Southwest Rural Health Research Center identifies key health challenges of rural America

Mental health, substance use disorders, access to quality health care and economic stability top the list of concerns of rural health stakeholders.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

The Southwest Rural Health Research Center at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health has published a peer-reviewed paper detailing Healthy People 2030 priorities that will be most critical for rural America in the upcoming decade. These priorities were identified by rural health stakeholders across the United States. This publication comes ahead of the center’s release of Rural Healthy People 2030 — a continuation of a long-standing tradition of the Southwest Rural Health Research Center in which multidisciplinary authors discuss identified priority areas in light of existing scientific evidence and best models for practice.

Researchers asked 1,475 health care professionals, government officials, researchers and others working to improve health and quality of life in rural communities questions about their views on the 62 Healthy People 2030 priorities. Each respondent listed the 10 most crucial goals and priorities for their communities and ranked the three most critical issues in order of importance.

The priority that survey respondents noted most frequently was mental health and mental disorders, with more than 75 percent of respondents including this area in their top 10 list. In second place, included in more than 60 percent of the top 10 lists, was addiction. In contrast, findings from the Rural Healthy People 2020 survey put these two priorities as the fourth and fifth most commonly cited.

“We were thrilled to once again be funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to conduct this once-in-a-decade survey. While clinicians, public health practitioners and other stakeholders across the U.S. will be working toward all Healthy People 2030 goals, faced with resource limitations, those working with rural populations will have to implement right-sized and effective programs that will be most impactful in their unique contexts,” said Dr. Alva Ferdinand, director of the Southwest Rural Health Research Center and Interim Director of the Department of Health Policy and Management.

Around one-fifth of respondents listed health care access and quality as the most important priority. This priority was the most frequently cited in top 10 lists in Healthy People 2020, indicating that mental health and addiction may be rising concerns in rural areas, but access to quality health care remains a serious public health issue.

It may be that there are actual increases in mental health disorders and substance use in rural populations. At the same time, problems with access to care may also exacerbate these issues. A lack of mental health and substance abuse practitioners in rural communities, stigma toward treatment and a greater proportion of uninsured people could act as barriers to treatment.

Healthy People 2030 also includes priorities related to social determinants of health. A new priority in this category is economic stability, which featured highly in the survey’s responses. This reflects the ways higher rates of rural poverty may affect access to health care through limited insurance coverage and financial issues such as rural hospital closures.

“With approximately 60 million people living in rural areas that are sparsely populated, have low housing density and are far from urban centers, providers, public health practitioners and other stakeholders have had to find innovative ways to promote and protect the health of rural residents in the places where they live, learn, work and play,” said Ferdinand. “Our work helps to inform rural stakeholders on which population health goals are of particular concern and could use some additional attention and strategizing.”

The survey results shed light on the views of public health professionals and can serve as a starting point for additional research. Further study into the views of urban public health professionals could further highlight differences between these populations. Additionally, studies comparing populations in different parts of the country and those that include the views of residents outside of the public health professions could yield further insights.

The findings of this study point to changes in rural public health priorities over the past several years and highlight the need for renewed and continued efforts toward reducing disparities in health outcomes between rural and urban areas. Findings on mental health and substance use disorders, access to quality health care and economic stability point to areas where practitioners and policy makers can make significant improvements toward improving population health in rural America.

By Rae Lynn Mitchell, Texas A&M University School of Public Health

---

JOURNAL

Preventive Medicine Reports

DOI

10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102176 

ARTICLE TITLE

Rural healthy people 2030: New decade, new challenges

TikTok hosts the latest dance moves and bad information on liver disease

Nearly 40% of posts about liver disease are false or misleading, study finds

Reports and Proceedings

DIGESTIVE DISEASE WEEK

CHICAGO (May 9, 2023) — Four in 10 posts about liver disease on TikTok contain misinformation, with most pushing inaccurate claims about fad diets, “detox” drinks and herbal remedies, according to a study being presented today at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2023. Results suggest that liver disease patients who seek medical information on TikTok may need help separating good information from the bad.

“People should always consult their doctor first for guidance on their specific medical condition, but we also know that getting health information and tips from social media is extremely common these days,” said Macklin Loveland, MD, the study’s lead author and an internal medicine resident at University of Arizona College of Medicine. “When the average person sees a post about liver disease on social media, they may have no idea that the claims are entirely inaccurate.”

For this study, Dr. Loveland identified 2,223 posts with the terms “cirrhosis” and “liver disease” on TikTok between Oct. 1 and Nov. 25, 2022. Comparing the posts against established practice guidelines for making patient care decisions from the current American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, he found 883, nearly 40%, contained misinformation. The most common inaccurate posts had claims about herbal products reversing liver disease. Other posts falsely claimed that consuming various mushrooms, eating beef liver or doing a parasite cleanse would heal the liver.

Liver disease has been steadily increasing in the U.S. with 4.5 million adults diagnosed and more than 85 million people estimated to have liver disease but not know it. Treatment for liver disease varies depending on the diagnosis. Some liver issues can be addressed with lifestyle modifications, such as stopping alcohol use or losing weight, as part of a medical program that includes careful monitoring of liver function. Others may be treated with medication or surgery.

The inaccurate posts had far less engagement than accurate posts, with the misleading posts getting an average of 1,671 “likes” and 140 “shares” compared to an average 14,463 “likes” and 364 “shares” on accurate posts. Posts that were strictly informational contained far more misinformation than those with patients sharing personal experiences.

“Even though inaccurate posts were less popular, they still represent a high volume of misinformation on the platform, leaving people with liver disease susceptible to false claims,” Dr. Loveland said. “Given the high mortality associated with liver disease, the impact of spreading inaccurate claims on such a popular social media platform could have serious clinical ramifications.”

Loveland said his results make a case for better monitoring and regulation of the platform and for medical professionals to engage.

“It’s clear that more needs to be done to flag misinformation on TikTok, including doctors becoming more heavily represented on the platform to combat misinformation with accurate, science-based information,” Dr. Loveland said. “In general, TikTok and social media platforms are great sources to disseminate health information. However, we need to put more guardrails in place against false or misleading claims.”

DDW Presentation Details

Dr. Loveland will present data from the study, “Analysis of liver disease misinformation & accurate information within the social media platform, TikTok,” abstract Tu1523, on Tuesday, May 9, at 12:30 p.m. CDT.  For more information about featured studies, as well as a schedule of availability for featured researchers, please visit www.ddw.org/press.

###

Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), DDW takes place May 6 – 9 in Chicago and virtually. The meeting showcases more than 3,500 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. More information can be found at www.ddw.org

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria contaminates whole ICU - study

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) was brought into the ICU, in Hangzhou, on multiple occasions as patients were admitted, creating a large ‘reservoir’ of the bacteria which contaminated beds and equipment.

Of 35 CRAB-positive patients in the study, 14 acquired CRAB during their ICU stay. Samples of the drug-resistant bacteria were found more frequently in bed unit environments (54·6%) than patients (24·1%), with ventilators (27·9%) and dispensing trolleys (25·6%) most likely to yield samples of CRAB.

Publishing their findings today (Date TBC) in The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, the international group of researchers led by the University of Birmingham calls for urgent measures to help prevent hospitals becoming infected with the bacteria.

Study co-author Professor Alan McNally, from the University of Birmingham, commented: “CRAB poses a serious risk to hospitalised patients and can cause severe disease including pneumonia, urinary tract infection, bacteraemia, meningitis, and soft tissue infections – all of which can be very difficult to treat due to the bacteria’s multidrug-resistance.

“The quantity of CRAB found in this ICU highlights the urgent need for targeted infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities where such large accumulations of the bacteria are likely, so that we can stem the global spread of this pathogen.”

The study highlights the environment’s important role in CRAB persistence and eventual acquisition by patients. Researchers call for build-up of the bacteria to be tackled with infection prevention and control measures, including:

• Thorough and regular deep-cleaning of surfaces touched by patients and staff;
• Isolation of patients known to carry CRAB;
• Minimisation of patient relocation between beds; and
• Enhanced staff hand-washing protocols.

Researchers sampled the entire ICU, including staff, patients, and the environment, to reveal a remarkable diversity of CRAB in this setting - introduced to the unit as patients were admitted and driving the bacteria’s spread within the ICU.

CRAB can persist for prolonged periods on hospital surfaces and medical equipment, and colonise patients within 48 hours of admission - facilitated by hospital staff, shared equipment, airflow and plumbing. Outbreaks of CRAB can require interventions or changes to infrastructure that impose clinical, logistical, and financial burdens.

Antibiotic-resistant infections are a major threat to global public health. CRAB infections are found worldwide with severely limited treatment options prompting the World Health Organisation to designate CRAB a priority organism for which novel therapeutics are urgently required.

Professor McNally added: “In the absence of new therapeutic agents, effective CRAB IPC strategies are vital, if we are to limit the morbidity and mortality caused by the bacteria in hospitals. We must develop a thorough understanding of the persistence, transmission, and evolution of CRAB populations in such environments.”

ENDS

For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0)782 783 2312 or t.moran@bham.ac.uk. Out-of-hours please call +44 (0)121 414 2772.

Notes to Editors

• The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
• ‘Endemicity and diversification of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an Intensive Care Unit’ - Emma L. Doughty, Haiyang Liu, Robert A. Moran, Xiaoting Hua, Xiaoliang Ba, Feng Guo, Xiangping Chen, Linghong Zhang, Mark Holmes, Willem van Schaik, Alan McNally, and Yunsong Yu is published in The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific.
• Participating institutions include the Universities of Birmingham and Cambridge, UK; and Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.

---

JOURNAL

The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Endemicity and diversification of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an Intensive Care Unit

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

9-May-2023

Multidrug-resistant bacteria: New report from Veterinary field, Osaka, Japan

Risk of cross-species transmission between humans and companion dogs and cats

Peer-Reviewed Publication

OSAKA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: ANTIMICROBIAL-RESISTANT BACTERIA TRANSMIT NOT ONLY AMONG HUMANS BUT ALSO BETWEEN HUMANS, ANIMALS AND ENVIRONMENT. WHILE LIVESTOCK ANIMALS ARE CONSIDERED RESERVOIRS OF ANTIMICROBIAL-RESISTANT BACTERIA, THE ROLE OF COMPANION ANIMALS IN CROSS-SPECIES TRANSMISSION REMAINS UNCLEAR. view more 

CREDIT: MAYO YASUGI, OMU

The emergence and global spread of antimicrobial resistant bacteria among companion animals (e.g., dogs and cats) pose a risk of the animals being reservoirs for cross-species transmission because of their close contact with humans.

In Japan, for the first time, a research team led by Associate Professor Mayo Yasugi from the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Veterinary Science discovered Escherichia coli resistant to both colistin and third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics in a companion dog. Outside Japan, both colistin and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant E. coli isolates have already been discovered in companion animals. However, the number of reports is still low, and knowledge of the trends and in-depth analysis of the bacteria is limited. Therefore, there are still many unknowns regarding the nature and host-to-host transmission of the bacteria.

This study investigated 678 bacterial strains isolated from 428 dogs and 74 cats with suspected infectious diseases that were presented to the Veterinary Medical Center, Osaka Metropolitan University. Researchers discovered two E. coli strains carrying both a mobile colistin-resistant mcr gene and a third-generation cephalosporin-resistant blaCTX gene. One of these strains isolated from a dog was found to be resistant to both colistin and third-generation cephalosporins.

According to Professor Yasugi, “From the perspective of ‘One Health’, studies on antimicrobial resistant bacteria should be performed among not only humans but also surrounding animals and environment. We hope to contribute to elucidate the role of companion animals in cross-species transmission of antimicrobial resistant bacteria.”

Their findings were published in Veterinary Microbiology.

###

About OMU 

Osaka Metropolitan University is the third largest public university in Japan, formed by a merger between Osaka City University and Osaka Prefecture University in 2022. OMU upholds "Convergence of Knowledge" through 11 undergraduate schools, a college, and 15 graduate schools. For more research news visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ or follow us on Twitter: @OsakaMetUniv_en, or Facebook. 

---

JOURNAL

Veterinary Microbiology

DOI

10.1016/j.vetmic.2023.109695 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Genetic and phenotypic analyses of mcr-harboring extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli isolates from companion dogs and cats in Japan

QUATS ARE A POISON /PESTICIDE

Scientists raise concerns about popular COVID disinfectants

Peer-Reviewed Publication

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE

The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the unnecessary use of antimicrobial chemicals linked to health problems, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental harm, warn more than two dozen scientists in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology. Their critical review details how quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are increasingly marketed and used in home, healthcare, education, and workplace settings despite the availability of safer alternatives and in some cases limited evidence of reduced disease transmission.

“Disinfectant wipes containing QACs are often used on children’s school desks, hospital exam tables, and in homes where they remain on these surfaces and in the air,” said Courtney Carignan, a co-author and assistant professor at Michigan State University. “Our review of the science suggests disinfecting with these chemicals in many cases is unhelpful or even harmful. We recommend regular cleaning with soap and water and disinfecting only as needed with safer products.”

Human studies have found associations between QACs and asthma, dermatitis, and inflammation. Laboratory animal studies also raise concerns about potential links to infertility, birth defects, and more. Further, there has been evidence dating back to the 1950s that QACs contribute to antimicrobial resistance, making certain bacteria species resistant both to QACs themselves and to critical antibiotics.

“It’s ironic that the chemicals we’re deploying in vain for one health crisis are actually fueling another,” said Erica Hartmann, a co-author and professor at Northwestern University. “Antimicrobial resistance was already contributing to millions of deaths per year before the pandemic. Overzealous disinfection, especially with products containing QACs, threaten to make it worse.”

QACs are increasingly used in disinfectant solutions, wipes, hand sanitizers, sprays, and foggers, and are also being incorporated into personal care products, textiles, paints, medical instruments, and more. Since the pandemic, levels of these chemicals in the environment and our bodies have increased in parallel. 

One of the most common QACs is benzalkonium chloride, but others can be identified on ingredient labels with names that end in “ammonium chloride” or similar. However, disclosure and regulation of QACs varies widely. For example pesticide labels are required to list QACs but paint labels are not. Most QACs are not regulated at all, nor are they comprehensively screened for health hazards. 

The scientists recommend eliminating uses of QACs that are either unnecessary or where their effectiveness has not been demonstrated. For example, disinfection with QACs often has no benefit over cleaning with plain soap and water. Other recommendations include requiring full disclosure of QACs in all products and closely monitoring their levels in people and the environment. 

“Drastically reducing many uses of QACs won’t spread COVID-19,” said Carol Kwiatkowski, a co-author and scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute. “In fact, it will make our homes, classrooms, offices, and other shared spaces healthier.”

---

JOURNAL

Environmental Science & Technology

DOI

10.1021/acs.est.2c08244 

ARTICLE TITLE

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: A Chemical Class of Emerging Concern

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

9-May-2023

Photos: Capsized Dredger Finally Sinks Off Corregidor

Two dredgers surround the capsized wreck in an attempt to keep it afloat (PCG)

PUBLISHED MAY 8, 2023 4:04 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

On Saturday, the capsized dredger Hong Hai 189 finally sank near the island of Corregidor at the entrance to Manila Bay. 

On April 28, the dredger Hong Hai 189 was in a collision with the product tanker Petite Soeur off Corregidor, a historic site at the entrance to Manila Bay. Hong Hai 189 was inbound and Petite Soeur had just gotten under way from a petroleum terminal north of the island. The two collided at a speed of about six knots, and Hong Hai 189 capsized shortly after. Three crewmembers died and two went missing; 15 survived. No injuries or casualties were reported aboard Petite Souer.

The Philippine Coast Guard is still determining whether the vessels were in a crossing situation or an overtaking situation under COLREGs.

On May 6, more than a week after the capsizing, Hong Hai 189 finally sank off Mariveles, Bataan, where she had been relocated after the casualty. Images from the response show that two similar dredgers rafted up with the stricken ship in an attempt to keep her afloat. 

Courtesy PCG

Courtesy PCG

Courtesy PCG

Before the sinking, the PCG had already deployed containment booms around the wreck in order to mitigate any pollution. The agency redoubled its environmental protection efforts after the dredger went down, including sorbent deployment. 

So far, only a minimal quantity of petroleum has been detected outside of the containment area, amounting to at most 50 liters. The PCG continues to monitor the wreck site. 

Search for missing dive boat passengers called off

The past few months have been exceptionally busy for the PCG's first responders, with major casualties occurring every few weeks. In addition to the disastrous sinking of the tanker Princess Empress and the capsizing of the Hong Hai 189, the PCG had to mount a large search and rescue operation for missing individuals from the sinking of a dive charter boat, the Dream Keeper. 

Dream Keeper went down with 32 aboard on April 30 off Tubbataha Reef, a popular dive destination off Palawan. 28 people were rescued in the immediate aftermath of the casualty, but four remain missing, including the vessel owner, one crewmember and two passengers. Patrol vessel BRP Melchora Aquino was dispatched to conduct a search operation, aided by good samaritan vessels in the area. No further survivors were found. 

On Sunday, the PCG called off the rescue operation and switched to a search and recovery mission. The agency will be working with a contracted salvor to recover the wrecked vessel from the reef. 

Foreign Sale of Hyundai LNG Shipping Opposed by Korean Industry

HLS Diamond is one of three new gas carriers delivered to the company in March 2023 (Hyundai LNG Shipping)

PUBLISHED MAY 8, 2023 4:05 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The proposed sale of South Korea’s leading LNG carrier, Hyundai LNG Shipping, by its current institutional investors is facing hurdles as it is opposed both by the shipping industry and possibly the government. A report in The Korea Times says that the shipping industry sent a letter to the government calling for a block on a potential sale of the company to foreign interests.

Hyundai LNG Shipping has been working to consolidate its position as a leading specialized liquefied gas carrier raising concerns among the shipping industry over potential foreign control. According to the report in the newspaper, concerns are being raised both over the impact on Korea’s energy security as well as risks to Korea’s leadership position in the shipbuilding of gas carriers.

The company is owned by a private equity firm based in Korea, IMM Holdings, a firm with investments in 16 companies and assets valued at $6.4 billion. They stepped in during the financial crisis at Hyundai Merchant Marine in 2014 acquiring the gas carrier business which at the time was operating under long-term contracts with the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS). With IMM’s investment, the company has expanded its operations.

Hyundai LNG Shipping currently operates a fleet of 16 LNG carriers as well as six LPG carriers. They are building additional vessels to service expanded business relationships with Petronas. Earlier in 2023, they took delivery of three 86,000 CBM very large gas carriers built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries and are scheduled to introduce an advanced 91,000 CBM gas carrier equipped with dual fuel engines. The company is expanding its capabilities to LPG transportation and in January 2023, won the bid to operate an LNG bunkering vessel for Korea LNG Bunkering (KOLB).

IMM previously said it had narrowed the bidding from more than 20 companies to five international buyers ranging between the U.S., the U.K., Greece, and Denmark. The investment group is reportedly expecting to receive between $460 million and $550 million for the company.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is reported to be considering moving to block the foreign sale of Hyundai LNG Shipping. This comes after reports that the Korea Development Bank and the Korea Ocean Business Corp., currently the controlling investors in HMM, proposed recombining the two shipping companies in late 2022. The deal however fell apart possibly over the price for the gas carrier business.

IMM has said it was open to having a Korean buyer for the business but so far none have made a reasonable financial offer. 

The shipping companies reportedly are also citing the potential for broader impact on the industry noting that Hain, another Korean investment company, has announced plans to sell its control of SK Shipping, another South Korean petroleum products shipping company.

The owners of HMM, which also has energy shipping in addition to its container business, are also pursuing the privatization of the shipping company after years of government investment. The government-controlled banks recently appointed a team of financial advisers to guide the process for the sale of their holdings in HMM.
 

DNV: Oil Demand Will Halve by 2050

iStock

PUBLISHED MAY 7, 2023 11:29 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

In its latest decarbonization outlook, class society DNV predicts that oil usage will halve by 2050, with high-efficiency electric cars and trucks cutting deeply into demand for petroleum. 

Electrification of road transport is the primary driver, where electricity will likely beat out e-fuels and biofuels on cost for passenger vehicles. Even long-haul trucking will likely see more electrification over the next thirty years, according to DNV CEO Remi Eriksen. 

Thanks to the ultra-high efficiency of battery-electric technology, plummeting demand for carbon-based fuels in road transport will lead to a 50 percent drop in the use of oil in the sector by 2050, predicts DNV.

"Direct electrification is by far the most efficient use of energy. What electrifies will be cheaper," said Eriksen. "And that is why road transport will almost completely transform in the space of a single generation."

Aviation and shipping, on the other hand, are exceptionally hard to electrify at scale. Battery-electric power will likely account for a minute fraction of the total energy requirements for these sectors by midcentury. 

This is where biofuels will have an edge. Advanced biofuel could have as much as a fifth of the energy market in the maritime sector by 2050 - assuming that an adequate supply of feedstock can be found. Sustainable biomass will be limited and will come at a cost; competition for feedstock is already "intense," according to DNV. 

The next leading candidates for alternative fuel for shipping are fuels made from clean electricity and water - that is, green hydrogen-based e-fuels like green ammonia and green methanol. These are attractive, and could make up as much as half of the fuel for shipping by mid-century, according to DNV. However, uptake will likely be limited for the next decade, except perhaps in Northern Europe, where there is a strong push from policymakers. 

"Everything that can be feasibly electrified should be electrified. Transport that cannot be electrified should be incentivized to switch to sustainable biofuel in the medium term before a hydrogen based fuel ecosystem can scale from national to regional, and then global," summed up Eriksen. 

Six Monjasa Crewmembers Recovered from Pirates After Five Weeks

Monjasa Reformer was boarded in late March 2023 while off Congo, West Africa (Monjasa file photo)

PUBLISHED MAY 8, 2023 1:15 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Danish fuel company Monjasa reports that the six crewmembers kidnapped more than five weeks ago in the Gulf of Guinea have been recovered. While saying that it admires the bravery of its crew, Monjasa also used the announcement to again call for political action to address the continuing threat of piracy in West Africa.

The company said that all six crewmembers who were kidnapped from the Monjasa Reformer are now “safely recovered from an undisclosed location in Nigeria,” and that they were in “relatively good health condition given the difficult circumstances they have been under.” The company did not offer details on when the crew were released and did not comment if a ransom had been paid. Monjasa only said that the security incident was concluded today, May 8.

The vessel, the Monjasa Reformer (13,700 dwt) was boarded on March 25 while sitting idle approximately 140 nautical miles off Port Pointe-Noire, Congo while employed in West Africa as part of the company’s marine fuel operations. The vessel went missing with security forces starting a search across the region before it was located five days later off Sao Tomé & Principe in the Gulf of Guinea by a French navy drone. By the time the French patrol boat Premier Maitre L’Her was able to reach the tanker’s location the pirates had fled with six of the 16 crewmembers aboard the vessel. The vessel and its remaining crew were escorted to safety.

“We are immensely grateful for the support received from our professional advisors, navies, and authorities and to all others who have helped us resolve this awful situation,” said Anders Østergaard, CEO of Monjasa Group. He reported that the crew, none of whom are Danes, “have all been receiving medical checks and are now being repatriated to their home countries to reunite with their families.”

Security services are highlighting an increased threat of piracy activity in the region after a strong decrease last year. Kidnappings and attacks on vessels declined dramatically as international forces increased patrols in the region and Nigeria launched new security efforts. The kidnapping of the crew from the Monjasa Reformer was the first abduction incident in 2023 although it has been followed last week by three crewmembers being taken from the Grebe Bulker, a bulker vessel managed by Eagle Bulk Ship Management. That vessel was lying off Gabon when the vessel was boarded and the three seafarers, believed to include the captain of the vessel, were kidnapped. There have been other recent attacks, especially on tankers where the pirates have stolen cargo but not attempted to take the crewmembers.

“Unfortunately, this and other recent and similar hijackings in the Gulf of Guinea clearly demonstrates the need for joint international political action to face these issues once and for all,” the company said in its statement. “Monjasa urges for safe passage routes and safe zones under an international coalition and we will continue working with our partners, authorities, and fellow shipowners for a safe working environment for all seafarers.”

Monjasa has a long history of operating in this dangerous region and this is not the first experience with piracy. In October 2018, the Monjasa tanker Anuket Amber (9,500 dwt) operating under charter to Norbulk Shipping was also attacked in the same general vicinity near Port Pointe-Noire. The crew from the Anuket Amber along with an anchor handling tug the Ark Tze which was also boarded the same day were taken hostage by the pirates. The 12 crewmembers from the two vessels were released more than two months later in January 2019.
 

THE CULT OF THE ORACLE OF OMAHA

Bid to remove Warren Buffett as chair of Berkshire Hathaway rejected

Bill Allison and Max Reyes, Bloomberg News

A long-shot bid by a conservative group to remove Warren Buffett as chair of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. failed by a wide margin at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha on Saturday.

The National Legal and Policy Center said in its proposal that Buffett’s ties to Bill Gates and his political views could hurt investors as it urged the separation of Buffett’s roles.

Berkshire has said that Buffett will remain the board chair as long as he is chief executive officer, but once he steps down, a non-management member of the board would serve as chair.

Buffett said at the meeting at the CHI Health Center that donations he’s given to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation were his money and not from Berkshire Hathaway.

Speaking in support of the proposal, which was one of six up for a vote, Peter Flaherty, chair of the National Legal and Policy Center, mentioned Gates’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex trafficker. It then appeared Flaherty’s microphone was cut off. Omaha police later charged him with trespassing.

Berkshire Hathaway and CHI Health Center didn’t respond to requests for comment, and the police department declined to comment. Flaherty was released on US$250 bail.