Day: February 21, 2023

Conflicts, Covid and Climate Change Are Reversing Progress on Malnutrition in Asia

NEW DELHI, Feb. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) today held an open discussion on its new strategy: ‘Healthier Diets For All, Leaving No One Behind!’

The new strategy aims to amplify the growing urgency and awareness of the importance of transforming our food systems to tackle both human development and planetary needs. A lack of consistent access to safe and nutritious food diminishes dietary quality, resulting in negative consequences for nutrition and overall well-being, in turn causing long-term damage to individuals, communities and societies.

1.3 billion people across South Asia have mineral and vitamin deficiencies, while around 390 million suffer from obesity or are overweight. Conflict, COVID-19 and the increased severity of the impacts of climate change have reversed the progress of recent years in addressing malnutrition and hunger in the region. And at the root of all forms of malnutrition is the lack of access to affordable healthy diets.

In response to this, GAIN’s new strategy focuses on improving access through sustainable food systems. By 2027, GAIN aims to:

1. Improve access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally-enhanced staple foods.
2. Sustainably transform the diets of 25 million people to healthier diets.
3. Support food systems change in 10 countries to help meet SDG targets.

It is very clear the world cannot address climate change without addressing food system transformation. And trends indicate that millions living in South Asia will be at risk of malnutrition and hunger by 2050 if we do not adapt to the effects of climate change now.

Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of GAIN, presented the new strategy to partners and stakeholders: “The most vulnerable, who tend to be ignored by food systems, are the ones most affected by the shocks such as conflict, COVID and the climate crisis. Protecting them is at the core of our new strategy. And GAIN will be working extra hard to reach these populations”.

GAIN’s work in Bangladesh, Indonesia, India and Pakistan will focus on working closely with governments, businesses, civil society and partners on fortification of everyday foods such as rice, wheat and cooking oil with vitamins and minerals; supporting SMEs with expertise, technology and finance; upgrading informal food markets; providing access to nutritious food for the workforce within the food systems; and engaging with nature to produce more climate-resilient nutritious food crops.

Over the next five years, GAIN will also radically scale up the impact of its work by designing programmes to amplify the impact through government policy, markets, partnerships with business and civil society, and via knowledge sharing.

Contact Information:
Theodore Sam Kaiser
tkasier@gainhealth.org

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HARARE, Zimbabwe, Feb. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) has been awarded a US$700,000 (A$1 million) grant from the Judith Neilson Foundation, which will be used to strengthen its ‘Akashinga – Nature Protected by Women’ program in Zimbabwe. The program, which has been a catalyst for change across the region, focuses on social impact to achieve conservation at scale, with the empowerment of women central to its strategy.

The grant will be used to recruit additional women as wildlife rangers to defend the expanding wilderness portfolio under Akashinga’s mandate, including one of the largest remaining elephant populations on Earth in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley, and to develop community-based infrastructure. It works in partnership with local communities, where the women recruited for service reside.

Australian businesswoman Judith Neilson was born and raised in Zimbabwe. Neilson’s commitment to the Akashinga program comes as she looks to increase her philanthropic giving to social justice issues alongside her existing commitments to journalism and the arts. Her philanthropy has been recognised by her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia and the awarding of an Honorary Doctorate by the University of New South Wales.

Neilson said, “Akashinga’s strong focus on supporting marginalised women in rural areas, alongside delivering infrastructure upgrades for healthcare, education and clean water are vital for community led conservation having impact at scale. The women of Akashinga have proven this and I am excited to be supporting them as they expand their work in Africa.”

IAPF Founder and CEO Damien Mander said, “The IAPF team is grateful for Judith’s generosity and trust. The commitment in honouring her Zimbabwean roots through the women of Akashinga, who are building new futures for themselves and communities while protecting the natural heritage of Zimbabwe, is indicative of the shift needed in global philanthropy. The health of the planet supersedes the health of all else, and this begins with community upliftment and empowerment. Without nature, we simply have no future.”

Mander a former member of the Australian Army’s Special Operations unit, moved to Zimbabwe and founded the IAPF in 2009, following three years of service in Iraq. The Akashinga program started in 2017 with a group of 16 women, all survivors of gender-based violence and abandonment, many impacted by AIDS and HIV. Their efforts had a rapid impact, dismantling local poaching syndicates and driving a downturn in wildlife crime across the region.

Six years later, the program has expanded from Zimbabwe to protect some of the largest wild landscapes left in Africa. With 3.7 million hectares (9.1m acres) of wilderness under the custodianship of over 500 personnel, the women of Akashinga are making an increasing impact of global magnitude. The IAPF’s goal is to expand its wilderness portfolio to 12 million hectares (30m acres) by 2030, empowering hundreds of communities and thousands of women.

Contact Information:
Marianne Betts
Communications Officer
marianne.betts@iapf.org
+263778386202

Related Images

Image 1: PLEASE CREDIT Adrian Steirn. Akashinga ranger Petronella Chigumbura

PLEASE CREDIT Adrian Steirn. Akashinga ranger Petronella Chigumbura

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• PLEASE CREDIT Adrian Steirn. Akashinga ranger Petronella Chigumbura

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PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Envision Pharma Group (Envision) has appointed Pauline Bernard to the position of Regional Head, Commercial Strategy, Japan Asia-Pacific (JAPAC).

Pauline will help drive Envision’s global leadership as a technology-enabled commercialization, data analytics, and integrated medical capabilities and solutions partner to the life sciences industry. In her new position, she will be responsible for leading the development of Envision’s growth path throughout the JAPAC region.

With over 30 years of experience working in healthcare in JAPAC, Pauline brings a wealth of knowledge to the organization in this new role. Prior to joining Envision, she has worked across several commercial and leadership functions within the top multinational pharmaceutical companies, and most recently in a management consulting practice with a focus on digital technology.

At Envision, Pauline will lead its Tokyo and Sydney offices that have supported the JAPAC region and the organization’s global customers for many years. Pauline shares, “I am excited to join Envision at this moment in time and take part in the journey to integrate and seize the full potential of our products and services while delivering positive outcomes for our clients and patients like we have never done before.”

Meg Heim, Chief Executive Officer of Envision Pharma Group, adds, “Pauline joining the Envision team is another layer in our strategic business expansion. With our legacy of tech-enabled commercialization, value and access and data analytics, and our medical capabilities and solutions for the life sciences industry, this new role is critical to the fulfillment of our business strategy and client success model supporting our clients in the JAPAC region, as well as across the globe to deliver 24-hour support to meet client needs.

“With our recent acquisition of OKRA.ai, now an Envision Pharma Company, we continue to enhance our innovative technology footprint while acquiring leading industry talent that supports our culture and people strategy for our internal and external customers.”

About Envision Pharma Group
Founded in 2001, Envision Pharma Group is a leading global technology-enabled strategic solutions partner for the life sciences industry, working with over 200 pharma and biotech companies, including 18 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Envision supports clients across the product life cycle through a comprehensive suite of services and industry-leading technology solutions that include artificial intelligence and natural language processing, commercialization and integrated strategic consulting, evidence-based scientific communications and engagement, HEOR/market access and data analytics, medical capabilities, and omnichannel solutions. Learn more at www.envisionpharmagroup.com.

Contact Information:
Colleen Carter
Communications
colleen.carter@envisionpharma.com
1 (508) 505 8856

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• Korea’s innovative venture company Jowin declares its expansion into the global cancer care market through the establishment of a global telemedicine platform.
• A telemedicine platform for overseas patients with stage 4 and terminal cancer will be launched in the first half of this year.
• It will provide remote, non-face-to-face treatments to cancer patients and foster local cansultants worldwide

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Jowin, which has shown great results in clinical trials of many stage 4 and terminal cancer patients in Korea over the past few years, sets this year as its first year of entering the global cancer care market and will establish a global telemedicine platform that provides high-quality non-face-to-face care services to patients with stage 4 and terminal cancer.

Jowin plans to launch a telemedicine platform that can be accessed via its smartphone application in the first half of 2023. The platform will gradually expand into the global market after its first launch in Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

Jowin’s telemedicine platform will be available worldwide to cancer patients and caregivers. When the basic personal information and condition of a cancer patient is registered on the app, a “cansultant,” a counselor specializing in cancer patients at Jowin, reviews the patient’s medical record and provides them a consultation service for the patient’s current status and other factors. Afterward, the patient proceeds to a non-face-to-face medical examination with one of Jowin’s oriental doctors and receives a prescription as needed. Because emotional distress is another difficult battle that cancer patients experience, cansultants will provide therapy for areas such as fear of death, anxiety and concerns about relapse, an important service in telemedicine.

Through its telemedicine platform, Jowin will provide patients with a total solution that includes “UNBIJE,” a natural anti-cancer drug made from a natural mineral, “HiB&D,” a nutritional supplement exclusively for cancer patients, a protein supplement to support immunity and nutritional balance, and a “body temperature-raising mineral water” that has been filed to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

UNBIJE is a non-toxic bio-pharmaceutical developed by Jowin with the natural mineral “sericite,” which has shown great efficacy through clinical trials over the past several years. The mechanism of its cancer treatment efficacy was published in “Hindawi,” the internationally renowned SCI-grade journal for alternative medicine, in October 2022. Jowin owns a large-scale sericite mine, which allows it to use the mineral in production.

Soo-hyun Kim, chairman of Jowin, revealed the motivation behind the platform’s launch by saying, “I have been able to give hope to many cancer patients by treating those in Korea who have been abandoned by modern medicine through Jowin’s affiliated cancer hospital for numerous years. We wish to adopt the non-face-to-face telemedicine method to help overseas cancer patients connect with named doctors in the cancer treatment field in Korea.”

With the launch of its global telemedicine platform, Jowin plans to recruit partners in various countries. The partners will recruit and train local cansultants and cancer patients who are difficult to treat with modern medicine to provide them with telemedicine services or medical tours to excellent cancer treatment hospitals affiliated with Jowin in Korea. Those interested in the partnership can apply on Jowin’s website.

CEO Yeon-jeong Yoo, a doctor of medicine, said, “Jowin plans to supply its total cancer treatment solution, the front-runner in K-Medi, to other countries by actively forming partnerships with local companies as we have in Bangladesh.”

Contact:

JOWIN

Sam Lee, Overseas Marketing Director

Tel.: +82)10-5505-4472

Email: lesech70@jowin.co.kr

https://www.jowin.co.kr/eng/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/97d7ac55-612d-4804-aa14-ff6bc57c6b8c

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8753407

February 21, 2023

• 1.81 billion lives improved by Philips’ health technology products, services and solutions
• Philips became the first health technology company to obtain approval by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its entire value-chain CO₂ emissions reduction targets, including Scope 1-3
• Continued recognition for sustainability leadership – received CDP’s ‘A List’ rating for 10th year in a row
• Actively engaging with suppliers and customers to help reduce emissions across the end-to-end healthcare value chain
• With 77% renewable energy usage, Philips is well ahead of its 2025 goal
  

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, has made strong progress towards realizing its key Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ambitions. In 2022, Philips reached 1.81 billion people with its products and services, while further reducing operational emissions, and indirect (scope 3) emissions across the end-to-end healthcare value chain, together with its suppliers.

“We continue to move closer to our aim of improving 2 billion lives per year by 2025, while stepping up our sustainability efforts in our operations and value chain,” said Marnix van Ginneken, Chief ESG & Legal Officer at Royal Philips. “The growing momentum across the healthcare industry and among customers to reduce our collective environmental footprint encourages us on a daily basis as we continue to strive to reduce emissions across the end-to-end healthcare value chain and drive the shift to a circular economy.”

Increasing social impact
Illustrating the company’s increasing social impact, Philips’ health technology products, services and solutions improved 1.81 billion lives (1.67 billion in 2021), of which 202 million in underserved communities. This takes Philips closer to its goal of improving 2 billion lives per year by 2025, with 300 million in underserved communities. In 2022, improved access to care in underserved communities was driven by shared-value partnerships, the development of innovative digital solutions, and the roll-out of new business and financing models that are both sustainable and scalable.

Other key developments within the social dimension include a 30% representation of women in senior leadership roles, increased focus on employee health and well-being (both physical and mental health), and continued emphasis on ensuring a safe and healthy workplace.

Creating sustainable innovations
In 2022, the contribution from circular revenues increased to 18% of sales (2021: 16%). In 2022, Philips saw 10% more returns of large medical equipment compared to 2021 and closed the loop on more than 3,500 systems. Additionally, consumers started to make use of the newly introduced options to rent a Philips Avent breast pump or IPL Lumea hair removal device.

EcoDesigned products and solutions increased their revenue contribution to 71.7% (2021: 70.5%), supported by grooming and beauty products that contain over 25% recycled plastics and Oral Healthcare introducing its first brush heads containing 75% bio-based materials. Demand for sustainable healthcare systems is supported by the MR 5300 with its industry-leading BlueSeal magnet, helping radiology departments massively reduce the need for scarce helium gas.

Reducing operational emissions and waste
In addition to remaining carbon-neutral in its operations (since 2020), Philips achieved 77% (2021: 74%) renewable energy usage, exceeding the 75% goal for 2025. It also reduced transport- and distribution-related CO₂ emissions by 22% through a stricter air-freight policy and optimized warehouse locations.

Philips improved the circularity of its waste stream to 91% (2021: 87%), increasingly recycling, re-using or reducing waste. An example is the replacement of single use plastic in supplier packaging with boxes that can be used repeatedly. As a result, less than 0.1% of the remaining operational waste was land-filled, in line with our zero-waste to landfill ambition.

Philips is also proud that CDP, a global NGO that assesses the CO₂ emissions performance and management of reporting companies, ranked Philips on the CDP Climate Change ’A’ List for the 10^th time in a row, thanks to the company’s continued climate performance and transparency.

Advancing towards low-carbon operations and value chain
In 2022, Philips became the first health technology company with approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its entire value-chain CO₂ emissions reduction targets, including Scope 1-3. In addition, 41% of suppliers (based on spend) have now committed to science-based targets (2021: 28%) – Philips’ goal is 50% by 2025.

Progressing in governance
Philips’ commitment to responsible and transparent governance is illustrated by the publication of the Philips Human Rights Report 2022, in which Philips updated stakeholders on its progress in addressing key human rights over the past year, along with plans for continuous improvement.

Philips continues to take an active role – in collaboration with global institutions such as the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the European Union – to help drive the evolution towards a standard global ESG reporting framework.

For a full overview of Philips’ Environmental, Social, and Governance achievements, read chapter 5 of the Philips Annual Report 2022, which was published earlier today.

For further information, please contact:

Ben Zwirs
Philips Global Press Office
Tel.: +31 6 1521 3446
E-mail: ben.zwirs@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2022 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Attachments

• Philips MR5300 in use
• Refurbishment process

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February 21, 2023

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today published its Annual Report 2022. Philips’ Annual Report 2022 will be on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM), to be held on May 9, 2023. The convocation notice and the agenda, including explanatory notes, for the AGM 2023 will be published in due course.

2022 was a very disappointing year for Philips and its stakeholders, and as recently announced, the company is taking firm action to strengthen patient safety and quality, improve its execution and step up performance with urgency in 2023.

The 2022 Remuneration Report, as included in the Annual Report 2022, will also be on the agenda of the AGM 2023. In his letter to Philips’ stakeholders, the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee explains that the Committee has been very mindful of the shareholder sentiment and the advisory vote regarding the 2021 Remuneration Report cast at the AGM 2022. The Remuneration Committee reports on how it reached out to the company’s shareholders immediately after the AGM 2022, and how the feedback received from shareholders in the second half of 2022 has been addressed.

The Remuneration Report furthermore explains how the remuneration in respect of the year 2022 has been impacted by Philips’ performance in 2022. In this context, and to further align with the company performance, as well as the sentiment and negative experience of the company’s shareholders and other stakeholders, the Supervisory Board and current Board of Management have jointly concluded that it was appropriate to waive any 2022 Annual Incentive (AI) pay-out and any vesting of the 2020 Long-term Incentive (LTI) grant of the members of the Board of Management.

Philips filed the Annual Report 2022 with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) in European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) and expects to file the report on Form 20-F with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission later today (www.sec.gov).

The Annual Report 2022 (in ESEF and on Form 20-F) is available to shareholders and other interested parties at www.results.philips.com. A printed copy can be obtained free of charge upon written request to the following email address: annual.report@philips.com.

For further information, please contact:

Ben Zwirs
Philips Global Press Office
Tel.: +31 6 1521 3446
E-mail: ben.zwirs@philips.com

Derya Guzel
Philips Investor Relations
Tel.: +31 20 59 77055
E-mail: derya.guzel@philips.com

About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2022 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Forward-looking statements

This release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements made about the strategy, estimates of sales growth, future EBITA, future developments in Philips’ organic business and the completion of acquisitions and divestments. By their nature, these statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements.

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