Marketing has a certain set of common rules that apply to both online and offline strategies. There should always be a definite target group to which advertisers communicate their ideas instead of voicing them out to the whole global population. There are many products and services centered on teen and parent audiences who are the toughest audiences that marketers have to face…
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Content and information are the driving forces of the Internet. In an arena where millions of individual publishers are engaged in producing content, it becomes difficult to stand out and get noticed. Publishing unique content that is locally or globally relevant is one of the ways to drive traffic to your website. However, creating fresh content is not always easy, and websites that become stagnant will not feature in the top pages of search engine results. An easy way to keep your website agile without having to create new content each time is to re-share content. Listed below are 5 simple ways to re-share your content to target any type of audience…
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Substantial progress has been made during the past decade to prevent and control schistosomiasis (also known as bilharziasis) globally. The disease affects more than 230 million people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Progress is mainly due to large-scale periodic treatment of affected populations with praziquantel, the only medicine recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) against all forms of schistosomiasis. Regular treatment cures mild symptoms and prevents
progression to severe, chronic disease.
“Through progressive scale-up of periodic large-scale treatment
to control morbidity in many endemic countries, we are closer to
achieving the minimum target of 75% global coverage of all school‐aged
children,” said Dr Amadou Garba Djirmay, who leads WHO’s global schistosomiasis control programme. “But
if we want to achieve elimination, we must go a step further to
introduce snail control in hot spots and in areas targeting elimination.
This is bound to increase impact and accelerate progress towards
interruption of transmission.”
Expansion of treatment is largely supported by donated praziquantel from Merck KGaA of up to 250 million tablets annually. In 2018, almost 78 million children were treated, representing 63% of all school‐aged children eligible for treatment.
Schistosomiasis is an acute, chronic parasitic disease caused by infection with trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma. It is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas, especially in poor, rural communities that have little or no access to
safe drinking‐water and basic sanitation. Infection is transmitted when people suffering from schistosomiasis contaminate freshwater sources when evacuating urine and faeces containing the parasite’s eggs.
Once an egg comes into contact with fresh water, it releases miracidia (hatchlings) which enter a snail and produce hundreds of cercariae (larvae) daily. The cercariae enter the human body on contact with the skin and develop into adult worms.
Besides treatment with praziquantel, eliminating snail hosts and improving sanitation are important methods for sustainable prevention of the disease. Dam and irrigation projects are known to be potential sites for outbreaks of the disease. Snail management,
often achieved through mollusciciding, can help to reduce transmission by eliminating these intermediate snail hosts.
In 2017, the World Health Assembly – WHO’s decision making body – adopted resolution WHA70.16 on the Global Vector Control
Response, calling on Member States to develop or adapt national vector control strategies and operational plans. The strategy aims to reduce by at least 40% the incidence of vector borne diseases, including schistosomiasis, by 2025.
In response, WHO is reinforcing snail control as part of its strategic approach to achieve the target of eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem and, ultimately, the goal of elimination of transmission. Snail control will complement mass
treatment campaigns and sustain the public health impact of this core intervention.
To facilitate implementation of snail control, in 2019 WHO published on specific, standardized procedures and criteria for efficacy
testing and evaluation and in 2017 a manual on the use of molluscicides in the field. WHO is also planning to strengthen capacities
of health staff in medical malacology in order to reinforce snail control activities in countries.
In the past, molluscicides (particularly niclosamide1 based products) were widely used in schistosomiasis control programmes. For example, in China programmes largely relied on snail control for over 30 years to overcome the disease as a public
health problem. In other parts of the world, however, snail control programmes were gradually discontinued and competencies faded away.
“Snail control is a crucial component of the global schistosomiasis elimination strategy,” said Dr Rajpal Yadav, Scientist, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. “It
is time we look for new snail control products that are cost–effective
and of low risk to humans and the environment. Some efforts are being
made to explore molluscicide compounds from plants, marine algae and
microorganisms.”
An integrated control strategy involving mass treatment with praziquantel, snail control and environmental modification, wider access to sanitation and safe water, economic and environmental development, health education and poverty-alleviation can greatly
contribute to sustainable control and elimination of schistosomiasis.
WHO’s new road map on neglected tropical diseases for 2021–2030, due to be launched later this year, advocates enhanced financial and political support to achieve the target of interruption of transmission. Additional research to address gaps,
develop tools and optimize the impact of existing programmes with snail control will complement the core strategic approach.
There are two major forms of schistosomiasis – intestinal and urogenital.
Intestinal schistosomiasis usually results in diarrhoea and blood in the stool; enlargement of the liver and of the spleen and portal hypertension are common in advanced cases.
Urogenital schistosomiasis is characterized by the presence of blood in the urine. Chronic infection results in fibrosis of the bladder and ureter that can evolve to hydronephrosis and create conditions for bladder cancer.
In women, urogenital schistosomiasis can cause vaginal bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse and nodules in the vulva, a condition now described as female genital schistosomiasis. In men, urogenital schistosomiasis can induce disease in the seminal
vesicles and prostate.
1Limitations with the use of formulations based on niclosamide include restrictions on the usage of water immediately after application and temporary toxicity to non-target aquatic organisms including
fish, amphibians and invertebrates.
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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government will issue full payments for April to June to rickshaw peddlers affected by the Covid-19 outbreak next month.
State Tourism Development, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said each rickshaw peddler would receive a sum of RM500, which included an allowance of RM300 and a one-off cash assistance of RM200.
“I have communicated with various sectors to understand the needs of the various parties and I have also conveyed the needs and recommendations to the state government to get the best help for them.
“The payout is expected to benefit about 318 peddlers,“ he said in a statement today.
The state government previously allocated RM100 a month to peddlers in the state to help those with no fixed income.
Yeoh said a total of 1,367 tour guides registered with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture would also receive a one-off cash assistance worth RM500 each.
“10,000 e-hailing drivers in Penang will also receive RM300 one-off assistance while 2,248 taxi drivers will benefit from an initial incentive payment of RM300 with an additional RM200 one-off.
“All of these assistance is part of the Penang People’s Aid Package announced by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow yesterday. I will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the people and sectors that need the most help will benefit, ” he said.
Yesterday, Chow announced a RM75 million People’s Aid Package to be distributed to 15 target groups involving over 400,000 recipients who are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. – Bernama
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PUTRAJAYA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is pleased with Malaysia’s level of preparedness in handling the Covid-19 pandemic.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pix) said the matter was learned at a recent meeting between the WHO and the Ministry of Health (MOH).
“What Malaysia is doing is the first method, the MCO (Movement Control Order),“ he told reporters at a media conference at MOH, here today.
Dr Noor Hisham said Malaysia’s second method of controlling Covid-19 transmission was by conducting active case detection or identifying positive case patients – searching, testing, isolating and treating.
In addition, Malaysia also identified the Covid-19 target groups – those who attended the tabligh gathering at the Sri Petaling Mosque, illegal immigrants and the Rohingya community, he said.
He said the MoH had also consulted with the local authorities to carry out cleanup exercises of public areas which is expected to be implemented within the next two days.
Asked about the number of doctors in Malaysia at the moment, he said so far there were enough doctors, and the ministry is in the process of recalling 3,000 retired nurses and health workers.
“However, the MoH did not wait for all 3,000 retired medical personnel to come forward to register for employment. For example those who have skills in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and ward have been employed. More than 1,000 retired personnel are already placed in Sungai Buloh Hospital,” he said.
Asked about the teleconference between MOH officials and doctors from China in the afternoon, Dr Noor Hisham said Malaysia wanted to know about the new method used by China in treating Covid-19.
“For example the use of Avigan (medicine). The side effects need to be studied first. Even though it is not registered in Malaysia it can get the approval of the director-general of health,” he said.
He added among the new methods shared by China is to use the blood of patients who have healed, as plasma to thicken the antibody.
“But MoH is unsure whether this approach is effective or not,“ he added. – Bernama
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KOTA KINABALU: In an effort to curb Covid-19 outbreak, the Sabah government issued several more new directives today including a 14-day quarantine order at designated centres for individuals and students from overseas who entered the state directly.
State secretary Datuk Safar Untong said students and individuals who came back to Sabah from other states during the Movement Control Order (MCO) would be issued a stay-home notice and required to do self-quarantine at home for 14 days.
“Sabah Covid-19 Command Centre today also wants to inform that food aid distribution to groups who are directly affected by the pandemic, has begun from 3pm yesterday.
“A big portion of this aid is expected to reach the target group by today, while the rest would be handed over soon,” he said in a statement here.
Safar said the one-off RM500 special aid allowance to the poor and hardcore poor would be paid via online starting today by the district offices.
“For those without bank account, payment would be done by cash, while the RM300 one-off assistance to the B40 group or badly affected groups namely taxi drivers, farmers, fishermen, breeders, mountain guides and porters, as well as freelance tour guides, would be credited into to their respective accounts starting today,” he said.
Safar added that for vulnerable groups such as elders, orphans, and the disabled, involving 62,638 people and single mothers (6,500) in the state, the RM300 would be credited beginning tomorrow. – Bernama
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Your target asset mix is like a bull’s-eye. Zero in on it, stay focused, and tune out the distractions around you so you can reach your goal.
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At this unique time in history when the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes stands in solidarity with governments and communities as they seek to maintain health services
and continue to address the needs of patients suffering from HIV and tuberculosis (TB).
Despite being preventable and treatable, tuberculosis remains the world’s biggest infectious killer and the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLHIV), responsible for 32% of the 770 000 lives lost to HIV in 2018. People
living with HIV are far more vulnerable (nearly 20 times more) to TB infection than people without HIV and are three times more likely to die during TB treatment.
While there are proven interventions that reduce TB deaths – such as provision of TB preventive treatment, adoption of novel diagnostics for earlier TB diagnosis and linkage to treatment, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) – we are far behind
in scaling these up, and diagnostic and treatment gaps remain, with only half of estimated TB cases among PLHIV reaching care in 2018, only half of estimated PLHIV with TB receiving ART, and less than half of PLHIV new on ART initiating TB preventive
treatment in a subset of countries which reported globally.
On this World TB Day, WHO highlights two key interventions to reduce unnecessary TB deaths among PLHIV:
As the new Director for the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes, I support current efforts to continue and to take to scale TB activities. It’s Time for solidarity!
HIV programmes are encouraged to ensure that TB preventive treatment, including shorter WHO-recommended regimens, with updated guidance launched today, are provided to all eligible PLHIV as part of a routine package of care, including provision of ART, and that treatment completion is ensured.
In recent months, WHO has also released guidelines for use of a bedside urine TB-LAM test to accelerate earlier TB diagnosis, with significantly expanded eligibility criteria. As this test is “point of care” with the potential for earlier
TB diagnosis and treatment initiation, HIV programmes should consider these recommendations as they enhance strategies for TB diagnosis among PLHIV, including as part of a routine package of advanced HIV care.
It’s Time to urgently scale up TB preventive treatment and TB diagnosis and strengthen referral and linkages to TB treatment at HIV service delivery points in all countries and continue to scale-up ART among PLHIV with TB. This applies to all populations
at risk, including children, pregnant women and marginalized groups, to ensure no one is left behind.
WHO calls for continued collaboration in countries across health programmes for harmonized and integrated policies and service delivery, and engagement with communities and other sectors. Unless HIV programmes scale up interventions to close these
gaps in prevention, diagnosis and treatment both for TB and HIV, countries and their development partners will not meet our common target: a 75% reduction in TB deaths among PLHIV between 2010 and 2020. HIV mortality cannot be reduced without addressing
the leading cause: tuberculosis.
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