult spaces, motivated by the love of family and community. Ngā mihi ki a koutou.

    I would also like to acknowledge Alcohol Healthwatch for leading engagements with their community across New Zealand over the past two months. You have gathered valuable insights that will inform the revitalisation of the Government’s FASD Strategic Action Plan.

    Along with FASD-CAN, Kookiri ki Taamaki Makaurau Trust, the Māori Coalition for Te Iho Tātai-ā-Rongo, Village Collective, and the whole FASD community, you have built a foundation upon which we can set our collective direction for FASD.

    I believe families, whānau, professionals at the frontline and communities are best placed to know how to support people impacted by FASD. 

    I acknowledge the range of experiences and strengths you bring to this work, and this is is reflected in the approach we are taking to develop the new FASD Strategic Action Plan. 

    I am committed to keeping people at the front and center of this mission. 

    Only with the experiences, opportunities and solutions from people within and outside of the health system will we develop services truly respond to the needs of people affected by FASD. 

    Comments from FASD providers highlighted the importance of listening to communities, when they expressed, “the very first thing that this is about – is being heard and seen, that your story is true, valid and important. Just that, I reckon just that. I call it deep listening.”

    I used to similarly observe as a GP, that often people just want to hear and be heard, see and be seen. 

    That’s what an engagement process is about. Listening to whānau. Listening to community. 

    I intend to continue listening to all voices. Even when it is hard. Even when it is challenging. I will listen.

    In April this year, I committed this Government to taking meaningful, tangible action to address FASD in New Zealand. 

    I announced a first tranche of initiatives, with $2 million of funding across five key initiatives:

    1. Publishing the first New Zealand-specific FASD diagnostic guidelines. 
    2. Training up to 30 health professionals from Child Development Services to use these new guidelines.
    3. Launching A nationwide FASD prevention campaign.
    4. Establishing an FASD pilot programme to support Māori communities and whānau living with FASD, and 
    5. Revitalising the FASD Strategic Action Plan. 

    We are already seeing considerable progress on these actions. 

    Publication of the new FASD guidelines occurred in April and diagnostic training has already started, in collaboration with Hāpai Te Hauora, and the first group of 30 clinicians will have completed their training by the end of the year. 

    This will further grow a health workforce that is better equipped to understand and support the needs of people with FASD and their families.

    Health New Zealand are now co-designing the prevention campaign with a group of young people who represent the next generation of parents, as well as their support people, whānau, hapū and iwi. 

    The campaign focuses on preventing and raising awareness about FASD and its effects on communities and will launch before the end of this year. 

    The FASD community pilot programme started in May this year and is being delivered by the Māori Coalition for Te Iho Tātai-ā-Rongo (FASD). 

    This is a comprehensive programme that includes a series of regional wānanga with communities that have been identified with FASD high needs.

    These wānanga focus on whānau living with FASD, health professionals and has a particular focus in setting up peer support. 

    In addition, they have completed a national online conference bringing together Māori researchers, policy makers, clinicians and representation from Te Kāhui Taurikura. 

    The coalition is building FASD capacity within regions with stakeholder hui with workforce and whānau living with FASD. 

    They have Te Whare ō Oro training that is in alignment with the wānanga which introduces neurodiversity training into these pilot areas.

    Finally, the revitalisation of the FASD Strategic Action Plan is well underway. Community engagement was completed at the end of August, and health agencies are now actively developing the priorities that will make up the plan. 

    I know health agencies will be further consulting key FASD organisations and networks, as well as clinicians and sector experts, in the first quarter of 2025 on the draft plan. 

    I expect groups that led the community engagement will be able to see their contributions reflected in that draft plan, which will outline a phased and coordinated approach to addressing FASD over the coming years.

    As I said in April, these are only the first steps the Government is taking to drive action on FASD. I signaled a clear intention to introduce further initiatives that will build momentum and further our knowledge and understanding of FASD.  

    I reflect again on the voices of the community in setting further FASD priorities today. 

    One FASD observer has noted, “Pretty much every professional group would gain hugely from understanding and then reframing their responses as a result… It seems to me that actually our whole society needs education on what FASD is and its impacts.”

    I agree. 

    An important part of advancing FASD is lifting literacy and actions across all areas where there are opportunities to prevent FASD or provide support to people with FASD. 

    This includes in the community, in healthcare settings, the education system, children’s system and the justice system. 

    That’s why today I am confirming $4.85 million of funding, for a second tranche of three more key FASD initiatives. 

    I expect to make further announcements on FASD in the build up to the release of the FASD Strategic Action Plan next year. 

    This funding is made possible through a lift to the Alcohol Levy that Cabinet agreed to in July.

    This took the levy from approximately $11.5m to $16.6m – a boost of more than $5 million this year.

    There were criticisms that the levy was not actually raised high enough, and I understand this. 

    However, it demonstrates a willingness on the part of the Government to fund our priority actions that deliver tangible outcomes, and given this is the first rise in the alcohol levy in 15 years. 

    We have taken a microscope to what the levy is being spent on and it is not clear to me that all the initiatives have delivered tangible, positive health outcomes for New Zealanders. 

    Evidence-based outcomes is a key principle of this Government’s investments – every initiative must provide clear, demonstrable value to communities. 

    That is the challenge I put to you, as together we design the FASD Strategic Action Plan. Demonstrate how your initiatives and proposals will make a tangible difference for New Zealanders.

    $4.85 million is a sizeable commitment to the FASD work programme and builds on the $2 million I announced for tranche one initiatives in April – bringing our total investment in FASD support and prevention to date, to $6.85 million. 

    The tranche two initiatives announced today are: 

    1. Undertaking an FASD prevalence study, to understand the true nature of the challenge FASD presents in New Zealand, rather than relying on extrapolated overseas data. We will have our own, New Zealand data.
    2. Growing FASD awareness and capacity across communities and a range of health, disability, and social services, with formal, structured education. 
    3. Supporting initiatives that promote alcohol-free pregnancies and reduce the stigma of FASD.

    The three year prevalence study will start in mid-2025. It will focus on both the prevalence and impact of FASD in New Zealand, and how demographic, socio-economic, and maternal factors influence the occurrence and diagnosis of FASD among different populations. 

    The aim is for this study to screen a minimum of 2500 children, in line with World Health Organization FASD prevalence research protocols. Children will be identified through targeted school settings in high-risk locations. 

    Growing FASD awareness and capacity within communities and across a range of health, disability, and social services professionals will occur through a range of training opportunities being made available. 

    These will include: 

    • Developing a new micro-credential training programme for the recently developed NZQA-approved unit standards. Development and delivery of this training will be undertaken in close collaboration with subject matter experts and will be relevant and accessible for a range of different audiences and training cohorts, including families and carers.
    • Developing and implementing non-clinical training for communities to increase FASD awareness. This training will align to current activities with the FASD community pilot programme and other localised support programmes.
    • Funding a second clinical cohort of 30 Child Development Services professionals to undertake training based on New Zealand’s FASD diagnostic guidelines.

    Supporting prevention and reducing stigma around FASD will include: expanding our evaluation cohort for the nation-wide prevention campaign which will provide insights into the campaign messaging and implementation. In collaboration with sector partners we have supported with resource to highlight FASD awareness month.

    These priorities are direct responses to community-led efforts and demonstrate the importance of community advocacy and voice in all parts of the health system. 

    For instance, the new FASD micro-credential training that includes NZQA unit standards will support best practice for people working alongside and engaging with people living with FASD. These unit standards were developed collaboratively by Hayley Semenoff and the team at Toitū te Waiora workforce development council and FASD-CAN Aotearoa.

    This training will reflect a shared aspiration with the FASD community for a workforce with an FASD-informed lens, who will be our frontline change agents. They will be competent and confident supporting people impacted by FASD across their lifespan and in different settings, including health, education, disability, and justice systems.

    Health NZ is still in the early stages of work on these priorities. I expect to continue to update the FASD community as they progress in the lead up to the launch of the FASD Strategic Action Plan next year.

    We remain committed to driving change and improving health outcomes for all New Zealanders, and particularly those who experience the worst health outcomes.

    That won’t come without its challenges. Achieving change has been hard for previous governments and will be hard for me too. But these challenges provide opportunities. Opportunities to sharpen our focus on what matters most and actions that will make the biggest impacts on people’s lives.

    I believe in bringing care and decision making close to the home and closer to the hapū, and I recognise the unique qualities Māori health providers bring and the importance of local providers delivering services within their communities. 

    I look forward to seeing what opportunities there are for local and community initiatives to better support people with FASD, to consider as part of the refreshed FASD Strategic Action Plan.

    One of the greatest challenges is in fully understanding the prevalence and extent of FASD in New Zealand. This is, in part, due to complexities and barriers to formal diagnosis and national data collection. These barriers limit our ability to intervene effectively and tailor supports to local needs.

    We need to better understand FASD prevalence across New Zealand, which means we can deliver more effective and targeted prevention and early intervention activities and then measure their impact. 

    This is why the announcements I have made today are so important. But I want to make clear that gaps in what we know about the prevalence of FASD does not distract from its very real impacts. 

    We must remember our context, where an estimated three to five children in New Zealand are born with FASD every day. 

    We know we must address this and the primary mechanism we have is through the refreshed FASD Strategic Action Plan. 

    Over the next 12 months, I hope to build an approach that will further support the prevention of FASD and identify critical points in the lifespan of individuals with FASD where we can make the greatest difference. 

    The community voices and insights captured over the past two months will be vital to that, and I acknowledge the wider alcohol prevention work that Rawiri and his team have undertaken with the Kaupapa Te Ropū report on alcohol harm for Māori. 

    However, until the long-term action plan is published next year, we have listened to the best community and expert advice and have already made a start, with an investment of over $6.85 million across eight initiatives aimed at better understanding the impact of FASD, promoting better education in community and clinical settings and supporting women to stay alcohol free during pregnancy. 

    Three to five children are born with FASD every day – that’s why there’s no time to wait. 

    We want New Zealand to be a country where people are supported to have alcohol-free pregnancies, where the prevalence of FASD is well understood, where quality FASD diagnostic tools and training are widely used, and people living with FASD and their families are well supported.

    Finally, I would like to reflect on the theme of this conference, ‘Ko te FASD kei a hau, ehara i a hau. FASD is what I have NOT who I am’.

    To me, this is a powerful message which tackles both the issues of stigma, and most importantly, aspiration.

    The aspirations of individuals, families, carers, and the whole FASD community, to lead thriving lives. Lives in which people with FASD, can pursue education, employment, and meaningful connections with friends, families, and communities.

    While FASD might have lifelong impacts, it should not be a life sentence. We have the chance to change that. To build on our strengths and not be defined by a diagnosis. 

    That’s my vision for the future.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Risch, Grassley Call Out Abuses in the Biden-Harris Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led 41 bicameral Republican colleagues in a letter urging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to work with Congress to root out abuses in their administration’s unaccompanied migrant children program and stop the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s cover-up of the crisis.
    The lawmakers are urging Biden and Harris to “make changes to [their] policies and procedures” in order to “end this public safety crisis.”  They are specifically calling on the Biden-Harris administration to enhance information-sharing with law enforcement and Congress, fully cooperate with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) child exploitation investigation and thoroughly respond to all congressional oversight requests.
    “[The Biden-Harris HHS] must stop its cover-up and cooperate with law enforcement and Congress to end this crisis and protect unaccompanied children and the American people,” the lawmakers concluded.
    More than 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children have crossed the southwest border under the Biden-Harris administration, while cartel trafficking activity surged an estimated 2,500 percent.  Amid this crisis, the lawmakers note the Biden-Harris administration limited background checks for sponsors of unaccompanied children, cut back on familial DNA testing at the border and decreased information sharing with law enforcement.
    Joining Crapo, Risch and Grassley on the letter are U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina),  John Thune (R-South Dakota), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) and 15 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Governments and Philanthropies Commit Approximately US$350 Million, Giving Urgent Boost to Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health Supplies and Services Worldwide

    Source: United Nations Population Fund

    During the UN General Assembly, countries and donors rally critical investments to save women and girls’ lives and drive sustainable development.

    As part of the global effort to secure sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all, governments and philanthropies have committed approximately US$350 million in new investments to expand access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health services. 

    Healthy women are the foundation of healthy families, vibrant communities, and prosperous economies and demand for SRH services is growing globally. Between 2023 and 2035, the number of people in low- and middle-income countries using modern contraceptives is predicted to increase by 95.4 million and annual births will increase by 3.29 million. Yet, a significant financing gap for contraceptives and lifesaving maternal health medicines – reaching at least US$1.5 billion in the world’s poorest countries alone by 2030 – threatens to derail hard-earned progress. Today, only 57 per cent of women are able to make their own decisions about their SRHR—a lack of autonomy that can put women’s lives at risk, rob them of opportunities, and foster an intergenerational cycle of poverty. 

    Together, the landmark commitments announced today on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly — ranging from countries committing domestic resources for reproductive health supplies to donor governments pledging funds to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership and new commitments from private sector and foundation partners — will help transform the lives of women and girls in 54 countries.

    “Investing in reproductive health supplies is a ‘best buy’ for development, empowering women, improving maternal and newborn health outcomes, and uplifting economies,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency. “The significant new resources that governments and philanthropies are committing to are a lifeline for millions of women, who can now enjoy reproductive freedom and the power of choice. Together, we must close the funding gap for reproductive health commodities so that every woman, everywhere, can exercise her fundamental rights.” 

    The contributions to UNFPA alone have the potential to reach more than 28 million people with reproductive health care, prevent more than 8 million unintended pregnancies, avert more than 2 million unsafe abortions, and save the lives of up to 9,000 women and girls.

    Domestic financing commitments include:

    • The Kyrgyz Republic announced US$119,000 to domestic resources for family planning commodities. 
    • The Republic of Madagascar announced a US$15 million government contribution to procure quality-assured contraceptives and maternal health medicines through UNFPA.
    • Nepal announced a US$600,000 government contribution to purchase quality-assured contraceptives.

    Financing commitments from international donors include: 

    • The Government of Canada announced US$84 million commitment to SRHR projects.
    • The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) announced a US$100 million commitment to co-fund the WISH/Step-Up (Women’s Integrated Sexual Health) platform, strengthening donor coordination on funding access to SRH choices for communities in the Sahel and Democratic Republic of Congo.
    • The Kingdom of the Netherlands committed to a multi-annual partnership.
    • Norway announced a US$12.3 million commitment to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership over 2 years.
    • The Government of Spain announced a US$18 million commitment to UNFPA. 

    Other commitments include:

    • The European Union and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a partnership to design new innovative financing mechanisms to expand contraceptive and SRH access for women in low- and middle-income countries.
    • As a catalytic in-kind investment, HELP Logistics (Kühne Foundation) committed to bringing their expertise to UNFPA’s supply chain strengthening activities to help ensure SRH services reach those who need them most.

    A Smart Investment for Health, Prosperity, and Sustainable Development

    “When we invest in healthy women, we invest in a healthy world,” said Dr. Anita Zaidi, President of the Gender Equality Division at the Gates Foundation. “Family planning is a proven, high-impact intervention that not only saves lives but also fuels economic growth, makes societies more resilient, and advances gender equality. Investing in family planning can help unlock a brighter, more sustainable future for us all.”

    Increasing sexual and reproductive health financing pays off.  Globally, every US$1 invested in family planning yields more than US$8 in benefits for families and societies. Addressing the women’s health gap – in which they currently spend 25 per cent more of their lives in poor health compared to men – will boost the global economy by US$1 trillion by 2040. That amounts to an increase in per capita GDP of nearly 2 per cent every year. 

    A World Made Possible by Family Planning 

    Furthering the impact of today’s domestic financing announcements, the governments of the Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, and Nepal have ongoing commitments under FP2030 to expand access to family planning. FP2030 – a global partnership dedicated to putting family planning at the centre of global health, development, and gender equality – premiered a new video at the UN General Assembly featuring Nigerian football star Asisat Oshoala and former US Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star and American business owner Renee Montgomery speaking to all that has been made possible by continued investments in family planning and SRH.

    “So much of our world has been made possible by family planning. By enabling more women to shape their lives and futures, family planning has helped women to finish their education, join the workforce, ascend to leadership positions, and achieve their dreams,” said Dr. Samukeliso Dube, Executive Director of FP2030. “The commitments made to family planning and sexual and reproductive health today will create limitless possibilities for women, for families, and for our collective future.”

    Investing in Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health is Investing in the Future

    Today’s commitments represent a critical step towards ensuring universal access to SRH services. While the work is far from over, these commitments get us closer to closing the current and expanding financing gap.

    “There is no escaping the reality: even with the important pledges today, we still need to do more to ensure all women and girls have access to life-saving family planning when they want it,” said Sir Chris Hohn, Founder and Chair of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. “The shameful gap in funding for commodities and services must be met by strong domestic leadership – and sustained donor funding in service to country priorities. CIFF’s US$100 million investment in the WISH platform, on top of our US$100 million investment last year to end the commodity financing gap, is a demonstration of our commitment to prioritizing country-led solutions to ensure more women and girls can choose their futures.” 

    By unlocking sustainable financing and recharging political will for SRH, we can secure a healthier, more equitable world for future generations.

    Media contact:

     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Day celebration: Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area – Walking Challenge under “10 000 Steps a Day” Campaign to open for enrolment in October

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    National Day celebration: Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area – Walking Challenge under “10 000 Steps a Day” Campaign to open for enrolment in October
    National Day celebration: Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area – Walking Challenge under “10 000 Steps a Day” Campaign to open for enrolment in October
    ******************************************************************************************

         To promote the health benefits of walking, the Department of Health (DH) launched the “10 000 Steps a Day” Campaign in 2022 to encourage members of the public to increase their physical activities. The DH said today (September 25) that as the third phase of the Walking Challenge, this year’s event coincides with the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The Health Bureau (HHB) and the DH will for the first time partner with the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Mainland cities to jointly promote walking to mark the celebration.     According to the Population Health Survey 2020-22 conducted by the DH, nearly a quarter (24.8 per cent) of persons aged 18 or above performed an insufficient level of physical activities, and about one in seven (14.9 per cent) persons aged 15 or above reported spending 10 hours or longer sitting or reclining each day.     A spokesman for the DH said, “Walking is a simple form of physical activity that many of us engage in daily, and it brings us plenty of health benefits including improving cardiopulmonary function, strengthening muscles and bones, reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes, as well as relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression.     “Adults are recommended to gradually increase their daily step goal to 10 000 based on an individual’s own physical conditions, abilities, pace and circumstances. Any amount of walking is better than sitting, even if the goal cannot be reached yet.”     Features of this year’s Walking Challenge are as follows: 

    The Walking Challenge is one of the events marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. Hong Kong and the GBA Mainland cities will organise walking activities at the same period under the common theme of “Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area”.
    Participants are required to enrol in the Walking Challenge and record their step count during the challenge period through “e+Life”, the recently launched health challenge platform under the eHealth app. Participants reaching a daily average of 10 000 steps (around 7.5 kilometres in distance) during the challenge period can be awarded an electronic certificate of achievement from the “e+Life” platform.
    With the slogan “Shall We Walk and Talk”, the Walking Challenge includes a Workplace Organisation Walking Challenge, which aims to raise public awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of walking, encourage friends and colleagues to support each other and walk 10 000 steps daily.

         Details of the Walking Challenge in Hong Kong are as follows:

    Target participants: adults aged 18 or above
    Individual enrolment period: October 1 to 31
    Workplace organisation enrolment period: On or before October 15; after the workplace organisations are successfully enrolled, their staff members can enrol from October 1 to 31 and select their representing organisations
    Challenge period: November 1 to 30

         Interested individuals can enrol through “e+Life” by logging into the eHealth app, commencing on October 1. Interested workplace organisations can register with the DH for the Walking Challenge on or before October 15. After successful enrolment of the workplace organisation, their staff will be able to select their respective organisations when enrolling through “e+Life”, and the step counts of participating staff will be attributed to the organisation they choose. Moreover, participants only need to connect the “e+Life” platform with their mobile health tracking apps of their own mobile phones during the challenge, and their steps will be recorded on the “e+Life” platform. This initiative encourages everyone to walk 10 000 steps with friends for health.     For details, please visit the event website of the Walking Challenge (www.10000stepsaday.hk/?lang=en) and the website of “e+Life” (app.ehealth.gov.hk/elife-overview).      Moreover, the HHB launched the new “e+Life” health challenge platform in September to allow eHealth users to join various health challenges, log their daily exercises and accumulate health coins by interfacing with tracking applications. In collaboration with the Education Bureau, the DH and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the HHB rolled out earlier the first health challenge, the “e+ Go to Park” game, on September 14. The “e+ Go to Park”, primarily targeting students, is similar to the “10 000 Steps a Day” Campaign, which encourages members of the public to increase their physical activities. By utilising various game modes in “e+ Go to Park”, students are expected to be motivated to go outdoors with their parents and friends, and enjoy the fun of playing games and exercising together. More health challenges will be introduced on the “e+Life” platform to improve the public’s physical and mental health.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, September 25, 2024Issued at HKT 12:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Health chief bound for Beijing

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau will depart this afternoon on a two-day visit to Beijing, where he will call on relevant Mainland ministries to brief them on healthcare developments in Hong Kong and seek support for various healthcare reforms.

    The visit is aimed at strengthening exchanges and co-operation with the Mainland in healthcare-related areas.

    Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam, Deputy Secretary for Health Sam Hui, Hospital Authority Chairman Henry Fan and Hospital Authority Chief Executive Dr Tony Ko will join Prof Lo on the visit.

    The health chief will return to Hong Kong on Friday. During his absence, Under Secretary for Health Dr Libby Lee will be Acting Secretary.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The capital will host the second Moscow Forum of Volunteers in the Sphere of Health Protection

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The second one will take place in the capital Moscow Forum of Volunteers in the Sphere of Health Protection. It will be held on October 14 and 15 at the address: Pokrovsky Boulevard, Building 11, Building 6 in the cultural center of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE). Volunteers will help with its implementation.

    The forum will bring together the expert community, volunteers and citizens interested in the topic of assistance in the field of healthcare. Participants will be able to attend master classes, tours of medical institutions, as well as volunteer networking and a first aid simulation theatre.

    “Today, more than 14.2 thousand people are developing volunteerism in the field of health protection with us. This direction is open and can be interesting not only to people with medical education, it is multifaceted and very important. This year, the forum will become a meeting place for all those who share the values of medical volunteering and will be dedicated to issues of strategic development of the community and will unite more than 600 people,” said Alexander Levit, director of the Mosvolonter resource center.

    The First Moscow Forum of Volunteers in the Sphere of Health Protection passed in 2023. More than 600 people took part in it.

    The forum was organized by the Mosvolonter resource center, the Moscow regional branch of the All-Russian public movement Volunteers-Medics with the support of Committee for Public Relations and Youth Policy of the City of Moscow.

    Public Speaking and Lean Techniques

    On the first day, the forum will feature representatives of Moscow non-profit organizations (NPOs), medical organizations, universities, and experienced volunteers in the field of health care. Business and educational programs will be aimed at acquiring cross-professional skills for productive teamwork and community development in 2025.

    Leaders of educational organizations and socially oriented NPOs, together with the team of the youth council of the Moscow City Department of Health (DZM), will take part in a team session “Sonatuning” on managing and forming effective teams with the opportunity to exchange experiences and build social connections.

    In addition, forum participants will attend master classes on creating media content, public speaking, professional medical communication skills, and the implementation of lean technologies in project work.

    The exhibition area will feature various organizations that develop medical volunteering. Special attention will be paid to formats of volunteer assistance to patients, as well as issues of first aid in emergency situations.

    The program also included a strategic session of youth councils of the capital’s Department of Health, a partnership meeting for new and experienced NGOs and commercial organizations, as well as with volunteer centers of the city’s medical universities, and a round table with representatives of medical colleges on the development of volunteer work in the field of health care.

    Sobyanin: City grants help NGOs implement socially significant projectsFrom food to temporary accommodation: how Moscow NGOs help residents of border areasTheory, practice and internship: how to learn first aid in an NPO

    Tours of the history of social work in Russia

    On the second day of the forum, events will be held where everyone will be able to learn about areas of volunteer work in the field of health protection.

    From 12:00 to 13:00 there will be a tour of the N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Care. It will be conducted by Marina Kramskaya, winner of the “Best Guide of Russia” and “Best Guide of Moscow” competitions. Participants will learn the history of one of the most popular hospitals in the country. The acquaintance will begin with a story about the hospice of Count Sheremetev, or the Sheremetev Hospital.

    From 15:00 to 16:00 and from 16:00 to 17:00, participants will be given tours of the Russian Red Cross Museum. Visitors will learn about its history, priority areas of activity, and the modern development of the movement. In addition, a visit to the organization’s training center is planned.

    Muscovites also have the opportunity to attend the excursion “Saving Lives Every Day” from 15:00 to 16:00, which will be held at the A.S. Puchkov Emergency and Urgent Medical Care Station. Doctors will show the heart of the station – a single city dispatch center, where calls are received from all over the city. Tour participants will learn about the distribution of calls to substations, and will see the work of the medical evacuation department.

    During the excursion “The Journey of Donor Blood” at the Blood Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, participants will be treated to a visual story about the journey blood takes from blood transfusion stations to the recipient.

    On the excursion “Anatomy of Modernism” at the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov, participants will study the architectural complex of its buildings, history, facts about Soviet modernism and how monumental art can inspire. Together with university staff, guests will visit the classrooms where students study.

    Master classes, board games and a project to help patients in children’s hospitals

    You can immerse yourself in practical cases close to real emergency situations in the city in the first aid simulation theater. Using special equipment to simulate real incidents, instructors will show how to act in order to provide first aid promptly and correctly. Guests themselves will become theater actors and take part in saving lives on the site of the medical simulation center of the Botkin Hospital.

    From 10:00 to 15:00, the HSE Cultural Center will host the program “Be an Example for Everyone.” People of different ages and professions will be able to try their hand at volunteer work in the field of healthcare. You can join master classes on making blankets for premature babies, tactile bags, cards and pillows for patients, “Morse Code” bracelets, and on making clay heart keychains.

    In addition, everyone will have the opportunity to communicate in an informal setting during board games and join the project to help patients of children’s hospitals “For the Little and the Brave”. To do this, you need to bring new, tagged toys, books and board games to children who are undergoing treatment in the capital’s hospitals.

    You can join the team of volunteers in the field of health protection on the website of the resource center “Mosvolonter”.

    You can find out more about volunteering on the page “VKontakte” resource center “Mosvolonter” and in the telegram channel.

    Watch of Good Deeds: How the Work of the Capital’s Humanitarian Aid Collection Headquarters is OrganizedExchange of experience and launch of new projects: a new volunteer center has opened in MoscowOnline: what courses are available to city residents on the Mosvolonter website

    Organizing volunteer activities and involving young people in city events correspond to the objectives of the national project “Education” and the federal project “Social Activity”. More information about this and other national projects implemented in the capital, you can find out here.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144426073/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Lifestyle and Health – Daylight Savings: More Daylight, More Opportunities to Exercise!

    Source: Exercise NZ

    As daylight saving time begins in Aotearoa on Sunday, 29th September, many people worry about the potential disruption to their routines. While some studies indicate that the time shift can negatively affect exercise habits, ExerciseNZ urges Kiwis to see it as an opportunity. With longer daylight hours, there’s more time to stay active and enhance overall well-being.

    Previous research has shown that the shift to daylight savings can disrupt sleep and exercise routines, with some people finding it difficult to adjust to the new schedule. A recent study published in the Journal of Marketing highlights that these disruptions to our body clock can lower motivation and energy levels for exercise, particularly in the first few weeks. The study suggests that during this initial period, organisations should provide extra support to consumers to help them stay active throughout the transition phase.

    Rather than seeing daylight saving as a setback, ExerciseNZ views it as an ideal opportunity to reset and embrace new routines. The extended daylight hours offer the perfect chance to enjoy outdoor activities, reconnect with nature, or take advantage of later gym sessions—all proven to boost both physical and mental well-being. Reflecting this seasonal shift, spring in Aotearoa typically brings a surge in gym memberships—rising by up to 20%, according to ExerciseNZ’s 2023 research—as people gear up for the more active summer months ahead.

    In line with global health guidelines, daylight savings also offers Kiwis a timely opportunity to align their exercise habits with public health recommendations. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week to maintain good health and prevent chronic diseases (or 75 minutes of moderate to intense activity for those who prefer higher intensity). With longer daylight and warmer days, there’s more flexibility to fit outdoor activities or gym sessions into daily routines. Whether it’s enjoying the outdoors after work or school or taking advantage of the extended hours to hit the gym, the warmer season makes it easier to stay active to reap the holistic benefits of physical activity and exercise well into the evening. Therefore, heading into daylight savings, ExerciseNZ would like to offer these three tips.

    Utilise Extended Daylight for Outdoor Activities: Take advantage of the longer daylight hours to enjoy outdoor activities.  It’s also a great time to enjoy a new activity, like joining the gym or starting a yoga class.

    Adjust Slowly to New Routines: While the shift to daylight savings may disrupt sleep and exercise habits, focus on gradually adjusting your routine to maintain motivation and energy levels during the transition.

    Engage in Local Fitness Initiatives: Engage in community activities which are designed to help people stay active and make the most of the extra daylight hours.

    ExerciseNZ encourages everyone to use the shift to daylight savings as motivation to revamp their fitness routine, try new activities, and enjoy the outdoors. More daylight means more chances to prioritise your health. Daylight savings doesn’t have to disrupt your activity goals. Instead, let it remind us of the power of physical activity and how we can make the most of the changing seasons.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Former model loving studying at EIT | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

    3 mins ago

    Shona Clarke, 24, is currently enrolled in the NZ Certificate of Study and Career Preparation (Hauora | Nursing/Health Pathway) (Level 4).

    A former model, who moved to Hawke’s Bay from South Africa to be close to family, is loving studying at EIT.

    Shona Clarke, 24, who appears in this year’s EIT brand campaign,  is currently enrolled in the NZ Certificate of Study and Career Preparation (Hauora | Nursing/Health Pathway) (Level 4), and hopes to study for the Bachelor of Nursing next year.

    Having arrived in Hawke’s Bay from Durban at the beginning of the year, Shona decided to follow her brother, Austin, to  EIT’s Hawke’s Bay campus. Austin is currently pursuing the Bachelor of Business (Accounting). Having always had an interest in health and science, Shona enrolled in the NZ Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) programme, which she completed in June.

    She says that she found the programme “amazing”, especially placements at Graceland Rest home in Hastings and at Kōwhai Specialist School.

    “I absolutely loved it. I got to work at Graceland, which was phenomenal, but I found the love that I had for children when I did my five-week placement at Kōwhai.”

    “And then I started meeting people in the industry, and that’s how I got involved in the holiday programme at the Havelock North High School Special Needs Unit. I think I’d go into that field for sure if I wasn’t so set on the fact that I wanted to be a nurse.”

    It has been a long and varied journey for Shona who went to school in Durban, South Africa.

    “I actually came out of school and went straight into working. And six years later, I’ve decided that I’m going to study something.”

    “After school I did modelling full-time and I worked with Suncoast Casino for four years, part of their marketing team. I also modelled in Dubai for a year.”

    Some of her modelling work included brand work for Bonds, a photo shoot for Dubai Tourism and a shoot imitating Margot Robbie before the release of the Barbie movie.

    Studying at EIT is a far cry from an international modelling career, but Shona says it was a simple choice for her.

    “It was my career until my family moved here. And then I thought: ‘I’m going to move over with my family because I’m family oriented. I just want to be with them’. And then when I moved over, I said, I’m going to change my career path.

    She says that it was an easy decision to study at EIT

    And now in the Study and Career Preparation (Hauora | Nursing/Health Pathway) (Level 4) programme, Shona is glad that she made the choice.

    “ I’m absolutely loving it, because of all the science-based parts of it.”

    “That is what I think I will enjoy most about nursing, is learning about the human body, learning about how everything works, how to treat everything. It’s very interesting. I’m thoroughly enjoying it, and getting really good marks.”

    Shona says returning to study after having worked full-time for so long took some adjustment.

    “I think I fitted in quite easily with the people, but the going from working full-time, having independence, and having my own life, to going back to full-time studying, working part-time, not being fully independent, that’s a big change for me.”

    For now Shona is focused on finishing the programme and hopefully starting the Bachelor of Nursing, which she will apply for later this year.

    She is hoping to have a long career in nursing and is interested in paediatrics, surgical or even oncology, because she has had family members who have had cancer.

    As for EIT, Shona has no hesitation in recommending it as a place to study.

    “I know I’m an international student, but the support that I have felt from EIT has been amazing. And I felt so included in everything that I’ve been a part of so far, from the photoshoot for the billboards to meeting new people.”

    Les Blair, EIT Health and Wellbeing Team Leader and Verena Lyons, EIT Health and Wellbeing Team Member, say that “Shona has been an enthusiastic, bubbly student who formed positive relationships with everybody.”

    “She made the most of every opportunity offered to her and we wish her well in her study journey.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Meeting of the Council of Ministers on 25 September 2024

    MIL OSI Translation. Timor-Leste Portuguese to English –

    Presidency of the Council of Ministers

    Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste
    ……………………………………………. ……………………………………………. …………………….

    Press release

    Meeting of the Council of Ministers on 25 September 2024

    The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in office, Adérito Hugo da Costa, and by the President of the Civil Service Commission, Agostinho Letêncio de Deus, which sets the vacancies for the promotion of personnel integrated in the General Regime of Public Administration Careers for the year 2024.

    Of the total of 817 vacancies for promotion established by this Government Resolution, 47 are for the category of Senior Technician – Grade A, 122 for Senior Technician – Grade B, 188 for Professional Technician – Grade C, 234 for Professional Technician – Grade D, 149 for Administrative Technician – Grade E and 77 for Assistant – Grade F.

    Vacancies for promotion are set annually by the Government, based on a proposal from the Civil Service Commission, up to a limit of ten percent of the total staff in each category or professional group.

    *****

    An initial assessment was made of the initiative to create a seniority-based promotion system for civil servants, also presented by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Civil Service Commission, concerning. This initiative aims to ensure career progression for those who, for various reasons, have not been able to obtain merit-based promotions in recent years, based on criteria such as seniority, performance, age, professional training, work in remote areas, good behaviour and attendance.

    *****

    The Secretary of State for Equality, Elvina de Sousa Carvalho, made a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the implementation of the gender equality policy and the recommendations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Third Phase of the Maubisse Declaration (2023-2028) was also presented, which follows on from the previous phases, focusing on the economic empowerment of rural women and people with disabilities. This phase is aligned with the priorities of the IX Constitutional Government and the recommendations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

    The main commitments of this phase are organised into three areas: Social Capital, which covers social protection, inclusive education and health care, with a focus on preventing gender-based violence and improving maternal health care; Infrastructure, which promotes access to safe and accessible markets, the development of roads, sanitation and adapted public buildings, with a focus on inclusive public transport; and Economy, which prioritises agricultural development, female entrepreneurship and access to credit for rural women, strengthening their participation in sectors such as tourism and agriculture. Monitoring mechanisms are also being strengthened to ensure the implementation of these commitments. Implementation is led by several key government institutions, including relevant ministries and the National Bank of Commerce of Timor-Leste (BNCTL), which ensure the effective implementation of the planned measures.

    *****

    In order to resolve the payment of existing debts to hospitals abroad and ensure the continuity of health services, the Council of Ministers decided to instruct the Minister of Health to carry out a detailed survey of debts and payment deadlines, as well as the funds available to meet these commitments. The Minister of Health must establish prioritization criteria for payments, based on the urgency of the services, risks to public health and impact on hospital operations.

    Among other measures, the Council of Ministers also instructed the Minister of Health to start negotiations with hospitals for debt restructuring and to propose to the Ministry of Finance a budgetary reinforcement for the health sector. The implementation of these measures will be monitored by a working group created specifically for this purpose, which will be required to report regularly to the Council of Ministers on the progress made in regularizing hospital debts. ENDS

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI: NBPE Announces August Monthly NAV Estimate

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ITALY, DENMARK, JAPAN, THE UNITED STATES, OR TO ANY NATIONAL OF SUCH JURISDICTIONS

    NBPE Announces August Monthly NAV Estimate

    25 September 2024

    NB Private Equity Partners (NBPE), the $1.3bn1, FTSE 250, listed private equity investment company managed by Neuberger Berman, today announces its 31 August 2024 monthly NAV estimate.

    NAV Highlights (31 August 2024)

    • NAV per share was $27.44 (£20.88), a total return of 0.1% in the month
    • Performance driven by 1.4% quarterly uplift in private company valuations (ex-FX), offset by negative FX adjustments of 0.2%
    • Year to date NAV TR of 1.2%
    • $73 million invested in new and follow on investments year to date
    • $390 million of available liquidity at 31 August 2024
    • 2H 2024 dividend of $0.47 paid on 30 August 2024
    • Annualised dividend yield at  31 August 2024 NAV of 3.4%; annualised share price yield is 4.5% based on the closing share price of £15.92 on 31 August 2024
    As of 31 August 2024 YTD 1 Year 3 years 5 years 10 years
    NAV TR (USD)*
    Annualised    		 1.2% 1.7% 6.8%
    2.2%    		 72.8%
    11.6%    		 177.1%
    10.7%
    MSCI World TR (USD)*
    Annualised    		 17.1% 25.0% 23.8%
    7.4%    		 89.7%
    13.7%    		 162.9%
    10.1%
    Share price TR (GBP)*
    Annualised    		 (0.3%) 8.1% 12.0%
    3.8%    		 77.1%
    12.1%    		 263.0%
    13.8%
    FTSE All-Share TR (GBP)*
    Annualised    		 11.3% 17.0% 24.4%
    7.5%    		 37.9%
    6.6%    		 80.9%
    6.1%

    *Reflects cumulative returns over the time periods shown and are not annualised.

    Portfolio Update to 31 August 2024

    Following the 1H private portfolio valuation increases, movements in public holdings and FX in July and August, NBPE’s NAV TR year to date was 1.2%.

    NAV performance during the month driven by:

    • 0.1% NAV increase ($1 million) from postive FX movements
    • 0.5% NAV increase ($7 million) from the value of quoted holdings (which now constitute 7% of portfolio fair value)
    • 0.4% NAV decrease ($5 million) attributable to expense accruals and changes in the Zero Dividend Preference share (ZDP) liability

    Realisations from the portfolio continue in 2024

    • $5 million received during the month and a further $6 million expected in the coming months from the announced realisation of Syniti
    • $158 million of realisations received year to date, driven by Action and previously announced sales of Cotiviti, Melissa & Doug, FV Hospital and Safefleet as well as partial sales of public stock and continued realisations from the legacy income investment portfolio

    $390 million of total liquidity at 31 August 2024

    • $180 million of cash and liquid investments with $210 million of undrawn credit line available

    $73 million invested in 2024 in new and follow-on investments

    • $25 million invested in FDH Aero, a leading parts distributor to the aerospace and defense industry
    • $38 million invested into two U.S. healthcare businesses, Benecon and Zeus
    • $10 million of additional new and follow on investments

    $0.47 semi annual dividend paid on 30 August 2024

    • Bringing total dividends paid to shareholders since 2013 to approximately $360 million

    Portfolio Valuation

    The fair value of NBPE’s portfolio as of 31 August 2024 was based on the following information:

    • 7% of the portfolio was valued as of 31 August 2024
      • 7% in public securities
    • 93% of the portfolio was valued as of 30 June 2024
      • 92% in private direct investments
      • 1% in private funds

    For further information, please contact:

    NBPE Investor Relations         +44 (0) 20 3214 9002
    Luke Mason                              NBPrivateMarketsIR@nb.com 

    Kaso Legg Communications   +44 (0)20 3882 6644

    Charles Gorman                        nbpe@kl-communications.com
    Luke Dampier
    Charlotte Francis

    Supplementary Information (as at 31 August 2024)

    Company Name Vintage Lead Sponsor Sector Fair Value ($m) % of FV
    Action 2020 3i Consumer                        68.3 5.4%
    Osaic 2019 Reverence Capital Financial Services                        62.7 4.9%
    Solenis 2021 Platinum Equity Industrials                        58.2 4.6%
    BeyondTrust 2018 Francisco Partners Technology / IT                        42.0 3.3%
    Branded Cities Network 2017 Shamrock Capital Communications / Media                        40.1 3.2%
    Monroe Engineering 2021 AEA Investors Industrials                        38.3 3.0%
    Business Services Company* 2017 Not Disclosed Business Services                        37.2 2.9%
    True Potential 2022 Cinven Financial Services                        35.5 2.8%
    GFL (NYSE: GFL) 2018 BC Partners Business Services                        33.8 2.7%
    Kroll 2020 Further Global / Stone Point Financial Services                        31.4 2.5%
    Marquee Brands 2014 Neuberger Berman Consumer                        30.8 2.4%
    Staples 2017 Sycamore Partners Business Services                        30.7 2.4%
    Constellation Automotive 2019 TDR Capital Business Services                        30.6 2.4%
    Fortna 2017 THL Industrials                        28.7 2.3%
    Viant 2018 JLL Partners Healthcare                        27.2 2.1%
    Stubhub 2020 Neuberger Berman Consumer                        26.6 2.1%
    Engineering 2020 NB Renaissance / Bain Capital Technology / IT                        25.6 2.0%
    FDH Aero 2024 Audax Group Industrials                        25.3 2.0%
    Agiliti 2019 THL Healthcare                        25.3 2.0%
    Benecon 2024 TA Associates Healthcare                        25.2 2.0%
    Solace Systems 2016 Bridge Growth Partners Technology / IT                        24.4 1.9%
    Addison Group 2021 Trilantic Capital Partners Business Services                        23.8 1.9%
    USI 2017 KKR Financial Services                        23.2 1.8%
    Auctane 2021 Thoma Bravo Technology / IT                        22.5 1.8%
    AutoStore (OB.AUTO) 2019 THL Industrials                        22.2 1.7%
     

    Excelitas

    		  

    2022

    		  

    AEA Investors

    		  

    Industrials

    		                        21.9  

    1.7%
    Qpark 2017 KKR Transportation                        21.3 1.7%
    Exact 2019 KKR Technology / IT                        20.0 1.6%
    Renaissance Learning 2018 Francisco Partners Technology / IT                        19.4 1.5%
    Bylight 2017 Sagewind Partners Technology / IT                        18.6 1.5%
    Total Top 30 Investments                            $940.8 74.0%

    *Undisclosed company due to confidentiality provisions.

    Geography % of Portfolio
    North America 77%
    Europe 22%
    Asia / Rest of World 1%
    Total Portfolio 100%
       
    Industry % of Portfolio
    Tech, Media & Telecom 23%
    Consumer / E-commerce 20%
    Industrials / Industrial Technology 17%
    Financial Services 14%
    Business Services 13%
    Healthcare 8%
    Other 4%
    Energy 1%
    Total Portfolio 100%
       
    Vintage Year % of Portfolio
    2016 & Earlier 11%
    2017 19%
    2018 15%
    2019 14%
    2020 12%
    2021 17%
    2022 5%
    2023 2%
    2024 5%
    Total Portfolio 100%

    About NB Private Equity Partners Limited
    NBPE invests in direct private equity investments alongside market leading private equity firms globally. NB Alternatives Advisers LLC (the “Investment Manager”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Neuberger Berman Group LLC, is responsible for sourcing, execution and management of NBPE. The vast majority of direct investments are made with no management fee / no carried interest payable to third-party GPs, offering greater fee efficiency than other listed private equity companies. NBPE seeks capital appreciation through growth in net asset value over time while paying a bi-annual dividend.

    LEI number: 213800UJH93NH8IOFQ77

    About Neuberger Berman
    Neuberger Berman is an employee-owned, private, independent investment manager founded in 1939 with over 2,800 employees in 26 countries. The firm manages $481 billion of equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate and hedge fund portfolios for global institutions, advisors and individuals. Neuberger Berman’s investment philosophy is founded on active management, fundamental research and engaged ownership. The PRI identified the firm as part of the Leader’s Group, a designation awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in environmental, social and governance practices. Neuberger Berman has been named by Pensions & Investments as the #1 or #2 Best Place to Work in Money Management for each of the last ten years (firms with more than 1,000 employees). Visit www.nb.com for more information. Data as of June 30, 2024.

    1Based on net asset value.

    This press release appears as a matter of record only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any security.

    NBPE is established as a closed-end investment company domiciled in Guernsey. NBPE has received the necessary consent of the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. The value of investments may fluctuate. Results achieved in the past are no guarantee of future results. This document is not intended to constitute legal, tax or accounting advice or investment recommendations. Prospective investors are advised to seek expert legal, financial, tax and other professional advice before making any investment decision. Statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are based on current expectations, estimates, projections, opinions and beliefs of NBPE’s investment manager. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. Additionally, this document contains “forward-looking statements.” Actual events or results or the actual performance of NBPE may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such targets or forward-looking statements.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Sudan: Pregnant women and children dying in shocking numbers in South Darfur

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • A new report by MSF details how women and children are dying of preventable conditions in South Darfur state, as their health needs surpass what MSF can respond to.
    • We call on the UN to act decisively and mobilise a response with all available resources.

    Nyala/ Amsterdam – One of the worst maternal and child health emergencies in the world is unfolding in South Darfur, Sudan, according to a report released by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Pregnant, birthing, and postpartum women, as well as children, are dying from preventable conditions as their health needs far exceed what MSF can respond to.

    Driven to oblivion: the toll of conflict and neglect on the health of mothers and children in South Darfur reveals the number of maternal deaths in just two MSF-supported hospitals in South Darfur between January and August to be more than seven per cent of the total number of maternal deaths in all MSF facilities worldwide in 2023. A screening of children for malnutrition also found rates well beyond emergency thresholds.

    Driven to oblivion: the toll of conflict and neglect on the health of mothers and children in South Darfur pdf — 9.75 MB Download

    For these crises to be addressed, the United Nations (UN) must act decisively to prevent further loss of life in Darfur. The UN must accelerate the return of UN staff and agencies to Darfur and leverage all available resources and political influence to ensure that aid reaches those in need. Only a coordinated international response, supported by robust funding and unyielding pressure on the warring parties, can avert mass starvation and alleviate the suffering of millions.

    “This is a crisis unlike any other I have seen in my career,” says Dr Gillian Burkhardt, MSF sexual and reproductive health activity manager speaking in Nyala, South Darfur. “Multiple health emergencies are happening simultaneously with almost no international response from the UN and others. Newborn babies, pregnant women, and new mothers are dying in shocking numbers. And so many of these deaths are due to preventable conditions, but almost everything has broken down.”

    From January to August in South Darfur, there were 46 maternal deaths in Nyala Teaching and Kas Rural hospitals, where MSF teams provide obstetric care and other services. The scarcity of functioning health facilities and unaffordable transportation costs mean many women arrive at hospital in critical condition. Around 78 per cent of these 46 deaths occurred in the first 24 hours following admission.

    Fatoum Abdelkarim, from Nyala, is in her seventh month of pregnancy. South Darfur, Sudan, September 2024.
    Abdoalsalam Abdallah/MSF

    Sepsis was the most common cause of maternal death in all MSF-supported facilities in South Darfur. The dearth of functioning health facilities forces women to give birth in unsanitary environments that lack basic items such as soap, clean delivery mats, and sterilised instruments. Without these basic items women are getting infections. And with antibiotics in low supply, they can arrive at a hospital only to be met with no treatment option available.

    “A pregnant patient from a rural area waited two days to collect the money needed to get care,” says Maria Fix, MSF medical team leader in South Darfur. “When she travelled to a health centre, they had no drugs, so she went back home.”

    “After three days, her condition deteriorated but again she had to wait five hours for transportation. She was already in a coma when she reached us,” says Fix. “She died from a preventable infection.”

    The crisis in South Darfur extends to children, with thousands on the brink of death and starvation, while others are dying of preventable conditions. From January to June 2024, 48 newborns died from sepsis in in Nyala Teaching and Kas Rural hospitals, meaning one in five newborns with sepsis did not survive.

    In August, 30,000 children under two-years-old were screened for malnutrition in South Darfur. Of these, 32.5% were found to be acutely malnourished, well beyond the World Health Organization’s emergency threshold of 15%. Furthermore, 8.1% of children screened were severely acutely malnourished.

    Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, was a hub for humanitarian organisations before the war. But since its outbreak, most organisations have not returned. The UN still has no international staff in the city, where MSF is one of the only international organisations present. Between January and August, MSF teams in South Darfur provided 12,600 ante- and post-natal consultations and assisted in 4,330 normal and complicated deliveries.

    Across Sudan, interrelated crises are compounding to cause immense suffering, with little help available, as Dr Burkhardt, who worked in North Darfur prior to her assignment in South Darfur, explains.

    “The disparity between the huge needs for healthcare, food, and basic services, and the consistently lacking international response is disgraceful,” she says. “We call on donors, the UN, and international organisations to urgently increase funding for, as well as scale up and supply, maternal health and nutrition programmes.”

    “We know that Sudan is a challenging place to work but waiting for challenges to disappear by themselves is getting nowhere,” says Dr Burkhardt. “For many mothers and children, it’s already too late. Risks must be managed, and solutions found before more lives are lost.”

    Conflict is also driving the maternal and child health crisis as people are displaced and subject to violence. Supply shortages are aggravated by the warring parties which, along with their affiliated armed groups, continue to block or restrict access to lifesaving aid.

    The crisis risks trapping families in protracted cycles of malnutrition, sickness, and deteriorating health that span generations.

    A patient caretaker describes how maternal mortality and malnutrition are interrelated for their family.

    “The mother of the twins died from severe bleeding, leaving behind eight other children,” they say. “My husband and I try to take care of them… we don’t earn enough to feed them. Now we’re 13 in the house. We’re struggling, eating porridge and sauce with a bit of salt, little or no oil, and green leaves.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Cramer Delivers Floor Speech on Unworkable Nursing Home Rules, Bureaucratic Intransigence at CMS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    ***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a final rule in April, imposing minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities (LTC), which provide care to nearly 1.2 million residents across the nation. This rule will exacerbate the existing workforce shortages and significantly harm access to care in rural communities. This new standard, which was first proposed in September 2023, will require nearly 80% of nursing facilities to hire more nurses to comply with the regulation. However, in states already facing staffing shortages, these requirements will be nearly impossible to meet and will likely force closure on many facilities across the country.

    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) delivered remarks on the Senate floor today to highlight the dangers of the CMS minimum staffing rule. He also spoke on the dangers of administrative bureaucracy the punitive nature of survey fines experienced by LTC facilities.

    “In North Dakota, our facilities are really feeling the squeeze, and the issue is really twofold,” said Cramer. “In May, CMS issued this minimum staffing rule, which requires long-term care facilities to implement new staffing requirements. These are already institutions that are already woefully understaffed because of a lack of workforce. Most burdensome is the new requirement to have a Registered Nurse on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rather than the previous eight hours a day, seven days a week. Less than a quarter of North Dakota facilities meet this requirement, and among rural facilities, only 14 percent will meet that mandate.

    “To meet these elevated staffing levels, our facilities really have no good options, if they have any options at all,” continued Cramer. “At existing staffing levels, North Dakota facilities would need to reduce the average number of residents served per day by about 74 people to satisfy this mandate. […] In my state, we’ve had six facilities close since 2021, indicating the already challenging operating environment. I fear this misguided rule will supercharge this trend and deprive rural individuals the opportunity to receive care in their own communities, near the people they love and know the best: their families, and their friends, their loved ones.”

    [embedded content]

    “The minimum staffing rule is part of a broader pattern of CMS’s bureaucratic crackdowns on facilities for no reason other than it can, that’s what bothers me so much about bureaucratic bullies is they’re bullies because they can be, without materially improving the health and safety of long-term care residents,” added Cramer. “Civil Monetary Penalties, or in bureaucratic-speak, CMPs, are punitive, monetary actions CMS can take against long-term care facilities in situations where CMS determines they do not substantially comply with Medicare or Medicaid participation requirements, the requirements that the bullies create out of thin air. These penalties are heavily used to punish facilities beyond a simple correction.”

    “If these rules and penalties were really about better care for residents, CMS should yield to reason,” concluded Cramer. “However, the actions of the bureaucrats at CMS prove they are out of touch with operational challenges actually facing these facilities and the people they serve. If they in fact want to achieve the stated goal of improving quality, these decisions do just the opposite. […] I have little faith in their ability to do the right thing and reverse course, but I pray they will.”

    For nearly two years, Cramer has pushed back against the nursing home staffing standard, beginning with sending a letter to CMS in January 2023 urging the agency to avoid one-size-fits-all staffing mandates for nursing homes and to support provider flexibility in addressing recruitment and retention issues. Several months later, in June 2023, as a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, he questioned CMS officials at a hearing about the mandate’s impact on already stressed staffing challenges.

    In October 2023, Cramer led a bipartisan letter to the CMS Administrator requesting the agency refrain from finalizing the rule as written and instead work with Congress on flexible, commonsense solutions. Cramer and U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) joined forces to introduce the VA Report on Proposed CMS Staffing Ratios Act to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit a report regarding the proposed rule’s impact on the access of veterans to LTC. The senators later requested the VA study the potential harmful effects of the staffing rule on LTC facilities. Cramer also joined U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) in cosponsoring a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to overturn the final rule issued by CMS.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Republicans Are Restoring America’s Forest Health

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

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

    House Republicans Are Restoring America’s Forest Health

    Washington, September 24, 2024

    The United States consists of over 117 million acres of ineffectively managed, fire-prone forests. Today, House Republicans will bring to the Floor H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act, which revives and prioritizes forest health while safeguarding communities by streamlining environmental studies, minimizing lawsuits, and accelerating the implementation of necessary forest restoration projects. 
     
    FACTS ABOUT H.R. 8790 – Fix Our Forests Act (Courtesy of the House Committee on Natural Resources Republicans): 

    • Simplify: 
      • Simplify and expedite environmental reviews to reduce costs and planning times for critical forest management projects while maintaining rigorous environmental standards.
      • End frivolous litigation that delays needed forest management projects.
    • Prioritize: 
      • Utilize state-of-the-art science to prioritize the treatment of forests at the highest risk of wildfire.
      • Incentivize forest management projects of up to 10,000 acres to increase the pace and scale of active management.
    • Foster Relationships: 
      • Promote federal, state, tribal, and local collaboration by creating a new Fireshed Center and codifying the Shared Stewardship initiative.
      • Make communities more resilient to wildfire by coordinating existing grant programs and incentivizing new research.
      • Give agencies new tools to restore watersheds, protect communities in the wildland-urban interface and prevent forest conversion.
    • Renew: 
      • Revitalize rural economies by strengthening tools such as Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting.
      • Adopt new and innovative technologies to address forest health threats like wildfires, drought, insects and disease.
      • Harden utility rights-of-way against wildfire by encouraging more active management and removal of dangerous hazard trees. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Murphy Announces New Clemency Fellowship Program to Support Historic Clemency Initiative

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy earlier this year unveiled a historic clemency initiative – established under Executive Order No. 362 – to expedite the review of pardon and commutation applications with the goal of providing relief from inequities and collateral consequences that are caused or perpetuated by the criminal legal system. Aiming to support this initiative, the Governor today announced the creation of a new Clemency Fellowship Program within his office to support the review of clemency applications.

    “The Clemency Fellowship Program provides a great opportunity to put social justice policy into action while making a true impact on the lives of those affected by inequities in our legal system,” said Governor Murphy. “We have committed to this new, ambitious initiative because we believe in second chances. Bolstering our review process with a team of Fellows will help ensure we are on track to deliver on our commitment to review as many clemency applications as possible before the end of our Administration.”

    “Clemency is a powerful tool that can change lives by restoring liberty and relieving the burdens of those who are hampered by the mistakes of their pasts,” said Justin Dews, Chair of the Clemency Advisory Board. “The Board and I are thrilled to see the team for this important initiative grow, and we look forward to the incoming Fellows joining our work already in progress to make the Governor’s restorative-justice goals a reality.”

    The Clemency Fellows will receive training on the initiative and will assist with the review and processing of applications for clemency that have been received by the Governor’s Office. Their role will be to review applications for expedited consideration, draft memoranda on applications, and broadly support the Governor’s Office and Clemency Advisory Board with this initiative.

    Fellows will have the opportunity to work with various state agencies critical to realizing the Clemency Initiative’s goals.

    Those with a Juris Doctor or Master’s Degree in related subject matter are encouraged to apply. Eligibility will be based on several factors, such as established excellence in professional or academic environments and a demonstrated interest in criminal justice.

    Applications for the fellowship will be accepted until October 11, 2024. Click here for more information on how to apply.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Releases New Report, PBMs Welcome Lower List Prices for Ozempic and Wegovy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released a new report uncovering how Novo Nordisk, as one health insurance plan described it, is using its “position of power” to “squeeze” plans, and “boost its corporate profits.”
    “Today, Novo Nordisk charges Americans with Type 2 diabetes $969 a month for Ozempic, while this same exact drug can be purchased for just $59 in Germany, $71 in France, $122 in Denmark, and $155 in Canada,” said Sanders. “There is only one reason they can justify charging Americans such outrageous prices for the drugs they need: Excessive corporate greed.”
    Novo Nordisk claims that PBMs and health insurance plans are the reason for high prices for Ozempic and Wegovy, and previously stated that PBMs failed to assure the company that its products would maintain formulary access if it lowered its list prices.
    Today, three major PBMs that help determine drug coverage for most of the nation – Cigna Group/Express Scripts, CVS Health/Caremark, UnitedHealth Group/Optum Rx – confirmed to Chair Sanders that a list price reduction would not negatively impact formulary placement for Ozempic and Wegovy, and affirmed that lower list prices would, in fact, make the drugs more widely available to patients in need.
    Cigna/Express Scripts said: “No, if Novo Nordisk lowered their list price for Ozempic and Wegovy tomorrow to a price that was the same or lower than current net cost, that change by itself would not result in less favorable formulary placement.” To support this claim, the company provided an example: It did not disfavor a competing weight-loss product, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, even as it launched at a list price 20% lower than Wegovy.
    UnitedHealthGroup/Optum Rx said: “No. Assuming the net price remains the same or lower, lowering a medicine’s list price would not lead to less favorable formulary placement by Optum Rx – particularly for high-demand drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
    CVS Health/Caremark said: “The simple answer is no. In fact, we can point to recent history as a proof point. When Novo-Nordisk drastically reduced the price of their insulin, Novolog, in 2023, it did not result in a less favorable formulary placement with Caremark.”
    Novo Nordisk has also justified its astronomical prices by arguing a need to fund future research and development.
    However, since launching Ozempic in 2018, Novo Nordisk has spent twice as much on stock buybacks and dividends ($44 billion) as it has on research and development ($21 billion), according to financial filings.
    Novo Nordisk has also lavished cash and perks on health care providers, sending doctors on trips to Alaska, Hawaii, and Florida and paying for nearly 1.7 million meals and snacks to doctors to promote Ozempic and Wegovy, federal records show.
    The report can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –