Medicaid Work Rules & Outreach: MassHealth launched a public campaign to help Bay Staters understand new Medicaid work and education requirements starting Jan. 1, with a screening tool for exemptions tied to disability, pregnancy, parenting, and certain health conditions. Debt vs Health Spending: The AfDB warns that in West Africa, debt-interest payments are crowding out healthcare, flagging Nigeria and Ghana where external-debt interest can rival or exceed public health spending. Food Safety Standards: Codex Alimentarius Commission CAC49 adopted new and revised international food standards, including updates on food hygiene, allergen labelling guidance, and provisions covering Campylobacter and Salmonella in chicken meat. Weather & Health: Cabo Verde-linked tropical monitoring continues as a low-pressure area near the islands is tracked; meanwhile, heat, humidity, extreme mosquitoes, and high UV are highlighted for health planning. Cape Verde Sports & Health: Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha is set to join Chile’s Colo Colo after World Cup acclaim, while WAFCON coverage notes Cape Verde’s exit and the tournament’s health-and-performance pressures on teams. Public Health Policy Watch: Coverage also flags concerns about “third country removals” involving Cape Verde and other African states, raising human-rights and health access risks for deportees.