“At the beginning of the third millennium, oceanography has the capacity to identify problems and offer solutions, provided we stop neglecting its contribution”, UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said, ahead of the event.
While 2021 has already been dubbed a “super year” for the ocean, UNESCO maintained that it signaled the launch of the UN’s own “massive commitment to our Blue Planet”.
The Ocean Decade will provide a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity for nations to work together to generate the global ocean science needed to support the sustainable development of our shared ocean, according to UNESCO.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that “protecting and sustainably managing the ocean is essential – for food, livelihoods and mitigating climate disruption and related disasters”.
“Restoring the ocean’s ability to nurture humanity and regulate the climate is a defining challenge”, he added, urging everyone to “make peace with nature to deliver a prosperous and equitable world for all, leaving no one behind”.
Norway’s Prime Minister and Ocean Panel co-chair, Erna Solberg, told the virtual gathering: “The ocean is an exciting place and we should have more research, more knowledge, but also understand that more livelihoods could come out of the ocean if we manage it better”.
Cyber celebration
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered economic and social crises across the planet, which according to UNESCO, have forced many into reliance on a growing Green Economy to “drive us back” to recovery.
Wednesday’s event brought together global leaders, scientists, UN agency heads and sports personalities engaged in ocean action – all of whom emphasized its potential as a wellspring of solutions to build back better in a post-COVID-19 world.
“As the world adapts to a new normalcy with the emergence of the coronavirus, ocean sciences will play an important role in post-pandemic recovery efforts”, Ms. Azoulay upheld.
The event, which was organized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, also considered how to bring together activists of all ages and continents to achieve the ocean we want.
It was the first of the Ocean Decade events dedicated to deepening scientific knowledge of the sea and protect the health of the Ocean, while also supporting the ocean’s central role in transitioning to the sustainable and fair use of its resources as climate change challenges mount.
“The time to act for a Brave New Ocean is now”, underscored UNESCO’s chief.
BRUSSELS — The European Union on Wednesday proposed a four-billion-euro ($4.8 billion) plan aimed at improving the fight against cancer as the coronavirus pandemic tends to delay diagnoses and access to treatment across the 27-nation bloc.
According to EU’s figures, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the bloc, whose population is 450 million inhabitants. There are about 1.3 million deaths and 3.5 million new cases per year in the EU.
An estimated 40% of EU citizens will face cancer at some point in their lives, with an annual economic impact estimated around 100 billion euros ($120 billion).
“In 2020, while we were all fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were fighting a silent battle,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “The battle against cancer.”
“Sadly, the number of cases is on the rise,” she said.
The pandemic has not only delayed screenings and disrupted treatments, but also affected the cancer patient’s quality of life. To avoid a repeat of such scenarios in the future, the EU’s executive arm proposed increasing telemedicine and remote monitoring in health care systems.
The plan, which will be assessed by member states later this year, supports increased and more equal access to screenings, research and innovation, as a new cancer center should be created by the end of 2022 to coordinate scientific and technical knowledge on the disease at the EU level.
With up to 40% of cancer cases being attributed to preventable causes, the EU also recommended to strengthen alcohol control policies and to implement measures including a review of taxation rates and rules on advertisement to create a “Tobacco-Free Generation.” The commission said it wants to ensure that less than 5% of the population uses tobacco by 2040.
According to the EU, Europe has the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world while smoking and tobacco use are responsible for 15-20% of all cancers in the bloc.
“A strong European Health Union is a union where citizens are protected from avoidable cancers,” EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said.
In addition, the commission also wants to reduce air pollution and to tackle cancers caused by infections, with the goal to vaccinate by 2030 at least 90% of girls living in the EU against the papillomaviruses, which cause most cases of cervical cancer.
Excavation at ancient Buddhist university site in Bihar’s Telhara Tehsil
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By — Shyamal Sinha
Representational Image. (File photo)
Telhara was the site of a Buddhist monastery in ancient India. It has been mentioned as Teladhaka in the writings of the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang, who visited the place in the 7th century CE. It has been also mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari as Tiladah, and is shown as one of the 46 mahals (administrative units) of the Bihar sarkar.
A team of archaeologists has visited Telhara to review the status of the site and to chalk out the excavation plan. The digging was likely to begin in the next few days.
The ruins of Telhara were mentioned in an 1872 letter by A. M. Broadley, the then Magistrate of Nalanda. The State Government of Bihar started a new archaeological excavation of the site in December 2009.
Excavations at the site of the ancient Buddhist university in Bihar’s Telhara are set to resume after six years with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) giving the go-ahead for it, officials aware of the matter said. A team of archaeologists has visited Telhara to review the status of the site and to chalk out the excavation plan. The digging was likely to begin in the next few days, the officials said.
The remains of the university have remained buried under a 35-feet high mound at Telhara village, which is located in Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s constituency. The state archaeology department started excavations there in 2009 but they were stopped five years later.
The digging earlier led to the remains of the ancient university and over half-a-dozen terracotta sealing, similar to the sealing found at ancient Nalanda University. One terracotta sealing has a Chakra flanked by two deer and carried the inscription, Sri Prathamshivpur Mahavihariyaye Bhikshu Sangha in Pali language, which is believed to be the original name of the university.
“Things have been cleared now and the ASI has allowed resumption of digging at Telhara. We will start the work in the next few days,” said Animesh Parashar, director, state archaeology department.
The department also plans a site museum near the excavation site.
CP Sinha, a former director of the KP Jayaswal Research Institute (Patna Museum), said the digging will unfold a new chapter in Bihar and India’s history. “It has remained a major site for the historians and archaeologists. Even Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveller visited Telhara and has given detailed descriptions in his travel account of the Viharas, the university, and of the buildings and their architectural designs located there,” he said.
Atul Kumar, a former state archaeology director who earlier led Telhara excavations, said Hiuen Tsang called Telhara a seat of learning, where the monks studied the Mahayan Buddhism along with other subjects. “Importantly the sealing found there and the size and shape of the bricks used in the structure indicate that it was set up in 1st Century AD while the Nalanda University was set up in 4th Century AD and Vikramshila University was set up in 7th Century AD,” he said. Kumar added the structure is believed to have been destroyed in the 12th Century and a layer of ashes was discovered over the remains during the digging conducted earlier.
European Commission Speech Brussels, 03 Feb 2021 Remarks by Vice-President Schinas at the press conference on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the start of the Commission’s mandate, we committed to propose a European Beating Cancer Plan. Today, we are honouring this commitment, which is needed more than ever.
2020 will be remembered primarily for COVID-19 patients and victims. But, the pandemic has also had a severe impact on cancer prevention and care across the EU; it has disrupted diagnosis and treatment, which foreshadows a worrying increase of cancer cases in the future.
One year ago, on 4 February 2020, the President, Stella and I participated in an event marking World Cancer Day in the European Parliament. At that moment, we launched a broad consultation on the Plan, to reach all those who have something to say. This process was abruptly impacted by the outbreak of the pandemic, but our political will to deliver was not. During this challenging period, the Commission engaged actively with stakeholders in the cancer field. We have received around 2,400 written contributions.
One year later, the Plan has shaped up. It is the first time, since the 90s, that Europe comes with a framework for cancer and this time we do it in an inclusive and overarching way, addressing cancer from all its angles, giving everyone concerned a stake in its success and, focusing on patients’ needs.
Ιt is an anthropocentric Plan, above all. And it is definitely not a reheated soup.
The European Beating Cancer Plan has four pillars, each one looking at every key stage of the disease: prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
Moreover, we have built the Plan on a number of premises, which shall ensure its success:
First, is that everybody matters. This means that the chances of surviving cancer should be the same regardless of which corner of Europe we are and which age we have. There should be no first and second class cancer patients. This explains the focus on inequalities and children, both placed under the spotlight.
Second, is that innovation will drive change. We will maximise research, data and new technologies to improve diagnosis, find promising therapies, and foster the potential of personalised medicine through tailor made strategies.
Third, is the focus on delivery. The Plan sets concrete targets that we want to achieve, such as the reduction of tobacco and harmful alcohol consumption, or an exponential increase of screening and vaccination. It also identifies 10 flagship initiatives focusing on added-value and an impressive number of accompanying actions to underpin its objectives. And, we will set up an Implementation group with stakeholders to overview and secure progress. All this is new.
Let me give you a few examples.
Still this year we will create a Knowledge Centre on Cancer to facilitate the coordination of scientific and technical cancer-related initiatives at EU level.
In 2022, we will launch a European Cancer Imaging Initiative to support the development of new computer-aided tools to improve personalised medicine and innovative solutions.
By 2025, we will develop a new EU Cancer Screening Scheme to ensure that 90% of the target population is offered breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening.
This is just to name a few. Stella will go into more detail on the various actions.
Fourth, we are committing funding. As we know, policies can only be effective if appropriate funding is attached to them. We are announcing an ambitious amount of 4 billion EUR to support the implementation of the Plan, which is an unprecedented amount to support action on cancer.
Fifth, this Plan is about health but beyond health policy. To beat cancer, we need to tackle cancer drivers in employment, energy, education, marketing, agriculture, environment, climate, transport, social policy, equality, taxation; in our towns, cities but also rural communities.
The Plan is based on a “health in all policies” approach, pooling all strings together under a common goal, beating cancer.
The initiative we are adopting today will open a new era in cancer prevention and care. The political momentum to build a strong European Health Union is there; and the cancer plan is part of these efforts. The pandemic has put the protection of health on the stage; and the experience in vaccines has clearly shown us that it is possible to make unprecedented progress: it requires the unique convening power of the EU, fixing goals, setting deadlines, committing the necessary funding and connecting the main actors through effective partnerships. Applying this approach to cancer, as the Plan suggests, will deliver effective results too.
The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown us that working as a team and combining efforts at national and EU level is key to deliver a more effective and more equal response to cancer.
Most importantly of all, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan focuses on the interests and well-being of patients, their families and the wider population.
We believe that Europe can collectively do more to fight cancer. In a strong European Health Union, cancer needs to become a shared political, operational and scientific priority.
Cancer care is no longer the responsibility of the health sector alone. The success of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan requires engagement and buy-in from a wide range of sectors and stakeholders, a whole-of-society effort.
Our unity will be our strength, as the past year has very clearly shown.
The Foreign Affairs and International Trade committees will be assessing the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Thursday.
The two lead committees, responsible for recommending consent (or not) to the European Parliament on the new EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement, will assess each sector of the deal with the specialised committees providing opinions.
Once the Foreign Affairs and International Trade committees have approved their recommendation, the full House is set to vote before its provisional application lapses.
Separately, Parliament will also vote on an accompanying resolution, outlining its political position, prepared by the political groups in the UK Coordination Group and the Conference of Presidents.
Background
The new Trade and Cooperation Agreement has provisionally applied since 1 January 2021. For it to enter into force permanently, it requires Parliament’s consent. Parliament has repeatedly stated that it considers the current provisional application to be the result of a unique set of circumstances and an exercise not to be repeated.
WHO Executive Board: 146th session. Photo WHO/Pierre Albouy
Photos from the appointment of new Regional-Director for EURO, 146th session of Executive Board
A year since being confirmed as WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge has overseen the endorsement by Member States of the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025 – “United Action for Better Health in Europe” (EPW), which has already had an impact on WHO/Europe’s response to the pandemic.
The EPW includes 4 flagship initiatives: behavioural and cultural insights, mental health, immunization, and digital health. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO/Europe has been leading the way, showing how these initiatives provide support and guidance during health emergencies, and can act as a catalyst for the work of the Regional Office and health authorities in the coming years.
With strong links to WHO’s General Programme of Work and the triple billion goals – more people benefitting from universal health coverage, enjoying better health and well-being, and better protected from health emergencies – the EPW translates these aims into initiatives that matter for citizens in the European Region.
A relatively new field in health, behavioural and cultural insights seeks to better understand the drivers and barriers to health. In April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging health systems, the value of understanding levels of public trust, perceptions of risk and barriers that may be faced in adhering to recommended measures – such as self-isolating and quarantining – was vital.
With this in mind, WHO/Europe launched a behavioural insights tool, providing vital insights to authorities seeking to guide their pandemic response, since implemented in more than 30 countries in the Region.
In addition, WHO/Europe held an online meeting for stakeholders to share experiences and best practices for countering pandemic fatigue that led to the establishment of an online Policy Forum for regular country exchange. The Forum facilitates discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic response through the lens of behavioural and cultural insights.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the value of and need for behavioural and cultural insights in the area of health. We have worked closely together with WHO in leveraging the value of this approach and adopted the Behavioural Insights survey tool to our local context. The results were integrated in the process of adjustment of pandemic response measures in Moscow,” said Ignat Bogdan, Head of the Medical and Sociological Research Division, Research Institute for Health Care and Medical Management, Moscow Health Care Department.
Mental health
In 2020, WHO/Europe announced plans to establish a mental health coalition. Mental health already represented a large and growing challenge to public health and sustainable development in the European Region. COVID-19 has had the effect of exacerbating the pre-existing level of psychiatric morbidity and psychosocial disability in the population, and compounding inequalities with respect to appropriate, accessible and affordable care.
It is estimated that in the European Region alone, over 110 million people are living with some form of mental health condition. However, it is feared that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, including in some cases severe restrictions on people’s everyday lives, is having an impact on people’s mental health.
Focusing on the pandemic, WHO/Europe produced a report on how long-stay mental health care institutions have also felt the impact of COVID-19. This was based on a survey with 169 long-stay institutions to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on services, staff, service users, and residents with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities.
In addition, WHO/Europe plans to launch a technical advisory group focusing on the mental health impacts of COVID-19.
Immunization
As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued, vaccines have been identified as an important addition to the available tools to contain the pandemic and protect stretched health systems.
As part of the EPW, the European Immunization Agenda 2030 seeks to ensure that everyone enjoys the full benefits of vaccines throughout their lives no matter who they are, where they live or when they were born.
Building on routine immunization programmes in countries, WHO/Europe has provided specific support to Member States on strategic programmatic areas for effective deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination. The major programmatic areas of support include: national vaccination strategy, data and information management, vaccine regulation and safety, demand and acceptance of vaccines.
In addition, WHO/Europe has been finding ways to support countries in maintaining dual-track health systems, with immunization service delivery as an integral part of essential health services. This is vital to ensure that children receive their recommended, routine vaccines. Countries should organize “catch-up” vaccination to make up for any missed as a result of COVID-19 response measures to avoid potentially deadly outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles. In April, WHO/Europe and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a joint statement marking European Immunization Week, warning of the dangers of missed vaccination schedules. This included guidance from WHO/Europe on maintaining routine immunization services during the pandemic.
Digital health
Digital health influences nearly all areas of health. Throughout the pandemic, delivery of primary health care through e-consultations has become an essential way to provide health services to populations; for example, when travel and in-person consultations were discouraged or if patients were required to self-isolate or quarantine.
Early in the pandemic, WHO/Europe provided financial support to Romania’s Tel Verde (Green Line), a national hotline answering calls from the general public seeking the latest information and advice on COVID-19.
In October last year, WHO and the Government of Estonia agreed to collaborate on developing a digitally enhanced International Certificate of Vaccination. Envisioned to strengthen the COVAX initiative, the Certificate would act as a “smart vaccination certificate” to allow people to show they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
In addition, WHO/Europe has provided support to Member States on awareness, prevention and contact tracing, for example with the use of chatbots and websites for risk communication. Digital health has also aided in surge management for hospitals and health centres to manage demand, as well as supporting testing and research.
Country offices
Countries are central to the EPW, and WHO’s country offices have played a vital role in providing support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This has included helping ensure the delivery of much-needed supplies, such as personal protective equipment to health-care workers.
In addition, country offices have liaised closely with national authorities, providing the latest WHO guidance, as well as answering calls from the media in local languages, to ensure that evidence-based guidance has reached the general public in local languages.
This is further evidence of the EPW in action, ensuring better health and well-being, more people benefitting from universal health coverage and more people better protected from health emergencies.
Europe's Beating cancer - Diagnosis and treatment - Visit of ICANS, the Cancer Institute of Strasbourg Europe
On the eve of World Cancer Day, Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) backs EU wide effort to beat cancer.
BECA Chair Bartosz Arłukowicz (EPP, PL) said: “Over the last few years, fighting cancer has been high on the Parliament’s agenda, culminating in setting up our Special Committee on Beating Cancer. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot forget about the disease that kills 1.3 million Europeans every year, and for which there is no vaccination that can eliminate it altogether.”
Responding to the Plan unveiled today by the European Commission: “We want to undertake the enormous task of beating cancer together, as a Union. Shared knowledge and databases, support for screening programmes, co-financing of HPV vaccinations, are among the many steps we will not hesitate to take on our path to finally beating cancer. We must embark on this ambitious project together. Our Union can beat cancer!” concluded Arłukowicz.
BECA Rapporteur Véronique Trillet-Lenoir (Renew Europe, FR) said: “Cancer is a disease underpinned by social injustice. We are unequal in terms of prevention, unequally protected against environmental carcinogens, unequally educated in what constitutes risky behaviour, unequally armed against disinformation. EU countries have unequal access to quality care. Finally, once we have recovered from illness, we are not all able to return to work, to be financially independent and to lead a harmonious social and private life. For all these reasons, I fully support the establishment of a Cancer Inequalities Registry to identify challenges and specific areas of action at EU and national levels”.
“More than 40% of all cancers are preventable if individual, social, environmental and commercial health risk factors are addressed. Ambitious legislative proposals to reduce tobacco and alcohol consumption, to promote a healthy diet and physical activity are steps in the right direction. We should propose stronger measures and clear targets to fight against environmental pollution, to ensure health and safety at work, to limit the exposure to carcinogens and mutagens and to take into account the cumulative effect of hazardous chemicals”, Trillet-Lenoir added.
First debate on the Plan
On World Cancer Day, 4 February, the Special Committee on Beating Cancer will discuss the plan with Health Commissioner Kyriakides from 16.45 to 18.45 (live streaming).
Find out about the EU’s circular economy action plan and what additional measures MEPs want to reduce waste and make products more sustainable.
If we keep on exploiting resources as we do now, by 2050 we would need the resources of three Earths. Finite resources and climate issues require moving from a ‘take-make-dispose’ society to a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050.
The current crisis highlighted weaknesses in resource and value chains, hitting SMEs and industry. A circular economy will cut CO2-emissions, whilst stimulating economic growth and creating job opportunities.
In line with EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal under the Green Deal, the European Commission proposed a new Circular Economy Action Plan in March 2020, focusing on waste prevention and management and aimed at boosting growth, competitiveness and EU global leadership in the field.
MEPs also back initiatives to fight planned obsolescence, improve the durability and reparability of products and to strengthen consumer rights with the right to repair. They insist consumers have the right to be properly informed about the environmental impact of the products and services they buy and asked the Commission to make proposals to fight so-called greenwashing, when companies present themselves as being more environmentally-friendly than they really are.
Making crucial sectors circular
Circularity and sustainability must be incorporated in all stages of a value chain to achieve a fully circular economy: from design to production and all the way to the consumer. The Commission action plan sets down seven key areas essential to achieving a circular economy: plastics; textiles; e-waste; food, water and nutrients; packaging; batteries and vehicles; buildings and construction.
Textiles use a lot of raw materials and water, with less than 1% recycled. MEPs want new measures against microfiber loss and stricter standards on water use.
Electronic and electrical waste, or e-waste, is the fastest growing waste stream in the EU and less than 40% is recycled. MEPs want the EU to promote longer product life through reusability and reparability.
An estimated 20% of food is lost or wasted in the EU. MEPs urge the halving of food waste by 2030 under the Farm to Fork Strategy.
Packaging
Packaging waste in Europe reached a record high in 2017. New rules aim to ensure that all packaging on the EU market is economically reusable or recyclable by 2030.
Batteries and vehicles
MEPs are looking at proposals requiring the production and materials of all batteries on the EU market to have a low carbon footprint and respect human rights, social and ecological standards.
Construction and buildings
Construction accounts for more than 35% of total EU waste. MEPs want to increase the lifespan of buildings, set reduction targets for the carbon footprint of materials and establish minimum requirements on resource and energy efficiency.
Waste management and shipment
The EU generates more than 2.5 billion tonnes of waste a year, mainly from households. MEPs urge EU countries to increase high-quality recycling, move away from landfilling and minimise incineration.
The EU has told British fishermen they are indefinitely banned from selling live mussels, oysters, clams, cockles and scallops to its member states.
As the UK is now a separate country, it is not allowed to transport the animals to the EU unless they have already been treated in purification plants.
But the industry says it does not have enough tanks ready and the process can slow exports, making them less viable.
The government promised to continue to “raise the issue” with the EU.
Since 1 January, UK firms have been able to send only pre-purified, ready-to-eat shellfish – accompanied by an export health certificate – to buyers in the EU’s 27 member states.
Until this year, they could be purified – with contaminants removed in clean seawater tanks – after they reached their destination.
UK shellfish catches were valued at £393m in 2019.
Only those landed in “class A” waters – the very cleanest – can currently be transported from the UK to the EU without the need for purification beforehand. But most UK waters are not in that category.
The UK government previously said it thought the restrictions on exports of bivalve molluscs – such as mussels, clams, cockles, scallops and oysters – would end on 21 April.
This was because Brussels was “expected” to change its rules on that date to allow unpurified shellfish in from non-member states.
But it has emerged – as first reported by Politics Home – that the European Commission wrote to leading UK companies on 13 and 19 January to tell them the current arrangement would be in place indefinitely.
‘Very frustrated’
This has increased fears for the future of businesses and staff, amid concerns that purified shellfish go off quicker than unpurified ones, making them harder to transport.
“The issue with shellfish is that they’re are highly perishable, so there are many risks associated with delays,” Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, told the BBC.
“We are really in a high-risk category compared with other kinds of exports.”
He added that “nothing” had changed, in terms of the EU’s rules, but firms who had thought they were going to were feeling “very frustrated”.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: “We will continue to raise the issue of live bivalve molluscs not ready for human consumption with the EU, to ensure the trade can continue securely.”
Ministers would work to reach an “appropriate solution”, they added.
A Defra spokesman said: “Live bivalve molluscs such as oysters, mussels, clams, cockles and scallops can continue to be exported to the EU if they’re harvested from Class A waters or cleaned, or have cleared end product testing in the UK.
