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Tag: health

  • Yoshitsu opens physical store in Hong Kong

    Yoshitsu opens physical store in Hong Kong

    Yoshitsu, a retailer and wholesaler of Japanese beauty and health products, as well as sundry products and other products in Japan, today announced the grand opening of its physical retail store (the “Store”) in Hong Kong on August 30, 2022. The Store is located at No. 118, 1/F, Nina Tower 1, No. 8 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong, an iconic shopping destination. The opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday – Thursday, and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday – Sunday.

    The opening of the Store is a part of the Company’s long-term expansion plan to expand its footprint in Hong Kong. The Store features an extensive product assortment, including cosmetics, skincare, fragrances, cosmetic applicators and body care products. Customers will not only have a large selection of exclusive Japanese brands, but also receive personalized beauty assistance with finding new and trending products.

    Mr. Mei Kanayama, the Principal Executive Officer of Yoshitsu Co., Ltd, commented, “We are thrilled to bring our new store closer to more of our customers in Hong Kong. Providing a remarkable customer experience is the top priority for our business, and we will try to bring the best shopping experience to every customer. To celebrate its grand opening, the new store in Hong Kong will offer 5% off from the opening day to September 15, 2022. We are planning to have two more new stores open in Hong Kong in the remainder of 2022 and are excited to bring the beauty experience we offer to more new customers. We believe that our expansion strategy is in line with our goal to increase market share and achieve long-term growth.”

  • Fitbit Luxe and Charge 5 updated with much

    Fitbit Luxe and Charge 5 updated with much

    Last month Fitbit quietly rolled out an update for Charge 5, one of its most advanced fitness trackers. Although it didn’t say anything about what the update should change, we did learn that the Google-owned company added the ability to find your phone via the fitness tracker.

    Today, Fitbit confirmed that the update not only introduced the much-needed feature, but also added a few clockfaces. The above image shows one clockface in two color variations – Boom, plus an additional clockface for another Fitbit wearable device, the Luxe.

    Just to be clear, Fitbit Luxe owners will get all three clockfaces, while Charge 5 will only receive the Boom clockface available in two versions. Besides these new customization options, Luxe users will also get the option to find their phones via the wearable device, just like the Charge 5.

    To do that, you’ll have to install the new Find Phone app, open it on your tracker, tap Find Phone, and your phone should start to ring loudly, even if it’s set on the DnD (Do Not Disturb) mode. If you successfully locate your phone, you can tap Cancel to stop it from ringing.

    Fitbit says the update is now available, although Charge 5 users might have already picked this one up more than a week ago when it surfaced for the first time.

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  • Google may soon enable Android to detect if you cough and snore while you sleep

    Google may soon enable Android to detect if you cough and snore while you sleep

    Google is allegedly working on introducing snore and cough detection into Android devices. Lines of code in the installation file of the Google Health Studies app reveal that the tech giant is currently conducting a study called “Sleep Audio Collection,” which is available only to Google employees.

    The tech giant explains, “You must be a Full Time Googler with an Android phone to participate in this study. Environmental conditions required for this study are to have no more than one adult sleeper in the same room who does not work for a competitor company.”

    With this experiment, Google is collecting the necessary data to validate, tune, and develop algorithms and an advanced suite of sensing capabilities that could then be made available on Android.

    These “Cough and Snore algorithms” will appear as a sleep tracking feature for you, the end user, and will monitor whether you cough or snore during your sleep. Google further explained that the function will work in a “privacy-preserving, on-device” manner, meaning that the collected information will be safely processed and stored locally on your phone. According to Big G, these new features will provide users with “meaningful insight into their sleep.”

    A snore detection feature has many advantages and will surely give you more information on how you sleep. For example, it can tell you if and in which cycle you snore. It can help people that are battling sleep apnea and other health issues track how diet changes and sleep schedules affect their quality of rest.

    Unfortunately, there is no word on how and when Google plans to implement the snore tracking feature or whether it will be available on all Android devices or just the Pixel phones. It is also possible for Big G to add this function to its fitness tracking app, Google Fit.

    Of course, there are apps out there like SnoreLab, SnoreClock, and Goodsomnia Lab that offer snore detection and which you can use right now.

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  • Axa Invests in Digital Health App

    Axa Invests in Digital Health App

    Axa Switzerland is expanding its focus on health by backing a start-up offering digital health solutions at work.

    Axa Switzerland is supporting health tech start-up Kinastic as a lead investor, it said in a statement Thursday, without disclosing further details of the deal.

    Kinastic is an app offered to staff by their employers to improve health in the workplace with tailored programs around exercise at work, nutrition, and mental strength.

    Axa previously launched Wecare, a health program included in its occupational benefits package sold to companies.

    We want to help as many employees as possible lead a healthy lifestyle – and we want to do this digitally and as individually as possible, Kinastic CEO Michael Kubli, said in the statement.

    The Winterthur-based startup has been working with

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  • Amazon Singapore offers staff mental health support

    Amazon Singapore offers staff mental health support

    Amazon Singapore has today launched a new mental health benefits package that provides its employees and their families with personalised, convenient, and confidential mental health and well-being support. The new service provides holistic mental well-being support with services such as life coaching, legal and financial support, and mindfulness resources available in addition to the traditional Employee Assistance Program services such as counselling sessions.

    “Access to mental health care has become increasingly important as we all continue to navigate different everyday challenges,” says Henry Low, Country Manager, Amazon Singapore. “Our intent is to remove barriers and unnecessary stigma around getting help and ensure our employees and their families feel safe and supported. In providing a range of services, as well as regular dialogue with employees about mental health, we hope to help in every way we can.”

    Through the new Employee Assistance Program, Amazon employees and their families have access to several free resources:

    • Life coaching sessions with a certified wellness coach to help navigate life transitions and maximise personal and professional growth.
    • Access to webinars, personalised advise and resources on topics including career development, travel and leisure, parenting, healthy living, consumer tips, personal growth and coping following a natural disaster.
    • Interactive self-care programs, including computerised Cognitive Behavior Therapy, mindfulness resources, and courses that guide individuals through self-paced, evidence-based treatment for anxiety, stress, depression, substance use, sleep troubles, and more.
    • Free one-on-one counselling sessions for employees and their families, with access to three sessions per person, per topic with the option to be in-person, via phone, video, or text.
    • Crisis and suicide-prevention support and access to a licensed mental health clinician any time of day or night.
    • Work-life assistance for everyday needs, including help with referrals for child and elder care, movers, and other personal services.

    Amazon works closely with health and safety experts and scientists, and conducts thousands of safety inspections each day in the company’s buildings across the world. The company has also made hundreds of changes globally as a result of feedback from employees on how to improve their well-being at work.

    All Amazon permanent employees receive the same core benefits, regardless of their role, level, or position—from the company’s executives to front-line employees in fulfilment centres preparing orders for customers.

    For Amazon employee, Carissa Seah, having a single point of contact for mental health support for not only herself, but her loved ones too, gives her great reassurance.

    “It’s very comforting to know that I have a range of mental health resources available not just for me but for my entire family. I’m glad its not a one-size-fits-all solution and offers a genuine range of services for all of us,” says Carissa.

    This new mental health offering complements Amazon’s range of benefits that support employees and eligible family members, including domestic partners and their children. These comprehensive benefits include health care coverage, time-off, and other resources to improve health and well-being. Amazon offers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage to all full-time and part-time employees, regardless of their level, tenure, or position. When employees want to take time away from work, they have paid time-off for holidays, in addition to other leave benefits that are available for various life events.

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  • Singapore Toughens COVID Rules for Expats

    Singapore Toughens COVID Rules for Expats

    The city-state is cracking down on expats who refuse to vaccinate against the coronavirus.

    Singapore will require applicants for work passes, long-term passes, and permanent residence to be vaccinated, effective February 1, citing a government task force communication. This applies to those renewing their work passes as well.

    The measure represents a toughening of measures in Singapore, which has 1.1 million foreign workers according to recent government data. Many of them work in finance, where foreign banks have established sizeable hubs in Singapore as well as Hong Kong as a gateway to wider Asia.

    The pandemic has slowed the frequent flight traffic to Singapore, with executives like UBS boss Ralph Hamers not able to visit Asia until last month – more than one year into his tenure running the Swiss wealth management giant.

    The new Singaporean measures are being spurred by the rapid spread of Omicron, a variant of COVID-19 which the WHO pegged as concerning last month due to the ease with which it spreads as well as the severity of illness it can cause.

    The aim is to loop in employers, which will have to attest that their employees, as well as dependents, are up to date on their vaccinations when they arrive in Singapore. They do not apply to children under 12, nor those medically ineligible for the vaccine.

    These measures will help sustain our high vaccination rates and facilitate the safe reopening of our society and economy, the Singaporean task force said, according to the outlet.

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  • Novartis receives certificate of merit from Vietnam’s Ministry of Health

    Novartis receives certificate of merit from Vietnam’s Ministry of Health

    Novartis has marked its 25 years of development with a certificate of merit from Vietnam’s Ministry of Health for its social commitment during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    “This achievement affirms Novartis’s leading position in the global pharmaceutical market and its long-term commitment to community health support,” a Novartis representative stated.

    Over the past 25 years, Novartis has achieved medical breakthroughs in cancer care, heart disease and the fight against inflammatory conditions. The company uses innovative science and technology to address some of society’s most challenging healthcare issues. It discovers and develops breakthrough treatments and finds new ways to deliver them to as many people as possible.

    Partner of Vietnam’s healthcare

    Novartis began its journey in Vietnam in the 1950s through the presence of Sandoz, Ciba-Geigy, and other partners. Over the past two decades in the country, Novartis Vietnam has cooperated with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and domestic and international organizations to launch several programs to enhance public health awareness, promote training, and strengthen primary healthcare in many cities and provinces.

    In 2008, the representative office of Novartis Pharma Services AG was established in Vietnam to promote and support the supply of medicines, and delivery of drugs to patients, as well as clinical trials of Novartis Group.

    Over the past 13 years, Novartis Vietnam has been focusing on four areas including science-based innovation and clinical trials; scientific and academic cooperation; quality and local manufacturing, along patient access to high-quality, innovative healthcare.

    The company has collaborated with the MoH to develop a strong healthcare system that covers the lowest income segments of the population and to provide the Vietnamese people with high-quality medicines, thus contributing to the MoH’s objective to shape a strong and sustainable healthcare system and achieve universal healthcare coverage.

    A lot of significant programs have been carried out over the past years. In 2014, Novartis and the MoH signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the Vietnamese people’s access to essential, affordable generic and innovative medicines, and strengthen the country’s science, medical, and technology capabilities

    It is followed by another MoU inked in December 2019 on raising primary healthcare in Vietnam through activities at commune and district levels from 2019 to 2021, making it a testament to public-private collaboration in this area, aiming to achieve the Universal Healthcare Coverage and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

    2020 marked a special milestone in Novartis Vietnam’s development journey when it inaugurated its new legal entity in the country and became one of the first multinational companies to successfully transform from a representative office to a foreign-invested enterprise importer. Also that year, the company was honored as a pioneer in digital transformation for its efforts and outstanding contributions to the Digital Transformation of the Healthcare Sector at National Digital Transformation Congress.

    Moreover, Novartis Vietnam teamed up with Docquity to offer an exclusive digital network for medical staff. The company has also been named among the top 100 Vietnam Best Places to Work in the country thanks to its appropriate human resource policies and quick response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    In 2021, the company keeps the momentum of good performance with its recognition as a Global Top Employer for 2021, thus contributing to encouraging Novartis to continue attracting talents and strengthening its offering as a destination for employers in the future.

    Contributions to the Covid-19 fight

    Novartis received the certificate of merit from the MoH for its social commitment during the Covid-19 pandemic and its contributions to the country’s Covid fight, and training of HCPs, among others.

    Novartis supports the initiative of six medical universities in Vietnam to train HCPs to serve Covid-19 prevention and control. At least 1,800 final-year medical students got training from April to July 2020. This effort was in response to the call of the government and the MoH, mobilizing more than 90,000 HCPs for the pandemic fight.

    Moreover, the company has so far donated over $400,000 to the pandemic battle in Vietnam. The company also joined hands with other members of EuroCham Pharma Group to donate an equivalent total of $100,000 to the Vietnam Fatherland Front national campaign on the prevention and treatment of Covid-19, and donate via the HCMC Red Cross Society medical supplies to frontline hospitals, and Covid-19 treatment centers.

    During the pandemic, Novartis has taken effective measures to ensure the continuation of the supply of medicines, as well as promote technology application to maintain regular medical training for HCPs, thus ensuring healthcare access.

    Amitabh Dube, country president, Novartis Vietnam, said: “Vietnam and countries worldwide are still facing pressing health issues that need more innovations to address them. Novartis commits to be a reliable partner in this effort, and will continue the discovery and development of new treatments to help more people.”

    Long-term investment commitments

    Novartis’s strategy is to build a leading, focused pharmaceutical company powered by advanced therapy platforms and data science. Looking at the next 25 years and beyond, the company will continue reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives.

    To implement the strategy, Novartis has five priorities to shape its future and help it continue to create value for the company, its shareholders and society: unleash the power of its people; deliver transformative innovation; embrace operational excellence; go big on data and digital; and build trust with society.

    In Vietnam, the company will continue to collaborate with Vietnamese societies, associations, and health facilities in programs to improve healthcare services for Vietnamese, showing its strong commitment to accompanying the local health sector in future sustainable development.

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  • Coles revamps health foods aisle, boosting sports and diet range

    Coles revamps health foods aisle, boosting sports and diet range

    Coles has transformed its health foods section, moving products traditionally found in the category, such as fodmap-friendly soups, gluten-free cereals, oils and nut spreads to their respective mainstream aisles.

    The revamp has provided space for more than 150 sports-performance and health products from brands like Amazonia Raw, Muscle Nation, and Botanika Blends, which join Coles’ shelves for the first time.

    These products include protein bars and custards from Muscle Nation, 20 new protein products and pure creatine from Body Science (BSC), Macro Mike’s powdered peanut butter and brownies mix, Dose & Co Marine Collagen and 180 Nutrition protein powder and bars. New health ingredients include Superfood Protein Ball Mixes from Mount Elephant and Melrose Superfood Powders and MCT Oils.

    According to Coles, the expansion of the health aisle comes as “Sports & Diet” was identified as the fastest-growing segment of the supermarket’s health food aisle between 2014 to 2019. Earlier this month, Coles revealed it had moved cereal products from the health-foods aisle into the breakfasts area.

    “Our transformed health foods aisle is a giant leap towards delivering Coles’ purpose to sustainably feed all Australians to help them lead happier and healthier lives,” said Leanne White, GM, Coles.

    “We’re seeing more and more customers look for healthier options or specific dietary requirements in the main grocery aisles – they no longer expect to go down one dedicated aisle to find these options.”

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  • My Muscle Chef launches protein cookies

    My Muscle Chef launches protein cookies

    Functional food and beverage company My Muscle Chef has rolled out a new range of protein cookies to help people struggling to hit their protein cookies.

    Macro – short for macronutrients – makes up a food composition in our bodies: fats, carbohydrates, and protein. People who are conscious of their nutrient intake count macros to reach a specific body composition goal.

    Available in three different flavors – Salted Caramel and Macadamia, Choc Chip, and Triple Choc – the new protein cookies are a great choice as an on-the-go snack to top up protein intake while satisfying sweet cravings, said the company.

    “Our new Protein Cookies are a great addition to MYMC’s range of functional, healthy foods and are a great way for our customers to support muscle strength and fuel their recovery,” said Tushar Menon, co-founder, My Muscle Chef.

    Each cookie has 25g of whey protein, nuts, and prebiotic fiber. It also has no added sugars or preservatives and does not use artificial flavors or colors.

    Alex Adcock, head of sales at My Muscle Chef, says most protein snacks on the market are bars and the company has identified an opportunity to offer a more indulgent way for customers to hit their protein goals.

    “With 98 percent of recovery snacks in the market currently being bars, we’ve identified an opportunity for our cookies to meet MYMC’s customers needs perfectly complementing our existing high protein and on-the-go range our customers know and love,“ said Adcock.

    In addition to the Protein Cookies, the company has also launched Custard Protein Bars, and Custard Casein Protein Powder in its range of protein supplements.

    My Muscle Chef Protein Cookies are available online and in select retail stores for RRP $4.50 per cookie.

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  • Apple may use AirPods to track health data

    Apple may use AirPods to track health data

    Apple’s Vice President of Technology, Kevin Lynch, recently held a lengthy interview regarding the company’s advancements and aspirations within the health sphere.

    In 2014, Apple came out with the Apple Health app to allow users to track and record their heart rate, which was first collected with the original Apple Watch. However, Apple quickly realized the potential in fusing this software with its constantly improving hardware, to bring a whole slew of personal health data to people’s fingertips—and it’s been expanding ever since.

    One of the new sensor-equipped gadgets to bring health-relevant data to users may be none other than Apple’s AirPods, as Lynch slipped to the TechCrunch reporter near the end of yesterday’s interview.

    The latest model of the AirPod earbuds, the AirPods Pro, already feature a pair of dual optical sensors, a motion-detecting accelerometer, a speech-detecting accelerometer, and a force sensor, all inside the tiny chasse fitted inside the ear.

    While we don’t know of any new sensors coming to AirPods Pro in the near future, these existing ones could well be leveraged to monitor a variety of things related to one’s overall health, just like the iPhone and Apple Watch already do.

    Supporting this new information is a Bloomberg report from last month, which promises that next year’s second-generation AirPods Pro are going to have their motion sensors updated with particular attention to fitness tracking. Once they do, this data is sure to be integrated into the Health App—which would be another growth spurt for Apple’s evolving health system.

    Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also reported similar information in a separate statement in the past. Kevin Lynch hinted that Apple sees lots of potential for leveraging as many devices as possible to monitor health data—and is likely going to be adding AirPods to the mix.

    Apple’s entire health-monitoring ecosystem all started with a heart rate monitor integrated into the Apple Watch, and a consequent iPhone app developed to easily deliver users that information.

    At first, we were showing people their heart rate, and you could look at it — we were using it for calorimetry. But some users actually were looking at their heart rate when they weren’t working out, and noticed it was high. They would go talk to their doctor, and the doctor would find a heart issue, and we would start getting letters about this. We still get letters today about our work in the space, which is amazing. But some of those early letters were clueing us into ‘Wait, we could actually look for that ourselves in the background’.

    Since then, the existing fusion of Apple’s technologies has come a long, long way. It now not only simply tracks your heart rate, but matches it to your currently assessed level of activity, and comparing that to known health data, can notify you if you have a dangerously low or high heart rate.

    >Of course, that’s only the beginning. Leveraging Apple’s devices, the Health app can also keep track of your activity intensity, calorie burn, metabolic rate—it can even take your sleep metrics. This means that you can monitor your blood oxygen levels during sleep, track how much time you spend asleep, as well as your sleeping respiratory rate.

    We’ll also be seeing mobility metrics being taken later this year, tracked in terms of “walking steadiness,” which assesses your balance, strength, step symmetry, and gait. It will let you know if it detects a lack of balance or symmetry in your walk, or other abnormalities, and let you know if you are at an increased risk of falling.

    With iOS 15 this year, the Health app will also be able to track your food and calorie intake for you. It will also allow you to share your health data both privately (with loved ones worried about your health, for example), or publicly, such as with your doctor.

    There is even talk of a blood sugar monitor coming to the Apple Watch, although it has been confirmed that we’ll have to wait until after the Apple Watch 7 to see it. A temperature sensor may also be coming with the Apple Watch Explorer/Adventure Edition in 2022.

    All of this has become possible in the span of only a few years, but Apple is clearly already looking towards the future for more possibilities and ways to expand its health monitoring services.

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  • Apple scores big Health Records app win by partnering with the Mayo Clinic

    Apple scores big Health Records app win by partnering with the Mayo Clinic

    While the Wall Street Journal was waxing poetic how Apple’s health industry push has stalled, we wouldn’t be underestimating its transformative potential in the field. Apple, after all, has proven numerous times that it may start slow and tread carefully, but the sheer scale of its market size eventually overcomes the pushback from new industries it is trying to break into.

    The latest case in point are its Health Records app that now has access to your patient portal in the renowned Mayo Clinic network, adding to the list of the already announced Apple Health partners in the HMO intermediary realm.

    The Mayo Clinic access would undoubtedly add plenty to the street cred of the Health Records app, and we don’t need to extoll the institution’s numerous virtues to back up this claim. This partnership is what resulted in the still-unsurpassed ECG function of the Apple Watch that took years to master with the help of Mayo Clinic physicians and databases that spearheaded the algorithm’s creation.

    What can a Mayo network patient can expect from the integration of their data in the Apple Health Records app when the service becomes live this fall? Well, those with an online patient portal account at the Mayo Clinic now have the alternative of the Health Records app to view their health data from multiple providers.

    Android users have the option of a similar app called CommonHealth but Apple has the advantage of sharing the health data derived from its Apple Watch like heart rate and detected falls directly with their physicians.

    While Google hasn’t given up on digitizing your personal health data with a new hospital chain partnership, Apple may eat its lunch in the field by simply leveraging the abundance of information collected in its Health app.

    That’s where all the Apple Watch sensor readings go, for instance, and Apple is now offering you the option to share your health data not only with your doctor, but with friends and family as well, so that users have “a trusted partner on their health journey.”

    New Apple Health app data features in iOS 15:

    • Walking Steadiness – new Mobility algorithms assess balance, stability, and coordination via the iPhone/Watch sensors.
    • Trends – long-term changes in various health and fitness metrics that the Apple Health app integrates.
    • Better Labs – bloodwork lab data tracking and analysis.

    All of these new and old data points can now be securely shared with either your doctor, or your loved ones, so you can have both a specialist and a person that is closer to you, be up to date with your health and fitness points at the same time, for an increased scope of coverage in case something unforeseen happens.

    By the fall, when iOS 15 and watchOS 8 hit your palm and your wrist, respectively, Apple will have likely scooped up many more partners for its Health Records sharing initiative, so we wouldn’t count them out in the health industry realm just yet.

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  • Honey exports set for anti-dumping probe in US

    Honey exports set for anti-dumping probe in US

    The U.S. Department of Commerce has received demands for anti-dumping investigations into honey imported from Argentina, Brazil, India, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

    According to the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, for the first time ever the country’s honey products face the risk of being investigated for trade remedies in the U.S.

    The complainants are the American Honey Producers Association and the Sioux Honey Association, who have listed 12 Vietnamese firms in the petition and calculated the dumping margin at 207.08 percent.

    They want the anti-dumping investigations to be done for the period from October 1 last year to March 31 this year, and want damage investigation done from the beginning of 2018.

    Data from U.S. customs shows Vietnam exported 50,700 tons of honey products in 2020, or 25.8 percent of that country’s total honey imports.

    The DOC will decide whether to launch an investigation within 20 days.

    The U.S. International Trade Commission is reviewing the two associations’ lawsuits to assess the damage done to the U.S. honey production industry.

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  • The Vitamin Shoppe to launches stores in Vietnam

    The Vitamin Shoppe to launches stores in Vietnam

    The Vitamin Shoppe, an omnichannel specialty retailer of nutritional products, today announced a partnership agreement with Kim Lien Group for the
    Vietnam market. Under the country license agreement, Hanoi-based Kim Lien Group will open and operate The Vitamin Shoppe stores in Vietnam, as well as launch wholesale distribution of The Vitamin Shoppe family of proprietary brands in Vietnam.

    The first store under the partnership agreement opened this month in Hanoi. The bi-level, 140 square-meter (1,500 square feet) store is located at 58B Ba Trieu Street in the Hoan Kiem district. The store offers a wide assortment of vitamins, supplements, sports nutrition, and other health and wellness products under The Vitamin Shoppe’s proprietary brands, which include The Vitamin Shoppe, Vthrive The Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech, BodyTech Elite, fitfactor Weight Management System, fitfactor KETO, plnt, ProBioCare, and True Athlete.

    Kim Lien Group will open a second Hanoi location of The Vitamin Shoppe later this month at 49 Phuong Mai Street in the Dong Da district, with additional stores to be announced. A wholesale distribution strategy for the various The Vitamin Shoppe brands will launch in the coming months, with a focus on pharmacies, gyms, and spas throughout Vietnam.

    This agreement marks the first country license agreement in Asia for The Vitamin Shoppe. The company currently operates country license agreements in Panama (8 stores), Guatemala (10 stores), and Paraguay (3 stores).

    Sharon Leite, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe, commented: “We are excited to bring our industry-leading expertise and innovation to the Vietnam market, where we see strong interest in our products and increasing demand for high-quality health and wellness brands. Our partners at Kim Lien Group have an exceptional understanding of the Vietnam market and the knowledge and experience to make The Vitamin Shoppe a trusted destination for wellness solutions in Vietnam, as it is throughout the United States. We continue to see additional opportunities with international partners and plan to expand The Vitamin Shoppe into new growth markets.”

    Founded in 1994, Kim Lien Group operates a group of automotive, restaurant, and hotel businesses in Vietnam, including 16 auto dealerships across the Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and MG brands.

    Mr. Anh Hoang, Vice Chairman of Kim Lien Group, will manage The Vitamin Shoppe business in Vietnam. He commented: “This partnership journey started when I visited one of The Vitamin Shoppe stores in Boston to find health solutions for my mother, Madame Lien, Chairwoman of Kim Lien Group. I was impressed with the customer experience, the knowledge of the Health Enthusiasts, and the product assortment in the store.

    Since then, Kim Lien Group realized that the Vietnam market could benefit tremendously from the products and services of The Vitamin Shoppe. During this time, Vietnam was having serious issues with fake supplements from unknown sources distributed here. We wanted to end that fear and bring a trusted, high-quality brand from the United States to Vietnam so that consumers can confidently shop for health and wellness supplements here.”

    Kim Lien Group expects key product categories in Vietnam to include vitamins, probiotics and digestion, healthy aging, herbs, omegas, antioxidants, collagen, bone, and children’s health. Each of The Vitamin Shoppe’s proprietary brands is put through 320 rigorous quality assurance steps, and ingredient purity and potency are verified by independent, third-party labs. Consumers can feel confident that all products from The Vitamin Shoppe family of brands meet or exceed industry quality standards.

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  • Abbott accelerates healthcare transformation in Vietnam

    Abbott accelerates healthcare transformation in Vietnam

    A conference will be held in Hanoi this month to accelerate digital transformation in the health sector, using technological achievements to raise the quality of treatments as Vietnam seeks to expand its remote healthcare network nationwide.

    Overview and approaches of the sector’s digital transformation will be high on the agenda of eHealth Vietnam Summit 2020, to be held by the Health Ministry on December 29-30, organizers stated on the event website.

    Remote healthcare consultation and support has become critically important this year when travel is restricted and hospitals face huge challenges due to Covid-19.

    Vietnam, which has been praised by the international community for its success in containing the outbreaks, has established Telehealth, a network aimed to connect some 14,000 health facilities nationwide and link them with other countries in the medical field, part of the nation’s digital transformation program towards 2025, with a vision to 2030.

    The network will allow people nationwide to access medical services, receive consultation and treatment by doctors from higher-level hospitals remotely, thus reducing patient congestion at central hospitals, said a report shared on the Ministry of Health website in September. By late September 2020, the network had connected 1,000 medical examination and treatment facilities with nearly 30 key hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the ministry stated. In late November, it required all hospitals in the country to connect to the network for treatment, practice sharing, and learning.

    Amid the country’s drive for digital transformation this year, Abbott, the Chicago-based company on the forefront of innovation for more than 130 years, has continuously brought life-changing technologies and breakthroughs in diagnostics, medical devices, medicine and nutrition to Vietnam. This demonstrates the company’s long-standing commitment as a strategic partner to shape the future of healthcare in Vietnam and the region.

    In order to boost speed, efficiency and accuracy in patient diagnosis and treatment, Abbott has brought in Alinity, a family of systems that reinvents the way diagnostic laboratories work by simplifying diagnosis.

    Alinity, derived from Alignment, Innovation and Unity, has been made available in 18 hospitals and six blood banks including Medic, Cho Ray Hospital, Tu Du Hospital, Hung Vuong Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Medical University Hospital, Danang General Hospital, DIAG, Hanoi Medical University Hospital and the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

    In 2020, Abbott introduced Alinity m, its latest new-generation platform, fully integrated and automated molecular diagnostics analyzer that uses innovative technology to deliver greater flexibility and efficiency. The platform is now available in hospitals and healthcare facilities including Military Hospital 108, Medic, Medlatec, Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi as well as Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

    Vietnam’s health facilities are utilizing Abbott’s advanced technology, diagnostics systems and devices, including High-Sensitivity Troponin-I Test, DBS viral loading test and first-of-its-kind, life-saving device MitraClip designed for those with common heart valve disorders.

    High-Sensitivity Troponin-I Test, also known as Hs Troponin-I test, aims to check the level of troponin, a protein found specifically in heart muscle cells. A high content of the macronutrient detected from the test provides better predictive information for determining a person’s chances of developing future heart disease when added to the current standard of care.

    The test also offers gender-specific cut-offs, allowing physicians to more accurately diagnose myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attacks, in women. A study published in the British Medical Journal found Abbott’s test uncovered twice as many heart attacks in women than standard troponin screening. It is exceptionally crucial for doctors to conduct early diagnosis of a heart attack to act quickly in critical moments. As in Vietnam, one out of three people suffers a heart attack each year.

    Abbott’s Hs Troponin-I test has become the first and only approved by the Health Ministry to aid cardiac risk stratification thanks to its significance and efficiency. Therefore, the test now not only serves patients facing heart disease risks but is also dedicated to better health management.

    If the Hs Troponin-I test is aimed to serve a larger community, the DBS test, known as the dried blood spot test, helps ease access to HIV viral load testing for Vietnamese in remote areas as the procedure is simple and requires no refrigeration. It uses a few blood drops dried on a filter paper before being shipped to a laboratory for analysis. The process has recently been expanded to HCV testing, and proves efficient especially in this tough time of fighting the pandemic.

    In order to advance heart and cardiovascular disease treatment, Abbott has introduced minimally invasive mitral valve repair device MitraClip, a transcatheter-based device, to help Vietnamese with common heart valve disorders. The MitraClip procedure involves doctors guiding a thin tube through a patient’s vein toward the mitral valve to help it close more efficiently without open-heart surgery, thus enabling speedy recovery.

    In October, Prix Galien USA honored Abbott’s MitraClip therapy as the Best Medical Technology for 2020. Considered as the industry’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical and medical technology research, the award recognizes excellence in scientific innovation that improves the state of humankind. This device has transformed the lives of more than 100,000 people globally living with mitral regurgitation, or a leaky heart valve.

    After 25 years’ expansion in Vietnam, Abbott has achieved sustainable business growth, developed strong local talent and offered significant opportunities. The company has continuously offered Vietnam with breakthroughs in nutrition, medicines, diagnostics and medical devices.Glucerna, the newly enhanced reformulation designed to help people with diabetes, is the latest arrival from Abbott. The dual therapeutic benefits of Glucerna’s new formulation promote GLP-1 secretion with its unique nutrients and improves insulin sensitivity for better glycemic control.Vietnam has been one of the first countries where Abbott’s nutrition business has launched breakthrough products, such as Similac Eye-Q Plus with HMO that nurtures stronger immunity and brain development among babies; PediaSure MRI with Arginine and natural Vitamin K2 that help children reach their optimal growth and potential; Ensure Gold with special nutritional ingredient HMB, protein, calcium, vitamins and nutrients to help the elderly overcome the loss of muscle strength.

    Besides, Abbott has also introduced Surbex Natural Lingzhi, another science-based health supporting product available in capsules that boost immunity, enhance liver function and overall body resistance.

    Last month, Abbott again made No.1 in Pharma/Medical Equipment/Healthcare for the seventh consecutive year in the list of “Vietnam Best Places to Work 2020.” Its recognition in Vietnam affirms Abbott’s leadership in the healthcare industry, having created an innovative and winning culture that empowers employees to reach their full potential.

    Abbott and its foundation, Abbott Fund, have provided more than VND250 billion ($10.5 million) in grants and product donations to address critical health issues, focused on removing barriers preventing Vietnamese from living healthy lives, and strengthening the country’s health sector.

  • Air Asia develops digital health pass

    Air Asia develops digital health pass

    Air Asia has launched its digital health pass, Scan2Fly, to streamline health document checks and determine eligibility to travel.

    Developed in partnership with analytics company GrayMatter, Scan2Fly has already launched on routes from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Surabaya, and Jakarta. About 4 in 10 passengers on these flights are already using the system, according to the airline.

    Scan2Fly will enable passengers to scan and upload medical certificates at the time of online check-in. Entry documentation required by the destination country, including Covid-19 test certificates, is verified in real-time. The airline said the technology, which helps travelers minimize contact with airport staff, will eventually be rolled out to other Air Asia destinations.

    Javed Malik, chief operating officer at Air Asia Group said:

    “Covid-19 gave us the opportunity to fast track numerous new technologies to make flying not only safe and affordable but also more hygienic and contactless. We believe this innovation, alongside numerous others that we are rolling out across Air Asia Group, will help restore consumer confidence and stimulate future air travel.”

    Air Asia’s proprietary digital health pass comes amid global efforts to harmonize standards in verifying passenger health data.

    Cathay Pacific and United Airlines are among carriers trialing CommonPass, a digital health pass developed by the World Economic Forum and Commons Project Foundation. International SOS, a travel security company, is also in the process of developing AOKpass with trials in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is in the final development phase of its IATA Travel Pass.

    Covid-19 testing and document verification is a priority for the airline industry as it lobbies governments for borders to reopen and international travel to resume.

    Some governments, including China, have regulations to ban airlines if a certain number of passengers test positive upon arrival. Digital health passes, like traditional passport and visa checks, can help airlines reduce the risk of penalties for non-compliance.

    “We have built Scan2Fly with both scalability and global compatibility in mind. Should there be an agreed global tracing app or vaccination app, our solutions can seamlessly integrate and or exchange relevant data as and when required,” Malik added.

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