Tag: Aspects

  • World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research

    World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research

    Leading health experts from around the world have been meeting at the World Health Organization’s Geneva headquarters to assess the current level of knowledge about the new COVID-19 disease, identify gaps and work together to accelerate and fund priority research needed to help stop this outbreak and prepare for any future outbreaks.

    The 2-day forum was convened in line with the WHO R&D Blueprint – a strategy for developing drugs and vaccines before epidemics, and accelerating research and development while they are occurring.

    “This outbreak is a test of solidarity — political, financial and scientific. We need to come together to fight a common enemy that does not respect borders, ensure that we have the resources necessary to bring this outbreak to an end and bring our best science to the forefront to find shared answers to shared problems. Research is an integral part of the outbreak response,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “I appreciate the positive response of the research community to join us at short notice and come up with concrete plans and commitment to work together.”

    The meeting, hosted in collaboration with GloPID-R (the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness) brought together major research funders and over 300 scientists and researchers from a large variety of disciplines. They discussed all aspects of the outbreak and ways to control it including:

    • the natural history of the virus, its transmission and diagnosis;
    • animal and environmental research on the origin of the virus, including management measures at the human-animal interface;
    • epidemiological studies;
    • clinical characterization and management of disease caused by the virus;
    • infection prevention and control, including best ways to protect health care workers;
    • research and development for candidate therapeutics and vaccines;
    • ethical considerations for research;
    • and integration of social sciences into the outbreak response.

    “This meeting allowed us to identify the urgent priorities for research. As a group of funders we will continue to mobilize, coordinate and align our funding to enable the research needed to tackle this crisis and stop the outbreak, in partnership with WHO,” said Professor Yazdan Yazdanpanah, chair of GloPID-R. “Equitable access – making sure we share data and reach those most in need,  in particular those in lower and middle-income countries, is fundamental to this work which must be guided by ethical considerations at all times.”  

    During the meeting, the more than 300 scientists and researchers participating both in person and virtually agreed on a set of global research priorities. They also outlined mechanisms for continuing scientific interactions and collaborations beyond the meeting which will be coordinated and facilitated by WHO. They worked with research funders to determine how necessary resources can be mobilized so that critical research can start immediately.

    The deliberations will form the basis of a research and innovation roadmap charting all the research needed and this will be used by researchers and funders to accelerate the research response.

    Note to editors

    GloPID-R is a global alliance of international research funding organizations investing in preparedness and response to epidemics.

    World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-02-2020-world-experts-and-funders-set-priorities-for-covid-19-research

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  • Ministers to agree new global road safety agenda to 2030

    Ministers to agree new global road safety agenda to 2030

    Government ministers and senior officials from over 100 countries will meet in Stockholm, Sweden from 19-20 February to discuss new steps to halve road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030, in line with global targets agreed in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    “The fact that an estimated 1.35 million lives are lost every year due to road traffic collisions is an outrage. It is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at the World Health Organization (WHO).

    Road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5 to 29 years, according to WHO’s most recent Global status report on road safety.

    More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The risk of a road traffic death remains three times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. Moreover, as many as 50 million people experience non-fatal road injuries, which impose human suffering and major economic losses.

    “Most road traffic deaths and injuries can be prevented, using tried and tested strategies,” added Dr Tedros. “This conference is an opportunity for the world to embrace a new agenda to radically reduce the number of lives lost on our roads and re-think how we can provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all.”

    Progress in road safety

    Many countries have already made progress through effective road safety management and focusing on better legislation and enforcement around key risks such as speeding; drinking and driving, and failing to use seatbelts. They have also improved infrastructure through measures such as safer sidewalks and dedicated lanes for cyclists; implemented vehicle standards such as those that mandate advanced braking and electronic stability control; and enhanced post-crash care.

    Improvements have occurred when a number of sectors have been involved – including transport, health, urban planning and law enforcement, among others. Success has also depended mainly on strong leadership and political will at the highest level of government and in close collaboration with civil society and the private sector.

    The Stockholm Declaration

    Hosted by the Government of Sweden in collaboration with WHO, the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety offers delegates an opportunity to share successes and lessons learned, chart future strategic directions for global road safety, and define ways to fast-track progress around proven strategies to save lives.

    The Stockholm Declaration will be presented as the final outcome document of the Ministerial Conference calling for strong political will and international cooperation as well as partnerships across many sectors of society. The Declaration will lay out key recommendations for accelerated action to drive progress towards halving global road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

    Beyond preventing human suffering and major economic losses, addressing road traffic deaths and injuries has positive impact across all aspects of society and development ─ including those linked to environment, climate change, education, employment, energy, poverty, human rights and equality ─ as outlined in the SDG targets.

    Note to editors:

    Road safety is reflected in the SDGs agreed in 2015, with two dedicated targets: (a) 3.6 aimed at preventing road traffic deaths and injuries and (b) 11.2 providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all.

    Achieving these targets would lead to increases in walking, cycling and using public transport, in other words, those modes of transport which impact most favorably on noncommunicable diseases like heart and lung diseases, cancer and diabetes. It would also contribute to reducing environmental risks, such as air and noise pollution, and steering sustainable urbanization, with less congestion and universal access to safe, inclusive and green public spaces. 

    Ministers to agree new global road safety agenda to 2030
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-02-2020-ministers-to-agree-new-global-road-safety-agenda-to-2030

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  • Heavy hitters: Obesity rate soars among professional baseball players

    Heavy hitters: Obesity rate soars among professional baseball players

    Major League Baseball players have become overwhelmingly overweight and obese during the last quarter century, say health researchers.

    David E. Conroy, Penn State professor of kinesiology, and colleagues looked at 145 years of data on professional baseball players’ body mass. The researchers found that the athletes’ weight held steady for over 100 years, with the majority of them weighing in at what is considered “normal,” – i.e., with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9.

    However, around 1991 the average player’s BMI began to rise, and over the last 25 years nearly 80 percent of players fall into the overweight or obese category with a BMI above 25. Obesity in the general U.S. population began to rise in the mid-1970s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    “Research exists that shows how having extra weight can help with certain aspects of baseball,” said Conroy, also professor of human development and family studies. “The more force a batter can put into the ball, the further it will travel.”

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  • Pharmacy Technician Jobs – Positive Aspects

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    There often are several different positive aspects to pharmacy technician jobs. Individuals that become interested in this profession usually are looking to be of assistance to other people. These people will be given an amazing opportunity to help others every day of their career. This is advantageous for people that want to make a positive impact on the world around them.

    Individuals in this profession will be given the opportunity to help customers understand the medication that they are taking. This is advantageous because the social action will be good for the person that is performing the job. Customers usually appreciate when they are able to understand what they are putting into their body.

    People involved with this profession also will have the ability to work closely with the pharmacist to make completely certain that medications are being distributed properly. Answering customer questions is also important so that there is not interaction between medications. People involved with this line of employment often will be able to explain things very clearly to individuals.

    People that are involved with this work will also make sure that paperwork is filed properly. Documentation is a very important part of this profession. When a person has the ability to stay organized and they will be very successful in this line of making money. Organization is important so that mistakes do not happen when medication is dispensed.

    These individuals will also help to make sure that there are no problems between different medications that a patient is taking. The responsibilities of an individual that has this job will vary throughout the day. The various responsibilities will make the job extremely enjoyable for anyone that has chosen this career path.

    Interacting with medical professionals is also part of the responsibilities. Clarifying information in regards to prescriptions can also be part of the job description. Performing this task is extremely valuable so that people do not wind up taking the wrong medications. It will be very clear to understand the obligations involved with this type of employment.

    Pharmacy technician jobs are very interesting and challenging. People that are making valid attempts to look for a fantastic job that will keep them intellectually stimulated will be very pleased with this career choice. When an individual has the opportunity to remain intellectually stimulated when performing their job they will usually succeed very well. Professional success is very important to individuals who are part of this line of work.

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    Source by Susan Bean

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