Politico, which first reported on AbbVie's exit, said the drugmaker was also leaving the industry group Biotechnology Innovation Organization as well as Business Roundtable, citing a person with knowledge of the matter.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed Reuters about the exits in the Politico report.

Drugmakers suffered a rare defeat earlier this year in failing to stop a bill that allows the government to negotiate prices on select drugs.

Reuters reported in August the pharmaceutical industry spent at least $142.6 million on lobbying Congress and federal agencies in the first half of 2022, more than any industry.

President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act will allow the government to choose 10 drugs to negotiate from among the 50 costliest ones for Medicare, the government healthcare program for people aged 65 and older or disabled, starting in 2026.

Read also: Abbvie RINVOQ gets European Commission nod for treatment of Active Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis in adults

AbbVie said it regularly evaluated its memberships with industry trade associations and decided not to renew with select trade associations, without naming the groups.

"AbbVie has decided not to renew their membership with PhRMA in 2023. This does not change our focus on fighting for the solutions patients and our health care system need," PhRMA spokesperson Brian Newell said.

Read also: AbbVie receives EMA Committee positive opinion for Crohn's Disease treatment Risankizumab

The National Nutrition Centre has offered some advice to help Barbadians successfully navigate the buffet table this Christmas season by making healthier food choices.

Community Nutrition Officer 1, Carla Ramsay, explained that while this time of year was usually one of indulgence, the basic rules of good nutrition still obtained.

“Include a variety of nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables in your daily diet or on your holiday menu. Also, use less salt in your meal preparations. When you are seasoning your meats, instead of lime and salt, just use lime or vinegar. Use low sodium seasonings and beware of the additional salt that may add up from certain packaged seasonings,” Ramsay advised.

While it was customary for persons to throw caution to the wind during the holiday period with the hopes of getting back on track in the New Year, she pointed out that this approach was not a particularly good idea.

“This is not advisable because a lot of damage can be done in a short period of time. Usually, people are shocked when they see their blood results early in the New Year. It is a season that all of us can enjoy. We are not stopping anyone from having their favourite foods but be mindful of how much and how often you are going to have them. You can eat nutritiously, even in December,” she emphasised.

Ramsay offered a few tips to help persons, especially those with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), to choose wisely when at family gatherings or corporate events:

Eat before you leave so you don’t over indulge on the wrong foods. Don’t save up calories by eating less throughout the day, so you can indulge at a party or event. That generally doesn’t work out well for most people.

Walk with a healthy snack, especially when out shopping. This could be a banana, apple, nuts, etc.

Scan the buffet or food table ahead of eating time.

Choose one or two splurges instead of items you can have any other time of year.

Aim to make the plate look festive by including colourful fruits and vegetables.

Water is still a viable option. Be mindful that most drinks will be sweetened so you can choose a smaller glass.

If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation and alternate each alcoholic beverage with water.

A polite ‘no thank you’ can work. Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed.

Don’t overfill your plate. You may also choose a smaller plate and remember to eat slowly. Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, a quarter of it should be high fibre or complex starches and another quarter could be your lean protein or a vegetarian source.

Also check your fullness level while eating.

“For persons with NCDs, be mindful of what you are eating. The same things that we talk about from January to November
hold also in December. Make sure you have your fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, high fibre and your complex carbohydrates or starches. 

“Make sure you monitor your blood sugar and blood pressure throughout the season. Like I said, it is not that you don’t have the special treats but how much and how often. They should fit into what is considered a healthy day for you,” Ramsay stated.

For further information, persons may download the National Nutrition Centre’s Healthy Eating Guide at this address.

https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/healthy-eating-guide-available-for-download (BGIS)

The post Eat smart this Christmas appeared first on Barbados Today.

However, “the coronavirus will not disappear; it will continue, and countries will have to learn to manage it alongside other respiratory problems such as the flu,” Tedros said, adding that the 90% drop in mpox cases encourages hope for a quick resolution to this health crisis.

Tedros recalled that the criteria for determining whether the covid pandemic is no longer an international emergency will be discussed at the next meeting of the committee of experts, which has met quarterly since 2020 to analyze the evolution of the health crisis.

The WHO chief emphasized that, while the number of cases in both the covid and mpox crises is declining, the world still faces numerous health challenges, citing the cholera outbreaks currently declared in 29 countries, including the one that has killed 280 people in Haiti.

During the holiday season, the already challenging endeavour of making time for fitness becomes even more difficult. From Thanksgiving through Christmas and into the new year, it is very easy to overindulge in holiday goodies and neglect one’s...

These additional benefits are expected to take effect by the end of February next year.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton, who made the disclosure during a statement in Parliament on Tuesday, said these changes will help to support access to health care for the 350,000 active beneficiaries who use the NHF card, and the more than 21,000 beneficiaries of JADEP.

"At the same time, Jamaican men 40 and older and who are enrolled with the NHF will now have ready access to screening for what is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in our male population," he said.

Tufton told the House that the NHF Individual Benefits Programme provides subsidies for three main categories of benefits for Jamaican residents enrolled. These subsidies are accessed using the NHF card and through JADEP for medication for the treatment of 17 chronic diseases, medical supplies and devices for diabetes and asthma and for two diagnostics tests.

"In keeping with the NHF's strategic priority to improve access and enhance customer satisfaction, the fund conducts periodic reviews of the benefits under the programme and in addition receives feedback from beneficiaries and stakeholders in relation to their concerns about the programme," he said, noting that directors approved the changes at a board of management meeting held on November 23, 2022.

In terms of the NHF card, Tufton said there will now be an additional 41 new active pharmaceutical ingredients for the treatment of eight conditions — hypertension, heart disease, vascular disease, diabetes, psychosis, glaucoma, sickle cell disease, and epilepsy.

"This will cost an additional $474 million per annum in order to make provisions for these additional drugs," Tufton said.

The NHF Board, he said, also approved changes to JADEP to ensure that five pharmaceutical items are added for the treatment of five conditions — arthritis, asthma, glaucoma, hypertension and vascular disease, based on specific criteria.

"This will see approximately 21,100 active beneficiaries receiving benefits at an estimated cost of $42.59 million per annum. Jamaican residents 60 years and older can qualify for benefits under JADEP," he said.

Turning to the PSA test, Tufton said that this will now be covered under the Individual Benefits Programme, where males over 40 years who are enrolled on the NHF can now access the test.

"We have some 89,665 active male claimants, 40 years and older, who can benefit from this new addition," he said.

The subsidy on the PSA tests is set at $1,600 per test with a maximum allowance of one test per year.

"We would like to say to our Jamaican men, those over 40 who can now access this benefit, that it is better to feel violated and get tested than to determine that you are infected by prostate cancer at a stage where there is no recovery. Get yourself tested, it may save your life," he said.

Tufton, in his statement to Parliament, said that prostate cancer is a very serious men's health issue being the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Jamaican men and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the male population. He noted that more often than not, the reasons why men die from prostate cancer is due to late detection because they do not get screened.

Citing Global Cancer Observatory data for 2020, Tufton said it is estimated that Jamaica sees on average around 1,500 new prostate cancer cases annually.

"Part of the way forward is to encourage early detection through screening; hence, this new addition to the NHF arrangement. So screening is really about early detection. Early detection saves lives. Screening for prostate cancer using the PSA test and the digital rectal examination (DRE) can identify abnormalities and may find cancer early so that affected men can begin treatment before it spreads," he said.

To access these expanded benefits and others, members of the public can call the NHF, visit its website or visit any of the 106 DrugServ locations for full time and scheduled services at private and public health facilities islandwide.

PAHO Elimination Initiative which aims to decrease communicable diseases must be strengthened to recover gains lost during COVID-19 pandemic

Cristina Mitchell

13 Dec 2022

Health authorities are warning Barbadians to be extra cautious during the busy Christmas season amid a double whammy of a lingering COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in another death in recent days, and a highly infectious flu virus.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Kenneth George said in a recorded statement on Monday that both viruses were presenting some challenges, as he noted that the true extent of COVID-19 cases may not be known since testing has declined.

He disclosed that just below 20 per cent of COVID-19 tests performed were positive while the RE – the number of people in a population who can be infected by a COVID-19-positive individual at any specific time – was above one.

“And those two metrics together indicate that we are still having COVID spread in our communities. In addition, what we also note is that the number of persons coming to be tested has fallen off and, therefore, the number of persons having COVID in our communities may not be a true reflection of what it really is,” Dr George cautioned, as he urged the most vulnerable groups to “go the extra mile” to protect their health.

“And, therefore, I ask that you be cautious around the Christmas period.”

The CMO noted that while the hospitalisation rate has remained low, and those who were hospitalised were having milder forms of illness, “we, unfortunately, within the last seven days have had a single death”.

“We continue to monitor hospitalisation and deaths as a metric to determine how severe the infections are,” the Government’s chief medical advisor said.

“We are indeed facing a double whammy because we have COVID circulating and we also have flu circulating. The flu virus has been typed – it is H3N2 that has been circulating and that has also increased steeply within the last two months. We continue to monitor both for flu and for COVID…. Fortunately…we have not had any hospitalisation or deaths associated with the flu virus,” Dr George added.

He said the Health Ministry would continue to examine the information and report to the public any changes in that trajectory.

“But it is important to note that the flu in some countries does cause significant sickness and even death. The good thing is that there are similar ways to prevent COVID as you can prevent flu,” Dr George pointed out.

“The viruses circulating are certainly not as deadly or causing severe illness as when we were in the throes of Delta. The virus circulating is very infectious, so the likelihood of transmission is high but the outcomes appear to be a bit better.”

The CMO assured the public that the Ministry had not taken its eye off COVID-19.

“We don’t come to the public as often as before, but we continue to run the EOC [Emergency Operations Centre], [and] have several systems in place in the background to make sure that the national response continues,” he assured.

However, Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer and former head of the now defunct COVID-19 Monitoring Unit, Ronald Chapman promised Barbadians that the Government would not go back to the tight restrictions that were imposed at the height of the pandemic.

“The Ministry of Health has no intention at this present time to return to the heavy-handed approach that we had during COVID. You can see that with the relaxation of the protocols and also with the dissolution of the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit. So, we are at a place where we believe that persons can act responsibly, that persons can take stock of their own risks, they can look and see how they can protect themselves as opposed to having persons police every movement that they make,” he said.

“That was important during the period of time because we knew very little about the disease and we had a lot of hospitalisations and we were dealing with highly infectious strains at that point in time. Now we have a better handle on it and it is time that we get a return to some sense of normalcy.”

He encouraged Barbadians to protect themselves from both COVID-19 and the flu.

“As international travel ramps around this time of the year, it is extremely important that we pay attention to our preventive measures which are mask-wearing, which is still probably the best if not the best method of preventing the spread of respiratory illness; continue to ensure your hand hygiene is up to scratch, and if you are not able to wash your hands still use your hand sanitisers,” Chapman stressed.

“The whole idea of physical distancing, those things are still important. However, we recognise that there has been a relaxation in the directives, and because of that relaxation, we expect persons to take responsibility for themselves…. If you are not feeling well, it is wise to put on a mask. You may not have COVID, you may be suffering from the flu, or maybe just a common cold, but all respiratory diseases can be fought by the use of masks,” he suggested.

Data released by the Ministry of Health on Monday showed that the country recorded 528 new COVID-19 cases between November 26 and December 9, this year.

Altogether, 104 944 people contracted the disease since it was discovered here on March 17, 2020, and 568 of those died.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

The post Health authorities urge residents to protect against COVID-19 and flu as cases rise appeared first on Barbados Today.

The content originally appeared on: News Americas Now

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

Despite the concerning increase in the number of persons testing positive for COVID-19 recently, Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George says that with fewer persons getting tested, the stats in hand may not be telling the true and full extent of the spread currently.

Furthermore, he cautioned that in addition to the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, there are also documented cases of the H3N2 flu among persons, and “that has also increased within the last two months.

“[So,] We continue to monitor both for flu and the COVID virus… The viruses circulating are certainly not as deadly or causing severe illness as when we were in the throes of Delta. The virus circulating is very infectious so the likelihood of transmission is high but the outcomes appear to be a lot better.”

In an audio Ministry of Health update issued to the media this evening, December 12, COVID-19 Monitoring Unit Chair Ronald Chapman says that the situation as is does not warrant a return to protocols and lockdowns. “We have no intention of returning that approach…[however,] we would want persons to pay attention as we go forward,” he stressed.

And he cautioned people to mask up if ill. The ball is in the court of Barbadians, residents and visitors to police themselves and take responsibility for their respiratory health.

Chapman insisted: “We expect persons to take responsibility for themselves. So we are asking persons as we continue to work through issues of COVID, if you are feeling unwell, if you are feeling ill, it is wise to put on a mask. You may not have COVID, you may be suffering with the flu or maybe just the common cold, but all respiratory diseases can be fought with the use of the mask. So it is still a measure that can be used extensively to fight COVID and other respiratory diseases as we work through this period of winter…the winter season I should say.”

In the past week, one person succumbed to COVID-19, but no deaths due to the flu have been recorded.

CMO Dr George added, “The flu virus, fortunately, we have not had any hospitalisations or deaths associated with the flu virus, but we continue to examine the information and will report to you the public with respect to if there are any changes in that trajectory.” To this end though, he is urging persons who are more at-risk, the vulnerable groups to take the necessary precautions. “The message is personal responsibility. We will continue to work with you every step of the way. Let me assure the public the ministry has not taken its eye off of COVID.”

NewsAmericasNow.com

Universal Health Day – Recovering lost public health gains in a post-pandemic Americas

Cristina Mitchell

12 Dec 2022