Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said this medium to long-term measure is part of a more robust strategy that also includes transitioning from raw resin materials to polymers for certain products.

He added that other long-term initiatives involve developing a national medicine security policy through MyMedSecure and empowering the local pharmaceutical and medical device industry.

“The global energy crisis not only affects oil and logistics, but also the supply of medicines and medical devices,” Akmal Nasrullah said during a national briefing broadcast live on television.

He explained that supply chain disruptions can cause shortages of essential raw materials like active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), petroleum, and ethylene oxide gas, thereby raising manufacturing and delivery costs.

For the short term, the government will implement a Special Access Pathway to ensure the supply of critical medicines and devices.

Other immediate measures include centralised monitoring of medicine stocks, diversifying import sources, activating emergency response plans, and designating certain items as controlled goods.

All these actions were discussed and agreed upon at a meeting of the National Economic Action Council (NEAC).

Regarding the impact of the crisis on the upcoming haj pilgrimage, Akmal Nasrullah assured that the government would ensure the safety of all 31,600 Malaysian pilgrims this year.

He stated that amid the uncertain global situation, the government will continue to act in an organised and holistic manner to safeguard the people, secure national strategic supplies, and maintain economic resilience.

“Our focus is to manage its effects, reduce its risks and ensure the people can get through this challenging period as best as possible,” he concluded.

Source: Bernama

Logistics navigating risky waters

Iran’s retaliatory airstrikes on US military bases in several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, along with restrictions on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz, have disrupted global trade. Major carriers have ceased using this key route, which handles about 20% of global oil trade. Rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope has added days to delivery times. Air freight costs have surged and capacity has tightened, affecting the delivery of important cargo, including some medical devices.

In the current situation, global research firm Fitch Solutions outlines three scenarios for the medical sector amid the ongoing Gulf conflict: A short-lived escalation would increase supply chain and logistics pressure for medical devices in GCC markets, with limited global impact. Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz would hike energy prices, raising manufacturing and distribution costs, particularly in Asia and Europe due to their reliance on imported energy.

Under a prolonged, large-scale conflict, disruptions would expand from regional to global, delaying capital equipment procurement and pressuring manufacturers’ margins. Extended disruption in the strait would make logistics challenges more structural, with persistent rerouting, reduced carrier presence in high-risk routes and tighter air cargo capacity affecting the global market. Import-reliant regions across Asia, the Middle East and Africa would face longer lead times, higher costs and more frequent shortages of critical components and finished devices.

Sustained high oil and LNG prices would further increase production and distribution costs, especially in Europe and Asia, while squeezing public funds and limiting healthcare budgets. Hospitals, particularly in emerging markets, may defer non-essential capital spending such as imaging upgrades while prioritizing essential supplies and maintenance. For manufacturers, rising input costs and ongoing upheavals would compress margins and push efforts to diversify supply chains, including more regional production and multisourcing to reduce reliance on key routes.

Escalating conflict disrupts humanitarian supply routes

Major aid groups continue to support war-affected populations, but ongoing conflict and blocked routes are delaying deliveries. Humanitarian organization Direct Relief  said escalating hostilities are straining health systems and limiting transport of supplies. Over the past year, it has delivered more than US$100 million in medical aid and grants to healthcare partners across the Middle East and neighboring countries.

As fighting continues and populations move, hospitals report rising patient demand. At the same time, fuel shortages, damaged infrastructure, and constrained supply chains are limiting care. Armed conflict places dual pressure on healthcare systems, increasing demand while reducing capacity due to damaged facilities and interrupted supply routes.

In the current Gulf conflict, facilities report fuel shortages affecting generators and essential equipment, limited medicines and supplies, and higher demand for trauma and surgical care. Services such as dialysis, oncology, maternal health, and immunization are also being affected. Mass displacement compounds the crisis as patient volumes rise.

Airspace restrictions and flight cancellations are delaying cargo routes used for humanitarian shipments, while key pharmaceutical transit hubs face operational issues. Maritime tensions are also affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Direct Relief.

Unstable transport routes often force aid groups to reroute shipments to keep medicines safe, traceable, and compliant with regulations. Continued instability could extend supply constraints beyond the conflict zone and affect neighboring humanitarian programs.

Direct Relief works with licensed providers and local partners across the region while maintaining medical stockpiles in Europe and the Middle East, allowing it to respond quickly when supply routes reopen.

Tensions fuel a surge of health threats

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the ongoing Middle East conflict is burdening health systems as injuries and displacement rise, attacks on healthcare continue, and public health risks grow.

Within ten days of the hostilities, casualties have risen sharply. Iran has reported thousands of deaths and injuries, while Lebanon has recorded hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. Israel has also reported multiple fatalities and injuries, with numbers expected to increase as the fighting continues.

The conflict is also affecting life-saving services. Since February 28, WHO has verified 18 attacks on healthcare in Iran, resulting in eight deaths among health workers. In Lebanon, 25 attacks have caused 16 deaths and 29 injuries. These incidents are reducing access to care when it is most needed.

Public health risks are increasing as displacement grows. More than 100,000 people in Iran have relocated, while up to 700,000 in Lebanon are internally displaced, many in crowded shelters with limited access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. This raises the risk of respiratory and diarrheal diseases, especially among women and children.

Environmental risks are also rising. In Iran, petroleum fires and damaged infrastructure have exposed communities to toxic pollutants that can affect air, water, and food safety.

Access to healthcare is becoming more limited. In Lebanon, 49 primary healthcare centers and five hospitals have closed following evacuation orders, reducing essential services. In the occupied Palestinian territory, movement restrictions are delaying ambulances and mobile clinics in the West Bank. In Gaza, medical evacuations remain suspended since February 28, while hospitals are buckling under pressure due to shortages of medicines, supplies, and fuel, which is being rationed for critical services.

Airspace restrictions have slowed the movement of medical supplies from WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai. More than 50 emergency supply requests, intended to support over 1.5 million people across 25 countries, are delayed, creating backlogs. Priority shipments include supplies for Gaza via Al Arish, Egypt, as well as Lebanon and Afghanistan.

The escalation comes as humanitarian needs in the Eastern Mediterranean were already high. About 115 million people require assistance, nearly half of the global total, while health emergency appeals remain 70% underfunded, according to WHO. It added that without stronger healthcare safeguards and funding, vulnerable populations and fragile health systems will continue to struggle.

Since December, CheQpoint has detected bromazolam, a high-risk benzodiazepine, in five samples and nitazene, a deadly synthetic opioid linked to overdose deaths nationwide, in two cases.

The Queensland drug checking service operates as a 12-month government-funded pilot program, with an independent evaluation set to conclude in May. The Health Minister has stated that future funding decisions will depend on the evaluation’s findings.

A report has highlighted CheQpoint’s impact over the past year. The service has tested 800 drug samples from 490 individuals, revealing that one in ten contained unexpected psychoactive substances, including potent stimulants and ketamine variants. One in seven users chose to dispose of their drugs after consulting health professionals, while one in three sought further support through referrals to GPs or addiction services.

Cameron Francis, CEO of The Loop Australia, stressed the need for continued access to pill testing in Queensland. “Super potent synthetic opioids like nitazenes are emerging. If we can’t detect them early and warn the public, overdose rates could rise significantly,” he said.

Rebecca Lang, Qld Network of Alcohol and other Drugs (QNADA) CEO also warned that unregulated drug markets are becoming increasingly dangerous and services like CheQpoint are vital to reducing those risks.

AMA Queensland President Dr. Nick Yim echoed the call to keep the service running as “Pill testing provides a vital opportunity for health professionals to engage with people about drug use,” he said.

The group cites research by the World Economic Forum indicating that rising concentrations of pharmaceuticals in waterways endanger human health and hinder the United Nations’ goal of securing clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Alpro Foundation’s Safe Medication Disposal Campaign has focused on raising awareness and encouraging Malaysians to dispose of medications responsibly. Since its launch, the campaign has reached over 300,000 students through collaborations with more than 600 schools, educating them on the importance of proper disposal practices. The Foundation has also installed safe medication disposal bins at all 280 Alpro Pharmacy outlets nationwide, providing accessible options for the public.

The Foundation plans to expand its efforts in 2025 with a two-year research collaboration and community education programs in partnership with Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). This initiative will disseminate safe medication disposal information through school talks and outreach events, targeting over 350,000 individuals, including students and corporate entities, as well as 250,000 families.

Additionally, the Foundation will construct a “Little Red House” outside its headquarters to serve as a landmark promoting safe medication disposal. This facility will allow the public to discard medications responsibly and access educational resources through a QR code.

Ostwin Paw, CEO of the Alpro Foundation, noted an increase in clinics returning unused medications and stressed the importance of education and advocacy in protecting Malaysia’s water sources.

The research team includes Dr. Lee Khai Wooi and Dr. Ng Jeck Fei, lecturers from Taylor’s University’s School of Biosciences and School of Pharmacy, Taylor’s PhD graduate Dr. Tan Foo Hou, and Universiti Putra Malaysia academic Associate Professor Dr. Noorjahan Banu Mohammed Alitheen.

VLPs, derived from viruses but lacking harmful genetic material, are valuable for training the immune system to combat infections. They can also be modified to deliver drugs and genes directly into cells. However, producing VLPs in cells like Escherichia coli (E. coli) often results in a mix of VLPs and unwanted cellular proteins that require separation, usually through costly and time-consuming methods like chromatography.

Dr. Lee explains, “Instead of using expensive immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography columns, we explored a simpler technique using free metal ions to capture histagged VLPs and precipitate them. His-tags are small handles that latch onto the free metal ions, holding the VLPs together.”

The team found that adding free transition metal ions such as nickel, iron, zinc, copper, cobalt, or calcium caused the his-tags to cluster, forming VLP clumps that could easily be separated from unwanted proteins based on size.

One challenge the researchers faced was visualizing the structural binding of metal ions with histags, given the complexity of the protein clumps. They are now examining this interaction using isothermal calorimetry.

After testing the method on the turnip yellow mosaic virus, commonly found in plants like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, the team aims to apply the technique, named “MetalTag VLP Master,” to other VLP systems and scale it up for industrial production. The method eliminates the need for chromatography columns, reducing both costs and processing time by using a centrifuge, a standard piece of equipment in labs and industries.

“We are currently filing a patent for the MetalTag VLP Master method,” said Dr. Lee. “Our hope is that if adapted for biopharmaceutical production, this method could lead to more affordable vaccines and medicines for consumers by optimizing the manufacturing process.”

Self-care options, gaining popularity, encompass self-administered contraceptives, Covid-19, HPV, HIV, and STI screenings, blood pressure monitoring, pregnancy and ovulation tests, and mental health management techniques. Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (SRH) and the Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) at WHO, highlighted the importance of these interventions in addressing global healthcare disparities, particularly amid a shortage of health workers.

The guidance emphasizes the provision of accurate information and the supportive role of health workers, including pharmacists, family doctors, and community health workers. It aims to aid countries in adapting WHO’s self-care guidelines, promoting greater autonomy and access to health services for individuals. As interest in self-care interventions has surged, around 50 countries have already begun adapting the guidelines since their publication five years ago.

Source: WHO

Older adults taking blood pressure-lowering medicines for hypertension that cross the blood-brain barrier were noticed to have better memory recall compared to those taking medicines that do not, according to researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The medicines include angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers and diuretics which are different classes of blood pressure-lowering medicines. Some cross the blood-brain barrier and will potentially impact cognitive function, such as reducing the risk of dementia.

In the first meta-analysis from 14 studies of nearly 13,000 adults ages 50 years and older, the hypertension medicines were evaluated for their effects on several cognitive domains, including attention, language, verbal memory, learning and recall. Older adults on the medications that cross the blood-brain barrier had better memory recall and attention for up to 3 years of follow-up, the meta-analysis found.

“These findings represent the most powerful evidence to-date linking brain-penetrant ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers to better memory. It suggests that people who are being treated for hypertension may be protected from cognitive decline if they [do] take medications that cross the blood-brain barrier,” said Dr. Jean K. Ho, a postdoctoral fellow at the university.

Read also: Experimental drug reverses memory loss in mouse models of Alzheimer’s

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a known risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia in older adults. The current American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines for treating high blood pressure suggest changes to diet and activity levels to lower blood pressure and adding blood pressure-lowering medication for people with levels of 130/80 mm Hg or higher depending on their risk status – but if blood pressure reaches 140/90 mm Hg, blood pressure-lowering medication is recommended.

[Treatment with blood pressure-lowering medicines has been shown to reduce the cases of mild cognitive impairment in the extensive Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention (SPRINT) Trial, by at least 19%.]

“Hypertension occurs decades prior to the onset of dementia symptoms, affecting blood flow not only in the body but also to the brain,” said Dr. Daniel A. Nation, an associate professor of psychological science in the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, UCI. “Treating hypertension is likely to have long-term beneficial effects on brain health and cognitive function later.”