The Health | january-february , 2021

MYEG Services Berhad ( MYEG ) has entered a cooperation with Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co Ltd ( Zhifei ) to get halal certification for the Chinese biopharma company ’ s Covid-19 vaccine .

The co-operation will also allow MYEG to exclusively distribute the vaccine in Malaysia for a 3-year period .

MYEG said in a recent statement that the two companies have signed an MOU , agreeing to cooperate in conducting Phase 3 clinical trials of Zhifei ’ s vaccine in Malaysia and complying to halal status requirements to secure halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia ( JAKIM ).

“ JAKIM ’ s halal accreditation will ensure increased acceptance of the vaccine among the global Muslim population ,

The commencement of Phase 3 trial will make Zhifei ’ s vaccine one of the first to undergo this final stage trial in Malaysia under the purview of the Ministry of Health ,” MYEG said .

Zhifei is a subsidiary of Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co Ltd and is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange . It has

In view of the spike in the Covid-19 cases in the country , the insurance and takaful industry has taken a proactive step by broadening the eligibility criteria of the Covid-19 Test Fund ( CTF ) to include all asymptomatic individual / group medical and health insurance / takaful policy / certificate ( MHIT ) holders in the country .

Asymptomatic patients refer to individuals who may have been infected by the virus but do not have any symptoms of cough , sore throat , flu etc .

All individual / group MHIT policy / certificate holders who are asymptomatic are now eligible to claim from the CTF for the Covid-19 test performed at any authorized labs or medical facility

been engaged in the biological products industry since 2002 , mainly the production of vaccines for human use .

Zhifei is currently one of five Chinese companies conducting Phase 3 clinical trials of their Covid-19 vaccines in various parts of the world .

Upon successful completion of the Phase 3 trials , MYEG will be the sole distributor of the vaccine in Malaysia .

By 2040 , the number of Malaysians aged 60 years and above is expected to double from the current estimate of 10.3 per cent of the population !

Recognising the importance for Malaysia ’ s aging population to maintain their musculoskeletal health , which can affect their mobility , flexibility , balance and thereby quality of life as they age , Fonterra Brands Malaysia through its adult nutrition brand Anlene™ has introduced ACTIFIT 3X™ and GOLD 5X™ , formulated to provide important nutrients for Malaysian adults .

The Social Wellbeing Research Centre at Universiti Malaya projected the number of Malaysians aged 60 years and above to reach 6.3 million in 2040 , which is about two out of every 10 Malaysians . Not only is our ageing population increasing rapidly , but the life expectancy of our silver population is also expected to increase – men whose age reached 65 years in 2019 are expected to live a further 14.8 years to nearly 80 ; and women aged 65 last year are expected to live a further 17.8 years to about 82 years .

According to Dr Nor I ’ zzati Saedon , who

Megawati Suzari registered with the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) Malaysia .

Speaking on the expansion of the eligibility criteria , President of the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia ( LIAM ), Ms Loh Guat Lan said that by liberalizing the criteria , more asymptomatic individuals will come forward to do the test to help curb the spread of the virus .

is consultant geriatric and senior lecturer of internal medicine at University Malaya Medical Centre ( UMMC ), musculoskeletal health is one of the key factors in enabling people to live their lives independently and it starts with building and maintaining bones , muscles and joints that will continue to be strong for many years ahead .

The musculoskeletal system provides form , support , stability , and movement to the body . It is made up of the bones of the skeleton , muscles , cartilage , tendons , ligaments , joints , and other connective tissue that supports and binds tissues and organs together .

“ It is easy for middle aged adults in their 40s to not notice their own musculoskeletal health when they don ’ t have any condition , such as pain resulting from injury or bad posture . Being able to walk requires strength , flexibility and balance .

In terms of nutrition , Megawati Suzari , Director of New Product Development , Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at Fonterra Brands Malaysia which markets Anlene™ , highlights the importance for middle aged adults to care for their mobility via maintaining strong bones , joints and

Taylor ’ s University has officially launched its new lab facility , Taylor ’ s Centre for Human Excellence and Development ( CHED ), a first-of-its-kind research and therapy centre in Malaysia and Southeast Asia . The centre , which operates under Taylor ’ s School of Liberal Arts and Sciences ( SLAS ), intends to revolutionise study and applied research in psychology and behavioural sciences in Malaysia to augment positive social progress in the country .

CHED was officiated by the Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali . “ The establishment of the Taylor ’ s University Centre for Human Excellence and Development is an excellent step in the right direction to address rising mental health concerns in Malaysia .

“ I hope to see a proliferation of research in behavioural science , psychology and other aspects of social sciences with the commencement of this centre ,” he commented during the virtual launch ceremony recently .

The launch of CHED enables academics and researchers to embark on advanced studies in behavioural sciences across disciplines including psychology , food studies , education , business and social sciences . As such , the Centre integrates research through the Socio- Behavioral Lab with community welfare and mental health through the Clinical Centre .

The Socio-Behavioral Lab aims to provide a multi-functional space to advance the research , innovations and interventions in multi-disciplinary areas of physical , cognitive , emotional and social contexts of behaviour . It is a platform that allows for a flexible space to be adapted to various functions and allow for research and interventions to be carried out in an innovative setting .

It leverages on an extensive range of advance Artificial Intelligent technology components such as face-tracking cameras , brain scanners and virtual reality equipment that tracks facial and eye movements to identify emotions in facial features . The emotional recognition software is proprietary to Taylor ’ s University and will enable its students , researchers and psychologists to conduct live research on human interactions .

The Clinical Centre is a therapeutic space and includes four individual therapy rooms , a family room and a group therapy centre . It is tailored predominantly as a training and skill development centre for students of the Master and Undergraduate programmes who seek to develop therapeutic skills .

It is equipped with a comprehensive developmental assessment and mental health testing tools to support therapeutic interventions by clinical and counselling practitioners .

muscles , which are also necessary for active living and healthy aging .

“ On top of improving lifestyle by becoming physically active , adopting a good dietary habit is equally important ,” Megawati says .