NOVEMBER , 2023 | THE HEALTH

| The Health says ... |

20

21

p20

Because it is there ! Two mountain climbing ex-bankers have shown that age is truly just a number

p21

Role of AI in the digital medical workforce We look at how Artificial Intelligence is now undergoing a transformative process within the healthcare sector

p22-23

Life is still sweet What are the challenges and what does it mean if your child is diagnosed with childhood diabetes ?

p24

Palm oil : Rampant misinformation in the health sector The shift towards transparent supply chains will empower consumers to make informed choices in the ethical , environmentally sound origins and nutritional value of palm oil products p25 People

• Oncologist Dr Voon makes Malaysia proud

• UTAR researchers highly ranked by Stanford University

• Sunway ’ s Jeffrey Cheah bestowed honorary knighthood

• Thomson Medical appoints new CEO

p26-27

Inside the science of strokes Strokes are responsible for around 140,000 deaths a year in the United States alone . For World Stroke Day , learn how Johnson & Johnson is innovating to help change that stat

The Chinese market with its 1.4 billion population offers enormous potential to palm oil-producing countries like Malaysia and Indonesia , which account for 85 per cent of global palm oil exports .

The value of Malaysian palm oil-based product exports to China in 2022 was RM16.41 billion , while the value of palm oil exports was RM8.44 billion . China has been Malaysia ’ s largest trading partner for the past 14 years .

Fadillah , also the Plantation and Commodities Minister , said both countries will also encourage cooperation between research institutes to conduct studies on the latest technology applications in the commodity industry .

This is good news , as for the longest time , naysayers have been spreading lies and adverse propaganda about palm oil , claiming it ’ s unhealthy and is grown in an unsustainable way . But the truth is , its health benefits have been scientifically proven and it is superior to many edible oils .

The government must be relentless in highlighting and pushing for palm oil to be better recognised and accepted internationally . The misleading campaigns against the palm oil in the West must be addressed .

The debates within the EU over palm oil and biofuel sustainability issues reflect a lack of knowledge and deep understanding about the topic and the rising concern that an overly political agenda drives the bloc . For example , soy oil requires a large scale of land to produce oil and they will have to replant for every cycle , whereas oil palm trees have a production lifespan of up to 25 years .

Some large European food manufacturers have unwittingly fallen into the trap of these propogandists . But thankfully , not all manufacturers are ignorant . The European Community ( EU ) accounts for 9.4 per cent or 1.47 million tonnes of Malaysia ’ s palm oil exports .

For now , the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals remain our priority . Its initiatives include national certification schemes such as the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil ( MSPO ) certification scheme , the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme ( MTCS ) and Sustainable Forest Management ( SFM ) practices . These will facilitate access to the EU .

We must keep up the momentum .