Dengue Vaccine in Malaysia by mid-2015?



The Malaysian Health Ministry will have another ammunition in its arsenal to fight dengue in the form of a French-made vaccine expected to be available in the country by mid-2015.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the vaccine would be made available not only in Malaysia, but also in the ASEAN region.

"In Malaysia, the vaccine will be available for free to the public," he said.

Over the past one year until yesterday, 16,444 dengue cases with 44 deaths were recorded compared to 1,329 cases with 16 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

Selangor recorded the highest number of cases followed by Perak.

/theSTAR 12-02-2015

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KL ranked 9 out of 100 cities globally for international tourists arrivals



Kuala Lumpur is ranked 9th out of the world's 100 leading cities for international tourists arrivals according to Euromonitor International's Top City Destinations Ranking

Speaking at the launch of KL Tourism's #IAMKL e-newsletter and digital media campaign, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib said that 11.2 million international tourists visited Kuala Lumpur in 2013, reflecting the importance of KL to global tourism, in terms of business and leisure.

Ahmad Phesal estimated that Kuala Lumpur expects approximately 12.3 million foreign visitors for 2015 alongside 3 million domestic tourists.

During his speech, he stressed the need for the city's various organisations to collaborate with one another in ensuring KL Tourism's Master Plan 2015-2025 will achieve maximum success.

"In particular digital media will prove to be the crux from which we ought to expand forth. Ignoring this will only lead to our detriment," said Ahmad Phesal who said that the trend of taking selfies could be advantageous to the Master Plan.

/theSUN 05-02-2015

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GST: "Zero-rated" for all Medicines?



Malaysia will be implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) wef 1st April 2015.

The GST is a consumption tax which supersedes the existing Sales and Service Tax (SST). Currently, the SST is 10% and GST will be 6%

Theoretically, and simplistically, existing goods which are currently taxed at 10% will be "cheaper" to the consumers when the GST, which is at 6% kicks-in.

However, all is not that simple. The critics and consumers are bracing for higher products and services pricings effective 1st April 2015

As for the pharmaceuticals, prices will be expected to increase as these products are "not taxed" prior to GST implementation. Realising this, the Government had decided to have medicines listed under the National Essential Drug List (NEML) be "zero-rated".

However, under the NEML List only about 320 chemical entities are "zero-rated" which translates into, about 4,500 registered brand names or medicines in the language of the lay person, as these chemical entities are manufactured by different manufacturers with various brand names. For example, Paracetamol, is counted as 17 brands or medicines instead as one medicine.

In fact, the NEML (4th Edition) List, which are "zero-rated", represents only about 10% of the total 43,000 registered medicines in Malaysia. The majority of these "zero-rated" medicines are prescribed in the Government hospitals. The medicines outside the NEML List are widely prescribed and used in the private sector ie private hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, which are paid-out-of-pocket expenses by the patients.

This being the case, if these medicines are not "zero-rated", any price increase for these medicines will increase the financial burden and hardship, and possibly make them unaffordable to patients who are on long term therapy.

The Pharmaceutical Industry Associations together with Professional Bodies, like the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society (MPS) are working together to seek the support of the Ministry of Finance to have all pharmaceuticals (medicines) "zero-rated" for the benefit and welfare of the patients.
 
/05-02-2015
 

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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