Speakers at The World Immunisation & Logistics Summit

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Globally Acclaimed Leaders in Healthcare and Philanthropy join Lineup of Speakers at The World Immunisation & Logistics Summit

  • Senior decision-makers including Director-General of WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Novavax among speakers.

 

Abu Dhabi –  Acclaimed global healthcare and philanthropic professionals, decision makers, experts and senior world government officials are joining the upcoming World Immunisation & Logistics Summit, a two-day event hosted by Abu Dhabi’s HOPE Consortium, to discuss a unified global approach to overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining how success can only be achieved through solidarity and international collaboration.

Global speakers include Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, Prof. José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Mark Suzman, CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stanley C. Erck, President and CEO, Novavax, Nadhim Zahawi MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment, UK, Dr. E. Osagie Ehanire, Honourable Minister of Health, Nigeria, Prof. Nachman Ash, COVID-19 National Coordinator, Israel, and Wesley P. Wheeler, President, UPS Healthcare.

They will join H.E. Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman, Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, H.E. Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Ports, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and Honorary Chairman of Hope Consortium in discussing topics such as ensuring vaccine access for developing countries, addressing challenges relating to logistics and supply chain integrity, and feature focus panels on the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

The Summit is set to welcome over 1,000 senior decision makers, government officials, industry stakeholders, NGOs, and leading academics on March 29th – 30th, 2021. It will provide an open forum for global players to discuss the logistical challenges associated with vaccine transport and distribution with the aim of finding solutions to achieve mass and equitable worldwide vaccine access.

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and Honorary Chairman of Hope Consortium, said: “The HOPE Consortium reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to support regional and international efforts to combat the pandemic, in a manner that strengthens its strategic relationships with the consortium partners and leverages Abu Dhabi’s strategic positioning and outstanding logistics capability.”

He also stressed that “the Summit will come up with significant results through constructive discussions, which will in turn speed up the joint international efforts for hope and return of normal life to the rest of the world.

H.E. Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Ports and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), said: “The Summit is a testament to our ongoing commitment and dedication in cementing Abu Dhabi’s leading position as a trade and logistics hub to best serve humanity, with Abu Dhabi Ports playing a key role in making this possible through its advanced logistic capabilities. We will work with partners around the world to establish Abu Dhabi Ports as the central point for the distribution of vaccines and other pharmaceutical products and supplies, through our world-class cold storage and ultra-cold facility. This is not only for the COVID-19 pandemic, but also for the future of the world’s healthcare.

The Summit will play a significant role in generating new global partnerships needed for the next phase in overcoming the pandemic, which is perhaps one of the greatest logistical challenges in recent history. We strongly emphasise the importance of global and multi-lateral collaboration and look forward, with the support of our wise leadership, to contribute to this endeavor in any way possible.”

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said: “The summit is an opportunity to reaffirm that strong and enduring private-public partnerships are critical to the fight against COVID-19. Only by working together can we help every country get back to normal faster, and restore hope that children can return to school, that communities can rebuild and that economies can recover.”

Prof. José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, stressed: “Global and local supply chains have been critical to the success of deliveries and rollout of tens of millions of vaccine doses through COVAX.” Barroso added: “HOPE Consortium and the World Immunisation & Logistics Summit are excellent initiatives that clearly demonstrate the leadership of the United Arab Emirates in building innovative public private partnerships and bringing the world together to address the vital challenge of delivering COVAX to the last mile – their work will help us meet our goal of ending the acute phase of the pandemic.”

Nadhim Zahawi MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment, UK, added: “As the UK’s Vaccines Minister, I am enormously proud to play my part in this national success story – it’s a huge team effort. More than 25 million of our adults have now received their first dose, cementing the status of our vaccination rollout as the fastest across Europe.

“The UK is a proud multicultural nation, home to people of myriad ethnicities and religious beliefs. We are working closely with faith leaders and grassroots organisations to give people in diverse communities across the country the best advice and information about the universal benefits of vaccination.

“We have been clear from the beginning that vaccines are the way out of this pandemic. They will protect people from this dreadful virus and save thousands of lives. We are backing worldwide vaccination efforts through our leading role in COVAX, and I am delighted to be joining figures at the heart of the global fightback against Covid-19 at this Summit.”

Ashish Koshy, CEO, G42 Healthcare, added: “The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nations and people across the globe and through it all, a critical element has stood out, and that is the value of collaboration and partnerships when facing a crisis of this scale. At G42 Healthcare, we are proud of the role we continue to play bringing together our technological capabilities along with the expertise and knowledge of various partners and government entities to advance healthcare solutions and ultimately achieve a COVID-19 free world. We look forward to our participation in The World Immunisation and Logistics Summit to share learnings and learn anew, explore opportunities, and work together to future proof the health of our nations.”

A fully interactive, virtual 3D exhibition and networking zone will take place alongside the Summit offering attendees the opportunity to meet and network with key local and international stakeholders. The recently released agenda provides a preview on the topics and delegates, and can be viewed here. To register and secure your slot at the virtual Summit, please click here.

The HOPE Consortium is a public-private partnership which has developed into a leading international effort, broadening its global transport and delivery capabilities by attracting new partners, including Agility, Aramex, Bolloré Logistics, CEVA Logistics, DB Schenker, DHL, FedEx Express, Hellmann, Kuehne + Nagel, MICCO Logistics, RSA Global, and UPS.

 

Comprising leading Abu Dhabi entities, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Ports, Etihad Cargo, Rafed, SkyCell, and Maqta Gateway, as well as a wide body of global logistics players, the HOPE Consortium is developing capacity to transport, store, and distribute 18 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2021.

FMCG Standing Committee Demands Active Valuation Deptt At Lahore

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Lahore (Zahid Chughtai)  Standing Committee on Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Sector of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry has demanded for activating the valuation department of customs at Lahore besides increasing the customs valuation time frame of 90 days to at least one year.

            In its proposals for the budget, Standing Committee on FMCG Sector that a meeting may also be convened in Lahore before valuation meeting of Customs in Karachi so as the recommendation by Lahore meeting should also be considered while taking any decision in Karachi.

Convener of the Standing Committee Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer said that the 90-day valuation period is creating difficulties for legal importers and encouraging smuggling in the country.

He argued that business deals leading to purchase of goods in foreign countries and shipment of the same to Pakistan take much time and in most cases berths are not allotted late to the ships at the Karachi port. During this the 90-day valuation time passes and the Customs Department changes upward duty rates on the goods to the loss of the importers.

He demanded that a valuation office should be set up in Lahore too whose recommendations should be placed before the meeting of the Karachi valuation for deciding the duty rates, etc.

Ejaz Tanveer also sought setting up of an autonomous Shipping Lines Monitoring Authority like other countries to enable the importers take their complaints against shipping companies. He demanded allocating special berths for ships carrying imported foods and extended time frame for demurrage charges, particularly in case of rush on the port. He lamented that the port authorities calculate calendar days instead of working days for implementing demurrage charges.

He also demanded that the Government should make a permanent and durable policy to tackle the menace of smuggling so as the legal importers who are paying their due taxes may be able to perform their role in the progress of the country.

Similarly, Ejaz Tanveer also demanded restoration of final regime tax regime for the commercial importers.

SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY launches Pakistan’s first dedicated digital platform for the minorities, “WHITE IN THE FLAG”

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An SOC Films initiative, WHITE IN THE FLAG will highlight important issues that affect minorities living in Pakistan, while attempting to create a discourse about the experience of being a minority in Pakistan.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy proudly launches Pakistan’s first dedicated digital platform for the minorities, “WHITE IN THE FLAG”. An SOC Films initiative, https://whiteintheflag.com will highlight important issues that affect minorities living in Pakistan, while attempting to create a discourse about the experience of being a minority in Pakistan.

Indeed, embracing a digital mindset has become an essential and a daily feature of how a civil society communicates, persuades, informs and advocates. With “WHITE IN THE FLAG”, Chinoy aims to provide a platform in the form of an interactive website that can be used as a major tool for students, activists and legislators on the issues confronting minority groups by exhibiting a variety of resources associated with religious minority groups in order to advance the relevant policy initiatives.

“Approximately 3.8% of Pakistan’s population is its minorities, yet the voices of these communities are often suppressed – between forced conversions, abductions, terrorism at their places of worship and target killings, Pakistan’s minorities face an uphill battle just to exist. With WHITE IN THE FLAG, we want to ensure that citizens experiencing religious discrimination in our society are able to have their voices heard on issues that are important to them, protect and promote their rights, have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives and communities” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on the launch of this platform.

Conversations related to minority groups in Pakistan happen in isolation. Chinoy believes that with the rapid changes happening around the state of human rights in Pakistan, it is essential to have a focused dialogue with all necessary facts. This resource will record the history, present and future of the minority groups in Pakistan with an aim to help students, advocates, and the minority groups to use the content on the website to weigh, spread awareness and understand the history, present and future.

With https://whiteintheflag.com, SOC Films will be seeking collaboration opportunities with independent bodies, education institutes, and organizations that are working for minority groups.

Careem joins government efforts, introduces a ‘COVID19 Vaccination’

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Careem joins government efforts, introduces a ‘COVID19 Vaccination’ transport service on its Super App

●        Updated mapped locations, phone numbers and operating hours of each site are now available on Super App

●        Careem has built this information into the new tool/widget within the Super App

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Careem has recently released a new feature in its Super App which enables users to book a ride to any Covid19 vaccination centre in Pakistan with just two taps. The new “Get vaccinated” tool includes detailed information from official government sources on the vaccines being offered in the country, its eligibility, and the timings and locations of all centers across the country. Through the tool, customers can simply call the nearest vaccination center through the app and book a hassle-free ride, avoiding all traffic and parking issues.

“We are grateful to the local and federal government that has put in tremendous efforts to provide easy accessibility for citizens to get vaccinated. We wanted to play our role to encourage people of Pakistan who want to get vaccinated by making that process easier”  said Zeeshan Baig, CEO and Country General Manager, Careem Pakistan.

Customers in all 10 cities where Careem operates, can access the new tool directly on the home screen of the app, underneath thumbnails of other rides, food, and delivery services. The app allows users to locate and book an appointment at the nearest vaccination centre as well.

The company said it observed a surge in the number of customers booking rides to vaccination centres as soon as the vaccination process started by the government earlier this month. Thus far, more than 10,000 customers have booked a Careem ride to be vaccinated. More than 350,000 vaccines have been administered across Pakistan according to data by Reuters COVID-19 Tracker.

To improve the customer experience and support the national vaccination efforts, Careem quickly created a special dedicated squad including product managers, designers and engineers to build the world’s first vaccination transport feature in an app. Due to most of the vaccination sites being newly established and not yet appearing on maps, Careem set out to pinpoint the location, phone number and operating hours of each site and built that information into the new tool.

 

Virtual Edition of the 12th Karachi Literature Festival Concludes

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Karachi  (Muhammad Yasir) The third and final day of the 12th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), which is being held virtually and organized by the Oxford University Press was again a day full of interesting discourse and book launches. The virtual edition of the 12th KLF was supported by many sponsors including Getz Pharma and Bank of Punjab as the lead sponsor of the event. The day started with the book launch of Agents of Change: The Problematic Landscape of Pakistan’s K-12 Education and the People Leading the Change written by Amjad Noorani and Nadeem Hussain. The book highlights the problems of school education in Pakistan and the ways forward. While accepting that school education in Pakistan suffers from serious quantitative, qualitative, and resource deficits, they see the remedies in the private sector and in the work of NGOs. The morning session also saw French-Algerian author Mohammed Moulessehoul (known by his pen-name ‘Yasmina Khadra’) discussing his writings with author and commentator Bina Shah. The afternoon session Bhooli bisri Yadein was a conversation between Kishwar Naheed with journalist Mujahid Barelvi and it was a throwing back to the feminist poet’s experiences. London-based Kashmiri author Mirza Waheed discussed his novel with Hira Azmat in a session called Tell Her Everything. The Session was introduced by Michael Houlgate, Director, British Council, Karachi. Authors Noorul Huda Shah and Yasmeen Hameed discussed the role and status of women in Pakistani literature in the session Khawateen aur Pakistani Zubanon ka Maujooda Adab. The other session running parallel was a book discussion on Ghalib: A Wilderness at my Doorstep: A Critical Biography by Mehr Afshan Farooqi. The conversation was moderated by Sharif Awan and was also joined by Dr Nomanul Haq. Every year Getz Pharma sponsors the EACPE Film Awards. The theme this year was “What have we learned from the Pandemic?” The winners were announced, and the discussion was moderated by Aisha Munim Khan. The panellist for this session were Sakina Samo, Asim Abbasi and Saqib Malik along with Khalid Mahmood, CEO and MD Getz Pharma. A fascinating and learned discussion on the intellectual history of Urdu Literature between the highly accomplished Urdu poet Zehra Nigah and the erudite and eloquent scholar of Urdu Arfa Sayeda Zehra ran parallel to the film screenings. The late afternoon sessions started with a discussion on the Pakistan’s vulnerability to Climate Change. This session was introduced by Jack Hillmeyer, Consul General, US Consulate, Karachi. The discussion shed light on the challenges that the phenomenon of Climate Change poses for Pakistan. It was a stimulating dialogue between environment activists Tabith Spence and Rina Saeed Khan and was moderated by Amy Christianson. The early evening session commenced with a discussion on the Single National Curriculum, deliberating Uniformity Vs Diversity. MD Oxford University Press Arshad Saeed Husain was joined by A.H Nayyar, Erum Kashif and Faisal Bari. The session was moderated by educationist Dr. Ayesha Razzaque. In another session, the well-known screenwriter and director Bee Gul led a panel comprising of actor/producer Sarmad Khoosat, Beo Zafar, Writer Omar Shahid Hamid and Hasan Zaidi in tackling the question of the relative merits of the printed word and the screen image. Two powerful sessions in the evening were on the Pakistani Economy and a conversation with Ben Okri. The Award-winning Nigerian author and poet Ben Okri talked about the crises of our times to journalist and author Maheen Usmani, with reference to his most recent book A Fire in my Head. He shared his poetry with the audience. The session on the Post Pandemic Economy of Pakistan was moderated by Samiullah Siddiqui and the panelist included Zafar Masud, Murtaza Syed, Dr. Ishrat Hussain and Khalil Ullah Shaikh. Day 3 ended with two authoritative sessions. In the first session called Role of Soft Power in Diplomacy, former Pakistani ambassador to the United States and the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi was in discussion with Huma Baqai, discoursing on the geo-politics of today. Finally, renowned political activists and writer Tarik Ali discussed Progressive Politics in a Populist Period alongside activists Ammar Jan and Arooj Aurangzeb and Bilal Zahoor. The session was moderated by Asma Abbas. During the three days of KLF, the digital literature festival was able to reach over 951,000 (nine hundred fifty-one thousand) people on Facebook, whereas over 100,000 (one hundred thousand) minutes of live sessions have been viewed within these past 3 days. The videos will be available online for the viewers to watch later as well. More than 80,000 views were recorded on KLF live sessions and were able to reach 600,000 (six hundred thousand) people on YouTube.

Tara Uzra Dawood held an eco-friendly “Love Your Planet”

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Tara Uzra Dawood held an eco-friendly “Love Your Planet” themed garden tea party for her birthday.

Each guest received a neem tree as an appreciation gift.

Spotted at the event included Amin Gulgee, Shallum Xavier, Sharmila Faruqui, Nadya Mistry, Ameena Saiyid, Zurain Imam, Ava Cowasjee, Satish Anand, Nazneen Tariq Khan, Umar Chaudhry and others.

Huawei Pakistan Organize IdeaHub Golf Tournament

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Huawei Pakistan Organize IdeaHub Golf Tournament to promote the Sports among the ICT Sector

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Huawei Pakistan organized an IdeaHub Golf tournament, an invite only tournament to promote the sport among the ICT sector. Federal Secretary of IT and Telecommunications, Mr. Shoaib Siddiqui was the chief guest of the event.The tournament had 83 golfers, and was inaugurated by CEO of Jazz, Mr. Aamir Ibrahim, CBO of Jazz Mr. Ali Naseer, VP of Jazz Corporate Affairs Mr. Ibrar Khan, PTCL Group EVP Mr.Nadeem, Deputy CEO of Huawei Pakistan, Mr. Ahmed Bilal Masud was also present at the occasion, along with participants from different telcos and different ICT companies in Pakistan.

83 golfers were divided into 21 groups. After a fierce competition, the golfers with the top three gross score, top three net score and one nearest to the pin were awarded with Huawei phones and watches as trophy. The top three gross score are Sarwar 38, Azam Khan 34 and Shoaib Kiani 37,top three net score are Yasir 32,Aqeel 29 and Nadeem  27.Nearest to the pin is 9.7 feet and the winner is Naveed Malik.

In the award ceremony, Huawei demonstrated the Huawei IdeaHub: a sleek 4K screen with a contemporary, user-centric design, a minimalist stand that gives it the look of a next-generation product that fit for any office space. The 4K screen has H.265 technology with 60 fps that delivers a crisp, clear, smooth experience. The device has a touch feature that lets one make your presentations interactive with users.

 

The Federal Secretary Mr. Shoaib Siddiqui conclude the event by saying, “Huawei is a company which has strength, value, technology, commitment and knows how to stand up and how to tackle issues, resistance, problems and still remain in the field, while simultaneously promoting technology and developing an ecosystem with the government, society, youth and the tech sector. Huawei IdeaHub is a wonderful discovery, the world in your room, the world on your fingertips.

Biden’s rescue dog returns to White House after training

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WASHINGTON (NUT DESK)  US President Joe Biden’s rescue pet Major is back in Washington after an incident at the White House prompted a round of training to help acclimate him to life as a first dog.

“Champ and Major are here at the White House,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in a briefing on Wednesday, referring to the president’s two German Shepherds.

Biden earlier this month said Major was still getting used to life at the 18-acre complex in the U.S. capital, surrounded by aides and security officers, but was for the most part a sweet dog beloved by staff.

After a reported incident involving a security staff member, Biden told ABC News that Major was just being protective. Still, the young dog was briefly returned to Biden’s home state of Delaware for training.

Psaki said on Wednesday the dogs joined the Bidens at the Camp David presidential retreat near Thurmont, Maryland, over the weekend and returned to the White House with them on Sunday.

“Dogs will come and go, and it will not be uncommon for them to head back to Delaware on occasion,” she added.

The president adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Society in 2018 after serving as vice president under former President Barack Obama. Champ is an old Washington hand, having joined the family in 2008 when Biden won his vice presidential post.

First lady Jill Biden has said training the dogs for their new life at the White House has been a priority since they moved in after Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

She has also hinted they may get a cat.

 

Tendulkar tests positive for corona

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MUMBAI (NUT DESK) Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday and said he was in home quarantine in Mumbai with mild symptoms of the disease.

Tendulkar, who is widely revered as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, confirmed the news on social media. “I have been testing myself and taking all the recommended precautions to ensure Covid is kept at bay,” he said in a statement. “However, I have tested positive today following mild symptoms.All others at home have tested negative.

“I”ve quarantined myself at home and am following all the necessary protocols as advised by my doctors.” The 47-year-old recently led India Legends to a title win over Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 exhibition series at home earlier this week.

The highest run-scorer of all time in both Test matches and one-day internationals, Tendulkar retired in 2013 after playing in 200 Tests, in which he scored 15,921 runs.

He took another 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs and hit 100 centuries across both formats.

Chinese celebs, netizens slam ‘two-faced’ Hugo Boss over Xinjiang

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BEIJING (NUT DESK)  At least three Chinese celebrities on Saturday dropped German fashion house Hugo Boss, the latest foreign brand caught in a concerted boycott by Chinese consumers over Western accusations of forced labour in Xinjiang.

Among the celebrities who ended their pacts with Hugo Boss was actor-singer Li Yifeng, who said in a statement through his agent on the Twitter-like microblog Weibo that he would only cooperate with brands that specifically support and procure cotton from the farwestern Chinese region.

Activists and U.N. rights experts have accused China of using mass detainment, torture, forced labour and sterilisations on Uighurs in Xinjiang. China denies these claims and says its actions in the region are necessary to counter extremism.

Hugo Boss, in a post on its Weibo account on Thursday, said it would “continue to purchase and support Xinjiang cotton.” But it said on Friday that it was not an authorised post, and had been deleted accordingly.

In an email to media on Friday, company spokeswoman Carolin Westermann said an undated English-language statement on its website stating that “so far, HUGO BOSS has not procured any goods originating in the Xinjiang region from direct suppliers” was its official position.

On Saturday, the brand’s Weibo account issued a new statement saying it cherished all longstanding relationships with partners in China.