A Brief Look at What Different Countries and Groups State:

• BERENIS – Swiss expert group on electromagnetic fields and non-ionising radiation
• The German Radiation Protection Commission (SSK)
• Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH)
• Expert Alleges Interference in WHO RF–Cancer Review (as reported by Microwave News.

US Wireless Policy: Health Concerns vs. Rapid Deployment

In EMFSA January 2026 News Updates, we examine the growing policy divide in Washington over wireless technology. U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised concerns about the potential health effects of radiofrequency emissions, prompting new federal research efforts—though existing exposure standards remain unchanged for now.

Electromagnetic Weapons & Havana Syndrome: Renewed Scrutiny

In this section, we delve into the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Havana Syndrome, also known as anomalous health incidents (AHIs). We explain how directed-energy weapons (DEWs) use concentrated energy (such as electromagnetic waves or lasers) to damage or disrupt targets, and how research into such systems has been ongoing since the early 2000s. The U.S. military once explored MEDUSA, a non-lethal microwave-based system intended to incapacitate targets through auditory effects. However, the program was discontinued due to concerns about potential long-term health risks.

For more about the historical context and ongoing congressional oversight, read the full news update: EMFSA January 2026 Newsletter

Further Reading: Havana Syndrome March 2024 https://www.emfsa.co.za/news/havana-syndrome-march-2024/

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Link to our March 2024 Newsletter https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/antioxidants-5g-havana-syndrome

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30th of March 2024

Mystery illness among U.S. diplomats did not cause permanent brain damage

Two new studies did not find long-lasting neurological changes seen in earlier research on illness previously dubbed Havana syndrome. But that’s like comparing “apples with artichokes,” says Douglas Smith, director of UPenn’s Center for Brain Injury and Repair and a co-author of the 2019 JAMA report. “The new studies include such different cohorts, timelines, and locations of purported exposures from ours that they cannot possibly be considered as replication studies,” he says. https://www.science.org/content/article/mystery-illness-among-u-s-diplomats-did-not-cause-permanent-brain-damage

The studies:

•Neuroimaging Findings in US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents 

Conclusions and Relevance:  In this exploratory neuroimaging study, there were no significant differences in imaging measures of brain structure or function between individuals reporting AHIs and matched control participants after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Ref. Pierpaoli C, Nayak A, Hafiz R, et al. Neuroimaging Findings in US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents. JAMA. Published online March 18, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.2424 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816532

•Clinical, Biomarker, and Research Tests Among US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents 

Conclusions and Relevance; In this exploratory study, there were no significant differences between individuals reporting AHIs and matched control participants with respect to most clinical, research, and biomarker measures, except for objective and self-reported measures of imbalance and symptoms of fatigue, post traumatic stress, and depression. This study did not replicate the findings of previous studies, although differences in the populations included and the timing of assessments limit direct comparisons. Ref. Chan L, Hallett M, Zalewski CK, et al. Clinical, Biomarker, and Research Tests Among US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents. JAMA. Published online March 18, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.2413  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816533

Editorial – Neurological Illness and National Security Lessons to Be Learned Ref. Relman DA. Neurological Illness and National Security: Lessons to Be Learned. JAMA. Published online March 18, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.26818 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816534

NIH Havana syndrome mystery deepens as landmark study looks at brain injuries in patients  

And in an editorial in JAMA on Monday, one scientist called for more research to prepare for the next such health mystery, cautioning that NIH’s study design plus the limits of existing medical technology could have missed some clues.

“One might suspect that nothing or nothing serious happened with these cases. This would be ill-advised,” wrote Dr. David Relman of Stanford University. In 2022, he was part of a government-appointed panel that couldn’t rule out that a pulsed form of energy could explain a subset of cases. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/havana-syndrome-meaning-symptoms-brain-injuries-b2514795.html

Bears repeating.
David Relman on #HavanaSyndrome in JAMA today:
“Given the circumstances, a coordinated national research effort that examines the cellular, tissue, and clinical effects of focused, pulsed forms of EM and acoustic energy is warranted.”https://t.co/Fw1THOYTfx

— Louis Slesin (@LouisSlesin) March 19, 2024

A study found no brain injuries linked to Havana Syndrome. Participants question the research.

A study by the National Institutes of Health spanning four years did not find signs of brain injuries in people affected by the mysterious ailment known as Havana Syndrome, but the results, published Monday in a medical journal, have been disputed by participants who accused authors of bias and mishandling confidential medical information.

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article286861020.html#storylink=cpy

The Most Extensive Study Yet of ‘Havana Syndrome’ Turns Up… Nada?

Ref. The Most Extensive Study Yet of ‘Havana Syndrome’ Turns Up… Nada? – Medscape – Mar 19, 2024.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/1000433

Havana Syndrome Mystery Deepens Further After Brain Scan Analysis

https://www.sciencealert.com/havana-syndrome-mystery-deepens-further-after-brain-scan-analysis

Havana syndrome: will we ever understand what happened? – podcast

In late 2016, US officials in Cuba’s capital began experiencing a mysterious and often debilitating set of symptoms that came to be known as Havana syndrome. As two new studies into the condition are published, Ian Sample speaks to the Guardian’s world affairs editor, Julian Borger, who has been following the story, and to the consultant neurologist Prof Jon Stone, about what could be behind the condition

https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2024/mar/21/havana-syndrome-will-we-ever-understand-what-happened-podcast

(2022) Executive_Summary DNI.gov https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/2022_02_01_AHI_Executive_Summary_FINAL_Redacted.pdf

Articles published in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry

Editorial – When politics obstructs self-correction in science

Conspiracy theories and false beliefs are usually not endorsed by scientific bodies or government agencies, which tend to counteract their propagation. However, the case of the ‘Havana Syndrome’ seems to be an exception. Unfortunately, for almost 6 years, the dubious idea that U.S. diplomats and spies worldwide were suffering from a novel brain disorder caused by attacks with a mysterious ‘energy’ weapon prospered in the mainstream media. Ref. Valdes-Sosa M. When politics obstructs self-correction in science. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/00207640231207571

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640231207571

Companion article: 

“Havana Syndrome”: A post mortem

Results/Conclusions:  Several factors led to the erroneous classification of “Havana Syndrome” as a novel entity including the failure to stay within the limitations of the data; the withholding of information by intelligence agencies, the prevalence of popular misconceptions about psychogenic illness, the inability to identify historical parallels; the role of the media, and the mixing of politics with science. Ref. Bartholomew RE, Baloh RW. “Havana Syndrome”: A post mortem. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2024 Mar;70(2):402-405. doi: 10.1177/00207640231208374. Epub 2023 Dec 25. PMID: 38146090; PMCID: PMC10913303.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/00207640231208374

Politics dictating on science is like a gunshot in a concert

Commentary to ‘Havana Syndrome: A Post Mortem’

 “scientists should aim at collecting sound data with impeccable methods, not piloted by a priori political frames. Had we done so, the Havana syndrome would have never appeared”. Ref. Della Sala S. Politics dictating on science is like a gunshot in a concert. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2023;0(0). doi: 10.1177/00207640231208373 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640231208373

Why the Havana Syndrome Happened 

If, as Bartholomew and Baloh conclude, there was no weapon and no brain injuries, how could such a catastrophic misdiagnosis occur? The deeper issues underlying the events must be addressed otherwise the saga will never end, and worse, it will be repeated in a different situation. The reasons the Havana Syndrome persists today are the same reasons that spawned the episode in the first place – lost credibility in once trusted authorities and institutions. The critical question, then, is how could so many different trusted entities – journalism, scientific publication, medicine, and government, collapse in failure to perform their prime functions? Ref. Fields RD. Why the Havana Syndrome Happened. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/00207640231212865

Congress to look at intelligence agencies’ handling of Havana Syndrome investigation

Following complaints by some of the U.S. officials affected by what came to be known as Havana Syndrome, the House Intelligence Committee will open a formal investigation into how U.S. intelligence agencies handled the inquiry into the mysterious incidents and why they concluded the ailments were likely caused by stress and other factors and not by an attack by a foreign adversary.

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article285578952.html#storylink=cpy

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The most important topic in this month’s newsletter:

Colorectal cancer in young people

https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/ehs-emfis-jammers-cancer-mm-waves-smartphones-emi

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Four of the original Havana Syndrome victims speak out and share their experiences at the center of this geopolitical mystery. They describe the strange episodes, the aftermath and how their injuries forever changed their lives. From NBC News Investigations and NBC News Digital, this original digital documentary features an additional interview with one Havana Syndrome victim who has never been publicly identified.

Article:

Legal, financial fights mount as ‘Havana Syndrome’ goes unsolved

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/legal-financial-fights-mount-havana-syndrome-goes-unsolved-n1286399

The post Fighting An Invisible Enemy: The Voices Of Havana Syndrome appeared first on EMFSA.

Front. Public Health, 23 December 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.788613

AUTHOR=Foster Kenneth R., Garrett David C., Ziskin Marvin C.

TITLE=Can the Microwave Auditory Effect Be “Weaponized”?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

PAGES=2142

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2021.788613

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.788613

ISSN=2296-2565

Introduction

Brief but intense pulses of radiofrequency (RF) energy can elicit auditory sensations when absorbed in the head of an individual, an effect known as the microwave auditory or “Frey effect” after the first investigator to examine the phenomenon (1). The effect is known to arise from thermoacoustically (TA)-induced acoustic waves in the head (2).

Lin has proposed that the Frey effect may be linked to unexplained health problems reported by U.S. officers in Cuba and elsewhere, the so-called Havana syndrome (3). The failure to detect microwave exposure to the affected individuals lends no support to this hypothesis, and we do not speculate about the cause of the symptoms. The question remains: whether the auditory effect can be “weaponized,” i.e., used to harass or harm an individual. For reasons of effect size and practicality this appears unlikely, but the lack of publicly available information about existing high power RF technology and uncertainties about thresholds for adverse effects does not allow full resolution of the matter.

Read the complete article at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.788613/full

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Abstract:

Every few months, if not weeks, another mysterious attack on U.S. diplomatic and intelligence personnel is reported. Some of the attacks occurred years ago, while others were recounted as recently as July 2021 [1] – [3] . Over the past four or five years, nearly 200 U.S. personnel have reported similar attacks while working in places like Havana, Guangzhou, London, Moscow, Vienna, and Washington, D.C. The acute symptoms include headache and nausea immediately following the sounds of loud buzzing or bursts. The illness and symptoms have been called the “Havana Syndrome” after the place where cases were first reported. It refers to the range of symptoms first experienced by U.S. State Department personnel overseas.

PDF https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ielx7/6668/9557208/09557212.pdf

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Passed House (09/21/2021)

Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks Act of 2021 or the HAVANA Act of 2021

This bill specifically authorizes the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of State, and other agencies to provide payments to agency personnel who incur brain injuries from hostilities while on assignment.

Specifically, the bill allows agency personnel and their families to receive payments for brain injuries that are incurred (1) during a period of assignment to a foreign or domestic duty station; (2) in connection with war, insurgency, hostile acts, terrorist activity, or other agency-designated incidents; and (3) not as the result of willful misconduct.

The bill’s authority applies to injuries incurred before, on, or after the date of the bill’s enactment. Agencies must submit classified reports on the bill’s implementation, including the number of payments made and the amount of each payment.

Since 2016, some intelligence, diplomatic, and other governmental personnel have reported experiencing unusual cognitive and neurological impairments while on assignment (particularly abroad), the source of which is currently under investigation. Symptoms were first reported by personnel stationed in Cuba and have since been collectively referred to as Havana Syndrome.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1828

https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/s1828/BILLS-117s1828enr.pdf

Congress.gov. “S.1828 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): HAVANA Act of 2021.” October 8, 2021. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1828

More on the topic:

Biden signs bill that will give victims of mysterious ‘Havana syndrome’ better medical care https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/08/politics/havana-act-signed/index.html

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Exclusive: In his first meeting with the cohort of State Department staffers affected in Cuba and China, the secretary of state spent more than an hour offering reassurances and fielding questions.

Sept. 21, 2021

By Josh Lederman and Brenda Breslauer

WASHINGTON – U.S. diplomats suffering from the unexplained “Havana Syndrome” used a tense meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken this month to voice growing dismay over continuing stigma and disbelief within the U.S. government about their injuries, more than four years after the incidents began.

In his first meeting with the cohort of State Department staffers affected in Cuba and China, Blinken spent more than an hour offering reassurances and fielding questions, with most affected staffers joining remotely by phone. His message: Those suffering must be believed, and that the administration is doing all it can to investigate and provide care.

Yet, the assurance from America’s top diplomat stood in stark contrast to the profound challenges that affected diplomats say they’re still facing in getting proper medical care, evaluation and benefits — and the skepticism about their injuries they say is pervasive even among some high-level government officials.

Read more and watch the video at https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/tense-blinken-meeting-havana-syndrome-diplomats-complain-skepticism-n1279769

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