PORTAL RASMI
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
COVID-19: MALAYSIA STAYS READY | Bernama World
Flash floods cut off Australian towns, as more rain set to fall
KUALA LUMPUR: The involvement of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuclear Malaysia) in the five-day Non-destructive Testing (NDT) expert mission conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Myanmar from April 28 to May 2 showcases the country’s capabilities in providing technical experts of international standards in nuclear technology.
Nuclear Malaysia said that its involvement in the mission made Malaysia an active contributor to the safety of the global nuclear technology based infrastructure and left a significant positive impact on the country in terms of recognition of technical expertise and exposure, and strengthens its role as IAEA’s strategic partner.
The mission was also part of the international commitment towards the post-disaster safety of infrastructure following the earthquake that hit Myanmar on March 28.
“Experienced IAEA experts Dr Mohd Noorul Ikhsan Mohamed (Malaysia), Nor Azreen Masenwat (Malaysia) and Abel Domato Jayo (Spain), as well as a technical officer from the IAEA headquarters Gerardo Maghella Seminario were part of the mission.
“They used various NDT techniques including Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Infrared Thermography, Rebound Hammer, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) and Rebar Locator to assess the true conditions of building structures affected by the earthquake,” the agency said.
The approach enables comprehensive inspections without damaging the original structure and is vital in determining the safety level and suitability for continuous usage, especially after a disaster.
“According to the IAEA, the mission aimed to identify the gaps in local capacity in post-disaster rehabilitation and to strengthen Myanmar’s capability in NDT technology in line with international standards.
“Such assessments are part of the IAEA’s continuous initiatives in countries like Mexico (2017), Albania (2019), Ecuador (2023), Turkiye (2024) and Syria (2024),” the agency said.
Nuclear Malaysia also stressed that the involvement of academics and technical experts from local universities and agencies strengthened the mission objectives, making the collaboration a model for international cooperation in tackling post-disaster civil engineering challenges effectively and sustainably.
JAKARTA, 21 Mei: Sembilan mangsa disahkan maut manakala 11 lagi masih hilang dalam kejadian banjir kilat yang melanda kawasan Catubouw, Pegunungan Arfak, Papua Barat sejak beberapa hari lalu.
Menurut Pejabat Pencarian dan Penyelamatan (SAR) wilayah Manokwari, kesemua mangsa yang masih hilang sedang giat dikesan dalam operasi yang kini memasuki hari keempat.
Ketua Pejabat SAR Manokwari, Yefri Sabaruddin, berkata seramai 76 anggota penyelamat terlibat dalam operasi itu namun berdepan cabaran besar susulan cuaca buruk dan bentuk muka bumi yang mencabar.
“Operasi turut tergendala berikutan ketiadaan jentera berat seperti jengkaut untuk mengalihkan runtuhan tanah di kawasan bencana. Jentera berkenaan kini sedang dalam proses penghantaran ke lokasi,” katanya dalam kenyataan, hari ini.
Beliau berkata, operasi mencari dan menyelamat akan diteruskan sehingga semua mangsa ditemui, dengan tempoh operasi dijadual berlangsung selama tujuh hari.
Mayat mangsa yang berjaya ditemui telah dihantar ke hospital berdekatan bagi proses pengecaman dan pengurusan lanjut.
Difahamkan, kawasan yang terjejas adalah penempatan sementara pelombong emas tradisional. Insiden tanah runtuh yang berlaku turut memusnahkan khemah serta menghanyutkan peralatan milik para pelombong.
Pihak berkuasa tempatan kini memberi tumpuan kepada usaha menyelamat, selain menilai tahap risiko lanjut di kawasan terbabit berikutan potensi berlaku runtuhan susulan.
WASHINGTON – The US will limit Covid-19 boosters to people over 65 or those at risk of serious illness, while requiring vaccine makers to run fresh clinical trials before offering shots to younger and healthier individuals, officials said on May 20.
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vinayak Prasad and Commissioner Martin Makary framed the policy shift as “evidence-based” and would align the US more closely with guidance in Europe.
But it comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a long-time vaccine sceptic, pushes to remake federal public health policy.
Dr Prasad and Mr Makary praised the initial Covid-19 vaccine rollout as “a major scientific, medical and regulatory accomplishment”, but argued that the benefits of repeated boosters for low-risk individuals are uncertain.
They criticised the US approach of recommending boosters for all adults regardless of age or health status, calling it a “one-size-fits-all” model based on the mistaken belief that Americans could not handle more nuanced, risk-based advice.
The FDA said it would rely on lab test results to approve boosters for people who are over 65, or over six months old with at least one underlying condition.
But for healthy individuals between six months and 64 years, regulators will now require data from randomised trials.
Some infectious disease experts welcomed the shift.
Dr Amesh Adalja of Johns Hopkins University said it matched the approach taken by other countries in a population that already carries significant immunity.
“For lower-risk individuals, the goal has always been less clear, as protection against infection is transient and they don’t have a high risk of severe disease,” he told AFP.
But others voiced concern about the practical consequences.
“Any use, say in a healthy 35-year-old, would be considered off-label, and you wonder whether an insurance company would pay for it,” he told AFP.
Under the revised framework, companies like Pfizer and Moderna will be encouraged to test updated boosters in adults aged 50 to 64.
These studies should measure whether the vaccines reduce symptomatic infections, hospitalisations and deaths.
Rather than comparing new shots to earlier formulations, Dr Prasad and Mr Makary suggested placebo-controlled trials – with saline as the comparator – to better evaluate both benefit and potential side effects.
The proposal, first floated by Mr Kennedy earlier in May, has proved divisive. Critics argue that using a placebo – when authorised vaccines already exist – could expose participants to unnecessary harm.
“Imagine if there was a death or two in the placebo group,” said Dr Offit. “I don’t see how your conscience allow that.”
Supporters of continued Covid-19 boosters often draw parallels to annual flu shots.
But Mr Makary and Dr Prasad pushed back on that comparison, arguing the genetic changes in Covid-19 variants have not been significant enough to justify automatically updating the vaccine each year.
The FDA officials also sought to reassure Americans concerned they might lose access to boosters under the new framework.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of risk factors is “vast, including obesity and even mental health conditions such as depression”, they wrote, noting that between 100 million and 200 million Americans would likely still qualify.
– AFP