The Health November/December 2021 | Page 6

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THE HEALTH | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER , 2021

| Local News |

Imports from Supermax halted in US

ONE OF THE country ’ s largest glovemakers , Supermax Corp Berhad is the latest Malaysian company whose products have been barred from entering the United States due to forced labour claims .
Supermax and its subsidiaries ; Maxter Glove Manufacturing Sdn Bhd , Maxwell Glove Manufacturing Bhd and Supermax Glove Manufacturing Sdn Bhd , have been placed under a withhold release order ( WRO ) by US Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ).
The order is based on “ information that reasonably indicates their use
of forced labour and manufacturing operations ”, CBP said in a recent statement .
During its investigation , CBP also discovered 10 of the International Labour Organisation ' s indicators of forced labour . The importation of merchandise produced , wholly or in part , by convict labour , forced labour , and indentured labour , including forced
or indentured child labour is prohibited by Federal Statute 19 U . S . C . 1307 .
“ With 10 of the 11 forced labour indicators identified during our investigation , CBP has sufficient evidence to conclude that Supermax Corp and its subsidiaries produce gloves in violation of US trade law ,” said CBP office of trade executive assistant commissioner AnnMarie R . Highsmith .
“ Until the manufacturers can prove their manufacturing processes are free of forced labour , their goods are not welcome here .”
However , in May , Supermax Corp had
said it adhered to labour laws on the treatment of migrant workers and was committed to combating forced labour , following a media report that the CBP had opened investigations into the company .
Apart from Supermax , FGV Holdings Berhad and Sime Darby Plantation Berhad are two additional large cap listed firms with a WRO against their products due to forced labour claims .
Top Glove Corp Bhd , another glovemaker , obtained a WRO in July of last year , and the year-long ban was lifted on Sept 10 .

Growth spurt in kids

ACCORDING to a 2017 national survey , Malaysian teenagers are not getting sufficient growth nutrients like iron and vitamin D , and they frequently skip meals .
Puberty is one of the most significant developmental spurts in a child ' s life , occurring between the ages of 10 and 19 .
They grow quickly into little adults , but the rapid growth phase is often accompanied by increased hunger and exhaustion as the body expends more energy to generate tissue .
Nutrition may be a game changer for a child ' s growth trajectory , allowing them to reach their genetic potential , especially when they are between the ages of 10-15 and going through a growth spurt .
Obtaining the proper nutrients can fail to grow and thrive until growth eventually stops at the end of adolescence .
Abbott , a brand dedicated to creating healthy responsibilities that keep people living their best life , underlines the importance of parents recognising when their kid is going through a growth spurt and providing them with the proper nutrition to help them make the most of this exciting period .
There are six signs parents should look out for in monitoring their kid ’ s growth spurt . Children are likely to experience a surge of hunger before and during growth spurts , which may last anywhere from 24 to 36 months .
Therefore , parents should ensure those extra calories come from complete , nutritionally packed foods rather than snacks and sweets .
THE REGION ’ S first fully digital B2B medical supplies distribution platform Lumiere32 has entered the Malaysian market , positioning itself for rapid growth throughout Southeast Asia .
Malaysia ' s medical supplies distribution industry is highly fragmented , with hospitals and clinics relying heavily on manual and labour-intensive inventory management .
Medical institutions currently are required obtain supplies from a variety of traditional
According to the Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology , 95 per cent of girls and around 70 per cent of boys reach maximum height velocity during puberty .
According to the University of Saskatchewan , leg length and sitting height can be used to estimate the age at which children may reach peak height velocity .
The children start to sleep more than usual . A lot of growth occurs when sleeping as human growth hormone secretes throughout the night .
The National Sleep Foundation suggests that children aged six to thirteen sleep for nine to eleven hours every night to promote healthy growth . Teens aged 14 to 17 require eight to ten hours of sleep every night .
During a growth spurt , it ' s natural for a child ' s weight to reach a peak . However , be aware of any weight issues that may occur during this phase and offer constant support .

Lumiere32 enters Malaysian market

sources , including phone calls and emails , manufacturer websites , pharmacies , and e-commerce sites . This resource-heavy task along with the fast-moving e-commerce world we live in has resulted in an unnecessarily cumbersome medical supplies procurement process .
Thanks to Lumiere32 , orders for highly sought-after medical and dental supplies from multiple brands can be placed on a single site , with shipping consolidated into a single package for added convenience . This will make inventory

Why cancer incidence may rise

ROCHE ( Malaysia ) Sdn Bhd , organised its first Life Talk Series on Oct 23 , 2021 in conjunction with its 125th anniversary .
The first Life Talk session was on Women ’ s Health and the panelists included Dr Azura Ahmad , Consultant Medical Oncologist ; Prof Dr Woo Yin Ling , Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist ; Nurul Izzah , Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh and Choo Mei Sze , a cancer advocate & colorectal cancer survivor .
Dr Murallitharan M , Consultant Public Health Physician and Managing Director of National Cancer Society Malaysia ( NCSM ), moderated the session .
“ The incidence of all cancers in Malaysia is expected to increase almost 80 per cent from 2020 to 2040 ( from 48,639 to 86,666 new cases ). Poor awareness and knowledge about the signs and symptoms of common cancers is likely to contribute to a delay in help-seeking , diagnosis and
procurement tasks easier for hospital and clinic staff , allowing them to provide better patient care .
“ We are incredibly pleased to be expanding our footprint to Malaysia . The medical supplies distribution industry is ripe in Malaysia , especially with the Covid-19 situation improving ,” said Dr Priti Bhole , Founder and COO of Lumiere32 .
“ We have seen a surge in medical suppliers seeking online platforms such as ours by more than five times , enabling them to reach out to more customers .” treatment and , in turn , leads to poor survival outcomes ”, said Dr Muralli .
“ Empowering patients to attend routine screening and to seek early treatment will increase their chance of survival and probability of cure . Many patients present late for various reasons ; from fear to lack of awareness ,” said Prof Woo .
“ With evolution of science , personalised diagnosis and treatment , doctors have more to offer compared to before . However , besides the advancement of treatment options , improving the health system , particularly health financing , should be the next revolution for patients .” Dr Azura also said advances in medical sciences had led us to better understand the changes within a patient ’ s cancer cells that can be targeted to stop cancer growth . Over the last two decades , precision cancer therapy has revolutionised cancer diagnosis and new cancer treatments , helping doctors transform therapy for their patients .
“ Continued understanding of cancer genomics has played an important role in creating more effective modern therapies , making way for personalised medicine to help patients better ,” Dr Azura added .
Wong Sit Yin , Healthcare Access & Corporate Affairs Director from Roche ( Malaysia ) Sdn Bhd said : “ For 125 years we have been delivering better ways to diagnose , prevent and treat diseases to improve the lives of millions .
“ Our current product pipeline is the strongest in our history , and we are opening up entirely new opportunities through digitisation and insights into healthcare data .” — The Health