Fortrea stellt umfassende Lösung zur Verbesserung von Diversität und Inklusion in der klinischen Forschung vor

DURHAM, North Carolina, May 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) (das „Unternehmen“), ein weltweit führendes Auftragsforschungsinstitut (Contract Research Organization, CRO), hat heute seine umfassende und integrierte Lösung zur Verbesserung der Diversität und Inklusion (D&I) von Teilnehmern an klinischen Studien bekanntgegeben. Die D&I–Lösung von Fortrea wurde entwickelt, um den Zugang von Patienten zur Teilnahme an klinischen Studien zu erweitern und die Anforderungen der U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gemäß dem Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act zu erfüllen, um die Rekrutierung unterrepräsentierter Bevölkerungsgruppen in klinischen Studien zu erhöhen.

Der umfassende Prozess von Fortrea umfasst fünf Komponenten der Planung und Durchführung von Maßnahmen in Bezug auf Diversität:

  • Die Berater recherchieren relevante Daten aus der realen Welt, um die Diversitätsplanung zu unterstützen.
  • Experten aus den Bereichen Regulierung, Entwicklung und klinischer Betrieb entwerfen den Aktionsplan zur Förderung der Vielfalt, stimmen ihn mit Patientengruppen ab und verhandeln mit den Regulierungsbehörden.
  • Die operativen Teams greifen auf mehrere Datenplattformen, das Site Advisory Board von Fortrea und technologiegestützte Lösungen zu, um den Diversitäts–Aktionsplan als integralen Bestandteil der Durchführung klinischer Studien bei Fortrea umzusetzen.
  • Überwachung und Berichterstattung werden durch das exklusive Diversity and Inclusion Study Insights Dashboard von Fortrea ermöglicht, das umsetzbare Daten und Visualisierungen für das laufende Studienmanagement liefert.
  • Erfahrene technische Redakteure stellen Daten zusammen und bereiten Berichte für die Einreichung bei den Aufsichtsbehörden vor, wobei im Rahmen der D&I–Lösung fortlaufend Unterstützung bei der Regulierung geleistet wird.

„Klinische Forschung, die eine repräsentative Population widerspiegelt, gibt einen besseren Einblick in die Wirkungsweise einer potenziellen Behandlung in einem realen Umfeld“, so John Doyle, DrPH, President von Fortrea Consulting. „Die jüngsten behördlichen Anforderungen kodifizieren die Fortschritte, die die Biopharmaziebranche in den letzten Jahren bei der Verbesserung der Einbeziehung verschiedener Bevölkerungsgruppen in ihre Entwicklungsprogramme gemacht hat. Die Lösung von Fortrea bietet tiefgreifende, praxisnahe Datenexpertise, um D&I–Pläne zu entwerfen, die effektiv und realistisch sind, zusammen mit mehr als 30 Jahren Erfahrung in der Durchführung von Studien in mehr als 20 therapeutischen Bereichen. Wir engagieren uns auch konsequent für D&I, nicht nur in klinischen Studien, sondern in unserem gesamten Unternehmen, da wir unser Ziel verfolgen, Patienten schneller lebensverändernde Therapien zur Verfügung zu stellen.“

Die D&I–Lösung von Fortrea umfasst eine Reihe von proprietären Tools, darunter epidemiologische und Machbarkeitsanalysen, die eine exklusive Kombination großer Datensätze nutzen. Die Lösung integriert auch Eingaben von Patientengruppen, um Einblicke in die Protokolltoleranz und die Anforderungen an die Unterstützung der Studiendurchführung bei unterschiedlichen Patientengruppen in verschiedenen Therapiebereichen und Regionen zu erhalten. Diese Erkenntnisse bilden die Grundlage für globale und lokale Pläne zur Patientenrekrutierung und –bindung, um unterrepräsentierte Patientengruppen zu erreichen und Hindernisse für die Teilnahme an klinischen Studien zu beseitigen.

„Um die Einbeziehung verschiedener Patientengruppen in klinische Studien zu gewährleisten, bedarf es mehr als nur eines Plans, es bedarf der Einsicht und des Handelns“, so Mark Morais, Chief Operating Officer von Fortrea. „Aufgrund unseres umfassenden „Voice of Patient“–Programms und unserer Zusammenarbeit mit verschiedenen Prüfzentren und Prüfzentrumsnetzwerken wissen wir sehr genau, was nötig ist, um erfolgreich Bevölkerungsgruppen zu erreichen, die in klinischen Studien traditionell unterrepräsentiert sind. Bei Fortrea stützen wir uns auf Daten aus der Praxis, nutzen innovative Technologien und lassen uns von unserer Leidenschaft leiten, neue Therapien für alle Patienten zu entwickeln.“

Bitte besuchen Sie Diversität und Inklusion in klinischen Studien auf Fortrea.com für weitere Informationen.

Über Fortrea

Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) ist ein weltweit führender Anbieter von Lösungen für die klinische Entwicklung und den Zugang zu Patienten in der Biowissenschaftsbranche. Wir arbeiten mit aufstrebenden und großen biopharmazeutischen, biotechnologischen, medizintechnischen und diagnostischen Unternehmen zusammen, um Innovationen im Gesundheitswesen voranzutreiben, die das Angebot lebensverändernder Therapien für Patienten beschleunigen. Fortrea bietet Management von klinischen Studien der Phasen I–IV, klinische Pharmakologie, Beratungsdienstleistungen, differenzierte technologiegestützte Studienlösungen und Dienstleistungen nach der Zulassung.

Die Lösungen von Fortrea basieren auf drei Jahrzehnten Erfahrung in mehr als 20 Therapiegebieten, einer Leidenschaft für wissenschaftliche Strenge, außergewöhnlichen Erkenntnissen und einem starken Netzwerk von Prüfzentren. Unser talentiertes und vielseitiges Team in über 90 Ländern ist so skaliert, dass wir unseren Kunden weltweit gezielte und flexible Lösungen anbieten können.

Erfahren Sie unter Fortrea.com mehr darüber, wie Fortrea zu einer transformativen Kraft von der Pipeline bis zum Patienten wird, und folgen Sie uns auf LinkedIn und X (früher Twitter) @Fortrea.

Kontakt zu Fortrea:
Fortrea – Medien: Galen Wilson – 703–298–0802, media@fortrea.com
Fortrea – Medien: Kate Dillon – 646–818–9115, kdillon@prosek.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9146941)

Fortrea lance une solution complète pour améliorer la diversité et l’inclusion dans la recherche clinique

DURHAM, État de Caroline du Nord, 31 mai 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortrea (Nasdaq : FTRE), ci–après la « Société », une organisation de recherche contractuelle (ou ORC) leader d’envergure mondiale, annonce ce jour la sortie de sa solution complète et intégrée ciblée sur l’amélioration de la diversité et de l’inclusion des participants aux essais cliniques. La solution « Diversité et Inclusion » développée par Fortrea est conçue pour élargir l’accès des patients aux essais cliniques et répondre aux exigences de la loi fédérale Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act édictée par l’administration américaine des denrées alimentaires et des médicaments, la Food and Drug Administration, ou « FDA » visant à renforcer le recrutement des populations sous–représentées dans les essais cliniques.

L’approche globale de Fortrea intègre cinq axes de planification et d’exécution d’actions en faveur de la diversité :

  • Recherche des ensembles de données pertinentes en conditions réelles pilotée par les conseillers en vue de contribuer à la planification de la diversité.
  • Mise au point du plan d’action en faveur de la diversité élaborée par les experts en réglementation, développement et services cliniques, validation auprès des groupes de patients et négociations avec les autorités de tutelle réglementaires.
  • Mise en accès à de multiples plateformes de données pour les équipes opérationnelles, ainsi qu’au comité consultatif de site et à des solutions technologiques pour actionner le plan d’action en faveur de la diversité, pleinement intégré à l’exécution des essais cliniques à la main de Fortrea.
  • Suivi et reporting assurés par le tableau de bord exclusif de la solution dédié aux éclairages sur les données relatives aux notions de diversité et d’inclusion des études (Diversity and Inclusion Study Insights Dashboard), fournissant des données et des graphiques exploitables dans le cadre de la gestion continue de l’étude.
  • Compilation des données effectuée par des rédacteurs techniques expérimentés veillant également à la préparation des rapports en amont des dépôts auprès des autorités réglementaires, et appui réglementaire permanent intégré à la solution.

Pour John Doyle, docteur en santé publique et Président de Fortrea Consulting, « La recherche clinique reposant sur une population représentative donne une meilleure idée des modalités de fonctionnement d’un potentiel traitement en conditions réelles. Les nouvelles exigences réglementaires traduisent les progrès réalisés ces dernières années dans l’approche biopharmaceutique visant à améliorer l’inclusion de populations diverses au sein des programmes de développement. La solution de Fortrea apporte une expertise approfondie des données en conditions réelles pour concevoir des plans ciblés sur la diversité et l’inclusion efficaces et réalistes, et plus de 30 ans d’expérience dans plus de 20 disciplines thérapeutiques en matière d’exécution d’essais. Notre engagement sans faille envers la diversité et l’inclusion dépasse les frontières des essais cliniques pour s’étendre à l’ensemble de notre entreprise, à l’heure où nous poursuivons notre objectif de mettre plus rapidement à la disposition des patients des traitements susceptibles de changer leur vie ».

La solution « Diversité et Inclusion » développée par Fortrea intègre une série d’outils exclusifs, notamment des évaluations épidémiologiques et de faisabilité qui s’appuient sur une combinaison exclusive de vastes ensembles de données. Elle intègre également des données provenant de groupes de patients pour fournir des éclairages sur la tolérance au protocole et les exigences en matière de soutien à la conduite de l’étude pour différentes populations de patients, dans plusieurs disciplines thérapeutiques et territoires. Ces éclairages permettent d’élaborer des plans de recrutement et de fidélisation des patients à l’échelle mondiale et locale, d’atteindre les populations de patients sous–représentées et d’éliminer les obstacles à la participation aux essais cliniques.

« Garantir l’inclusion de diverses populations de patients dans les essais cliniques doit s’entendre au–delà d’un plan, ce qui demande de la perspicacité et de l’action », observe Mark Morais, chef de l’exploitation de Fortrea, avant d’ajouter : « Grâce à notre programme complet Voice of Patient (la voix des patients) et à notre collaboration avec divers centres investigateurs et réseaux de centres, nous comprenons parfaitement ce qu’il faut faire pour toucher les populations habituellement sous–représentées dans les essais cliniques. Chez Fortrea, nous nous appuyons sur des données en conditions réelles issues de technologies innovantes, et nous sommes animés d’une passion axée sur la proposition de nouveaux traitements à tous les patients. »

Pour en savoir plus, veuillez consulter la page Diversité et inclusion dans les essais cliniques sur le site Fortrea.com.

À propos de Fortrea

Fortrea (Nasdaq : FTRE) figure parmi les principaux fournisseurs de solutions de développement clinique et d’accès aux soins pour les patients dans le secteur des sciences de la vie. Nous nous associons à des entreprises émergentes et établies du secteur biopharmaceutique, de la biotechnologie, des dispositifs médicaux et du diagnostic pour stimuler l’innovation dans le domaine de la santé et accélérer la mise à disposition de traitements révolutionnaires pour les patients. Nous proposons des services de gestion d’essais cliniques de phase I à IV, de pharmacologie clinique, de conseil, d’essais différenciés axés sur des technologies habilitantes, et des services post–autorisation.

Nos solutions s’appuient sur 30 ans d’expérience dans 20 disciplines thérapeutiques, une passion pour la rigueur scientifique, des connaissances exceptionnelles et un solide réseau de centres de recherche. Notre équipe talentueuse et diversifiée répartie dans plus de 90 pays est dimensionnée pour fournir des solutions ciblées et agiles à nos clients, partout dans le monde.

Pour en savoir plus sur la manière dont Fortrea est moteur d’influence du pipeline au patient, consultez le site Fortrea.com et suivez–nous sur LinkedIn et X (anciennement Twitter) @Fortrea.

Coordonnées :
Relations médias : Galen Wilson – 703–298–0802, media@fortrea.com
Relations médias : Kate Dillon – 646–818–9115, kdillon@prosek.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9146941)

Fortrea Apresenta Solução Abrangente para Aprimorar a Diversidade e Inclusão na Pesquisa Clínica

DURHAM, N.C., May 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) (a “Empresa”), uma organização líder global de pesquisa por contrato (CRO), anunciou hoje o lançamento da sua solução abrangente e integrada para a melhoria da diversidade e inclusão (D&I) dos participantes em ensaios clínicos. A solução de D&I da Fortrea foi projetada para expandir o acesso dos pacientes a participar de ensaios clínicos e atender aos requisitos da Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dos EUA, sob a Lei de Reforma Omnibus de Alimentos e Medicamentos, para aumentar a inscrição de populações sub–representadas em ensaios clínicos.

O processo abrangente da Fortrea integra cinco componentes do planejamento e execução de ações de diversidade:

  • Consultores de evidências do mundo real pesquisam conjuntos de dados relevantes do mundo real para informar o planejamento da diversidade.
  • Especialistas em regulamentação, desenvolvimento e operações clínicas elaboram o Plano de Ação de Diversidade, validam com grupos de pacientes e negociam com os reguladores.
  • As equipes operacionais acessam várias plataformas de dados, o Conselho Consultivo de Locais da Fortrea e soluções habilitadas por tecnologia para implementar o Plano de Ação de Diversidade como parte integrante da execução dos ensaios clínicos da Fortrea.
  • O monitoramento e os relatórios são habilitados pelo exclusivo Painel de Insights de Estudo de Diversidade e Inclusão da Fortrea, fornecendo dados e visualizações acionáveis para o gerenciamento contínuo do estudo.
  • Escritores técnicos de relatórios experientes compilam dados e preparam relatórios para envio regulatório, com suporte regulatório contínuo fornecido como parte da solução de D&I.

“A pesquisa clínica que reflete uma população representativa fornece uma melhor visão de como um tratamento potencial funcionará em um ambiente do mundo real”, disse John Doyle, DrPH, presidente da Fortrea Consulting. “Requisitos regulatórios recentes codificam o progresso dos últimos anos na abordagem biofarmacêutica para aumentar a inclusão de diversas populações nos seus programas de desenvolvimento. A solução da Fortrea traz uma profunda experiência em dados do mundo real para projetar planos de D&I eficazes e realistas, juntamente com mais de 30 anos de experiência em mais de 20 áreas terapêuticas na execução de testes. Também temos um compromisso firme com a D&I, não apenas nos ensaios clínicos, mas em toda a nossa empresa, à medida que buscamos nosso propósito de oferecer tratamentos que mudam a vida dos pacientes mais rapidamente.”

A solução de D&I da Fortrea incorpora uma série de ferramentas proprietárias, incluindo avaliações epidemiológicas e de viabilidade que utilizam uma combinação exclusiva de grandes conjuntos de dados. A solução também integra contribuições de grupos de pacientes para criar insights sobre a tolerância ao protocolo e os requisitos de suporte à conduta do estudo em diferentes populações de pacientes em várias áreas e geografias da terapia. Esses insights informam os planos globais e locais de recrutamento e retenção de pacientes para o alcance de populações de pacientes sub–representadas e abordagem das barreiras à participação de ensaios clínicos.

“Para a garantia da inclusão de diversas populações de pacientes em ensaios clínicos precisamos ir além de um plano, precisamos ter discernimento e agir”, disse Mark Morais, diretor de operações da Fortrea. “Devido ao nosso abrangente programa Voz do Paciente e à nossa colaboração com diversos locais de pesquisa e redes de locais, temos um profundo entendimento do que é necessário para o sucesso no alcance de populações que tradicionalmente têm sido sub–representadas nos ensaios clínicos. Na Fortrea, somos informados pelos dados do mundo real, habilitados pelas tecnologias inovadoras e impulsionados pela nossa paixão em oferecer novas terapias para todos os pacientes.”

Visite Diversidade e Inclusão em Ensaios Clínicos em Fortrea.com para mais informação.

Sobre a Fortrea

A Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) é fornecedora líder global de soluções para o desenvolvimento clínico e acesso ao paciente para a indústria de ciências da vida. Fazemos parcerias com grandes e emergentes empresas biofarmacêuticas, de biotecnologia, de dispositivos médicos e de diagnóstico para impulsionar a inovação na saúde que acelera terapias que mudam a vida dos pacientes. A Fortrea fornece gerenciamento de testes clínicos de fase I–IV, farmacologia clínica, serviços de consultoria, soluções de testes com tecnologia diferenciada e serviços pós–aprovação.

As soluções da Fortrea utilizam suas três décadas de experiência abrangendo mais de 20 áreas terapêuticas, sua dedicação ao rigor científico, insights excepcionais e uma forte rede de pesquisadores. Nossa equipe talentosa e diversificada que trabalha em mais de 90 países é dimensionada para fornecer soluções focadas e ágeis para clientes de todo o mundo.

Saiba mais sobre como a Fortrea está se tornando uma força transformadora de pipeline para paciente na Fortrea.com e siga–nos no LinkedIn e X (antigo Twitter) @Fortrea.  

Contatos da Fortrea:
Fortrea para Mídia: Galen Wilson – 703–298–0802, media@fortrea.com
Fortrea para Mídia: Kate Dillon – 646–818–9115, kdillon@prosek.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9146941)

Why Protection & Participation of Children Must be Elevated at the UN Summit of the Future

By Kul C Gautam and Mustafa Y Ali
KATHMANDU / NAIROBI, May 31 2024 – The United Nations will hold the Summit of the Future on September 22—23 this year, during its annual General Assembly. Heads of state and government and their representatives will gather at the UN headquarters in New York, to discuss, agree on, and endorse a multilateral, action-oriented “Pact for the Future” intended to “protect and enshrine the rights of future generations”.

With the draft document of the pact already detailing fifty-two sets of actions around sustainability, peace and security, science and technology, youth, and governance, the Summit is being called a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.”

Indeed, with post-pandemic political, economic, security, and social dynamics (and realignments) redefining world order, torpedoing trust in multilateral organizations and exposing the limits of international law, urgent action is needed to put humanity on a path to justice and equity.

The world is at a tipping point and multilateralism — the very vehicle of the Pact for the Future — is at risk of being ditched for expediency.

As advocates for a better world for children, including through interfaith collaboration, we applaud the worthy intentions behind both the Summit and the pact. However, the current draft of the pact leaves much to be desired. Children — the very essence of the future — are acknowledged only tangentially or conflated with young people, youth, and future generations.

The pact focuses squarely on adults, youth and young people. The protection and wellbeing of the most vulnerable infants and young children who are unable to articulate their unique needs and rights are not prioritized explicitly.

The fact that children make up a third of the world’s population and that 4.2 billion children are expected to be born over the next 30 years, ought to make it self-evident that protecting their rights and promoting their wellbeing must be at the very heart of any pact aimed at ensuring a better future humanity.

No future without children

We live in a world of incredible scientific breakthroughs, tremendous economic prosperity, and greater gender equality than ever before. Yet the number of children globally who are hungry, displaced and in desperate need of protection, has never been higher.

According to UNICEF, nearly one billion children live in multidimensional poverty with another 333 million children living in extreme poverty. These shocking, historically unprecedented figures are being exacerbated by growing inequality, the COVID-19 pandemic, devastating food and energy crises, a climate emergency, and new and protracted conflicts.

In the last year alone, more than 10.5 million children were forced to flee their homes mainly due to conflict and violence. The number of displaced children around the world is now estimated to be over 50 million, while the number of those living in conflict zones exceeds 460 million.

Even in supposedly “normal,” stable, and peaceful settings, children are routinely exposed to the dangers of a rapidly expanding digital environment, discrimination, inequality, abuse, and exploitation, some of it in the name of religion.

Without explicit mention of children in the Pact for the Future, their specific rights and unique perspectives risk being forgotten. As the former Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child emphasized in February, “If the UN is truly committed to becoming a more inclusive multilateral platform for partnership and solidarity having people at center (…) – children cannot be excluded from the process for the Summit of the Future (…). Children should be both subjects of the Summit and the resulting Pact for the Future, and active participants before, during and after the Summit.”

The child is calling

Shortly after the UN Summit for the Future, leaders from major world faiths and spiritual traditions and representatives of governments and international organizations will convene in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 19 to 21 November for the Sixth Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children.

Hosted by the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, the forum will amplify the voices and rights of children — the architects of the future — as it tackles the issues of building a safe, secure, and sustainable world for children from an interfaith perspective.

With the greatest tragedy in recent memory involving children unfolding in Gaza, there could not be a more fitting theme or a more appropriate place for the world’s religious and secular leaders to congregate, offer prayers and catalyze action to “never again” allow the senseless killing and maiming of children we are witnessing today.

The forum’s ‘building a safe world’ theme will cover the dignity of the child in the digital world; role of families and collaborative communities; building resilience; and strengthening mental health in the face of global shocks, emerging crises, and pandemics.

Under ‘building a secure world’, the forum will address the root causes of conflicts, wars, xenophobia, hate crimes, and extremism; building resilience to conflict; the impact of conflict and war on children; and building a peaceful and inclusive world for children. The last theme – ‘building a sustainable world’ – will tackle responsible lifestyles; hunger, child poverty, and inequality; ethical values and education; and climate-conscious stewardship.

The forum is expected to foster intergenerational dialogue, mutual understanding, collaboration, and adaptive capacity to advocate for and with children for a future where children can grow and thrive without fear or limitation, regardless of their faith, cultural, racial, economic, or social backgrounds.

If we fail to put the rights and voices of children at the heart of the Pact for the Future, we will be failing one-third of the world’s population today and billions of children who are born in the future. The child is calling! We must unite our efforts, intensify our actions, and put the child’s voice at the center as we all come together to build a safe, secure, sustainable, and hopeful world for all.

Kul Gautam is a former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, the Chair of the Arigatou International Advisory Group, and the Chair of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC) Sixth Forum International Organizing Committee.

Dr. Mustafa Y. Ali is the Secretary General of the GNRC and Executive Director of Arigatou International – Nairobi.

IPS UN Bureau

 


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Hisense South Africa Offering R1,000,000 in Cash and Prizes for its Hat-Trick Sponsorship with UEFA EURO 2024

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global home appliance giant Hisense is once again at the forefront of the world’s most celebrated football event, marking its third consecutive sponsorship of the UEFA EURO 2024™. This hat–trick partnership sees Hisense team up with legendary goalkeepers Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer for the 'BEYOND GLORY' campaign, bringing unparalleled excitement to fans across the globe.

Celebrating Excellence: Hisense’s Hat–Trick Sponsorship

As the UEFA EURO 2024™ approaches, the buzz is tangible, especially with Hisense South Africa unveiling a series of grand initiatives. Central to this is the 'Go Beyond Glory' campaign, offering South African fans a chance to win a share of R1,000,000 in prizes, including R400,000 in cash and R600,000 in Hisense products. This thrilling opportunity is available to those who purchase any EURO Cup 2024 participating product between 1 June and 30 July 2024. Simply message “Beyond Glory” to our WhatsApp line (076 573 9424) to enter and claim your share.

Engage and Win: The Golden Boot Campaign

To amplify the excitement, Hisense has partnered with Adidas for the ‘Find the Golden Boot’ initiative. Golden Boot Trophies will be strategically placed in the top 50 retail outlets nationwide. Fans are encouraged to visit these stores, snap a pic with the Adidas Boot Trophy, and post it on social media tagging @HisenseSA and @HisenseZA to win amazing prizes valued at R50,000 in Adidas gear.

A Legendary Partnership: Casillas and Neuer Join Forces

The ‘BEYOND GLORY’ campaign brings together two of football’s greatest goalkeepers: Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer. Renowned for their incredible skills and numerous accolades, these legends are set to add star power to Hisense’s initiatives.

“I am delighted to partner with Hisense and join the ‘BEYOND GLORY’ campaign, which celebrates the world’s best goalkeepers,” said Iker Casillas. “A goalkeeper’s winning reputation is built on reliability. I am proud to represent a company that is equally trusted by its customers for innovative technology that enhances their lives.”

A Commitment to Excellence

Hisense’s ‘BEYOND GLORY’ campaign not only celebrates football but also underscores the company’s dedication to pioneering technology and delivering top–notch quality. This third consecutive UEFA European Championship™ sponsorship provides an unparalleled opportunity for Hisense to connect with consumers globally, reinforcing its brand’s commitment to enhancing lives through innovative technology.

Contact:
Henru van der Merwe – henru.vandermerwe@hisense.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80a66973–f66b–4057–ba55–beb8c5d6a35b


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000963314)

Maggot Farming Creates Entrepreneurs, Saves Farming Costs in Zimbabwe

The maggots that are making animal feed more affordable in Zimbabwe come from the black soldier flies. These are being used in several countries in Africa. Credit: IITA

The maggots that are making animal feed more affordable in Zimbabwe come from the black soldier flies. These are being used in several countries in Africa. Credit: IITA

By Jeffrey Moyo
HARARE, May 31 2024 – Three years ago, 43-year-old Benard Munondo was an “ordinary” Zimbabwean teacher at a local primary school, but now he has turned maggots into gold.

Thanks to maggot farming, Munondo, who has never owned a home nor driven a car, now has both.

In 2020, a week’s training on maggot farming changed his world.

One of the maggot farming trainers posted an advertisement on social media that lured Munondo in.

“Discover the Fascinating World of Maggot Farming! Whether you’re a farmer looking to boost your livestock’s nutrition or an entrepreneur seeking a unique venture, this training is for you! Fee: USD 30. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to revolutionize your farming practices,” reads the advertisement. This seized his attention.

Since then, he has not turned back and maggot farming has become a way of life in a country with 90 percent unemployment, according to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).

Instead, Munondo, like several other maggot entrepreneurs, has become more of an employer after he set up a maggot plot of land just a year after he received training in farming the worms.

He has not, however, quit his teaching job, saying maggot farming, thanks to his workforce of 14 people at his plot outside the Zimbabwean capital Harare, has become his side job.

In fact, maggot farming, which involves breeding and harvesting maggots for various purposes such as producing cheap, high-protein animal feed, composting, and waste management, has become a big hit in Zimbabwe.

Many Zimbabweans, like Munondo in the capital, Harare, who are involved in maggot farming, are using the maggots to feed their own home-grown chickens.

For Munondo, that has helped cut costs for the over 800 chickens he rears in his backyard.

It now costs just USD 3.50 for entrepreneurs like Munondo to fully breed one chicken using maggots, compared to USD 6.50 using soy-based feed.

Thanks to maggot farming, Munondo claimed he was raking in 70 to 80 dollars a day from selling maggots alone, which he said at the end of the month exceeded the total he earns from his teaching job.

An average school teacher in Zimbabwe earns about USD 200 every month after tax deductions and for many, like Munondo, maggot farming has come in handy to supplement his meagre earnings from his government job.

With garbage going uncollected for long periods across Zimbabwe’s towns and cities, thanks to poor service delivery by council authorities, Munondo said some residents are buying maggots to destroy uncollected waste.

“The same maggots that are feeding my chickens are being used to get rid of uncollected waste.”

As maggot farming gains traction in Zimbabwe, even young people like 23-year-old Jonathan Pamhare in Harare have found something to gain from the maggots.

“I don’t really do maggot farming, but I’m interested in them and I started a training company that offers agricultural training, and among the trainings is maggot farming,” Pamhare told IPS.

Well versed in all the procedures related to maggot farming, Pamhare also said, “It (maggot farming) is the most profitable business because your expense is mostly your time.”

As such, added Pamhare, they (the maggots) feed on just anything rotten that comes within their reach.

This, Pamhare said, is cheap, coming more often than not at zero cost, with the maggots maturing in a period of about two weeks.

From his training venture, Pamhare made his money, charging between USD 30 and 40 per head for all the trainees that he recruits.

In high-density areas of Harare like Sunningdale, five kilometers east of Harare, thanks to maggot farming trainers, several homes boast of rearing chickens for sale and feeding them using maggots.

Battling high prices for chicken feed has become a thing of the past, as many urban chicken farmers now switch to maggots to fatten their chickens.

But these are no ordinary maggots, according to many, like Munondo, who has made a name for himself as a thriving maggot farmer.

Maggots begin as what Munondo called black soldier flies—literally giant black flies—which, through metamorphosis, turn into maggots. Pig farmers have also embraced them and are now feeding their pigs the protein-rich maggots.

The black soldier flies, popularly known as BSF here, have a four-stage life cycle from egg to larvae to pupa to adult fly.

The BSF deposit their eggs near a food source and after about three to four days, the flies grow into larvae that feed on the waste prior to being harvested.

There are no latest official statistics about maggot farmers in Zimbabwe, but the Zimbabwe Organic and Natural Food Association has been on record in the media, claiming that of late the number of maggot farmers has been growing.

The reason, said Munondo, is that maggot farming is the easiest.

“Maggots don’t require much land, while they need neither chemicals nor lots of water in order to be reared. Just a small land piece, flies, and waste, which are the most crucial components, are all one requires in order to kickstart maggot farming,” said Munondo.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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Chad: Dictatorship Continues by Other Means

Credit: Joris Bolomey / AFP via Getty Images

By Inés M. Pousadela
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, May 31 2024 – On 6 May, people went to the polls in Chad, ostensibly to elect a president who’d usher in democratic civilian rule. Ten days later, the Constitutional Council confirmed there’d be no change: the elected president was the leader of the military-backed transitional government supposedly handing over power, Mahamat Idriss Déby.

In 2021, Déby took over from his father, who’d held power since 1990 but had just been killed in a rebel attack. It was a coup; he wasn’t in the line of succession. At the head of a Transitional Military Council (CMT), he was in charge of leading the transition that hasn’t happened.

According to the official count, Déby won 61 per cent of the vote, easily securing the outright majority needed to avoid a runoff. There were widespread allegations of fraud. The campaign was marked by the assassination of a prominent opposition leader and the repression and killing of protesters. Civil society fears the results will legitimise authoritarian rule, deepening human rights abuses and further restricting civic space.

No democracy in sight

Since independence from France in 1960, Chad has experienced several coups and a long spell of authoritarian rule. General Idriss Déby, Mahamat’s father deposed the previous president in 1990 and had his autocratic reign rubber-stamped by six ritual elections between 1996 and 2021. Immediately after the 2021 election, rebels killed him on a visit to government troops, leading to his son installing himself as ‘interim leader’, perpetuating a political dynasty into its fourth decade.

The military initially said the transition would end with elections in October 2022, but as the date approached, instead it launched a ‘Sovereign Inclusive National Dialogue’, which extended Déby’s rule by over two years. Following the dialogue, the CMT was dissolved and Déby became head of a new transitional government, with a former opposition leader as prime minister.

The new timetable called for elections by November 2024. More than 60 people were killed in the protests that greeted this announcement, which the government denounced as an attempted coup. Numerous protesters received jail sentences. The government imposed a curfew and a three-month ban on political activity, arrested prominent opposition leaders and intimidated and harassed critical voices and journalists. Activists were detained or disappeared, with some forced to flee.

In November 2022, the government banned Wakit Tama (‘the time has come’), a coalition of civil society groups, trade unions and opposition parties, which first mobilised to demand democracy when Idriss Déby sought a sixth term. Any similar attempt at broad-based coordination was subsequently banned.

If something came out of the national dialogue, it was the need to decide whether Chad should be organised on federal or centralised lines. But the referendum held in October 2023 didn’t put this to a vote. Instead, it sought to validate a new constitution tailor-made to make the interim president’s rule permanent. Civil society and opposition groups called for a boycott, but as with every vote ever held in Chad, the dice were loaded.

Reportedly approved by 86 per cent of voters, the new constitution lowered the age required to run for president, enabling then-38-year-old Mahamat Déby’s candidacy, and required both the president’s parents to be Chad citizens, something his main rivals couldn’t easily prove. All junta and transitional government members were allowed to compete in elections.

As part of a deal to pave the way to a minimally competitive election, the government then issued a general amnesty for those involved in the 2022 protests and allowed exiled leaders to return and run. Among them was Succès Masra, who’d fled persecution and then came back after signing an agreement that made him prime minister. He ran for the Transformers party, coming in a distant second.

Third place was taken Albert Pahimi of the National Rally of Chadian Democrats, who served as prime minister between 2016 and 2018, and again between 2021 and 2022, but who now presented himself as the one who could stop the incumbent pushing the country over the edge.

Conspicuous by his absence was someone who’d been expected to be the main challenger. Yaya Dillo was killed on 28 February when security forces forced their way into the headquarters of his Socialist Party Without Borders. This happened days after a violent attack on the headquarters of the National Security Agency that the government blamed on Dillo and his party.

With an incomplete slate, a playing field heavily tilted in the regime’s favour and an election day plagued by violence and fraudulent practices that proliferated in the absence of independent observation, the results were predictable.

The international picture

There’s no pressure for democracy from Chad’s foreign partners.

Oil-rich Chad has long been a key ally of western states in their fight against jihadist insurgency, working with France and the USA against Al-Qaeda and ISIS operations in the Sahel. While other francophone countries under military rule – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – have kicked western powers out and pivoted towards Russia, Chad has so far remained in the fold.

In March 2024, Chad’s air force asked the USA to withdraw its troops – fewer than 100 – from a French military base. It was unclear why, but the USA retreated, at least temporarily. However, everything else, including France’s 1,000 or so troops, has remained in place.

France – a long-time enabler of Chad’s authoritarian rulers – has been careful not to stir things. In March, France’s special envoy to Africa met with the two ‘official’ candidates, Déby and Masra, and confirmed that French troops would stay.

Because Chad’s authoritarian rulers have long been backed by France, democracy activists have increasingly turned their anger on the country. Protesters have set fire to French flags and targeted buildings belonging to the French oil company TotalEnergies. Wakit Tama increasingly denounces the presence of French troops.

This backlash strengthens French support for the authoritarian regime, out of fear of the alternatives. The French government has consistently backed leaders who underpin its position in the region. This makes it inconsistent in its support for democracy, condemning military coups by anti-French forces in Burkina Faso and Mali but supporting the manoeuvring to keep friendly faces in charge in Chad. As long as this situation continues, there seems little hope for genuine democracy in Chad.

Inés M. Pousadela is CIVICUS Senior Research Specialist, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.

 


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EB5 Capital Receives I-956F Approvals for San Luis Obispo Marriott Hotels (JF31) and SouthFace Village at Okemo (JF36) Projects

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EB5 Capital is pleased to report that its San Luis Obispo Marriott Hotels (JF31) project and SouthFace Village at Okemo (JF36) project were both approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in May 2024. Since the EB–5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) was enacted, EB5 Capital has obtained Form I–956F project approvals across a total of nine EB–5 projects.

These Form I–956F approvals signify that USCIS, the government agency that oversees the EB–5 Immigrant Investor Program, has assessed, and verified the compliance of the EB–5 project. An I–956F project approval is also required prior to USCIS adjudicating individual I–526E petition approvals, the application for a foreign investor to secure conditional permanent residency in the United States.

“We are happy to see more of these project approvals come through, especially on our first rural deal in this post–RIA landscape,” said Brian Ostar, President of EB5 Capital. “SouthFace Village at Okemo is an exciting project, and we are confident its development is going to further enhance the local Okemo Mountain community and its year–round activities in central Vermont.”

SouthFace Village at Okemo (JF36) is a for–sale luxury ski–in and ski–out residential development on the southeast face of Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont. As a rural Targeted Employment Area (TEA), this project qualifies for priority processing with USCIS. The recent Form I–956F project approval was granted within six months after the application was filed.

San Luis Obispo Marriott Hotels (JF31), the other EB5 Capital project recently approved by USCIS, is a four–story Marriott dual–branded Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites hotel in San Luis Obispo, California. The project is designated as a high unemployment TEA and was one of EB5 Capital’s first EB–5 raises under the new EB–5 legislation. Both JF36 and JF31 are currently under construction and are expected to generate over 1,300 jobs in total.

Now that both projects are approved with USCIS, EB5 Capital is looking forward to receiving individual I–526E petition approvals soon. The firm will continue to track the remainder of the construction process and support its investors with the completion of their immigration journey to the United States.

About EB5 Capital

EB5 Capital provides qualified foreign investors with opportunities to invest in job–creating commercial real estate projects under the United States Immigrant Investor Program (EB–5 Visa Program). Headquartered in Washington, DC, EB5 Capital’s distinguished track record and leadership in the industry has attracted investors from over 75 countries. As one of the oldest and most active Regional Center operators in the country, the firm has raised over $1 billion of foreign capital across approximately 40 EB–5 projects. 100% of our investors’ funds are protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance prior to their deployment into our projects. Please visit www.eb5capital.com for more information.  

Contact:
Katherine Willis
Director, Marketing & Communications
media@eb5capital.com


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Plastic Soup, Plastic Islands: How Small Island Developing States can end Plastic Pollution

If not stopped, the annual flow of plastic into the ocean will nearly triple by 2040, to 29 million metric tonnes per year, 50 kilgrammes of plastic for every metre of coastline worldwide. Credit: UN Development Programme (UNDP)

By Sulan Chen, Inka Mattila and Vera Hakim
UNITED NATIONS, May 30 2024 – Scattered over the vast area of our oceans, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are often pictured as blue, serene and beautiful paradises. However, we are risk losing the beauty of these islands, due to the triple threats of climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution, especially marine plastic debris.

If business continues as usual, the annual flow of plastic into the ocean will nearly triple by 2040, to 29 million metric tonnes per year, equivalent to 50 kilogrammes of plastic for every metre of coastline worldwide. Soon, the ocean will turn into plastic soup, and islands will be covered in, and surrounded by, plastic waste.

Despite their small land areas, some SIDS have identified themselves as large ocean states due to their large exclusive economic zones. Their economies are dependent on fisheries, aquaculture and tourism. They contribute to less than two percent of mismanaged plastic waste, yet are disproportionately impacted by both land- and sea-based plastic waste through leakage at every point along a plastic production and supply chain. Washing far ashore from where the waste is generated, plastic waste ends up on the coastlines of SIDS and in our food supply.

Lack of land often means waste is often burned or dumped into the sea. Most islands do not have waste management facilities. Waste management has become a complicated issue. SIDS’ remote locations constitute a significant challenge in organizing inter-island logistics, and limited resources lead to bigger challenges regarding the management of plastic litter.

Many plastic products, especially single use packaging, cannot be recycled due to the additives and variety of plastics, the prohibitively high cost of sorting and collection, and the low cost of new plastics. The first measure is to identify what is of essential use and eliminate problematic and unnecessary plastics.

A national multi-stakeholder process should be established to assess the status of plastics consumption, backed up with solid scientific data and analysis. National policies should ban the import of certain problematic materials based on scientific assessment and public consultations. Field experience evidence has demonstrated the effectiveness of grass-root initiatives both for community level awareness building and for circular economy initiatives.

Given the challenges of recycling in SIDS, it is essential to use less plastics to reduce the burden of waste management. Ecological alternatives using traditional materials can be promoted. Eco-design should be piloted and scaled up to focus on reducing environmental impact at every step of a product’s life cycle that designs out toxins or promotes reuse/refill and recyclability.

Governments can provide subsidies, tax credits, and other incentives to remove market barriers for the adoption of ecological alternatives and eco-design products, and to promote circular economy initiatives.

Small island economies dependent on the health of oceans, for fisheries, aquaculture and tourism and their ecosystems and economies are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution. Credit: UNDP

Most SIDS import plastics from overseas, but the post-consumer products and waste are not shipped out, which makes accumulation of plastic waste unavoidable. As SIDS do not have the facilities and capacity for recycling, policies should be developed to ensure exporters of materials to SIDS to take post-consumer products back for recycling.

Governments should consider the development of extended producers’ responsibilities that collect taxes and fees from importers and/or exporters for waste management, and implement circular economy practices and policies.

International cooperation is essential for SIDS to deal with plastic pollution. SIDS are at the receiving points of marine debris (of which 75 percent are plastics) as they are near ocean gyres. Unless the world ends marine plastic pollution once for all, SIDS alone will not be able to deal with it, as ocean currents will continue bringing it ashore.

For example, in the Comoros, if waste continues unchecked, the island of Moheli risks losing its fragile ecosystem and its UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status.

In Seychelles, UNDP has supported a national campaign “The Last Straw” to stop the use and sale of single use plastic straws, which directly reduce the leakage of plastic waste. It has resulted in a national ban on plastic straws and balloons.

In the Dominican Republic, UNDP has worked with the central and local government, private sector, academia and civil society organization and community organizations to tackle plastic pollution with a life cycle approach, including exploration of local, scalable solutions for plastics waste management with the support of UNDP´s Accelerator Lab. UNDP has partnered with the Ocean Cleanup on an automatic plastic collection system, which has reduced the plastic waste entering the ocean, increased the public awareness of plastic pollution, and inspired national policy conversations.

With the support from the Global Environmental Facility, the Dominican Republic will reduce single use plastics in food and beverages, and scale up circular solutions with policy change, demonstration of innovative models, public-private partnerships and awareness raising.

In Comoros, UNDP and UNEP have formed the Comoros Integrated Waste Management Alliance to address waste management and work with municipalities and communities. This alliance builds upon the shared commitment by UNDP and the United Nations Environment Programme, made in October 2023 to focus on plastic pollution and integrated waste management.

As the SIDS leaders and international community gathered early this week in Antigua and Barbuda to review SIDS progress towards Sustainable Development Goals it is critical to reaffirm our collective commitment to take drastic and urgent actions to turn off the tide of plastic pollution.

The ongoing plastics treaty negotiations should also consider SIDS special conditions and agree upon special measures addressing SIDS challenges, and aim for an ambitious and effective global legal instrument to end plastic pollution.

Together, we must stop the trajectory of our Earth turning into plastic ocean, plastic islands and plastic dumps. There is no time to waste, and no action is not an option. We must stop plastic pollution to secure a clean and sustainable planet for ourselves, our future generations, and all other lives that share this precious planet.

Sulan Chen is Principal Technical Advisor and Global Lead on Plastics Offer, UNDP; Inka Mattila is Resident Representative, UNDP Dominican Republic; Vera Hakim is Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP, Comoros.

Source: UNDP

IPS UN Bureau

 


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Anaqua Annual User Experience Conference to Feature Keynotes from Microsoft, SAP, USPTO, and More

BOSTON, May 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology, today announces a lineup of top–tier IP speakers and panelists for its 15th annual Anaqua Experience Conference (AEC). The event, taking place in Boston, MA, from June 24–27, 2024, will bring together IP and business leaders from across the globe to share knowledge and experiences, and to discuss the future of IP – with a particular focus on the impact of AI in the industry.

Attendees will hear from industry experts, engage in networking events, and participate in Anaqua–led training sessions, learning new features in AQX® 11 – Anaqua’s most significant IP management platform release in 20 years – to help further optimize their IP management processes.

“This is an exciting time for the IP industry as we embrace new technologies, including AI, which could have far–reaching effects on how the industry operates,” said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. “We are proud to bring together the most innovative companies and law firms across the globe at our client conference. By connecting the entire IP community, we can move forward together to address our industry’s new issues and developments.”

Kicking off the conference is a keynote presentation from former Under Secretary of Commerce and USPTO Director David Kappos, Co–Chair of Cravath’s Intellectual Property Practice, on the macro–level trends shaping the future of IP. Other conference keynotes will delve into the specific effects of AI for IP, and will include:

  • Olga V. Mack – Renowned general counsel, IP attorney, digital transformation executive, author, and Above the Law + ACC Docket Legal Tech & Future of Law columnist, discussing the increasing value of human time in the age of advanced AI.
  • Stephen R. Perry – Creative Director at Bailey Brand Consulting, examining the impact of AI on the creative process and brand development.
  • Panel Discussion – Exploring the balance of risks, value, and efficacy when deploying AI in IP practice, featuring Raghu Chinagudabha of Microsoft; Sunjay Mohan of SAP; and Matthew Sked of the USPTO.

“What’s always so rewarding about The Anaqua Experience Conference is watching this global community of industry professionals, who are passionate about the advancement of IP, share their thoughts, insights, and experiences in a truly collaborative and interactive environment,” said Aileen Buchanan, Vice President, Client Success of Anaqua.

The conference will also host several sessions by many IP industry leaders, including:

  • Thomas H. Walls – Bausch Health Companies
  • Beth McGraw – Eli Lilly and Company
  • Gitte Berthelsen Lerche and Ana–Maria Macovetchi – Novo Nordisk
  • Tomoe Itoh – Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
  • Will Federspiel – Reebok
  • Elizabeth Swift – RTX Corporation
  • Camylle Wnek – Techtronic Industries (TTI)

The 2024 AEC will be held at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, starting with a welcome reception on the evening of June 24, a full day of training sessions on June 25, followed by a series of presentations and panel discussions through to June 27. Registration remains open until June 25.

To register for the event, visit https://cvent.me/RY7ZLg.

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premier provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX® and PATTSY WAVE®, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech–enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision–making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment’s need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua’s solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on Anaqua's LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Amanda Glagolev
Director, Communications
Anaqua
617–375–5808
aglagolev@anaqua.com


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