Our Scans · Departments of Health · Weekly Summary

• [New] Many disability advocates fear that moving the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the Department of Health and Human Services will reinforce stigma by associating disability with an agency dealing largely in health care and medical issues. New America
• [New] In the West Bank, more than one third of essential medicines is out of stock and over 11,000 surgeries have been postponed since the beginning of 2026, the Palestinian Ministry of Health warns. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitar
• [New] Both the World Health Organization and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that most adults do at least two sessions of muscle strengthening activity per week, as well as 150 minutes of cardio, to see health benefits such as a lower risk of death. Scientific American
• Taiwan currently has approximately 120,000 long-term care workers, but the Ministry of Health and Welfare projects that demand will reach over 160,000 by 2030, leaving a gap of nearly 40,000. Prof. Hung-Yi Chen
• Growth opportunities are helped by government measures under the Society 5.0 initiative by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and continued investment in health cloud modernization. Dimension Market Research
• Hospitals in Financial Distress - $50 million from the state General Fund in 2026-27 that can be used by the Department of Health Care Access and Information to help hospitals facing serious short-term financial problems. California Academy of Family Physicians
• One of the priorities of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the US Surgeon General, is to combat health misinformation, which is considered a serious threat to public health. PubMed Central (PMC)
• The Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH) launched its Weqaya screening programme more than a decade ago, targeting cardiovascular risk factors in Emirati nationals, and has since expanded eligibility. Zavis Healthcare Industry Insights
• A series of recent high-level appointments at the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services is raising concerns among policy observers, who warn that layoffs, political consolidation and deregulatory initiatives could heighten risks across the US food system. FoodNavigator-USA.com
• With the Trump administration's plans to cease funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as well as to reduce the US Department of Health and Human Services personnel, public health, both internationally and domestically, is going to be widely affected. ContagionLive
• Healthy People 2030 is the latest iteration of a series of decennial initiatives by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve societal health and well-being, with set targets to be achieved by 2030. PubMed Central (PMC)

Last updated: 25 June 2026