These resources can help you plan for college more effectively.
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Succeed at college planning using these tools
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To fight the coronavirus pandemic effectively we need lots more data
Evidence from China suggests the way to get on top of the covid-19 outbreak is through rapid testing, isolation and quarantine rather than lockdowns and big travel restrictions
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CND accepts all WHO recommendations on the control of several psychoactive substances from the 42nd ECDD meeting
During its 63rd session, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) accepted all recommendations from the 42nd meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD). This effectively brings twelve psychoactive substances, including eleven New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and one medicine, under international control. Given the potential for dependence or abuse and known adverse effects, these compounds pose a risk to public health and society and are largely without any therapeutic benefit.
Based on an in-depth review of candidate compounds by the ECDD, an independent group of experts in the field of drugs and medicines, the WHO provides annual recommendations on substance scheduling to the CND, a policy-making body comprised of 53 UN Member States. This ECDD review includes a balanced consideration of potential for abuse, dependence and harm with therapeutic value. The CND then votes on whether or not the WHO recommendations for placing reviewed substances under international control should be endorsed.
The 42nd ECDD recommendations included the addition of four synthetic cannabinoids and three synthetic stimulants to Schedule II of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances given similar action and adverse effects to other substances in this Schedule. These synthetic cannabinoids have been associated with impaired mental status, impaired driving, and fatalities, whereas the included synthetic stimulants have been linked to fatal intoxication. Similarly, two fentanyl analogues, with their opioid-like effects, were brought under Schedule I control (strict control) of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs given similar action and effects to other drugs in this Schedule. Two benzodiazepines including the medicine etizolam were brought under Schedule IV control of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, both of which have been implicated in fatal and non-fatal intoxication and impaired driving. A hallucinogen was also recommended to be brought under control, specifically to Schedule I of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, based on abuse potential and non-fatal and fatal intoxication. This is the first hallucinogen to be reviewed in many years, suggesting a potential shift in drug trends. For more information on these recommendations, please review the 42nd ECDD meeting report. .
In addition, the ECDD conducted a pre-review of several Schedule III opioid preparations, some of which can be accessed as over-the-counter options, such as codeine-based cough syrups, to consider their abuse potential. The ECDD recommended a critical review be carried out at a later date.
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King decrees all Malaysians to obey movement control order
KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah (pix) today decreed all Malaysians to obey the movement control order announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday and to give full cooperation in containing the spread of Covid-19 infections in the country.
The order will take effect from tomorrow until March 31.
Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said His Majesty, nevertheless, said that the people should face the situation calmly to help the government and the relevant authorities tackle the situation effectively.
“His Majesty urges the people not to take the movement control lightly. The people were also asked to follow the guidelines and preventive measures issued by the Ministry of Health because this is our mutual responsibility to ensure safety and wellbeing of our families, our communities and our beloved country,” he said in a statement issued by Istana Negara today.
He said Al-Sultan Abdullah also viewed seriously the rising number of positive Covid-19 cases in Malaysia, which was recorded at 553 yesterday and had placed his full trust in the government and the authorities to discharge their duties in containing the spread of the disease.
Ahmad Fadil said His Majesty was well aware that the people might feel that the action taken by the Perikatan Nasional government had made it difficult for them to go about their daily activities.
“However, we must try to understand and be patient because the government cannot wait for the situation to become more critical to take drastic action.
“As the Head of State, His Majesty also called on all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, to stay united and play their parts to help the government in containing the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
“His Majesty believes that with the strong spirit, concern and cooperation from the people, we will be able to contain the spread of the disease quickly and effectively,” he said.
Ahmad Fadil said Al-Sultan Abdullah also decreed all Malaysians to refer to the Online Health Advisory Service or the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) via the Ministry of Health’s website to find the answers to all their doubts and questions so as to prevent the spread of fake news and false information that may cause panic and confusion among themselves.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong also expressed appreciation and thanks to the government under the leadership of Muhyiddin, government agencies and most of all to the unsung heroes, the medical staff and healthcare personnel, the civil servants and all the others who have sacrificed their time and energy in ensuring that all preventive measures and control of the infectious disease were being implemented efficiently.
“His Majesty also called on all Muslims to join him to pray to Allah SWT so that all our efforts be blessed and so that the COVID-19 situation can be tackled and put to end as soon as possible. InsyaAllah,” he said. – Bernama
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ICC-WHO Joint Statement: An unprecedented private sector call to action to tackle COVID-19
In a coordinated effort to combat the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to work closely to ensure the latest and most reliable information and tailored guidance reaches the global business community.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health and societal emergency that requires effective immediate action by governments, individuals and businesses. All businesses have a key role to play in minimising the likelihood of transmission and impact on society. Early, bold and effective action will reduce short- term risks to employees and long-term costs to businesses and the economy.
To aid this collective effort, ICC will regularly send updated advice to its network of over 45 million businesses so that businesses everywhere can take informed and effective action to protect their workers, customers and local communities and contribute to the production and distribution of essential supplies.
ICC will also contribute to enhancing information flows on the coronavirus outbreak by surveying its global private sector network to map the global business response. This will both encourage businesses to adopt appropriate precautionary approaches and generate new data and insights to support national and international government efforts.
As an immediate priority, businesses should be developing or updating, readying or implementing business continuity plans. Business continuity plans should aim to reduce transmission, including by: promoting understanding of the disease, its symptoms and appropriate behavior among employees; setting up a reporting system for any cases and contacts; preparing essentials; limiting travel and physical connectivity; and planning for measures such as teleworking when necessary.
Calls to Action
- ICC strongly endorses WHO’s call on national governments everywhere to adopt a whole-of- government and whole-of-society approach in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing the further spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its impact should be a top priority for Heads of State and Government. Political action should be coordinated with actors in the private sector and civil society to maximize reach of messaging and effectiveness.
- Governments should commit to making available all necessary resources to combat COVID-19 with the minimum of delay and to ensure that cross-border medical and other essential goods supply chains are able to function effectively and efficiently
- ICC and the WHO encourage national chambers of commerce to work closely with UN country teams, including WHO country offices where they exist, and to designate mutual focal points to coordinate this collaboration.
- ICC encourages its members to support their country’s national response efforts and to contribute to the global response efforts coordinated by the WHO through www.covid19responsefund.org.
As the pandemic evolves, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will continue to coordinate their efforts.
Essential information on the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the WHO’s dedicated site.
.tmb-1200v.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=84087804_6 "ICC-WHO Joint Statement: An unprecedented private sector call to action to tackle COVID-19 11")
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Uber loses French case, driver declared employee
France’s top civil court dealt ride-hailing giant Uber a setback on Wednesday with a key ruling that it had effectively employed one of its drivers.
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Coronavirus: How Twitter could more effectively ease its impact
In the wake of a disaster or crisis, people turn to trusted sources for information.
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A Joint Statement on Tourism and COVID-19 – UNWTO and WHO Call for Responsibility and Coordination
As the current outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) continues to develop, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) are committed to working together in guiding the travel and tourism sectors’ response to COVID-19.
On 30 January 2020, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and issued a set of Temporary Recommendations. WHO did not recommend any travel or trade restriction based on the current information available. WHO is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus, to track the spread and virulence of the virus, and to provide advice to countries and the global community on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.
Cooperation is key
The tourism sector is fully committed to putting people and their well-being first. International cooperation is vital for ensuring the sector can effectively contribute to the containment of COVID-19. UNWTO and WHO are working in close consultation and with other partners to assist States in ensuring that health measures be implemented in ways that minimize unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.
Tourism’s response needs to be measured and consistent, proportionate to the public health threat and based on local risk assessment, involving every part of the tourism value chain – public bodies, private companies and tourists, in line with WHO’s overall guidance and recommendations.
UNWTO and WHO stand ready to work closely with all those communities and countries affected by the current health emergency, to build for a better and more resilient future. Travel restrictions going beyond these may cause unnecessary interference with international traffic, including negative repercussions on the tourism sector.
At this challenging time, UNWTO and WHO join the international community in standing in solidarity with affected countries.
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To eliminate cervical cancer in the next 100 years, implementing an effective strategy is critical
Vaccination, screening, treatment and palliative care are the key interventions of WHO’s Draft Global Strategy towards the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem,
the fourth most common cancer in women.On World Cancer Day, new estimates show that this strategy could save more than 62 million girls and women from a cervical cancer death and prevent 74 million cases within the next 100 years – but only if these interventions are used effectively
together.No single intervention can eliminate cervical cancer
These estimates, published by the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Modelling Consortium (CCEMC) in The Lancet, are based on the draft strategy’s targets to achieve a global coverage of 90% vaccination, 70% screening and 90% treatment by 2030.
Developed by Member States, UN agencies and other partners, the draft global strategy seeks to redress the unequal burden of cervical cancer around the world. Nine in 10 cervical cancer deaths occur in low and lower-middle-income countries, where
women lack access to health services.
As Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General has said, “It doesn’t have to be this way. Cervical cancer
is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively.”This new analysis compares the impact of vaccination, screening and treatment of cervical pre-cancer lesions as single or combined interventions. Focusing on 78 countries where cervical cancer mortality is highest, the results clearly show that no
single intervention will be sufficient to reduce levels of cervical cancer in the next 100 years to below the elimination target of 4 cases per 100,000 women per year.Acting immediately on all three fronts is crucial.
90-70-90: a triple intervention by 2030 and beyond
Vaccinating girls against cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus (HPV) before the age of 15 is the foundation for bringing every country’s incidence rate of cervical cancer down to the agreed elimination level.
Right now, however, vaccination is not enough. As a single strategy, vaccination targets would only deliver a 0.1% reduction in cervical cancer mortality by 2030. Scaling up screening and treatment of cervical pre-cancer lesions at the same time would
reduce mortality by more than one third, or 300,000 deaths, in the same period.The evidence shows that when all adult women are screened for cervical cancer at least twice, at ages 35 and 45, abnormalities are more likely to be detected before they become cancerous. When cancer has developed, screening increases a women’s
likelihood of early and successful treatment, as well as palliative care if recovery is no longer an option.Meeting these triple-intervention targets would be a major contribution to target 3.4 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030.
The future of cervical cancer elimination
WHO’s global strategy towards eliminating cervical cancer aims to set the world on the right track by 2030, but it is just the beginning.
At this pace, global elimination of cervical cancer is not predicted until 2120.
While high HPV vaccination coverage is the primary prevention intervention, ensuring every woman has two cervical screenings in her life would accelerate elimination by 11 – 31 years, depending on the country.
If no action is taken, cervical cancer deaths will rise almost 50% by 2030. Approval of the draft global strategy at the WHO World Health Assembly in 2020, and investment in mechanisms to deliver it, is vital.
As the new World Cancer Report shows, only 18% of countries that currently provide screening for cervical cancer reached the recommended target of more than 70% coverage. An estimated 55% of low-income countries that reported offering
cervical cancer screening generally lack accessible radiotherapy or surgery services.Elimination of cervical cancer is possible within the lifetime of today’s youngest girls, but the clock starts now and every intervention counts.
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WHO outlines steps to save 7 million lives from cancer
The World Health Organization (WHO) today spells out the need to step up cancer services in low and middle-income countries. WHO warns that, if current trends continue, the world will see a 60% increase in cancer cases over the next two decades. The greatest increase (an estimated 81%) in new cases will occur in low- and middle-income countries, where survival rates are currently lowest.
This is largely because these countries have had to focus limited health resources on combating infectious diseases and improving maternal and child health, while health services are not equipped to prevent, diagnose and treat cancers. In 2019, more than 90% of high-income countries reported that comprehensive treatment services for cancer were available in the public health system compared to less than 15% of low-income countries.
“This is a wake-up call to all of us to tackle the unacceptable inequalities between cancer services in rich and poor countries,” says Dr Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage/ Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization. “If people have access to primary care and referral systems then cancer can be detected early, treated effectively and cured. Cancer should not be a death sentence for anyone, anywhere.”
Yet, progress in poorer countries is achievable. WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) are releasing two coordinated reports on World Cancer Day (4 February), in response to government calls for more research into the scope and potential policies and programmes to improve cancer control.
“At least 7 million lives could be saved over the next decade, by identifying the most appropriate science for each country situation, by basing strong cancer responses on universal health coverage, and by mobilizing different stakeholders to work together”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO.
WHO highlights a wide range of proven interventions to prevent new cancer cases. These include controlling tobacco use (responsible for 25% of cancer deaths), vaccinating against hepatitis B to prevent liver cancer, eliminating cervical cancer by vaccinating against HPV, screening and treatment, implementing high-impact cancer management interventions that bring value for money and ensuring access to palliative care including pain relief.
“The past 50 years have seen tremendous advances in research on cancer prevention and treatment,” says Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, Director of IARC. “Deaths from cancer have been reduced. High-income countries have adopted prevention, early diagnosis and screening programmes, which together with better treatment, have contributed to an estimated 20% reduction in the probability of premature mortality between 2000 and 2015, but low-income countries only saw a reduction of 5%. We need to see everyone benefitting equally.” The challenge will be for countries to select treatments balancing considerations including cost, feasibility and effectiveness. Each government is tasked with choosing the appropriate innovative cancer therapies, while recognizing that established treatments, many of which are very effective and affordable, can provide benefits for cancer without causing financial hardship.
Note to editors
World Health Organization
Report on Cancer: Setting priorities, investing wisely and providing care for all
The report aims to set the global agenda on cancer, mobilize stakeholders and help countries set priorities for investing in cancer control and universal health coverage. It introduces the principles, tools and current priority cancer control interventions in the context of the current and future cancer burden and opportunities.
International Agency for Research on Cancer
World Cancer Report “Cancer research for cancer prevention”
The report focuses on prevention and offers the most comprehensive overview of relevant research available to date, ranging from descriptive etiology, cellular and molecular biology, toxicology and pathology through to behavioural and social science. Key chapters include discussions on the impact of inequalities in cancer, vaccination and screening, genomic individual susceptibility to cancer and the finer identification of those at risk, which may allow ‘precision cancer prevention’.
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