October, 2019 | The Health
Current News
07
Briefs
Roche introduces Hemlibra®
(emicizumab) for haemophilia
patients
Datuk Dr Rosli
(fourth from
left) with Dato
Seri Dr Wan
Azizah officiating
the MySTEMI
Foundation that is
committed to assist
the less fortunate
with heart-related
emergencies.
A hearty foundation
Deputy prime minister launches MySTEMI foundation
H
eart disease has been the leading
cause of death among Malaysians
for 13 years from 2005 to 2017. It is
estimated that in 2017, 13.9 per cent
of Malaysians died from heart disease
and majority of them were at their
prime age, living in urban areas. It is also alarming
to see that the people who suffer heart disease in
Malaysia were younger compared to our neighbouring
countries like Thailand and Singapore.
However, more troubling are recent trends which
shows that the rate of women suffering from heart
attacks is on the rise. This concern was raised by Dato
Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Prime Minis-
ter and Minister of Women, Family and Community
Development, at a health seminar event entitled,
“Women and Heart Attacks” organised by MySTEMI
Foundation this morning. The event also marked the
official launch of MySTEMI Foundation.
“Women deserve special attention in this disease.
Traditionally we have associated heart disease affect-
ing more men than women. However, over the years,
the prevalence of heart disease among women is
slowly catching up from 20 per cent in 2014 to 22
per cent in 2017,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Dr Wan Azizah added: “by 2040, it is estimated
that the population of Malaysians aged 65 and above
will exceed six million, making a total of 14.5 per
cent of the population, this worrisome trend shows
the high risk effects of coronary heart diseases in
Malaysia.”
With this health challenge in mind, The MySTEMI
Foundation was formed to generate extra funds to
support more patients with heart attack to gain
access to primary PCI. In addition to providing fund-
ing, the foundation also serves to become a platform
to educate and disseminate the latest information
on coronary artery disease through innovative social
medical programs and support the ongoing efforts of
the MySTEMI Network.
Also present at the event were Datuk Dr Hj
Rohaizat Hj Yon, Deputy DG, Ministry of Health as
well as Datuk Dr Rosli Mohd Ali, Chairman of the
Board of Trustees of MySTEMI Foundation.
“20 to 25 per cent of heart attack victims do not
reach the hospitals in time. For the ones that do,
Primary PCI is the standard of care for heart attacks,
with minimal risk and excellent results. This proce-
dure also saves lives when patients are treated in a
timely manner,” said Datuk Dr Rosli. — The Health
Drink healthy
Believing in the importance of a healthy diet fueled
with the right supplements, Kitsui, a local manufac-
turer for health and beauty products specialising in
organic and natural ingredients’ latest addition is the
first of its kind in the market to be formulated without
sugar or artificial sweeteners.
In line with the Health Ministry’s proposition, it
will look to provide Malaysians with the option for
an all-natural drink, aiding them with reducing their
daily sugar intake. With excessive sugar consumption
being a key factor in obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay,
Kitsui wants to promote the importance of healthy
supplements that is accessible to all.
The N.A.S. Botanicals will be the latest addition
in the brand’s existing line of health and beauty
beverages; currently divided into three segments,
Malaysians can opt for drinks that focus on Health,
Beauty, or Weight Management.
“Kitsui has always believed in placing our custom-
ers at the forefront of all we do, and with the N.A.S.
Botanicals, we hope to address the growing trends of
Malaysians actively seeking a healthier lifestyle. We
want to give consumers keen on managing and reduc-
ing their sugar intake an option that will also satisfy
their sweet tooth, without having to worry about the
negative effects of overconsumption of sugar,” said
Darren Headley, the founder of Kitsui.
Roche Malaysia Sdn Bhd today announced the
availability of Hemlibra® (emicizumab) for routine
prophylaxis to prevent and reduce bleeding
episodes in people with haemophilia A with factor
VIII inhibitors. Hemlibra® is the new medicine in
more than 20 years to treat children and adults
with haemophilia A with inhibitors. Nearly one
in three people with severe haemophilia A can
develop inhibitors to factor VIII replacement
therapies, putting them at greater risk of life-
threatening bleeds or repeated bleeding episodes
that can cause long-term joint damage, or joint
disease and other complications from bleeding,
including death.
Speaking about haemophilia A at the
introduction of Hemlibra®, Consultant
Haemotologist, Dr Jameela Sathar explained
it is an inherited, serious disorder in which a
person’s blood does not clot properly, leading to
uncontrolled and often spontaneous bleeding.
“People with haemophilia A can bleed into
their muscles and joints, causing difficulty to use
their muscles and joints. They can even bleed
spontaneously. Without treatment, the quality of life
of people with severe hemophilia may be affected.
They may find it find it difficult to go to school or
work regularly, become physically disabled, have
trouble walking or doing simple activities6.” said Dr
Jameela.
Lifebuoy cultivates good
handwashing habits among
children
In conjunction with Global Handwashing
Day (GHD) 2019, Lifebuoy reaffirms its support
for the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable
Development Goals through continued
commitment to drive positive behavioural change
around hand hygiene habits amongst children.
As of 2019, their School of 5 Handwashing
Programme has successfully reached 386,000
primary school students in nine states across
Malaysia and educated them on good
handwashing techniques and habits. Lifebuoy aims
to reach more than 500,000 children by the year
2020.
For this year’s GHD, Lifebuoy collaborated with
Tesco Malaysia to visit SK Seri Setia and teach the
students there the seven steps of handwashing
through the principles of School of 5, namely
washing thoroughly before breakfast, lunch, and
dinner, after visiting the toilet, and during the daily
bath. Over 200 students and teachers participated
in this educational session.
Eurodrug Laboratories Malaysia
launches ‘Take Control’ campaign
Making health and beauty accessible
Founded by Darren Headley and his partner Dr. Pearl
Headley in 1996, Kitsui has been one of the leading
health and beauty beverage brands in local pharmacies
and drugstores, becoming a favourite among Malay-
sians for its accessibility and effectiveness. All Kitsui
products are manufactured locally, and formulated
by a team of nutritionists looking to make safe and
beneficial health and beauty products for Malaysians.
“Health and beauty supplements tend to be priced at
a premium rate, and may not be accessible to everyone.
When Kitsui was formed, we wanted to make sure that
health and beauty can belong to all who are interested.
As such, we have always kept our products affordable,
while also ensuring the best quality is given to our
customers so that they may continue to enjoy the
benefits from our supplements throughout the years,”
added Darren. — The Health
Eurodrug Laboratories (M) Sdn Bhd launches
the ‘Take Control’ campaign in partnership with
CARiNG Pharmacy Group Bhd, the Federation
of Reproductive Health Associations Malaysia
(FRHAM), and Dr John Teo Beng Ho, an
advocate in sexual and reproductive healthcare
to empower women to take control of family
planning as well as sexual & reproductive health.
The partnership establishes safe, accessible
facilities for women to receive consultation from
pharmacists at more than 120 CARiNG outlets
nationwide. The consultation is further structured
and standardised with a ‘Take Control’ oral
contraceptive guidebook, developed by Eurodrug
Malaysia and reviewed by key contraceptive
educators and FRHAM for the pharmacists.
The ‘Take Control’ campaign also
commemorates the launch of Dienille, a fourth
generation combined oral contraceptive that
uses two hormones - dienogest (2 mg) and
ethinylestradiol (0.03 mg). First launched
in Germany in 1995, Dienille offers efficacy,
safety, good cycle control, and benefits beyond
contraception. — The Health