Latest news with #HPA
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Health
- GMA Network
New leaders urged to prioritize health crisis as NCDs rise in PH
A network of health advocates is calling on newly elected officials to address the increase in the number of cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country. The Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA) urged bold, preventive policies to reduce the toll of diseases such as heart conditions, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory illnesses. The HPA is marking both its participation in this month's United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Hearing and the global observance of World No Tobacco Day. 'Our newly elected leaders need to confront the truth that NCDs are the number one cause of deaths in the Philippines and continue to place a great burden on Filipino families,' said Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, Lead Convenor of HPA and former Health Secretary. "We urge them to take decisive action and implement evidence-based solutions to prevent NCDs and save thousands of Filipino lives,' he added. He underscored the importance of addressing diet-related illnesses by promoting front-of-pack food warning labels on packaged goods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. He also highlighted the urgent need for stronger regulations against tobacco and vape products — especially those marketed to the youth. 'These products expose our young people to elevated risks of lung injuries, cancer, and heart disease,' Galvez Tan warned. The Alliance also pointed out that health disparities across the country are closely linked to social, economic, and environmental factors, with marginalized communities bearing the brunt of the burden. In response, HPA took part in the recent UN Multi-Stakeholder Hearing in preparation for the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being (HLM4) that is scheduled for September. At the hearing, public health advocates from around the world called on governments to prioritize prevention, early diagnosis, and long-term care for NCDs as part of their national health agendas. Five-point policy agenda To effectively reduce NCD-related deaths and improve quality of life for millions of Filipinos, HPA recommends the following key actions: Strengthen nutrition policies by limiting sugar, sodium, and saturated fats in ultra-processed foods. Expand social protection for people living with NCDs, including access to medications and support services. Invest in healthier communities through better urban planning, promotion of physical activity, and initiatives to curb air pollution. Integrate NCD prevention into universal healthcare coverage and national health programs. Enhance primary care systems for better accessibility, early detection, and sustained intervention. The Alliance emphasized that tackling NCDs requires a whole-of-society, whole-of-government approach. It urged incoming lawmakers to build on existing efforts and align national policies with global health targets, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Filipinos face a 24.5% chance of dying from NCDs between the ages of 30 and 70—significantly higher than the Asia-Pacific regional average of 15.6%. 'The numbers speak for themselves. Without immediate government action, we risk losing more lives to preventable diseases,' HPA said. With the country at a political crossroads, public health advocates are hopeful that the new administration will seize the opportunity to prioritize the health and well-being of all Filipinos. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
23-05-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
Multiple weather systems to bring rains, cloudy skies over parts of PH
Three weather systems are causing rains all over the country, according to PAGASA's daily weather report on Friday afternoon. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will cause cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Mindanao, Palawan, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. Batanes and the Babuyan Islands may have partly cloudy skies due to the Ridge of the High Pressure Area (HPA), as the rest of the country experiences partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the easterlies. Possible flash floods or landslides may occur in some areas as a result of these weather conditions. Meanwhile, light to moderate winds with slight to moderate coastal waters are expected in some parts of the country. Temperatures will range from a minimum of 24.8 degrees Celsius to a maximum of 35.8 degrees Celsius over the next 24 hours. Sunrise in Metro Manila will be at 5:27 a.m. on Saturday. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VDV, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wisconsin to start new mandatory milk testing to protect public health
(WFRV) – Wisconsin, nationally known as 'American's Dairyland', is initiating monthly milk testing on all dairy farms to monitor for bird flu (H5N1). This proactive measure comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allegedly suspending its national milk testing program, due to significant staff reductions. According to NewsNation, an internal email from the FDA's Division of Dairy Safety announced in April that the agency was halting its proficiency testing program for Grade 'A' raw milk and finished dairy products. However, the claim that the FDA is suspending routine safety inspection is false, according to a FDA spokesperson. The administration says they've been working on a shift of the routine food efforts in states for years. 'Not as simple as flipping a switch': Cellcom provides another update on the continued outage The alleged suspension is attributed to the significant workforce reductions within the FDA's food safety and nutrition division, after the termination of over 20,000 positions within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This was overseen by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the HHS under President Trump's Administration. The Trump Administration must stop turning their backs on America's Dairyland and betraying our farmers, producers, and agricultural industries by trying to gut funding Wisconsin's farmers and producers were safety experts have long expressed concern that budget cuts during the Trump's term could lead to reduced oversight of the nation's food production and supply chains, an outcome favored by industry groups but one that might increase the risk of harmful outbreaks for consumers. According to a CBS report, FDA officials are evaluating proposals to shift many routine inspection responsibilities to state and local agencies. New mandatory testing in Wisconsin could free up resources to focus on higher priority and foreign inspections. CBS News says 42 other states, including Puerto Rico, have contracts to outsource such inspections. A press release sent from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced the implementation of the new mandatory National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS), required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The release states this new program aims to enhance surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPA/H5N1) in dairy cattle and address the affected herds. At least 58 people in the U.S., primarily farm workers, have contracted bird flu, experiencing mild illness after close contact with infected cows, contaminated milk, or poultry, according to AP News. Under the NMTS, Wisconsin will begin mandatory monthly milk sampling. With assistance from industry partners, one milk sample per dairy farm will be collected each month and tested at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL). These samples will primarily be gathered through existing milk quality labs, ensuring minimal disruption to dairy operations while obtaining farm-level results. Neenah police asking for the public's help in reuniting a cat with her kittens The release highlights that if H5N1 is detected, DATCP's Division of Animal Health will notify the farm and work with them on quarantine requirements. Farms may continue shipping milk if it meets 'normal' standards. This includes milk that is not bloody, stringy, or off-colored. Additionally, the FDA and USDA said they will continue to emphasize that the commercial milk supply is safe due to the pasteurization process. Health officials say the risk of bird flu to the general public remains low. The virus is destroyed through pasteurization, making commercially processed milk safe for consumption. Despite the FDA's setbacks in employees, federal and state labs continue to monitor food samples, the Wisconsin DATCP says. Wisconsin's proactive approach shows its commitments to safeguarding its dairy industry and ensuring public health. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Resources Top 5: Andromeda a star on ultra-high purity HPA breakthrough
A testwork breakthrough by Andromeda Metals has resulted in the production of 4N HPA RareX is extending a search for critical mineral gallium at the Khaleesi rare earth project Taruga Minerals has exercised an option to acquire the Thowagee tenement in WA Your standout small cap resources stocks for Thursday, May 1, 2025 Andromeda Metals (ASX:ADN) A star performer on the ASX has been Andromeda Metals after pulling off a testwork breakthrough by producing ultra-high purity 4N high purity alumina (HPA) of 99.9985% using its own low-cost process and kaolin from the Great White Project in South Australia. ADN hit a new 12-month high of 2.8c, double the previous closing price on volume of more than 265m. The daily high for the $48m company was four times the closing price of 0.7c on April 10. Analysis of the produced HPA confirmed it has a purity of 99.9985%, well above the 99.99% purity required to be considered 4N HPA for use in lithium-ion batteries as a battery separator as well as the production of synthetic sapphire glass and LEDs. Results from the laboratory-scale testwork have been confirmed by top labs in the US and CSIRO and have validated the company's novel process flow sheet developed over seven years of investigation, research and metallurgical testing. What sets them apart is the process – no high-pressure acid, no extreme heat and no expensive aluminium metal. What's more, it's cleaner, cheaper and slashes carbon emissions by more than two-thirds, according to ADN. The ability to produce 4N HPA from kaolin is expected to provide significant cost advantages over the current dominant method of producing the critical mineral through synthesizing aluminium alkoxide from high-cost aluminium metal. The cost advantage also comes as demand for HPA is expected to outstrip global supply by 45% by 2028. 'Whilst Andromeda's primary focus remains the development of the Great White Project, the production of HPA is a high-value and complementary opportunity,' acting chief executive officer Sarah Clarke said. 'This latest test work validates our novel flowsheet, showing our Great White CRM product from the Great White Project can be used to produce HPA at an impressive 99.9985% purity.' She said this demonstrated the potential to expand the company's product portfolio in the future to include a value-added critical mineral while underpinning its confidence in progressing HPA production to the next stage of development. 'The premise of producing HPA – a high-value, in-demand product – at lower cost and reduced carbon intensity compared to established processes should be highly attractive to any manufacturers using HPA in their products,' Clarke added. The Great White Project is backed by 15.1Mt in high-grade ore reserves, enough to fuel a 28-year mine life. A 2023 bankable feasibility study estimated capex at $194m for a three-stage development that could supply up to 330,000 wet metric tonnes of product per annum, generating an NPV and IRR of $763m and 43% respectively. Andromeda Metals (ASX:ADN) is now heading into a scoping study and will start working with customers to fine-tune the product for everything from semiconductors to batteries. It will also investigate government funding opportunities. After seven years of R&D, this could put it in the box seat as global HPA (high purity alumina) demand heats up, it said. RareX (ASX:REE) RareX has been heading north since revealing high-grade gallium in historical drill core from its Cummins Range project in WA's Kimberley and then pointing out that another critical mineral scandium is also present. Shares have reached 3c, a lift of 15.4% on the previous close and have risen from 0.8c at the close on March 24. The latest fillip comes after REE extended its search for gallium at the Khaleesi rare earths project in WA's Albany-Fraser Belt, supported by the award of a grant in Round 31 of WA's Exploration Incentive Scheme co-funded drilling program to cover up to 50% of drill costs. REE already identified extensive gallium mineralisation at the project, including aircore intersections up to 86g/t gallium and rock chips up to 81g/t, and now plans to RC drill test multiple targets. The EIS program entitles the company to receive up to 50% of direct drilling costs, capped at $160,000, and up to 50% of mobilisation costs, capped at $15,000, for a total refund of up to $175,000. REE plans to complete between 300m and 1300m of RC drilling at the project, with an average hole depth of 100m, across six targets. 'This support from the Western Australian government is a strong endorsement of the project's prospectivity and the quality of our technical approach,' REE MD James Durrant said. 'The grant will allow us to accelerate exploration across multiple high-priority targets, including the highly prospective Niobe prospect, where the exploration team has identified a potential very large gallium mineralised system. 'Niobe has the potential for many tonnes of contained metal within the extensive moderately mineralised regolith and basement granitic rocks over 5km x 3km. 'With this funding, we are well positioned to unlock the district-scale potential of the Khaleesi Alkaline Intrusion Complex and advance our strategy to deliver critical minerals for the future.' Gallium is a key mineral with demand growing due to Chinese export restrictions and its vital use in semiconductors, robotics, LEDs and a range of defence applications. And being on the Aussie critical minerals list, it's a no-brainer that exploring the gallium potential at Khaleesi has attracted EIS funding from the WA government. Taruga Minerals (ASX:TAR) Strengthening its WA footprint, Taruga Minerals has exercised an option to acquire 100% of the Thowagee tenement in the northern Gascoyne of WA and is trading 11.11% higher at 1c. Thowagee complements its existing application portfolio, now spanning 416.5km2 of contiguous ground and a dominant landholding with lead, zinc, copper, silver and gold potential. It includes two historical mining sites - Thowagee Mine and Thowagee Bore - with high-grade polymetallic mineralisation occurring in outcropping veins and gossans. TAR's initial reconnaissance and rock chip sampling has proven positive, confirming the general mineralisation trends and high-grade polymetallic nature of mineralisation in the area. Results including heavy mineralised altered country rock samples next to the historical quartz vein focus notably showed potential hefty scale to add to the mineralised system. TAR intends to revive the mine, which has gone underexplored since 1956, when 15.2t of lead and 5878g of silver were extracted in a concentrate produced on site, along with hints of gold, copper and zinc. Field exploration at the project kicked off this month, with work focusing on exploiting the potential riches below high-grade base and precious metals mineralisation in outcrops. Constellation Resources (ASX:CR1) After releasing a quarterly report and launching a non-renounceable entitlement offer to raise up to $2.36 million before costs, Constellation Resources has been 7.7% higher to 14c. Under the entitlement offer, eligible shareholders are entitled to purchase one new fully paid ordinary share for every four fully paid ordinary shares held at the record date, at 15c per share. The offer opened on April 28, 2025, and is scheduled to close at 5.00pm (AWST) on May 19, 2025. In addition to their entitlement, eligible shareholders with a registered address in Australia, New Zealand, Germany or the United Kingdom may apply for additional new shares. In its quarterly, CR1 outlined progress on projects in Western Australia while it continues to evaluate new opportunities in the resources sector. The flagship Ularring copper-gold project is in a region that host several major deposits that are intrusion related, such as the Boddington copper-gold mine and Caravel Minerals' Caravel copper-molybdenum-silver-gold project A dipole-dipole induced polarisation (DDIP) survey defined a high-quality chargeable anomaly which with its relative location to previous drill intersections and relationship within a circular magnetic low, presents as a high-grade intrusion related copper-gold target. Modelled chargeability responses are significantly higher in magnitude when compared to the responses modelled over historic sulphide-copper gold drill intersections located up dip. This may represent increased sulphide development and higher grade Cu-Au mineralisation. A two-hole diamond drilling program is underway initially testing the northern end of the anomaly where the highest and shallowest modelled chargeability peak responses were identified. At CR1's natural hydrogen projects a staged, regional soil gas program is expected to start this quarter at Edmund-Collier once all approvals are obtained. Sampling will be optimised from the outcomes from the CSIRO Kick-Start Program Research Agreement. A second technical services agreement with the CSIRO has commenced to assist in progressing thermal maturity assessments and fluid inclusion analysis. Results from the study will determine if the shale units have generated hydrogen and if true, could indicate a major basin-wide kitchen, one of the key elements needed to help establish a viable hydrogen system. NewPeak Metals (ASX:NPM) (Up on no news) A quarterly report for NewPeak Metals issued last month outlined progress at vanadium and gold projects in Australia, Argentina and Canada as well as a rejuvenated executive team. Although there has been no news, shares have been 33% higher to 1.2c. During the quarter, NPM appointed Mark Purcell as its CEO to lead the execution of an updated strategy. Former CEO David Mason is undertaking a 3-month transition period as executive director to ensure a smooth and successful transition. Following this he will remain on the board as a non-executive director, while Purcell will be appointed managing director. NewPeak has since engaged Alistair Grahame, an exploration geologist with 27 years' experience including 12 years based in Argentina. As project manager for Exeter Resources' Cerro Moro project he refreshed the exploration strategy through integration of databases, re-interpretation and new mapping and geochemical studies. The drill program he designed and managed discovered the high-grade mineralisation that subsequently led to the development of the Cerro Moro mine. Grahame was also involved in redefining exploration strategies for Woolgar (Queensland) and Caspiche (Chile). In February 2025, NewPeak executed a share purchase agreement with AusVan Battery Metals Pty Ltd to purchase that company for $5 million worth of NewPeak shares. AusVan holds six granted exploration permits and one exploration permit application covering the Allaru vanadium project in northwest Queensland, which has an inferred JORC resource of 710 million tonnes of vanadium mineral resource. NewPeak will initially focus on expanding the shallow, oxidised Allaru North project which has a typical depth of 12 m and vanadium grade ranging from 0.19 to 0.68 V2O5, averaging 0.45 V2O5. In conjunction with the transaction, NewPeak plans to undertake a rights issue to raise $2m to $3m at 1.65c per share. The company also holds interests in gold projects in Argentina, the Treuer Range uranium-vanadium project in Australia's Northern Territory and the George River uranium, REE and scandium project in Canada.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Qorvo (NASDAQ:QRVO) Exceeds Q1 Expectations, Stock Soars
Communications chips maker Qorvo (NASDAQ: QRVO) reported Q1 CY2025 results topping the market's revenue expectations , but sales fell by 7.6% year on year to $869.5 million. Guidance for next quarter's revenue was optimistic at $775 million at the midpoint, 2.4% above analysts' estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.42 per share was 41.6% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Qorvo? Find out in our full research report. Revenue: $869.5 million vs analyst estimates of $850.9 million (7.6% year-on-year decline, 2.2% beat) Adjusted EPS: $1.42 vs analyst estimates of $1.00 (41.6% beat) Adjusted Operating Income: $151.8 million vs analyst estimates of $119.2 million (17.5% margin, 27.4% beat) Revenue Guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $775 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $756.7 million Adjusted EPS guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $0.63 at the midpoint, roughly in line with what analysts were expecting Operating Margin: 3.2%, in line with the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow Margin: 19.6%, up from 18% in the same quarter last year Inventory Days Outstanding: 116, up from 114 in the previous quarter Market Capitalization: $5.96 billion Bob Bruggeworth, president and chief executive officer of Qorvo, said, 'During the March quarter, Qorvo achieved stronger than seasonal sequential revenue while surpassing the midpoint of EPS guidance by 42 cents and expanding gross margin year-over-year. Looking across our business segments, our growth and margin targets are anchored in a multi-year strategy focused on winning content with our largest customer and building on our core RF and power expertise to drive diversification through CSG and HPA. We are on a path to continue to improve our business mix and our manufacturing footprint." Formed by the merger of TriQuint and RF Micro Devices, Qorvo (NASDAQ: QRVO) is a designer and manufacturer of RF chips used in almost all smartphones globally, along with a variety of chips used in networking equipment and infrastructure. Reviewing a company's long-term sales performance reveals insights into its quality. Any business can put up a good quarter or two, but many enduring ones grow for years. Over the last five years, Qorvo grew its sales at a sluggish 2.8% compounded annual growth rate. This was below our standards and is a tough starting point for our analysis. Semiconductors are a cyclical industry, and long-term investors should be prepared for periods of high growth followed by periods of revenue contractions. We at StockStory place the most emphasis on long-term growth, but within semiconductors, a half-decade historical view may miss new demand cycles or industry trends like AI. Qorvo's annualized revenue growth of 2.1% over the last two years aligns with its five-year trend, suggesting its demand was consistently weak. This quarter, Qorvo's revenue fell by 7.6% year on year to $869.5 million but beat Wall Street's estimates by 2.2%. Despite the beat, the drop in sales could mean that the current downcycle is deepening. Company management is currently guiding for a 12.6% year-on-year decline in sales next quarter. Looking further ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to decline by 1.5% over the next 12 months, a deceleration versus the last two years. This projection is underwhelming and implies its products and services will see some demand headwinds. Today's young investors likely haven't read the timeless lessons in Gorilla Game: Picking Winners In High Technology because it was written more than 20 years ago when Microsoft and Apple were first establishing their supremacy. But if we apply the same principles, then enterprise software stocks leveraging their own generative AI capabilities may well be the Gorillas of the future. So, in that spirit, we are excited to present our Special Free Report on a profitable, fast-growing enterprise software stock that is already riding the automation wave and looking to catch the generative AI next. Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO) is an important metric for chipmakers, as it reflects a business' capital intensity and the cyclical nature of semiconductor supply and demand. In a tight supply environment, inventories tend to be stable, allowing chipmakers to exert pricing power. Steadily increasing DIO can be a warning sign that demand is weak, and if inventories continue to rise, the company may have to downsize production. This quarter, Qorvo's DIO came in at 116, which is one day above its five-year average. These numbers show that despite the recent increase, there's no indication of an excessive inventory buildup. We were impressed by how significantly Qorvo blew past analysts' revenue, EPS, and adjusted operating income expectations this quarter. We were also excited its full-year revenue guidance topped Wall Street's estimates. On the other hand, its inventory levels increased. Still, we think this was a good quarter with some key areas of upside. The stock traded up 6.3% to $66.57 immediately after reporting. Qorvo may have had a good quarter, but does that mean you should invest right now? What happened in the latest quarter matters, but not as much as longer-term business quality and valuation, when deciding whether to invest in this stock. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free. Sign in to access your portfolio
