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Zawya
11-07-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Burundi eliminates trachoma as a public health problem
The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Burundi as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the eighth country in WHO's African Region to reach this important milestone. Trachoma is also the first neglected tropical disease (NTD) to be eliminated in the country. 'Eliminating a disease like trachoma is a major public health achievement that requires sustained effort and dedication,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 'I congratulate the government and the people of Burundi and commend them for their hard work and commitment. It is great to see Burundi join the growing group of countries that have eliminated at least one NTD'. Trachoma is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and spreads through personal contact, contaminated surfaces and by flies that have been in contact with eye or nose discharge. Repeated infections can lead to scarring, in-turning of the eyelids, and ultimately blindness. Globally, the disease remains endemic in many vulnerable communities where access to clean water and sanitation is limited. 'This validation marks a major milestone in our commitment to health equity', said Dr Lydwine Baradahana, Minister of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS, Burundi. 'It is a collective victory made possible by nearly 20 years of national mobilization and international solidarity. I thank all the partners, community actors and institutions in Burundi and beyond who made this historic achievement possible'. Burundi's progress Before 2007, with no reported cases or epidemiological studies, the extent of trachoma endemicity in Burundi was largely unknown. That year, the country launched an initiative to tackle NTDs, which included integrated mapping of soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and trachoma. Following the mapping, the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS conducted further investigations. Baseline surveys carried out in 2009–2010 confirmed that trachoma was endemic in parts of the country. This prompted introduction of interventions based on the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy for 2.5 million people who needed them across 12 health districts. Burundi's trachoma elimination programme was supported technically and financially by CBM Christoffel Blindenmission, the END Fund, Geneva Global and WHO. The International Trachoma Initiative at the Task Force for Global Health donated azithromycin (Zithromax, Pfizer, New York NY, USA). WHO continues to support support the country's health authorities to monitor communities in which trachoma was previously endemic to ensure there is no resurgence of the disease. This achievement reflects the government's resolve to protect its most vulnerable populations. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS, and with the dedication of community health workers, support from key partners, and WHO's technical guidance, this success was made possible' said Dr Xavier Crespin, WHO Representative in Burundi. 'This win inspires us to press forward with the same determination to eliminate all remaining neglected tropical diseases.' Disease prevalence Trachoma remains a public health problem in 32 countries with an estimated 103 million people living in areas requiring interventions against the disease. Trachoma is found mainly in the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific and the Middle East. The African Region is disproportionately affected by trachoma with 93 million people living in at-risk areas in April 2024, representing 90% of the global trachoma burden. Significant progress has been made in the fight against trachoma over the past few years and the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma in the African Region fell by 96 million from 189 million in 2014 to 93 million as of April 2024, representing a 51% reduction. There are currently 20 countries in WHO's African Region that are known to require intervention for trachoma elimination. These include: Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The seven countries in the region previously validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem are Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania and Togo. A further 4 countries in the WHO African Region (Botswana, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Senegal) claim to have achieved the prevalence targets for elimination. Global progress With today's announcement, a total of 57 countries have now eliminated at least one NTD. Of these, 24— (including Burundi)—have successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Other countries that have reached this milestone include Benin, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Taiwan allocates NTD 27 billion for 6G, LEO satellite push by 2030
Taipei: The Cabinet of Taiwan approved a project worth NTD 27 billion for a tenure of six years, with an aim to launch 6G wireless commercial services by 2030, which will help in strengthening Taiwan's role in the next-generation communications supply chain, as reported by Focus Taiwan. The project was led by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was presented during a weekly Cabinet meeting. The project includes the development of 6G technologies, attracting satellite communication service providers, and creating an environment conducive to innovation in the field. Premier Cho Jung-tai in the post-meeting statement emphasised the importance of capitalising on emerging 6G and satellite broadband technologies to secure Taiwan's position in the global next-generation communications industry, according to a post-meeting statement. The country will also review and revise relevant laws and regulations to support a commercial 6G rollout by 2030, as part of the plan. In addition, the project will support research and development of globally competitive chips, components and equipment, with input from other ministries, academia, and industry stakeholders. Taiwan is making big moves to become more self-reliant in advanced technology. They're working on projects to achieve 80% self-sufficiency in 6G base station hardware and software development. Additionally, Taiwan plans to build its own low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communication system, primarily using domestically produced parts. By 2030, they aim to attract at least three satellite communication service providers to boost local LEO satellite applications and ensure they're technologically independent. This initiative is part of President Lai Ching-te's "Taiwan plus one" strategy, which promotes collaboration with democratic countries like the United States to create secure and reliable supply chains.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
TSMC reports $9.02 billion in June revenue, up 26.9% Y-o-Y
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reported consolidated revenue of Taiwan New Dollar (NTD) 263.71 billion (About USD 9.02 billion) for June 2025, reflecting a 26.9 per cent increase compared to June 2024, according to its monthly revenue disclosure. However, on a month-on-month basis, revenue declined by 17.7 per cent from NTD 320.52 billion (USD 10.96 billion) recorded in May 2025. For the first half of 2025, TSMC's cumulative revenue reached NTD 1.77 trillion (USD 60.8 billion), marking a 40 per cent growth compared to NTD 1.27 trillion in the same period last year. The data highlights TSMC's robust year-on-year performance amid some short-term monthly fluctuations. The company did not provide commentary on the cause of the month-over-month dip. TSMC is listed on both the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2330) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TSM). Live Events TSMC has solidified its dominance in the global pure-play wafer foundry market, growing its market share to 67.6 per cent in the first quarter of this year, according to a report by Taipei-based research firm TrendForce Corp, reported by Focus Taiwan in June. Although TSMC's revenue declined by 5 per cent quarter-on-quarter to USD 25.52 billion due to seasonal slowdowns, the company's market share still edged up from 67.1 per cent in the previous quarter. TrendForce attributed this performance to continued strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications, as well as accelerated client orders seeking to mitigate risks from ongoing U.S. tariff policies. TSMC's closest competitor, South Korea's Samsung Electronics, saw its market share fall to 7.7 per cent, down from 8.1 per cent in the prior quarter. Samsung's foundry sales dropped by 11.3 per cent to USD 2.89 billion over the same period. China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) maintained its third-place ranking with a 6.0 per cent market share, ahead of Taiwan's United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) at 4.7 per cent, and U.S.-based GlobalFoundries at 4.2 per cent.
Bloomberg
10-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
TSMC Revenue Rises 39% Amid AI Spending Boom
TSMC's revenue rose a better-than-anticipated 39% in the June quarter. The chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple sales climbed to NT$934 billion ($32 billion) for the three months, beating the average analyst projection for about NT$928 billion. Bloomberg's Robert Lea reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Orders soar for Taiwan cleanroom firms amid global chip industry expansion
Taiwanese cleanroom companies are receiving a wave of new orders as major global chipmakers expand production around the world, especially in the United States and Southeast Asia. United Integrated Services Co. (UIS), a longtime supplier to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. ( TSMC ), is one of the main winners in this trend. From January to May 2025, UIS secured NTD (New Taiwan dollar) 83.68 billion ($2.57 billion) in cleanroom-related contracts -- a new record for the company. Much of this growth is tied to TSMC's massive investment of $65 billion in three chip factories, known as "fabs," in Arizona. The first fab has already started mass production, and the second is nearly finished. With a total order backlog of NTD 132.27 billion ($4.45 billion), UIS is expected to receive even more orders later in 2025. Experts predict the company will have its highest-ever sales in 2025. L&K Engineering Co., another major cleanroom provider, is also seeing strong demand. It reported NTD 95.76 billion (USD 3.23 billion) in new orders in the first five months of the year, largely from Taiwanese firms building new fabs in Southeast Asia. L&K now has a total backlog of NTD 208.49 billion ($7.02 billion). Some of this comes from projects with United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), which recently opened a new fab in Singapore. Production there will start in 2026. L&K is also working with Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp., which is building a 12-inch fab in Singapore with Dutch company NXP Semiconductors. That plant will start production in 2027. Other Taiwanese firms like Acter Group Corp. and Yankey Engineering Co. are also doing well. Acter now holds over NTD 46 billion ($1.55 billion) in orders, up from NTD 38 billion ($1.28 billion) at the end of 2024, helped by business from chip packaging company Siliconware Precision Industries Co. Yankey Engineering has NTD 40.67 billion ($1.37 billion) in orders, supported in part by Dutch equipment maker ASML's expansion in Taiwan. Cleanrooms are a critical part of chipmaking. They remove dust and other particles that could damage delicate components during production. As chip companies grow worldwide, demand for these high-tech spaces is rising -- and Taiwanese firms are leading the way.
