Category Archives: Medical/Health Care
Varian Halcyon Systems Expand Access to Cancer Care at Three Centers in Africa
PALO ALTO, California, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Designed to expand the availability of high quality cancer care globally and help save the lives of millions more cancer patients, treatments with Varian’s (NYSE: VAR) Halcyon™ system have started at three different cancer centers in northern and southern Africa. Halcyon simplifies and enhances virtually every aspect of image-guided volumetric intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), including improved patient comfort and shortening the time from installation to first treatment without sacrificing quality.
The cancer centers now offering Halcyon treatments in Africa are Clinique le Littoral Casablanca and Centre d’Oncologie Nakhil Rabat in Morocco, and Busamed Oncology Center- Hillcrest in South Africa.
- Clinique le Littoral Casablanca, Morocco was the first Halcyon installation in Africa and was selected over other available solutions to help address the cancer center’s growing patient volume, and as a complement to their existing capabilities.
- Centre d’Oncologie Nakhil Rabat, Morocco was able to have the system installed, commissioned, staff trained and begin treating patients in just two weeks. Since beginning Halcyon treatments in January 2018, the center is already providing care to over 70 patients per day on this system as part of their expanding state-of-the-art techniques including IGRT, RapidArc and SBRT using other Varian equipment exclusively.
- Busamed Oncology Center- Hillcrest, South Africa was the first Halcyon installation in Sub-Sahara Africa. This project is a symbol of a successful collaboration between the oncology center, Varian and partners for responding to the oncology need in the province. The fast installation process, ease of customer training, useful QA tools, and seamless workflows allowed the center to quickly begin offering treatments with the new system.
With the innovations in Halcyon, the system delivers high quality treatments, which empowers clinicians to care for more patients. Halcyon features a streamlined workflow that only requires nine steps from the start to the end of treatment compared to up to more than 30 steps with older technologies. To assist in the reduction of time and construction costs from installation to first patient treatment, Halcyon offers expedited commissioning, requires less shielding than traditional systems, can fit in the majority of existing small vaults and can be installed in two weeks or less. Several cancer centers have already begun treating patients with Halcyon including Radiation Oncology Centres (Australia), University Hospitals Leuven (Belgium), Queen’s Hospital (England), and Penn Medicine (U.S.).
“We are proud of our collaboration with these centers in Africa and increasing the access to high quality cancer treatments with Halcyon,” said Jean-LucDevleeschauwer, president, Varian Oncology Systems EMEIA. “We look forward to working with more centers across the region, and around the world, in the global fight against cancer.”
About Varian
Varian is a leader in developing and delivering cancer care solutions, and is focused on creating a world without fear of cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs approximately 6,500 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.
Press Contact
Mark Plungy
Director, Public Relations
+1 (650) 424-5630
mark.plungy@varian.com
Investor Relations Contact
J. Michael Bruff
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations
+1 (650) 424-5163
investors@varian.com
Leading Bed Net Manufacturer, Vestergaard, Meets WHO’s Approval For PBO Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets With PermaNet® 3.0, A Next Generation Bednet
Advanced technology offers increased efficacy against mosquitoes resistant to the insecticide currently approved for use in bed nets
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, April 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Vestergaard, the leading manufacturer of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINS) to prevent malaria, celebrates PermaNet® 3.0 following the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) approval of a new class of LLINs, called PBO (piperonyl butoxide) LLINs. PermaNet® 3.0 provides increased efficacy against insecticide resistant mosquitoes in areas of high malaria transmission.
The WHO announcement of the approval of PBO LLINs for deployment came at the 7th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria meeting, and was based on recently published epidemiological evidence. In making the announcement, Dr. Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, acknowledged the need for new and improved vector control tools to fight growing insecticide resistance in malaria epidemic regions.
LLINs are largely credited with reducing malaria cases by 68 percent in Africa, and individual access to LLINs increased from 34 percent in 2010 to 61 percent in 2016. Experts, however, have reported increased resistance to pyrethroids, the insecticide approved for bed nets. This was verified in the WHO 2017 World Malaria Report which cites a ten percent increase of resistance to pyrethroids in malaria endemic countries, from 71 percent in 2010 to 81 percent in 2016. There were five million additional cases of malaria reported, and no reduction in deaths (remaining at 445,000). This reverses a 15-year trend of significant reduction in malaria cases and deaths.
PBO nets – a new level of effective coverage
PermaNet® 3.0 increases the efficacy against mosquitoes that are resistant to the currently approved insecticide used in bed nets by blocking the metabolic enzymes that the mosquito uses to break down the insecticide. The net is backed by ten years of rigorous research and is uniquely designed to fight resistance. PermaNet® 3.0 was the first PBO LLIN on the market and the first approved by WHO for increased efficacy against metabolic resistant malaria vectors.
As a ramp up to procurement, PermaNet® 3.0 is registered across most malaria-endemic countries and is an early market leader with the most deployed PBO nets. To date, more than 10 million PermaNet® 3.0 nets are utilized globally as part of a customized approach to vector control.
Vestergaard’s CEO Mikkel Vestergaard notes the importance of the WHO announcement. “The bed net is a simple intervention, easy to give out, easy to use and designed to last for at least three years. From a cost-effective point of view, nets are one of the cheapest ways to save lives,” he says. “The WHO endorsement ensures that more effective nets that kill resistant mosquitoes are used. This more tailored approach encourages the use of the most effective tools within a local context.”
PBO LLINs are a major step forward in establishing a path to bring new vector control products to market. PBO nets can prevent 500 more cases per 1000 people per year than a standard net. The WHO announcement encourages national malaria control programmes and their partners to deploy pyrethroid-PBO nets in areas of confirmed pyrethroid resistance, and the new product class enables countries to start considering which LLIN is most appropriate for their setting.
About Vestergaard and PermaNet®
PermaNet® 3.0 builds on the success of PermaNet® 2.0, the world’s most purchased net, and more than 1.5 billion people having benefited from PermaNet® bed nets. PermaNet® 2.0, introduced in 2004, was the first long-lasting insecticidal net brought to scale, which made bed nets affordable, and created a viable market.
PermaNet® is manufactured by Vestergaard, an innovative leader in the global war against diseases, especially those impacting vulnerable populations across the globe. It has among the largest production capacities in the industry and has scaled up over 10 years for consistent quality. The is a preferred supplier for humanitarian aid agencies because of the highest and most consistent product quality.
Vestergaard focuses on research-based innovation and the development of solutions that fit the needs of the communities it serves. To combat the threat of insecticide resistance, the company continues to innovate the next generation of bed nets and partner with the private sector and multilaterals to distribute products while making sure the company is part of the ongoing dialogue fighting disease. To bolster scientific research, Vestergaard runs a vector research lab in Ghana in partnership with Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and has developed an online tool (released in 2012) to map insecticide resistance (www.IRMapper.com).
Vestergaard is #ReadytoBeatMalaria.
Link to infographics and photos: https://bit.ly/2HnMPnS
Contact:
Meryl Rader
Communications
Vestergaard
mer@vestergaard.com
+1-908-528-3826
World’s Leading Health Organizations Release Third Edition of Widely Used Resource on Family Planning
Global Handbook Gives Health-Care Providers Accurate and Practical Guidance for Counseling Clients
NEW DELHI, Feb. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Family planning is considered a development “best buy” and a life-saving intervention for millions of women and girls. Crucial to the success of family planning efforts worldwide is a well-educated and trained health workforce. In support of the global family planning workforce, a new edition of Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers, commonly known as the Global Handbook, will be released on February 15 in New Delhi, India, at the 2018 Regional Consortium Meeting of the Implementing Best Practices (IBP) Initiative.
Written in plain terms and organized for quick review, the Global Handbook has served as the world’s standard reference on family planning methods and related topics since its first publication in 2006. To date, more than 500,000 copies have been distributed in 13 languages. This will be the third edition published jointly by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project. The Global Handbook is endorsed by more than 125 organizations worldwide, many of them members of the IBP Initiative.
“The Global Handbook confirms that all women, including adolescent girls and young women, can safely use almost any contraceptive method,” says Dr. Ian Askew, Director of WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research. “Providing most contraceptive methods is typically not complicated and can be done in a way that respects the dignity and autonomy of every client.”
The new edition includes information about available and new methods, including the LNG-IUD and implants, long-acting reversible methods; subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC), with the potential for self-injection; and the new progesterone-releasing vaginal ring for breastfeeding women. Other updates include:
- New recommendations from WHO, including guidance on topics such as intimate partner violence, task sharing, and serving clients with disabilities.
- A new section on how family planning providers should respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of their clients.
- New job aids on whether to use the pregnancy checklist or a pregnancy test and on counseling women who want progestin-only injectables where HIV risk is high.
“With the information included in the Global Handbook and the right resources, providers can ensure that a client’s reproductive intentions, life situation, and preferences govern their family planning decisions,” said Ellen Starbird, Director of USAID’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health.
The third edition of the Global Handbook is available in English and will soon be translated into French and Spanish. All printed copies are distributed with a free copy of “Do You Know Your Family Planning Choices?,” a wall chart summarizing each contraceptive method, which providers can display for clients. A redesigned Global Handbook website, www.fphandbook.org, is also being launched today.
To download the Global Handbook or to order printed copies, please visit www.fphandbook.org.
About the Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project
K4Health shares accurate, up-to-date knowledge and tools to strengthen family planning and reproductive health efforts worldwide. K4Health is supported by U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health, under Cooperative Agreement #AID-OAA-A-13-00068 with the Johns Hopkins University. The project is led by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs in collaboration with FHI 360, IntraHealth International, and Management Sciences for Health.
Contact: Anne Kott (anne.kott@jhu.edu)
The Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project
Les principaux organismes de santé du monde publient la troisième édition d’une ressource largement utilisée en matière de planification familiale
Un guide mondial à l’intention des prestataires de soins de santé fournissant des conseils précis et pratiques pour le conseil des clients
NEW DELHI, 13 février 2018 /PRNewswire/ — La planification familiale est considérée comme un « excellent choix » en matière de développement et une intervention vitale pour des millions de femmes et de filles. Pour que les efforts de planification familiale soient couronnés de succès dans le monde entier, il est essentiel de disposer d’un personnel de santé bien formé et bien éduqué. À l’appui des intervenants mondiaux de la planification familiale, une nouvelle édition de la Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers (Planification familiale : guide international pour les prestataires), communément appelé le guide international (Global Handbook), sera publié le 15 février à New Delhi, en Inde, lors de la réunion du Implementing Best Practices (IBP, consortium régional 2018 de l’initiative de mise en œuvre des meilleures pratiques).
Rédigé en termes clairs et organisé pour pouvoir être consulté rapidement, le guide international a servi de référence normative internationale sur les méthodes de planification familiale et les sujets connexes depuis sa première publication en 2006. À ce jour, plus de 500 000 exemplaires ont été distribués dans 13 langues. Ce sera la troisième édition publiée conjointement par la Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (école de santé publique Johns Hopkins Bloomberg) et l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), avec le soutien de l’Agence américaine pour le développement international (USAID) et son projet Knowledge for Health (K4Health). Le guide international est approuvé par plus de 125 organisations à travers le monde, dont beaucoup sont membres de l’initiative IBP.
« Le guide international confirme que toutes les femmes, y compris les filles et les jeunes femmes, peuvent utiliser pratiquement n’importe quelle méthode contraceptive », a déclaré le Dr Ian Askew, directeur du département de la santé et de la recherche génésique de l’OMS. « Fournir la plupart des méthodes contraceptives n’est généralement pas compliqué et peut être fait d’une manière qui respecte la dignité et l’autonomie de chaque client ».
La nouvelle édition comprend des informations sur les méthodes disponibles et nouvelles, dont le DIU-LNG et les implants, les méthodes réversibles à action prolongée ; l’acétate de médroxyprogestérone retard sous-cutané (AMPR-SC) avec possibilité d’auto-injection ; et le nouvel anneau vaginal libérant de la progestérone pour les femmes qui allaitent. D’autres mises à jour incluent :
- De nouvelles recommandations de l’OMS, y compris des conseils sur des sujets tels que la violence conjugale, le partage des tâches et le service aux clients handicapés.
- Une nouvelle section sur la façon dont les prestataires de planification familiale devraient respecter, protéger et satisfaire les droits de l’homme de leurs clients.
- Une nouvelle aide au travail visant à savoir s’il faut utiliser la liste de vérification de la grossesse ou un test de grossesse ainsi qu’à conseiller les femmes qui veulent des injectables progestatifs lorsque le risque de VIH est élevé.
« Grâce aux informations incluses dans le guide international et les ressources adéquates, les prestataires peuvent s’assurer que les intentions de procréation, la situation de vie et les préférences du client gouvernent ses décisions en matière de planification familiale », a déclaré Ellen Starbird, la directrice du bureau de la population et de la santé génésique de l’USAID.
La troisième édition du guide international est disponible en anglais et sera bientôt traduite en français et en espagnol. Toutes les copies imprimées sont distribuées avec un exemplaire gratuit de « Do You Know Your Family Planning Choices? » (connaissez-vous vos choix en matière de planification familiale ?), un tableau mural résumant chaque méthode contraceptive pouvant être affiché par les fournisseurs pour les clients. Un nouveau site Web du guide international, www.fphandbook.org, a également été lancé aujourd’hui.
Pour télécharger le guide international ou pour commander des exemplaires imprimés, veuillez visiterwww.fphandbook.org.
À propos du projet Knowledge for Health (K4Health)
K4Health partage des connaissances et des outils précis et mis à jour pour renforcer les efforts de planification familiale et de santé génésique dans le monde entier. K4Health est soutenu par le bureau de la santé de la population et de la santé génésique de l’Agence américaine pour le développement international (USAID), le bureau pour la santé mondiale, en vertu de l’accord de coopération n° AID-OAA-A-13-00068 avec l’institution universitaire Johns Hopkins University. Le projet est dirigé par le Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (Centre Johns Hopkins pour les programmes de communication) en collaboration avec FHI 360, IntraHealth International et Management Sciences for Health.
Contact : Anne Kott (anne.kott@jhu.edu)
Le projet Knowledge for Health (K4Health)
Treatments Commence at Two Algerian Hospitals Equipped with Modern Varian Radiotherapy Systems
ALGIERS, Algeria, Nov. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Cancer patients in Algeria now have access to modern radiotherapy care with the commencement of treatments at two of six public hospitals currently being equipped by Varian (NYSE: VAR), the world leader in radiotherapy equipment and software. Treatments delivered using linear accelerators including Algeria’s first TrueBeam™ systems are being delivered at Sidi-Bel-Abbes and Tlemcen Hospitals in the west of the country.
“We are delighted to announce Varian’s systems have started treating patients at two new public hospitals as part of the wider government project in Algeria that was initiated in 2014,” said Dow Wilson, Varian’s chief executive officer. “We are honored to partner with the Algerian Ministry of Health to bring Varian’s latest technologies in treatment planning and delivery for the benefit of cancer patients in this important region and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the radiation oncology community in Algeria to implement advanced techniques in radiotherapy and radiosurgery.”
Professor Mokhtar Hasbellaoui, Algeria’s Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform, added, “The implementation of this radiotherapy partnership with Varian has allowed us to develop a local offering in all regions of the country. These first two centers to be put into operation will offer the population of Western Algeria quality services with the latest generation linear accelerators and well-trained teams.”
Varian announced three years ago that it was entering into an agreement with the Algerian Ministry of Health to equip six cancer treatment centers with advanced technology for radiotherapy and radiosurgery. Under the agreement, Varian is supplying each center with three medical linear accelerators, including a TrueBeam™ STx radiosurgery unit, as well as Eclipse™ treatment planning and ARIA® oncology information management software. The four other sites in the cities of Adrar, Laghouat, Tiaret and Bejaia are scheduled to come into clinical operation over the next three years.
As part of the agreement, Varian also committed to establish a local entity to provide a broad spectrum of services as well as a regional education center and the company has since met these commitments.
About Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems focuses energy on saving lives and is the world’s leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating and managing cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs approximately 6,600 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.
Press Contact
Neil Madle
Varian Medical Systems
+44 7786 526068
neil.madle@varian.com
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