Health Secretary Urged to Address Havana Syndrome in Civilians

BLOOMINGDALE, IL, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been urged to direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address the issue of Havana Syndrome among the U.S. civilian population, according to a recent open letter sent by Len Ber, MD, the Medical Director of the Civilian Registry for Diagnosed Havana Syndrome Patients.

Dr. Ber, who maintains a registry of civilians diagnosed with Havana Syndrome, argues that the condition, which has been treated primarily as a spy, military, and federal issue, should be recognized as a public health matter. NIH has not responded to the petition.

The lack of action by the CDC and NIH has prompted Dr. Ber to file a lawsuit, BER v. CDC, No. 8:26-cv-01822, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on June 23, 2026. The lawsuit, brought under the Administrative Procedure Act and the Public Health Service Act, seeks diagnostic guidance, surveillance, and equal access to research and treatment for civilians with Havana Syndrome. On October 5, 2026, government attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the case for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The plaintiffs' response is due on October 26, 2026. The public docket is available from the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse at clearinghouse.net/case/48312.

In the open letter, Dr. Ber outlines five steps he believes the CDC and NIH should take to address the issue: 1. Publish a Havana Syndrome case definition in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 2. Establish a civilian reporting mechanism, similar to the one already in place for federal employees. 3. Add Havana Syndrome to national surveillance. 4. Open an NIH civilian Havana Syndrome research program with a funding opportunity. 5. Name an HHS Havana Syndrome coordinator.

Dr. Ber emphasizes that none of these steps require new legislation and that they do not prejudge the cause or attribution of the condition.

The Civilian Registry for Diagnosed Havana Syndrome Patients collects de-identified information on civilians in the United States whose Havana Syndrome has been diagnosed by expert physicians. Dr. Ber, who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit, serves as the medical director of the registry.