Councillor Giulio Gandolfi thanked Say No to Drugs volunteers in Milano
Councillor Giulio Gandolfi thanked Say No to Drugs volunteers in Milano

The Drug-Free World volunteers from the Church of Scientology Milano reach out to youth with the Truth About Drugs campaign.

Volunteers from the Church of Scientology Milano teamed up with Milan Transportation Association (ATM) to promote the value of an active, drug-free lifestyle. 

Volunteers from the Church of Scientology Milano bring the truth about drugs to their city.
Volunteers from the Church of Scientology Milano bring the truth about drugs to their city.

ATM’s BikeMi, the city’s bike-sharing program, offered these Drug-Free World volunteers the use of bicycles free of charge to promote their Truth About Drugs initiative.

The day’s activities launched from the Church courtyard at Viale Fulvio Testi, 327. Councillor Giulio Gandolfi thanked the volunteers for bringing this important message to the community and signed their “Say No to Drugs” Honor Roll in support of the initiative.

Councilor signs pledge
In the courtyard of the Church of Scientology Milano, Councillor Giulio Gandolfi signed the “Say No to Drugs” Honor Roll.

Twenty volunteers took off from the Church by bicycle, wearing their signature teal Truth About Drugs T-shirts and caps. They rode through the city, handing out Truth About Drugs booklets in high-traffic areas in support of this year’s UN Office on Drugs and Crime theme for International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: “Share Facts on Drugs: Save Lives.” 

Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. The Foundation’s Truth About Drugs campaign consists of drug education materials and activities that popularize drug-free living.

at castle
The drug prevention bike tour ended at Castello Sforzesco, a popular destination for tourists and residents, where volunteers handed out Truth About Drugs booklets.

Scientology Churches provide drug education specialist training, sponsor chapters of Foundation for a Drug-Free World, and work with local educators, police, churches and nonprofits to reach youth on this vital subject. 

To make these materials available to anyone wishing to tackle the drug crisis, the Church of Scientology International Dissemination and Distribution Center in Los Angeles, California, produces and ships out Truth About Drugs booklets, DVDs and education packages free of charge to parents, educators, law enforcement, community groups and nonprofits for their drug prevention activities.

The Church of Scientology Milano is an Ideal Scientology Church, dedicated in 2015 by Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. In addition to providing ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their ascent to higher states of spiritual awareness and freedom, the Church sponsors humanitarian programs and serves as a home for the community and a meeting place of cooperative effort to uplift people of all denominations.

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 11,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 countries.

Source: https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/taking-to-the-streets-to-promote-active-and-drug-free-living.html

New study by WHO Europe and ECDC examines variations in antibiotic consumption in European countries between 2014 and 2018
New study by WHO Europe and ECDC examines variations in antibiotic consumption in European countries between 2014 and 2018

A new study by the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe (WHO Europe) and ECDC examines variations in antibiotic consumption in European countries between 2014 and 2018.

The study focuses on data from 30 EU/EEA countries of the European Surveillance of Antibiotic Consumption Network (ESAC-Net) and 15 countries of the WHO Europe Antimicrobial Medicines Consumption (AMC) Network, and aimed at examining the total consumption and patterns of consumption of antibiotics, i.e. antibacterials for systemic use (ATCa group J01), in defined daily doses (DDDa) per 1 000 inhabitants per day, the relative consumption of oral and parenteral formulations, and the comparative use of WHO Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaReb) antibiotics in 2018, as well as assessing trends over time.

In 2018, the total consumption of antibiotics ranged from 8.9 for Azerbaijan to 34.1 DDD per 1 000 inhabitants per day for Greece, with similar ranges of estimates for ESAC-Net and the WHO Europe AMC Network. However, there were considerable differences in the consumption of various antibiotic groups, with a larger consumption of penicillins and tetracyclines and a lower consumption of cephalosporins and quinolones in ESAC-Net countries than in WHO Europe AMC Network countries.

The relative consumption of parenteral formulations varied within and between networks. For the 26 ESAC-Net countries for which hospital sector data were included, parenteral formulations represented between 3.6% and 23.9% of total consumption. For the 15 WHO Europe AMC Network countries, parenteral formulations comprised between 2.8% and 40.1% of total consumption.

Furthermore, ‘Access’ antibiotics represented more than 60% of total consumption in 17 of 29 ESAC-Net countries, and three of 15 WHO Europe AMC Network countries. The relative consumption of ‘Watch’ antibiotics ranged from 13% (Iceland) to 61% (Slovakia) of total consumption for ESAC-Net countries, and from 34% (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to 69% (Uzbekistan) of total consumption for WHO Europe AMC Network countries. ‘Reserve’ antibiotics represented <1% of total consumption in all countries included in the study.

Between 2014 and 2018, there were statistically significant decreases in the total consumption of antibiotics in eight ESAC-Net countries: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. This may be due to the longstanding programmes and commitment of these countries toward the prudent use of antibiotics. WHO Europe AMC Network data were characterised by less consistent patterns, with only one country showing a significant increasing consumption trend between 2014 and 2018. This may reflect the nature of the data collection in these countries, as well as shorter histories of interventions tackling antimicrobial resistance.

WHO’s global target that 60% of total antibiotic consumption should be of ‘Access’ agents was met by 14 of 29 ESAC-Net countries in the five years of the study, while only one country in the WHO Europe AMC Network met this target.

The authors said:

“Although the total consumption of antibiotics was similar in the two networks, the distribution of this consumption among the different antibiotic groups varied substantially. The greater consumption of antibiotics in the ‘Watch’ group in WHO Europe AMC Network countries suggests opportunities for improved prescribing. Significant decreases in antibiotic consumption in several ESAC-Net countries illustrate the value of sustained actions to address the prudent use of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance”.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the world’s leading public health threats. It is estimated that about 33 000 deaths are attributable to infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually in the European Union/European Economic Area, and 700 000 globally. Ensuring prudent antimicrobial use is a key priority in an effective response to antimicrobial resistance.

More information

Use of antibiotics in animals is decreasing
Use of antibiotics in animals is decreasing

Taking a One Health approach, the report from the three EU agencies presents data on antibiotic consumption and development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe for 2016-2018.

The significant fall in antibiotic use in food-producing animals suggests that the measures taken at country level to reduce use are proving to be effective. Use of a class of antibiotics called polymyxins, which includes colistin, nearly halved between 2016 and 2018 in food-producing animals. This is a positive development, as polymyxins are also used in hospitals to treat patients infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria.

The picture in the EU is diverse – the situation varies significantly by country and by antibiotic class. For example, aminopenicillins, 3rd- and 4th-generation cephalosporins and quinolones (fluoroquinolones and other quinolones) are used more in humans than in food-producing animals, while polymyxins (colistin) and tetracyclines are used more in food-producing animals than in humans.

The link between use of antibiotics and bacterial resistance

The report shows that the use of carbapenems, 3rd- and 4th-generation cephalosporins and quinolones in humans is associated with resistance to these antibiotics in Escherichia coli infections in humans. Similar associations were found for food-producing animals.

The report also identifies links between antimicrobial consumption in animals and AMR in bacteria from food-producing animals, which in turn is associated with AMR in bacteria from humans. An example of this is Campylobacter spp. bacteria, which are found in food producing animals and cause foodborne infections in humans. Experts found an association between resistance in these bacteria in animals and resistance in the same bacteria in humans.

Fighting AMR through cooperation

AMR is a significant global public health problem that represents a serious economic burden. The One Health approach implemented through the cooperation of EFSA, EMA and ECDC and the results presented in this report call for continued efforts to tackle AMR at national, EU and global level across the healthcare sectors.

What happens if you eat cherries every day?
What happens if you eat cherries every day?

What happens if you eat cherries every day

The season of fruits and berries has arrived. And already on every counter, you can find ripe, tasty, and most importantly, healthy cherries – it’s hard to resist. But what will happen to the body if you include it in your daily diet? Let’s tell you now.

Memory may improve

Sweet cherries are rich in anthocyanin, a compound that has a beneficial effect on memory and brain function in general.

Are tea and coffee considered liquid?
Are tea and coffee considered liquid?

Are tea and coffee considered liquid? finding out if these drinks can be equated with water and included in the “eight glasses” rule

Everyone knows that you need to drink clean water throughout the day in order to maintain the water-salt balance in the body. For the forgetful and busy, there are even special applications that give a signal several times a day: get up and go to the cooler. And we go … But sometimes instead of tasteless water we pour ourselves aromatic tea or brew strong coffee …

However, are these drinks considered liquid? Or, on the contrary, they remove moisture from the body and you need to replenish the lost twice? If you are also trying to figure this out and keep an eye on your drinking regime, our article is for you.

How many liters should you drink

From 1.5 to 3 liters – this is how much liquid, according to doctors, each of us should consume per day. The classical calculation system: 30 ml per 1 kilogram of weight, or the notorious “8 glasses”. This is the minimum required. However, in the heat, during the heating season, as well as during intense physical activity, you need to drink an additional 2-3 glasses (for this it is convenient to keep a bottle for water with you). Of course, all these are average figures, because a lot depends on the state of health of a particular person, his age, lifestyle, and even gender. One thing is important – you need to drink! But what exactly?

“I drank coffee – drink it with a glass of water!”

Have you heard this phrase? It is believed that caffeine (and it is found in coffee and tea) acts as a diuretic, and therefore dehydrates the body. This means that after a cup of espresso and a mug of strong green or black tea, you need to drink the same amount of pure water.

What is it really?

Let’s make a reservation right away that there are no large, long-term, and detailed studies on the diuretic effect of tea and coffee on the body. About a dozen short-term experiments, the results of which have been published in various scientific and popular publications, mainly relate directly to caffeine, while tea and coffee contain many other chemical compounds! However, this was enough to create myths around our favorite drinks.

The buzz about the diuretic properties of caffeine began in 1928, almost a century ago. Then only three (!) Men took part in it. The participants in the experiment drank either tea, then coffee, then only water, and sometimes even water with pure caffeine added to it. Scientists who watched their condition found that the diuretic effect of “caffeine drinks” did indeed occur. But short-term and only if before that the subjects had not consumed tea and coffee at all for two months.

A similar experiment was carried out in 2005, but already on 59 healthy people. It lasted 11 days, during which scientists came to a similar conclusion: the human body, not accustomed to caffeine, reacts by releasing more than the usual amount of liquid, but quickly adapts to the mild diuretic effect of the substance after 4–5 days.

Other experiments with different dosages of caffeine only confirmed the results of the previous ones: after a long break, tea and coffee can act as diuretics, but this will not lead to dehydration. And people who constantly indulge themselves with a cup or two of Americano, cappuccino or, say, matches, will not feel any effect at all.

With the removal of water from the body sorted out. What about assimilating it?

We have good news: a 2014 study showed that moderate doses of caffeine, as well as drinks that are low in caffeine, moisturize the body in the same way as water. At the same time, during the experiment, the men tested drank about 800 ml of coffee a day – this, you see, is not so little! That is, a healthy person who regularly drinks tea or coffee can equate these drinks to water.

Coffee and tea are food because they have calories

So nutritionists will tell you. And they will add that when calculating the daily dose of the consumed liquid, they cannot be taken into account. For example, in a serving of espresso – 2 kcal, in a cappuccino without sugar – about 33–37 kcal, with sugar – 52–57 kcal, in a latte with milk and sugar – up to 130 kcal, and raff “pulls” as much as 190 kcal.

However, doctors say that everything that enters our stomach is involved in the water balance, from juices and fruit drinks to soups and fruits. Another thing is that the body still needs to try to “get” water from them.

It is worth remembering that both tea and coffee are a whole range of nutrients that have a positive effect on overall health. The same green tea helps to avoid heart disease, reduces the chances of “earning” diabetes, and reduces the risk of cancer. Yes, such drinks cannot be a full-fledged substitute for pure water by definition, but at the same time, they are able to quench their thirst and participate in the replenishment of fluid in the body.

Here, however, it is worth clarifying that we are talking about tea and coffee without additives – cream, milk, syrups, and sugar. This does not mean that you need to give up lavender raff or tea with honey and forever reject them as useless in the context of water balance, just such toppings “weigh down” drinks and slow down their absorption by the body.

Why drink at all if you don’t feel like drinking?

We will not turn into a biology textbook, let’s just say that water performs the most important functions in our body (which, by the way, consists of 60% water): it delivers useful substances to cells, removes toxins and toxins from the body, normalizes the work of all organs, supplies oxygen to the brain, prevents early appearance of wrinkles and premature aging of the body, and so on.

By the way, if you are thirsty, this can already be considered an SOS signal: it means that the brain thought that you are dehydrated. Therefore, you need to drink a little during the day, so as not to miss the moment when the body begins to lack moisture. However, too much water is also not useful. Despite the fact that the kidneys of a healthy person are able to filter up to 20 liters per day, the excessive load will only harm them.

Not instead, but together

In general, you already understood that even if you do not drink water at all, but at the same time consume fruits, vegetables, soups, juices, as well as your favorite tea and coffee, you will definitely not die from dehydration. Coffee and tea, of course, are liquid, but the worse from the fact that after a cup of espresso you drink a glass of water, you definitely will not. Drinking water is generally a healthy habit: for example, it can help refresh the receptors and sharpen the perception of taste after sipping a very strong ristretto. We ourselves prefer to use such drinks for pleasure, and water – to quench our thirst, so as not to bring ourselves to neurosis by strict counting “8 glasses”.

ECDC organises first training modules in the framework of the EU Initiative on Health Security
ECDC organises first training modules in the framework of the EU Initiative on Health Security

The EU Initiative on Health Security, 2020-2024, financed by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations enables tailor-made support to EU candidate and potential candidate countries and European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries, on workforce-oriented capability building delivered through the Mediterranean and Black Sea Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (MediPIET). This includes capacity building in epidemic intelligence, risk assessment, preparedness and response and promotion of regional cooperation, knowledge sharing and networking.

The trainings are on epidemic intelligence and rapid risk assessment and will be provided in English (19-23 April 2021) and in Russian (4-10 May 2021) and have the following objectives: 

  • understand the need to rapidly assess threats from infectious disease or of unknown origin;
  • build capacity to perform rapid risk assessments;
  • understand the value of a reproducible methodology and rapid appraisal of the available evidence for rapid risk assessment;
  • understand the principles of Epidemic Intelligence (EI);
  • understand different steps of EI process;
  • familiarise with the main EI tools used for EI.

A third training activity on the use of ‘epitweetr’ – an interactive tool to help with the automatised early detection of public health threats using Twitter data – will take place on 15 June 2021 with the following objectives:

  • understand the aims and principles of epitweetr in the context of epidemic intelligence;
  • analyse and interpret signals of public health threats detected by epitweetr;
  • acquire skills in using the features of epitweetr, especially dashboard, alerts and configuration;
  • understand the signal detection settings that are available in epitweetr;
  • understand how to change other epitweetr settings for adapting it to specific users’ needs.

Information on the EU candidate and potential candidate, and the European Neighbourhood Policy countries

Current EU candidate countries are Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo* are potential candidates.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is mainly a bilateral policy between the EU and each partner country and governs the EU’s relations with its eastern and southern neighbours: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Palestine*, Tunisia, Ukraine.

  • This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.

More information

Work Programme 2021 of the EU Initiative on Health Security in English

Work Programme 2021 of the EU Initiative on Health Security in French

Work Programme 2021 of the EU Initiative on Health Security in Russian

Work Programme 2021 of the EU Initiative on Health Security in Arabic

‘He was a kid with a million questions’: Fauci to star in children’s book
‘He was a kid with a million questions’: Fauci to star in children’s book

The leading US public health expert Anthony Fauci will be the subject of a new book – for children.

Dr Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor will be published on 29 June by Simon & Schuster.

The publisher told CNN the book was not endorsed by Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has now served seven presidents but who rose to international fame last year as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. But the writer, Kate Messner, said she had spoken to Fauci “at the edges of his long work days”.

“Before Tony Fauci was America’s doctor,” she said, “he was a kid with a million questions, about everything from the tropical fish in his bedroom to the things he was taught in Sunday school.

“‘I’m really hopeful that curious kids who read this book – those we’re counting on to solve tomorrow’s scientific challenges – will see themselves in the pages of Dr Fauci’s story and set their goals just as high.”

The book about Dr Fauci, as reported by CNN.
The book about Dr Fauci, as reported by CNN. Photograph: CNN

At points in the last year it seemed Fauci’s chief goal was just not to be fired, as his frank advice clashed with Donald Trump’s inconsistent, politically motivated and often plain bizarre statements on the pandemic and how it might be contained.

But Fauci survived and even flourished while other members of the former president’s taskforce saw their reputations battered or were fired outright. According to Johns Hopkins University, by Monday more than 542,000 Americans had died of Covid-19, out of a case count of nearly 30m. The case count has slowed as the Biden administration has supervised a rapid vaccine rollout, though virus variants and public behaviour still pose considerable threats.

Recently turned 80, Fauci maintains powerful appeal among the young. In December, as Covid vaccines began to be used across the US, he told children he had saved Christmas by flying to the North Pole and giving Santa a shot.

The same month, he discussed with the Guardian the dominant theme of his career before Covid, the search for a cure for HIV and Aids.

“I’ve been in a very unique position of now being one of the very, very few people who were there from the very first day of HIV,” he said.

A friend reported Fauci as saying: “The one thing that I still have left that I want to do is put an end to” HIV.

Fauci is not the first beloved modern public figure to have his or her story told for children. For just one example, books about the late supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – who was also from Brooklyn – have flourished.

According to an Amazon page for the book about Fauci, Messner and illustrator Alexandra Bye will offer children a story about “a curious boy in Brooklyn, delivering prescriptions from his father’s pharmacy on his blue Schwinn bicycle.

“His father and immigrant grandfather taught Anthony to ask questions,” the blurb says, “consider all the data, and never give up – and Anthony’s ability to stay curious and to communicate with people would serve him his entire life.”

The publisher also promises “a timeline, recommended reading, a full spread of facts about vaccines and how they work, and Dr Fauci’s own tips for future scientists”.

Covid-19: 10 things the EU is doing to ensure economic recovery
Covid-19: 10 things the EU is doing to ensure economic recovery

1. Slowing the spread of the virus

To help limit the transmission of the virus in Europe and beyond, the EU has closed its external borders to non-essential travel, while ensuring essential goods keep moving across the EU through the introduction of green lanes. Additional resources are foreseen for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which provides rapid risk assessments and epidemiological updates on the outbreak.

2. Supporting EU health systems and infrastructures

With several experts mentioning the possibility of a second wave or future pandemics, buttressing the EU’s response capacity to health crises is key. To help Europe cope with future outbreaks, the EU launched the new EU4Health programme, which will bolster member states’ healthcare systems as well as fostering innovation and investment in the sector. EU4Health is part of the Next Generation EU recovery plan. The Parliament had insisted on the creation of a new stand-alone European health programme.

3. Protecting small and medium-sized businesses

Small and medium-sized enterprises represent 99% of all businesses in the EU, making their survival crucial to the EU’s economic recovery. The EU unlocked €1 billion from its European Fund for Strategic Investments to incentivise banks and lenders to provide liquidity to more than 100,000 European small businesses.

4. Mitigating unemployment risks

Jobs have been hard hit by the pandemic, with unemployment figures rising dramatically. To help workers in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, the EU’s Support mitigating Unemployment Risks in Emergency (Sure) initiative will provide financial assistance of up to €100 billion to member states in the form of loans granted on favourable terms to help cover the costs of national short-time work schemes.

5. Supporting the tourism industry

Another sector badly affected by the pandemic is tourism. Europe is the world’s number one tourist destination and the EU introduced a series of measures designed to help the industry cope during the crisis, as well as a package to reboot Europe’s tourism in 2020 and beyond. Relief measures for the transport sector were also introduced, to minimise the effects of the pandemic on airlines, railways, road and shipping companies. To help people travel in Europe as various countries gradually lift lockdown measures, the Re-open EU interactive tool provides travellers with the information they need to confidently plan their travel and holidays in the EU while staying healthy.

6. Banking package to support households and businesses

To ensure banks continue providing loans to businesses and households to mitigate the economic fallout from the crisis, the Parliament approved a temporary relaxation of prudential rules for European banks. Changes to the capital requirements regulation will enable pensioners or employees with a permanent contract to get loans under more favorable conditions, ensure credit flows to small and medium-sized enterprises, and support infrastructure investment.

7. Supporting agriculture and fisheries

In order to avoid disruption to food supplies and prevent food shortages, the Parliament approved emergency measures to help farmers and fishermen affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Measures include supporting fishermen and aquafarmers who have had to stop their activity during the crisis and increasing the support EU countries can give to small firms dealing with farm food. Exceptional market measures were also introduced to support EU wine, fruit, and vegetable producers.

8. Helping countries fund their crisis response

To help member states fund their coronavirus crisis response, the EU launched a new initiative, the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative. It will channel some €37 billion from EU structural funds to provide immediate financial support to EU countries trying to help people and regions face the current crisis.

9. Relaxing state aid rules

As the pandemic was beginning to spread throughout Europe, the EU launched a Temporary Framework on State Aid rules to ensure sufficient liquidity remains available to businesses of all types and help maintain economic activity during and after the Covid-19 outbreak. Member states will be able to grant up to €800,000 to a company to address urgent liquidity needs or grant loans with favorable interest rates.

10. Protecting weakened European businesses from foreign competitors

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left many European companies vulnerable to subsidized foreign competitors. To help protect businesses, the Parliament called for a level-playing field for all businesses, to avoid distortions to the single market stemming from unfair competition from foreign companies. The Commission also launched a public consultation on how to deal with the negative effects caused by foreign subsidies. In parallel, the EU issued guidelines for member states on foreign direct investment, urging them to thoroughly screen investments from outside the EU to avoid risks to the EU’s security and public order.

Find out 10 things the EU is doing to fight the coronavirus

Everything You Wanted to Know About carnivals
Everything You Wanted to Know About carnivals

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