Soccer Uniform, Colors In Play}

Soccer Uniform, Colors In Play

by

M. Jedediah

Nothing is more important for a soccer fan, than his team’s colors and badge. In the soccer uniform, the club’s badge is on the chest, placed close to the heart.

In the nineteenth century, soccer uniforms had long sleeved shirts and they used knickerbockers that covered the knees in place of the shorts used today, and long socks.

When television was black and white, the color of the soccer uniforms were very important, when one team played in light uniforms the other team had to play in dark. In this way, viewers could tell which team was which, and also the players were able to tell where their team mates were on the field. The basic soccer uniform is made up of shirts (jerseys), shorts, socks and shoes.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_dK9r9P0nA[/youtube]

The goalkeeper has a slightly different uniform from the rest of the team; the jersey has to be a different color as he is the only one allowed to use his hands in the game. The difference in the goalkeeper’s uniform is necessary so that viewers and players can easily recognize which player he is. The goalkeepers usually use special gloves for defending the ball.

The referee and his assistants also need different colour uniforms so that they aren’t mistaken for any other player in the field. Players also use protections such as shin pads which can also be included as part of the uniform.

Before uniforms were made of heavy material, when wet with sweat or rain, they would stick to the player’s body. Nowadays, soccer uniforms are made from light synthetic material that doesn’t stick when wet and doesn’t weigh as much as the old uniforms.

The design of the soccer uniforms was quite different in the old days compared to todays design. The shirts had a collar similar to a polo shirt, with laces or buttons on them. In the more modern uniforms the collars are something like modern T-shirts. The shorts today are very different from the ones used in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, quite shorter and much lighter than before. The socks are quite the same today, but some socks have a few details like lines, the club badge or name.

Today, there are quite a few famous uniforms, like the Brazilian national team, which are famous all over the world, especially among the youngsters. The use of these uniforms as a marketing strategy has become quite common and pretty effective, with sponsors on club or national uniforms.

The amount of official replica soccer uniforms sold is quite big due to marketing campaigns, the passion of the fans towards their national team or the club they support. The uniform manufacturers also use the name of famous players to sell more. Names like Ronaldinho, Beckham, and Zidane are very much used so that more and more uniforms are sold.

The clubs invest highly in marketing their own brand name and their players’ names as a way of popularizing the brand and the club or national team. Some clubs and national teams make special editions of their uniforms for important games or anniversaries.

The use of soccer uniforms in marketing has helped the main brands of sports clothes and these uniforms, especially the jerseys are used by young people to go out to parties, going to shopping centres and even on dates.

Get all the latest in Soccer know how from the one and only true source at http://www.SoccerDetails.com. Be sure to check our

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Soccer Uniform, Colors In Play}

Submitted by: Matt Atkinson

Granite is both an ancient and incredibly durable natural stone. To say that it is ancient is a misnomer, as most natural stone could be regarded as ancient. However, granite has been in use by man when it comes to various applications for tens of thousands of years. It has been hewn from quarries by stone masons for centuries. In art, tool making and architecture, granite has a long history with humankind. As such, it has a reputation for durability and permanence that extends far beyond its reputation for solidity.

Stone masons themselves stem from an ancient tradition. Societies of freemasons, with their purported claims to esoteric knowledge and elements of secrecy, are said to have originated among groups of stone masons who shared their experiences and their knowledge with each other many centuries ago.

There are few non natural materials that can match it in terms of its aesthetics either. As granite is a natural substance, you need to be sure that you are happy with the entire slab of granite if it is to become a worktop or a floor feature, for example. You can check with the stone masons to ensure that the granite is of a consistent quality in terms of its look. Granite may come in various colours. This makes for a certain amount of customisability, even when it comes to such things as matching the tone and colour of rooms in the house.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsdGKZOyzms[/youtube]

When your granite has been cut by the stone masons, they will try to be as accurate as possible so that there is little risk that a lot of waste material is taken to your home.

The adaptability and variability of granite is one of its best assets. Numerous colours, shades, patterns and textures of granite worktop are available. You can add to your surroundings when it comes to enhancing your kitchen s look by adding granite to vanity units or similar inbuilt furniture or integrated cabinets. Granite involves very little maintenance and it is easy to clean. When it comes to solid slabs of granite, you don t have to worry about the formation of bacteria in the grouting on your surface. Granite is not porous compared to other materials, so germs won t collect anywhere and won t permeate the granite surface. In other surfaces, bacteria or other microbial elements can get into the cracks and crevices of the worktop, but this will never be the case with granite.

So when you re cleaning your granite counter top, you can use some warm soapy water and simply dry it off with a cloth. Neutral cleaning agents are also adequate for granite floors or worktops. You should avoid the use of acidic cleaners such as bleaches or abrasive materials when wiping your granite features. Waxes and numerous sprays should also be avoided. There are numerous cleaners on the market specifically aimed at cleaning stone.

Check out the great range of granite features and worktops available to buy and install today.

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Technical advances and innovation in design within the medical devices industry have prompted regulatory authorities to update the laws governing various aspects of the development, manufacturing, design and approval of such products. Further, it is imperative that various stages of medical device development and production are closely monitored and regulated in order to avoid serious and / or life-threatening consequences. In this regard, several regulatory agencies and organizations across the globe have established standard operating protocols, regarding the sale and use of these devices. Reimbursement is another integral aspect to the successful sale and distribution of medical devices. Similar to regulatory compliance, healthcare authorities require continued clinical and economic data collection, such as observational studies and cost benefit / use analyses, as well as dissemination of the information collected in deciding reimbursement for medical devices. Presently, almost every country has its own regulatory authority, which issues guidelines to regulate the development, distribution and reimbursement of medical devices. Such government-sponsored initiatives also oversee licensing, registration, manufacturing, marketing and labeling of medical devices within their respective jurisdictions. Therefore, it is crucial for a developer to understand and comply to the evolving regulatory environment in order to successfully market its offerings.

General Regulatory and Reimbursement Guidelines for Medical Devices

The introduction of a new medical product in the market involves extensive medical communication, reimbursement, and continued compliance with regulatory requirements. These are critical elements of the business planning process and therefore, each area requires early planning. Significant amount of time and effort is required to obtain approval from a regulatory body, however, clearance alone does not guarantee a revenue stream. Majority of the payers and providers now require stakeholders to demonstrate both clinical and economic value of their new products owing to the fact that lack of appropriate strategies to understand the economics of the healthcare marketplace can relegate a potentially successful, innovative technology to commercial failure. Thus, preparations should begin early in the product development process; development of a comprehensive strategic regulatory and reimbursement plan can help stakeholders to identify economically attractive indications and market opportunities.[1], [2] Table 5.1 provides the general guidelines for market authorization and reimbursement of medical devices.

Table 5.1 General Guidelines for Market Authorization and Reimbursement for Medical Devices

  1. No.

General Guidelines

Description

1

Identify and train Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs)

KOLs are usually physicians or clinical investigators similar to a medical advisory board. Keeping such individuals informed about the product and making them familiar with the use or applicability of the product helps build a strong roadmap for facilitating reimbursements and / or obtaining other regulatory requirements.

2

Collect and organize data to demonstrate profitability / clinical value to payers

In case of both government and private payers, the decision-making process is governed by evidence-based medicinal standards. In addition to that, insurers opt for a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) to gauge the financial aspects of a particular product. It has been established that clinical trials, though important; may not necessarily evaluate the economic aspects required to prove the product’s cost-effectiveness. Hence, it is extremely important to focus on providing evidence for both cost-effectiveness and clinical efficacy.

3

Focus on publications to communicate clinical information

Insurers constantly seek reliable information and therefore, are known to value data published in reputable, peer-reviewed journals. In order to address this aspect of publicising, it is important to build an effective publication strategy. Some of the important points to be considered while building such a strategy are:

  • A calendar that lists the various articles / milestones that need to be published at specific stages of product development
  • A list of targeted journals for article submissions
  • Agreements with principal investigators to publish at regular intervals

4

Relationships with specialty medical societies[3]

Specialty medical societies, such as the ones listed by the American Medical Association (AMA), have a strong influence in the reimbursement process and therefore, working closely with an appropriate medical society can help build support and trust potential buyers.

Source: https://www.nature.com/bioent/2003/030601/full/bioent738.html, https://www.rcri-inc.com/developing-effective-reimbursement-strategy-build-will-come/

It is worth highlighting that in order to ensure the robustness of design and manufacturing processes, as well as product quality, several industrial standards have been established that need to be followed by stakeholders involved in the manufacturing process of products (including medical devices). Further, these industrial standards play an essential role to protect the product conformations and harmonize the respective national / international regulatory requirements. There are several management standards, which are applicable to medical device manufacturing. The most prominent standards have been listed below:[4]

  • ISO 9001 (for general quality standards)
  • ISO 13485 (for medical device quality standards)
  • ISO 14001 (for environmental management system)
  • OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001 (for occupational health and safety management system)
  • ISO 27001 (for cybersecurity of medical devices)

There have been some modifications in the industrial standards that is likely to impact the medical device manufacturing in coming years. These changes have been highlighted below:

  • It is mandatory for medical device developers and manufacturers to implement ISO 13485:2016 quality management systemby the end of March 2019. This update, which was published in March 2016 and had a transition period of three years will replace ISO 13485:2012.[5]
  • The ISO 14155 is anticipated to be updated in 2019 and is likely to have implications on various segments, such as essential requirements for clinical risk management and clinical investigation audits of medical devices.[6]

[1] Source: https://www.nature.com/bioent/2003/030601/full/bioent738.html

[2] Source: https://www.rcri-inc.com/developing-effective-reimbursement-strategy-build-will-come/

[3] Specialty medical societies influence the coding and payment processes and also present the financial interests of their constituents to organizations, such as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and AMA. For a list of specialty medical societies and links to their websites, please refer to AMA’s web page

[4] Source: https://www.nqa.com/en-us/certification/sectors/medical-devices-services

[5] Source: https://certification-experts.com/deadline-implementation-iso-134852016-quality-management-system/

Selecting a Cosmetic Dentist London for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery by a Dental Surgeon

by

SpecialistDentalServices

There can be many reasons why a person might be in search of a cosmetic dentist today which might include tooth whitening or veneers. There are things such as simply improving the look of your teeth as well as things that need to be repaired due to injury or illness. Determining the options that you might have will depend on the services you are seeking as well as the results you are hoping to achieve.

Deciding to have this type of work done can be very expensive. Because many of the procedures that are done to improve the appearance of your smile will not be covered by any dental coverage, you will need to pay the cost out of your own pocket. When considering your options you will also want to look at this as well. Sometimes there is a need for a surgical procedure because of birth defects or accidents that cause problems with the teeth and jaw. This requires special services of a surgeon who is skilled in that area. Making the decision will depend on a number of factors these days including the cost. For simple cosmetic procedures such as tooth whitening, you will likely have to pay the full cost of the procedure. However some of the other processes that might be needed to correct a problem may be at least partially paid for by the dental coverage you have. Most times there is a limit to the amount that will be paid but at least you won’t pay the full amount out of pocket. Locating a dental surgeon

for

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UskVnCJvpB0[/youtube]

oral & maxillofacial surgery

can help you to correct a problem you may have with your jaw, teeth and facial structure. Determining the best choice is going to be something that will need to take the reason for the procedure into consideration. Some surgeons work only on the restructuring of the face and jaw while others will offer multiple services.

Selecting a cosmetic dentist London

is a choice you will have when you are seeking services to simply improve the look of your smile. There are a number of ways you might find to get the results you are seeking these days. Some can even be done in your own home whereas others will require special tools or solutions to get the right look for you.

Specialist Dental Services offers a wide variety of treatment options for all of your dentistry needs from teeth whitening services to the treatment of TMJ and orthodontic care. When you or your family members are in need of care, visit

specialistdentalservices.com

to learn about the variety of care you can receive as well as a variety of payment options to help the financial issues that may also be present.

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Foreclosed Properties Not Just For Investors

By Adam Masterson

The biggest draw for a foreclosed property is the price usually, it is up to 50% off the market value. This is a great way to find a new home, and you will more than likely be able to find exactly what you are looking for. But while you are at it, why not look into foreclosed properties as well? Like the old saying goes, it never hurts to look. This is a great choice for home owners especially if they are looking to own their very first home.

1. Bidding On Foreclosed Properties

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i4SXO_LFio[/youtube]

Although popular among investors, theres no reason why you cant bid on a foreclosed home with the intention to live inside it. They have found that they can buy foreclosed properties at a discount, and then sell them back to the public as a way of making a large profit. But just because investors buy a lot of foreclosed properties does not mean that ordinary people cannot buy them as well. In fact, whether you are an investor or not has no bearing on the process of buying foreclosed properties. Everybody that wants to buy one of these homes has to follow the same rules. In other words, investors do not get preferential treatment.

2. Not Just For Investors

Even if you are not an investor, you will still want to think like one. By doing this you will be able to keep pace with them, and afford yourself the same opportunity that they have of buying a foreclosed property. When you are trying to keep up with investors you will want to make sure that you are using the same tools as them. This means getting yourself a top notch list that shows you all of the foreclosed properties in your area. If you are working off the same list as the investors, the playing field is completely even.

3. Don’t Overlook The Savings

Foreclosure properties are more often than not overlooked completely by home owners because they believe the property will be run-down or in a state of disrepair. While in many cases this is true, if you are willing to do a little fixing-up of the property you can make a big profit, and with those funds, put a down payment on an even nicer home. Or, you might be able to purchase lots of appliances with the money you save.

About the Author: For more great foreclosure related articles and resources check out

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byAlma Abell

If you are interested in owning designer handbags, there are a few things that you need to know, before you buy designer handbags in New York City. There are many women who make the mistake of assuming that they have to pay the high costs that designer boutiques charge for the handbags. That is not the case at all. There is no reason to spend a fortune on a purse that you are going to use the same way that you would use a bag that you bout at an outlet store. You need to be smart with your money and consider buying your designer handbags from a second hand store like A Second Chance Designer Resale Boutique.

Before you are able to Buy Designer Handbags in New York City at A Second Chance Designer Resale Boutique, the bags are authenticated to ensure that they are the real deal. No one wants to buy a knockoff purse and the company takes the time to ensure that each and every purse they sell is the true bag that it is claimed to be. This will give you peace of mind that you are investing in a bag that has value and not a cheap imitation of the bag that you want.

There is no need to feel reluctant about buying the designer bags in used condition. Many people take very good care of their designer bags so there is no need to worry that the bag will be in poor condition or fall apart without minutes of buying it. The bags are thoroughly inspected to be sure that they are in good condition, before putting out for sale. No one will know that you bought the bags second hand and you will be able to use the money that you save to buy other things that are of importance to you. There are many times when designer bags are more affordable than people think that they are and someone will never be able to tell that you paid so little for the bag, when they see it on your arm or shoulder.

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Half of Europe’s flights could take off Monday, EU says

Monday, April 19, 2010

Approximate depicition of the ash cloud at 18:00 UTC on 19 April 2010. The current forecasts were updated at the London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre’s website (Met Office, UK).
Approximate depiction of the ash cloud at 18:00 UTC on 17 April 2010. The current forecasts are updated at the London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre’s website (Met Office, UK).
Closed airspace (red) and partially closed airspace (orange) on 18 April 2010. Iceland’s airspace remained relatively unaffected.

The European Union presidency says that air traffic over Europe could return to about 50 percent of its normal level on Monday, if weather forecasts confirm that skies over the continent are clearing of volcanic ash.

European transportation ministers from countries affected by the ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland began spewing into the sky last week will meet on Monday by video conference in an effort to reopen closed airspace.

The volcanic ash has brought chaos to the region — canceling most trans-Atlantic and European flights and leaving thousands of airline passengers stranded for days, as well as disrupting commerce.

European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas says Europe has never experienced a transportation disruption like this and that officials need to take action to get things moving again. “This is clear also, that this is not sustainable. So we cannot go ahead and just wait until the ash cloud will disappear,” he said.

Kallas says Monday’s meeting will try to find a technological solution to the flight disruption, but he stressed that safety considerations will come first. “It is clear that safety is our first and utmost priority, so we cannot compromise with safety. But we are working based on new evidence about test flights, how to assess the situation and how to find solutions to increase air space without compromising safety,” he said.

Spanish Secretary of State for E.U. Affairs Diego López Garrido says the ash cloud over Europe is moving to the northeast, which could clear half of the air space over the continent. “Probably there will be half of the European Union territory influenced by this ash cloud. And from this perspective, the forecast is that there will be half of the flights possibly operating in Europe,” he said.

But the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands say their airspace will remain closed for much of Monday. However, Air travel in Southern Europe — including Spain, southern Italy, Greece, and Turkey — remains open.

Meteorologists say conditions over Europe were unstable on Sunday and that shifting winds made air travel dangerous. They also note that the irregular eruptions from the Icelandic volcano, which continues to spew ash into the sky, is adding to the unpredictability of the situation.

One expert, Guy Gratton, who is head of the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements at Cranfield University in the UK, took a flight on Thursday and noted “It’s still quite a complex mixture of clear air and very worrying but invisible volcanic ash at all sorts of heights.”

Some of his colleagues made a flight on Sunday and noticed in certain locations, “quite high concentrations of ash.” Gratton added, “I suspect it’s going to be a few days yet before it’s safe to fly.” Volcanic ash consists of rock, glass and other particles that can stall aircraft engines.

KLM said it flew four planes in a normal pattern above 3,000 meters from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf on Sunday. The airline’s pilots said they did not encounter residue from the ash cloud and that jetliners were not damaged. Lufthansa flew 10 empty planes from Frankfurt to Munich on Saturday without incident, and Air France flew several successful test flights. British Airways also flew a test flight.

Some aviation officials have criticized the airline shutdowns, arguing that they were based solely on computer models. Air Berlin chief Joachim Hunold was quoted on Sunday by German media as saying that no one has yet sent weather balloons into the atmosphere to collect data on the volcanic ash.

Analysts say airlines are losing about $200 million a day because of the European and trans-Atlantic shutdowns.

The last major disruption to European aviation followed the September 11 attacks on the United States almost a decade ago. U.S. airspace was closed for three days and European airlines canceled all trans-Atlantic flights.

Meanwhile, the British government is considering the possibility of sending in the Royal Navy to help ferry the stranded. Currently, officials are seeing what military and commercial vessels are possibly available to be deployed.

The volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, in southeastern Iceland began erupting on Wednesday, for the second time in a month, after being dormant for nearly 200 years.

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Ransomware attack hits over 200 US companies, forces Swedish grocery chain to close

Monday, July 5, 2021

On Friday, a ransomware attack which initially targeted software company Kaseya spread to over 200 companies in the US through Kaseya’s network management software. Huntress Labs, a cybersecurity company, alleged the attack was carried out by REvil, a Russia-based ransomware group. Kaseya told its customers to stop using its services when it learned of the attack.

According to NBC News, the ransomware first spread to about 40 of Kaseya’s customers, which are mainly companies that manage Internet services for their customers, some of which manage them for thousands of companies. John Hammond, a security researcher at Huntress Labs, said that “It’s reasonable to think this could potentially be impacting thousands of small businesses”. Kaseya notified its customers of the attack on Friday afternoon and warned them to stop using its services immediately.

Business Insider reported REvil is a Russian-based organization which provides ransomware-as-a-service. BleepingComputer reported receiving a sample of the ransomware used in REvil’s attacks and says that they demand USD five million for the ransomed files to be decrypted, though it is unknown if every victim received a demand for that same amount. Fabian Wosar, Chief Technical Offier (CTO) at the Emsisoft security firm, said affected customers had received demands for USD 44,999.

Swedish grocery chain Coop was also affected by the attack, and had to close all 800 of its stores because its checkout tills could not process payments due to the ransomware. Speaking to Swedish Television, Therese Knapp, a Coop spokesperson, said “We have been troubleshooting and restoring all night, but have communicated that we will need to keep the stores closed today”. Swedish company Visma Esscom, which manages servers for businesses, was using Kaseya software, according to Reuters. Railway services in Sweden were also disrupted.

On Saturday, US President Joe Biden directed intelligence agencies to investigate who was behind the attack. He said that “we’re not certain” who is behind the attack, adding “[t]he initial thinking was it was not the Russian government but we’re not sure yet”. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency stated that it is “taking action to understand and address the recent supply-chain ransomware attack”.

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Home Improvement For Everyone: That Means You

Submitted by: Rose Ybarra

You’ve loved living in your apartment; it’s convenient to your job, and it’s easy to maintain. However, your bachelor days are gone, you have a family, and you’re finally financially ready for something bigger meaning a house. You’ve notified your landlord that you’ll be moving out on such and such date, and in the meantime you’re actively looking for your dream home.

After an extensive search, you’ve finally found the perfect house for you and your family regardless of home improvement needs. You’ve now moved out of that apartment (funny how it seems so cramped now in comparison to your new home!) and are in the process of getting settled.

You’ve never had to do much work on a home before, or any place that you lived. At your old place, if you noticed a sink was leaking, or there was a crack in the wall, it was up to your landlord to fix it. Now, you want to experience what you think is the thrilling challenge of home improvement.

As a result, you and your wife agreed to buy a real fixer-upper. What could be better than accomplishing your own home improvement projects? You envision yourself pointing to some pristine tiling work and proudly declaring, “I did that!”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpsnwaELjqY[/youtube]

Well, before you get started on any of the many home improvement projects you want to accomplish, you should first consult people who actually know what they’re doing. For example, for that painting project you have in the living room, why not talk to your nephew? After all, he recently completed a College Works Painting internship, and is well on his way to establishing a successful painting career!

Once you’ve consulted the professionals, you can then start thinking about tackling a few projects yourself. However, it’s important that you stick to smaller projects ones that don’t have a high probability of getting injured.

A perfect way to start is actually not inside the home, but outside of it. The yard looks awful, and the gazebo needs to be painted. Start by getting yourself a really good lawnmower and mowing that lawn! You might even want to add some extra color to the lawn too, but adding various flowers and decorative plants.

Then, there’s the gazebo. The white paint is chipping off in clumps, and mold is growing on the side. No need to panic, this is a great job for you, oh Home Improvement Man! Lay a tarp down around the gazebo area. Get some clean rags, and dip them in basic household cleaning solution. Vigorously rub away any signs of mold. That step was pretty easy, right?

Next, take a paint chipper (if you have to idea what that is, just go to your local hardware store and ask for one) and scrape off as much of the flaking paint that you can. By this time, the area around the gazebo probably looks very, very messy. Thank goodness for that tarp! Gently gather the corners of the tarp, drag it over to a trash can, and dump in the bits and pieces of trash. Just think, after all that hard work, you can actually start painting. Who said house projects were time consuming and not much fun?

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WHO’s reaction to H1N1 influenced by drug companies, reports claim

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WHO’s reaction to H1N1 influenced by drug companies, reports claim
Author: Admin Posted under: Uncategorized

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Reports suggest the World Health Organisation’s declaring a swine flu pandemic was an error driven by drug companies, and lead to unjustified fear. A year after the swine flu pandemic was declared, stocks are left unused and governments try to abandon contracts, pharmaceutical companies have profited at least £4.6billion from the sale of vaccines alone.

Reports by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) and the Council of Europe claim that The World Health Organisation reaction to H1N1 was influenced by pharmaceutical companies and that key scientists behind advice had financial ties with firms Roche and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). These conflicts of interest have never been publicly disclosed by WHO, an apparent violation of its own rules.

The World Health Organisation issued H1N1 guidelines in 2004, recommending countries to stockpile millions of doses of antiviral medication. The advice prompted many countries around the world into buying up large stocks of Tamiflu, made by Roche, and Relenza manufactured by GSK.

A joint investigation with the BMJ and the BIJ, found that scientists involved in developing the WHO 2004 guidance had previously been paid by Roche or GSK for lecturing and consultancy work as well as being involved in research for the companies. “The WHO’s credibility has been badly damaged,” BMJ editor Fiona Godlee said in an editorial.

A report by the health committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, a 47-member human rights watchdog, found that the WHO’s reaction was influenced by drug companies that make H1N1 antiviral drugs and vaccines. It criticised WHO lack of transparency around the handling of the swine flu pandemic and says the public health guidelines by WHO, EU agencies and national governments led to a “waste of large sums of public money and unjustified scares and fears about the health risks faced by the European public.”

We’re still in the pandemic

A spokesman for WHO said the drug industry did not influence its decisions on swine flu. Margaret Chan, the organisation’s director, had dismissed inquiries into its handling of the A/H1N1 pandemic as “conspiracy theories” earlier this year, she had said: “WHO anticipated close scrutiny of its decisions, but we did not anticipate that we would be accused, by some European politicians, of having declared a fake pandemic on the advice of experts with ties to the pharmaceutical industry and something personal to gain from increased industry profits.”

Yesterday, a 16-member “emergency committee” consisting of advisors from the World Health Organisation said that the H1N1 pandemic is not yet over. The WHO has refused to identify committee members, arguing that they must be shielded from industry pressure, so possible conflicts of interest with drug companies are unknown. The BMJ report also reveals that at least one expert on the “emergency committee” received payment during 2009 from GSK.

In related news, Reuters reported, Pfizer Inc, the world’s biggest drugmaker, is selling its swine vaccine business to Chinese Harbin Pharmaceutical Group for $50 million.

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