For this reason, Pfizer Thailand and Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN), a regional consortium of 72 higher education institutions aiming to advance the One Health Workforce development, have joined up to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Thailand.

The joint initiative will implement a series of interventions ranging from AMR stewardship and conducting educational and training programmes, to creating awareness around responsible use of antibiotics for healthcare professionals and communities within Thailand and SEAOHUN country networks.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others.

According to the World Health Organisation, it’s estimated that if no proactive action is taken now to combat AMR, by 2050, 10 million people, many of them in Asia and Africa, could be facing devastating infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis that have become impossible to treat, routine medical procedures could become too risky to perform and even minor injuries or infections could becoming life threatening.

In 2010, the burden of AMR in Thailand was estimated to result in 3.24 million days of hospitalisation and 30,481 deaths per annum, and to cost 0.6 per cent of national GDP.

AMR is a major emerging health problem in Thailand that needs comprehensive and systematic approaches. The Thai National Strategic Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2017–2021), which aims to reduce morbidity, mortality and the economic impact of AMR, was finalised and endorsed by the Cabinet in late 2016.

The plan sets targets for a 50-per-cent reduction in AMR morbidity, 20-per-cent and 30-per-cent reductions in antimicrobial use in human and animal respectively, and a 20-per-cent increase in public knowledge about AMR including awareness of appropriate use of antimicrobials. The collaboration is in line with Thailand’s National Strategic Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance and includes AMR surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in humans, animals and agriculture and regulation on antimicrobial distribution.

Susan Silbermann, the Pfizer global president for emerging markets, warned of the diseases that could become impossible to treat and the resultant loss of the quality of life, productivity, economic growth and wealth.

Rochelle Chaiken, the chief medical officer for emerging markets at Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group, added that vaccine programmes and surveillance were vital to reducing the threat of untreatable infections. She noted that Pfizer has an extensive surveillance programme that monitors bacteria resistance patterns data from 73 countries including Thailand. These data are freely accessible through a publicly available website and mobile application that offers an interactive platform to enable physicians to evaluate data and customised by pathogens and antibiotics. Equally important is stewardship in educating the health care providers including pharmacists and technicians in laboratories,

“While anybody can help treat an infection when it occurs, vaccines offer the potential to protect against life threatening infections and their associated consequences by helping to prevent infections in the first place. And the appropriate use of vaccines can reduce the need for antibiotic prescriptions, thereby preventing the potential overuse of common biotics, which may result in resistant strains,” Silbermann said.

“So we can no longer rely heavily on treating infections. We must take a comprehensive approach, such as trying to prevent them in the first place. We know that after clean water, vaccination has been noted to be the most effective public health measure,” she added.

“The partnership between SEAOHUN and Pfizer will further strengthen the capability of One Health professionals on AMR. We believe that a public-private partnership is a vital part of our mission to combat AMR in Thailand and the other Southeast Asian countries,” said Dr Vipat Kuruchittham, the executive director of SEAOHUN.

“For the fourth consecutive year, Boots Thailand has financially supported patients with cancer at the National Cancer Institute and also provided medical equipment and devices through several fundraising activities. We successfully raised more than Bt1 million through the KMs4Cancer Run, Charity Sales and the “No Plastic Day” campaign over the period December 4 to June 30. The latest activity, the ‘Beauty Against Cancer’ workshop, was organised to boost the resolve and attitudes of patients with cancer, helping them feel good about themselves in their everyday lives. This coincided with Boots presenting a donation of Bt440,000 to the National Cancer Institute,” said Mike Wanliss, managing director of Boots Retail (Thailand).

Weerawut Imsamran, director of the National Cancer Institute, expressed appreciation to Boots Retail Thailand for helping increase awareness of cancer care issues by continuously raising funds for the National Cancer Institute. “This allows us to purchase medical equipment to treat cancer patients, as well as organize feel good activities to educate our staff on how to provide the best care, treat and understand cancer patients, allowing them to continue their normal routines and to live happily with others in society,” Weerawut said.

In recent years, however, due to the increasing use of smartphones and social media, they are becoming a problem for the younger generation too. I have seen an increasing number of younger patients visit my clinic with concerns about horizontal wrinkles that develop along the middle of their neck as a result of regularly looking down at smartphones, tablets, computers or other devices. Whether your concern is ageing wrinkles or premature lines aka “tech neck”, here are some non-surgical procedures that may reverse all these concerns.

Nu Pico Laser: To treat existing neck lines, state-of-the-art laser technology like Nu Pico Laser can be used to stimulate collagen and elastin production. The increase in collagen and elastin fibers will help diminish neck wrinkles and help with the overall skin texture. The Nu Pico Laser utilises a picosecond laser with ultra-short laser pulses which are faster than a conventional nanosecond laser. The laser produces a non-thermal effect that reduces both treatment discomfort as well as risk of side effects that may occur with slower, nanosecond pulse laser. As a result, the new collagen and elastin are rebuilt with no downtime and without harming the surrounding skin. It leads to fast results, you will see better tightening of the neck skin which helps improve the look of lines, wrinkles and discolouration.

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU): HIFU is another option to treat neck wrinkles. According to an article published in the current issue of Dermatology Times, two independent dermatologists, who evaluated the patients complaining about wrinkles in the nasolabial, jawline, submental and neck areas, reported that each area improved 80 per cent or more. HIFU technology works by delivering energy to target the deep layer of skin. The energy induces collagen contraction and stimulates collagen production in the dermis and SMAS, a layer of tissue underneath the skin and subcutaneous tissue. SMAS provides the structural support for the muscle as well as the skin. This results in tighter, firmer skin with fewer and smoother wrinkles.

Botulinum toxin injection: Although not a permanent fix, the injection can help relax the muscles that pull down the neck skin. The neck wrinkles created by those muscle contractions will then soften in appearance. The effect of the botulinum toxin typically lasts between four and six months.

Vitamins and fillers: Vitamins or filler injections can also be used as a form of neck wrinkles treatment. A doctor can use the vitamin injection to stimulate collagen synthesis. While the filler injection can be used to immediately plump out the wrinkles around the injection site. Each treatment makes the neck skin smoother and gives it a more youthful appearance. In general, fillers last from six to 12 months

THANISORN THAMLIKITKUL MD is a member of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery and certified in dermatological laser surgery. Send your questions for her to info@romrawin.com

Launched in August 2018, the campaign aimed to combat the aggressive marketing of baby formula and show that breastfeeding for the first six months is best for mothers and babies.

“Campaigns like these are critical to creating an environment where mothers feel supported to breastfeed their children. With so many formula milk companies using advertising to sell their products, it’s important that mother’s milk maintains its position as the undisputed best for babies, and is fed exclusively in the first six months of life,” said Andy Nilsen, director of communications, advocacy and campaigns at Save the Children.

“In Myanmar, where close to one in three children are malnourished, adherence to recommended breastfeeding practices has been proven to reduce child mortality and improve their health, nutrition and cognitive development. It is essential that parents have access to correct, unbiased information about how to best feed their babies. That’s why campaigns like #6la are so important,” Hedy Ip, nutrition specialist at Unicef Myanmar, said.

Reaching close to 20 million people in Myanmar in Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, the #6la campaign helped mothers understand the importance of feeding babies nothing but breast milk for the first six months.

“The nutrition, protection and love that mothers give their child in the first six months of life should be celebrated,” Donald Eastwood, Bridge’s creative director, said.

The #6la teams, including trained midwives from Myanmar’s Health and Sports Ministry, visited mothers just after they gave birth and at prenatal groups, giving them a commitment bracelet pack containing basic information. The mothers were also encouraged to join the mHealth app, MayMay, for additional information and long-term engagement, and were given the option of seeking commitment packs for other mothers.

“The team championed the friend, father, sister, grandmother and doctor whose support helps a breastfeeding mother and influences social norms around breastfeeding. Singer Sung Thin Par was our archetypal mother and exclusively breastfed her daughter for six months,” Eastwood said.

The campaign owes part of its success to the support it gained from influential personalities.

Mra Thitsa Than, strategic planner for campaign designer Vero, said: “It was crucial that the campaign addressed family members, neighbours, health specialists, as they weighed in on core decisions made by mothers as well. We know the great role social influencers play in Myanmar, and we worked hard to develop key relationships with influential personalities who could help us bring our message to the right people. By the end of the campaign, close to 50 top tier influencers had taken part in the movement, online or offline, and were advocating for exclusive breastfeeding.

“We also believe in the power of a comprehensive approach to spark social change so we rolled out our messages across communication platforms. We also worked with leading publications to write empowering and educational articles on motherhood and on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. We reached out online too through the MayMay app and its Facebook page.”

The power of the movement induced a snowball effect, taking onboard key players of Myanmar’s private sector as well. By the end of the campaign, KBZ Bank had established and announced its first breastfeeding room as well as a revised HR policy to include paid breaks for breastfeeding mothers and were showing the campaign film in over 500 branches.

City Mart also joined the movement, giving supporter bracelets to all staff members, selling supporter packs and giving the proceeds to the campaign as well as displaying messages across 38 supermarkets.

“Globally, a woman’s return to work is one of the key barriers to successful breastfeeding. By addressing real barriers to exclusive breastfeeding in a relatively short period of time, this has proven an important starting point for further advocacy to create more breastfeeding-friendly workplaces in Myanmar,” said Roger Mathisen, program director for Alive & Thrive in Southeast Asia.

The campaign has helped break misconceptions about breastfeeding and has empowered mothers to make informed decisions. Testing before and after showed that three in five mothers recognise the brand, and more than 97 per cent of them agree that breastfeeding ensures a strong, healthy and happy baby.

After the campaign’s success last year, Myanmar’s Health and Sports Ministry is looking to see how the campaign can be used to support government efforts to improve nutrition across the country.

“Harnn” is now a part of Tanachira Group, an exclusive distributor of premium lifestyle brands. Founded by Tanapong Chirapanidchakul, the company unveiled at the Lady L Garden Bistro its new offering of it what it calls ultimate skincare – “The Legend of Organic”. It was launched along with a series of organic body oils and organic face oils, which are certified by Bioagricert from Italy as 95.28 per cent organic.

There are three aromatic scents to soothe the senses: dazzling organic body oil, serenity organic body oil, and leisure organic body oil. Each of the body oils consists of three main types of organic oils: virgin sunflower oil that helps improve skin health and lightens dark spots; virgin sesame oil, which helps soften skin; and virgin rice bran oil, which serves as a natural sunscreen for the skin, and helps the skin retain moisture.

Harnn organic face oil is extracted from 100 per cent natural ingredients, is dermatologically tested by ‘Dermscan Asia’ as non-irritant and suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. The face oil is carefully created for deep facial rejuvenation, and was launched with three formulas: deep hydrating organic face oil, ultimate revitalising organic face oil, and perfect clarifying organic face oil. They consist of four main types of organic oils: virgin sunflower oil, water lily oil, argan oil, and sea buckthorn oil, known for skin-rejuvenating qualities.

Beauty and health guru, Thidakarn Rujipattanakul, MD, dermatologist and anti-ageing doctor MS, and Stephany Auernig, actress and yoga coach, shared beauty tips including four easy steps for facial cleansing, facial massage, toner mist spray and moisturising for the daily use of the Legend of Organic collection, which promises to naturally add radiance and youthfulness to the skin.