Day: December 19, 2022

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President pays a guidance visit to Huaphan’s Et district

President Thongloun Sisoulith on Dec 14 visited Et district, Huaphan Province where he was briefed about the implementation of the two national agendas – addressing drug issues and economic difficulties – in the locality by Governor of Et district Thongsouk Somphavanh.
The president called on the local authorities and people to continue to promote their solidarity, attach attention to the public security and defense work and making young people aware of drug menace.
Once briefed about socio-economic development in the district, the president appreciated the authorities and people for their achievements in basic infrastructure development and improving living conditions.
He also asked them to tap potentials in their locality for the sake of poverty reduction.
The president also visited Khua Ou Nam Et protected area and Et district market.

Source: Lao News Agency

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We can end AIDS but inequalities prevent this. We must #Equalize!

On World AIDS Day, December 1, a new UNAIDS report (Dangerous Inequalities) showed that unequal access to rights, services, science, and resources is preventing us from ending the AIDS epidemic. Dangerous Inequalities unpacks the impact on the AIDS response of gender inequalities, as well as disparities faced by key populations, and between children and adults.
It also sets out how worsening financial constraints are making it more difficult to address these inequalities.
For the Lao PDR and the wider Asia-Pacific region, the report highlights some harsh facts – most critically that the daily reality of thousands of people with worsening economic situations and tighter budgets are making it harder to address these inequalities.
Last year, Asia-Pacific region had around six million people living with HIV, 260,000 new infections, and 140,000 AIDS-related deaths. In 2021, the Lao PDR had an estimated 15,000 people living with HIV, in which 76% of people living with HIV were diagnosed, 75% of those diagnosed were on treatment, and 98% of those treated were virally suppressed – meaning the virus presence is so low, it is virtually undetectable.
Although overall new HIV infections in the Lao PDR have declined by 21% since 2010, new HIV infections are increasing within sub-populations, such as among young people and key populations – men who have sex with men, transgender women, people who use and inject drugs and female sex workers. There has also been an increase in sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers; between 2014 and 2020, reports of chlamydia increased by 18% and gonorrhea increased by 13%.
There are good reasons why prevention approaches that work for the general population aren’t as effective with the most marginalized and vulnerable among us in our communities. For people from these communities, services that others take for granted — going to the clinic, requesting social support or making a police report — can be a challenge, and could put them at risk of arrest or compulsory detoxification in the name of treatment.
In the post-COVID-19 and economically challenged era we currently find ourselves, the consequences of this are greater than ever. Young women, girls, and key populations face increasing risks and vulnerabilities for gender-based violence, sexual abuse, and exposure to HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
Laws, policies and harmful practices fuel the stigma and exclusion they face each day. We cannot end AIDS among young people and key populations unless we address the factors in our society that exacerbate inequalities. We must work together to eliminate stigma and discrimination, particularly ensuring HIV services are accessible, HIV self-test kits available, and barriers that cause stigma and discrimination are eliminated.
Failure to make progress on meeting the needs of key populations and allowing dangerous inequalities undermines the entire AIDS response and jeopardises health security for everyone.
HIV prevention for young people and key populations remains a priority.
Investments to address HIV-related inequalities are urgently needed. Progress has been made, but to reduce our commitment now risks the loss of all we have gained. At a time when international solidarity and funding are most needed, too many high-income countries are cutting global health aid. It will cost lives.
In 2021, HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries experienced an US$ 8 billion shortfall. Sustaining financial support is vital to getting the AIDS response back on track. As the new UNAIDS report shows, donor funding also helped catalyze domestic funding: increases in external HIV funding for countries from PEPFAR and the Global Fund during 2018-2021 were met with significant increases in domestic funding.
Now however, national health budgets are decreasing. The Lao PDR is currently experiencing economic challenges which have decreased the central health budget. Coupled with currency depreciation and high inflation rates, concerns emerge regarding the levels of available funding to pay for medicines, diagnostics and vaccines.
Millions of lives are at stake.
We know what is required and the evidence is clear. Protecting the rights of marginalized people expands access to HIV prevention services, increases the number of people being treated, widens access to prevention tools and reduces new infections and deaths. Together, this accelerates our response to HIV.
Countries have the power to overturn laws that criminalize and marginalize entire communities. Gender-based violence can be challenged. Children can be protected by investing in education and health.
All over the world, people are mobilizing to challenge the injustices that keep people away from lifesaving HIV treatment, care and prevention services.
Together, it is possible to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 but only if governments act now to equalize access to HIV services for everyone.
The Government of the Lao PDR and other southeast Asian leaders have made a commendable and renewed commitment through the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Ending Inequalities and Getting on Track to End AIDS by 2030. In it they pledge to take concrete steps toward ending inequalities; strengthening, supporting and sustaining community-led responses; and financing the AIDS response. This is a much-welcomed step.
Tackling inequalities will not only help the marginalized. It will help everyone.
We call on everyone – government, private sector, development partners, civil society, and communities – to unite and address the inequalities preventing the end of the AIDS epidemic.

Source: Lao News Agency

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UNFPA Hackathon! Youth Innovation Challenge – Under The “Me, My Body, My Planet, My Future” Campaign

UNFPA, in partnership with the Faculty of Education, National University of Laos, Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union (LYU) and Global Shapers, brought together young innovators in the Lao PDR to present their innovative, impactful implementable ideas and technical solutions for addressing some of the key challenges faced by adolescents and young people in the country.
The Youth Innovation Challenge 2022 Hackathon was organised on Dec 16 to identify and promote the role and voices of youth in shaping solutions for their ecosystem. The activity is in line with the implementation of the Lao Youth and Adolescent Development Strategy 2021-2030 and the Noi ecosystem.
“The youth innovation challenges provided young people with opportunities, platforms and mentorship to express their creativity and receive guidance to develop those ideas further. NUOL, UNFPA, LYU and Global Shapers will then help winners establish networks with relevant stakeholders in their thematic areas,” said Vice Dean, Faculty of Education, National University of Laos Vixien Thongthavy.
Three thematic areas for this challenge were: promoting sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young people with focus on preventing early and unwanted pregnancies; promoting mental health and wellbeing of adolescents and young people; and addressing climate change. Expert mentors supported teams during the hackathon for refining their ideas. These teams then pitched ideas and solutions to a panel of judges.

Three most innovative ideas and solutions were awarded with USD1,000 each. The selection decision by the panel of judges was based on criteria (thematic areas, innovation, implement ability, feasibility, cultural appropriateness, impact and reach, scalability and sustainability) and the quality of the pitch during the hackathon.

“Lao youth of today are part of the largest generation of working age people the country will ever have. You can play a central role in finding creative and innovative solutions for addressing the challenges of health, well being and environment,” said Mariam A. Khan, UNFPA Representative.
Mr Tavan Phetsaphaivanh, one of the winners of this year’s Youth Innovation Challenge, shared, “I am so glad to be a part of the Youth Innovation Challenge 2022. I have had this innovative idea for two years, and this is the perfect platform for me to share and make it happen. So stay tuned for what will happen next!”
The campaign “Me, My Body, My Planet, My Future” was first launched in 2019 by UNFPA in collaboration with the LYU. The aim is to encourage and engage youth to take action for Sustainable Development Goals. It fosters the linkage between the decisions youth make about their well-being, the protection of the planet and how the decisions impact their future. The prosperous future of young girls and boys is linked to the actions they take to protect their health, well-being, the environment and combat climate change.

Source: Lao News Agency

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FourKites Extends its Leadership Position in the Supply Chain Visibility Market with Strong Growth and Innovation in APAC

Now tracking international shipments in 46 APAC countries, with over 240% growth in annual shipments and over 90% growth in new APAC customers, the world’s leading corporations continue to select FourKites for real-time, end-to-end supply chain visibility

FourKites Extends its Leadership Position in the Supply Chain Visibility Market with Strong Growth and Innovation in APAC

Now tracking international shipments in 46 APAC countries, with over 240% growth in annual shipments and over 90% growth in new APAC customers, the world’s leading corporations continue to select FourKites for real-time, end-to-end supply chain visibility

CHENNAI, India, Dec. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading supply chain visibility company FourKites today announced strong global growth in 2022, as the company executed on its vision for automated, interconnected and collaborative supply chains that span transportation, warehouses, stores, trucks and more. Specifically in Asia-Pacific, the company realized 91% growth in new customers in the region, and more than 240% growth in shipments tracked across 46 APAC countries.

Among the new customers who are using FourKites to transform their supply chains are Mitsui & Co. Global Logistics, Ltd, Nestlé Japan, Chevron Corporation, Kraft Heinz, SpaceX, Molson Coors, Bacardi and QVC — further validating Gartner’s ranking of FourKites as a Leader in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Real-time Transportation Visibility Solutions, and the visibility provider of choice for customers with the most complex supply chain needs.1

Globally, FourKites recorded nearly 50% year-over-year growth, as it continues to connect the supply chains of 50% of the Fortune 500. In 2022 in the APAC region, FourKites achieved:

  • 240% growth in total shipments
  • 91% growth in new customers
  • 146% growth in the number of carriers tracking loads
  • 1.8B+ miles tracked
  • 30% growth in the number of regional ports tracked, now totaling 282 ports
  • 486% growth in the number of facilities tracked, now totaling 14K facilities
  • Live OTR tracking throughout Australia, New Zealand, India, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia, with near-term expansion into additional countries in the region

Industry giants back FourKites’ long-term vision of supply chain transformation
In addition to strategic investments in 2021 from industry heavyweights Qualcomm Ventures, LLC, Volvo Group Venture Capital AB and Zebra Technologies, over the past year, FourKites inked strategic partnerships with a number of industry titans to continue executing on its bold vision for the future of digital supply chains. These companies include FedEx, Quiet Platforms, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Sony, Microsoft and Narvar. The real-time supply chain visibility pioneer was also recognized for its industry leadership and ongoing innovation by Gartner, SupplyChainBrain, Blue Yonder, Builtin Chicago, Manhattan Associates and Food Shippers of America.

FourKites is leveraging Mitsui’s $10M strategic investment to expand its offerings across the APAC region. The strategic relationship, which will initially focus on Japan, will deliver hyper-localized solutions for the APAC market, while boosting FourKites’ capabilities across sales, customer service and operations.

“We are excited to partner with FourKites to bring improved supply chain visibility and efficiency to operations in all industries and all countries throughout APAC,” said John Kenichi Kogiku, General Manager of Digital Solution Business Division at Mitsui. “FourKites and Mitsui share a culture of innovation, integrity and collaboration, and a broader vision for transforming global supply chains. We are looking forward to working with FourKites to achieve our mutual goals through digitization and automation.”

“Companies throughout APAC are making significant investments in supply chain transformation,” said FourKites founder and CEO Mathew Elenjickal. “In 2023, we look forward to helping our APAC customers take the next leap forward in their logistics operations, expanding their insight further into their network and at the SKU level. Together, we will build a more resilient and agile supply chain.”

Unique customer collaboration model continues to deliver industry-first innovations
Close collaboration with customers has been the bedrock of FourKites’ product development since the company’s inception. More than nine out of 10 FourKites customers are active contributors to the company’s IdeaExchange, and FourKites’ Innovation Partner program has generated more than 200 product enhancements from more than 70 companies, including Andersen Corporation, Canfor, Cardinal Health, Henkel, Kimberly-Clark, Smithfield and Sprouts Farmers Market, among others.

New solutions released in 2022 include:

  • New detention & demurrage capabilities to help shippers more quickly and proactively identify potential detention and demurrage fees; prioritize exceptions according to likely business impact; and proactively adjust carriers, lanes or other factors as necessary.
    • “FourKites’ automated reporting and tracking for ocean provides more accurate and real-time data, which allows Canfor to respond to customer inquiries quicker with up-to-date information on our upcoming shipments that would have otherwise had to be manually tracked.” — Bob Hayes, Vice President of Global Supply Chain at Canfor
  • Patented ocean shipment innovations that provide international shippers and their partners with complete visibility into all of the complex documentation requirements at every leg of every ocean shipment.
  • A Net Zero initiative to help companies reduce supply chain emissions, including FourKites’ Sustainability Hub, a suite of analytics tools to provide better visibility into resource consumption and waste generation; a new Sustainability Advisory Board; and ongoing original research around sustainability.
    • “To track emissions and to evaluate how we’re performing — it all relies on data. And that’s a place where we’ve been thrilled with our partnership with FourKites, because without it, we would not have the critical data we need to operate well.” — Karen Betancourt, Vice President of Logistics at Cardinal Health
  • A new unified customer interface that integrates real-time transportation visibility and facility-specific data across all modes.
    • “FourKites continues to excel and impress me with their ability to deliver tools that are useful and support our account in a way that is customer first. In working with them, they have been able to roll out coverage in multiple countries, manage the work, and enhance their tool along the way. I’m very impressed with their product and the agility in delivery.” — Logistics Strategy Analyst, Manufacturing

About FourKites
Leading supply chain visibility platform FourKites® extends visibility beyond transportation into yards, warehouses, stores and beyond. Tracking more than 3 million shipments daily across road, rail, ocean, air, parcel and last mile, and reaching over 200 countries and territories, FourKites combines real-time data and powerful machine learning to help companies digitise their end-to-end supply chains. More than 1,200 of the world’s most recognized brands — including 9 of the top-10 CPG and 18 of the top-20 food and beverage companies — trust FourKites to transform their business and create more agile, efficient and sustainable supply chains. To learn more, visit https://www.fourkites.com/.

Media Contact:
Marianna Vyridi
Big Valley Marketing for FourKites
+1 (650) 468-3263
mvyridi@bigvalley.co

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0ace1aaf-f9f8-4da4-b789-bf26126621db

1 Gartner, Critical Capabilities for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms, Carly West, 24 May 2022.

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8716421

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Graphenea เปิดตัว KIVORO บริษัทย่อยในธุรกิจสายสารเคมีพิเศษ

Quality Control

Analysis of a specialty chemical

ซานเซบัสเตียน สเปน, Dec. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Graphenea S.A. ซึ่งเป็นผู้ผลิตแกรฟีนชั้นนำระดับโลกได้เปิดตัวบริษัทที่แยกออกมาทำธุรกิจเฉพาะ KIVORO เป็นบริษัทสารเคมีพิเศษที่มุ่งเน้นการสร้างโซลูชันเพื่อความท้าทายในอุตสาหกรรม

Let’s go faster! (ก้าวเร็วขึ้นไปด้วยกัน!) สโลแกนของ KIVORO นั้นหมายถึงความว่องไวและความเร็วเมื่อทำงานร่วมกันกับ KIVORO และผสานรวมกับแนวทางการทำงานอันเรียบง่ายที่บริษัทใหม่แห่งนี้นำมาใช้กับธุรกิจภาคสารเคมีพิเศษ Jeremey Shipp ผู้อำนวยการฝ่ายขายของ KIVORO ระบุว่า “เรากำลังจัดการความท้าทายทางอุตสาหกรรมที่ซับซ้อน แต่เราก็ไม่ได้มีความซับซ้อนในการร่วมงานด้วย เราเข้าใจว่าลูกค้าของเรากำลังมองหาโซลูชัน ไม่ใช่ปัญหา และเราก็เป็นองค์กรที่คล่องตัวและตรงไปตรงมา”

Quality Control

Conducting quality control analysis

KIVORO ก้าวไปไกลกว่าคำว่ากราฟีน โดย Jesús de la Fuente ประธานกรรมการบริหารให้ความเห็นว่า “KIVORO แยกตัวออกมาเพื่อช่วยเราทำโซลูชันอุตสาหกรรมปัจจุบันให้เป็นธุรกิจ และมุ่งหน้าไปไกลกว่าคำว่ากราฟีน เราจะคงความเชี่ยวชาญด้านคาร์บอนและวัสดุนาโนในระดับชั้นนำไปตามปกติ แต่เราจะมุ่งเน้นอย่างหนักในด้านการพัฒนาสารเคมีพิเศษที่เหมาะสมสำหรับตอบสนองความท้าทายทางอุตสาหกรรมของลูกค้า ทั้งนี้ก็เพื่อเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพในการดำเนินงานและลดการปล่อยก๊าซเรือนกระจก”

Specialty Chemical Production

Head of Production, Xabier Ulacia overseeing production

KIVORO ทำงานร่วมกับหลายอุตสาหกรรม ตั้งแต่การก่อสร้าง การเคลือบ การกรอง คอมโพสิต และอื่น ๆ บริษัทนี้ได้พัฒนาสารเติมแต่งประสิทธิภาพสูงหลายชนิด ตั้งแต่สารเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพซีเมนต์ไปจนถึงการจัดเก็บพลังงาน คอมโพสิต สารยึดติด น้ำยาง สารเคลือบ และอื่น ๆ หนึ่งในความสำเร็จที่น่าภาคภูมิใจที่สุดของบริษัทคือสถานะการปล่อยก๊าซเรือนกระจกสุทธิเป็นศูนย์ (net zero) Jesús de la Fuente ประธานกรรมการบริหารของบริษัทให้ความเห็นว่า “เราไม่หยุดยั้งในการแสวงหาการปรับปรุงเพื่อให้ได้ผลลัพธ์ที่ยอดเยี่ยมไปพร้อมกับสร้างผลกระทบเชิงบวกต่อประสิทธิภาพการทำงานและโลกของเรา ผลิตภัณฑ์ทั้งหมดของเรามีความเป็นกลางทางคาร์บอน และในกรณีส่วนใหญ่นั้น ผลิตภัณฑ์ของเราก็ช่วยลูกค้าลดคาร์บอนฟุตพรินต์ (ปริมาณก๊าซเรือนกระจกที่ปล่อยออกมาจากผลิตภัณฑ์) ของตน และก็ช่วยประหยัดเงินไปได้ในเวลาเดียวกัน”

เกี่ยวกับ Graphenea
Graphenea เป็นบริษัทเทคโนโลยีที่ก่อตั้งขึ้นในปี 2010 โดยเชี่ยวชาญด้านการผลิตกราฟีน บริษัทมีลูกค้าในกว่า 60 ประเทศและมีสำนักงานในซานเซบาสเตียน (สเปน) และบอสตัน (สหรัฐอเมริกา) Graphenea สนับสนุนลูกค้าด้วยการผลิตกราฟีนรูปแบบใหม่ต่าง ๆ ตั้งแต่ทรานซิสเตอร์สนามไฟฟ้ากราฟีนไปจนถึงกราฟีนออกไซด์ ในขณะเดียวกันก็รักษาความเป็นผู้นำในภาคส่วนการผลิตกราฟีนที่กำลังขยายตัวด้วย

Kivoro Plant

Specialty chemical production plant

เกี่ยวกับ KIVORO
KIVORO เป็นบริษัทที่แยกตัวออกมาจาก Graphenea และบ่มเพาะประสบการณ์ทำงานหลายปีในภาคส่วนสารเติมแต่งและเทคโนโลยีนาโน ซึ่งสร้างสมความรู้และความเชี่ยวชาญในด้านสารเคมีพิเศษข้ามอุตสาหกรรมอย่างกว้างขวาง KIVORO ถือกำเนิดขึ้นเพื่อปรับปรุงและเพิ่มมูลค่าให้กับผลิตภัณฑ์ของลูกค้า โดยออกแบบสารเติมแต่งทางเคมีที่ดีที่สุดสำหรับการใช้งานของลูกค้า

ติดต่อเรา
info@kivoro.com
www.kivoro.com

ดูรูปภาพประกอบเกี่ยวกับประกาศนี้ได้ที่
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/44bb2fda-55bc-4770-ac27-5bea4b11d156
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d48c8e0-f6bb-42f0-9934-057015eab749

Kivoro Plant

Specialty chemical production plant

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c00a710b-9146-4372-a4ea-7438fa2ce847
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f8a96e2-482b-466b-9064-59b3165446bb
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59231d91-7cad-4edc-84c1-159ffe1e6f67

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