Day: July 6, 2022

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Huawei, lauréat du prix « NGON Best New Gamechanger or Innovation » et unique leader de « GlobalData WAN SDN Controller » en 2022

BARCELONE, Espagne, 6 juillet 2022/PRNewswire/ — En tant que leader mondial dans le domaine des réseaux optiques, Huawei s’engage à favoriser le développement de l’industrie par le biais d’innovations technologiques. Huawei s’est vu récemment décerner plusieurs reconnaissances et récompenses, soulignant la force et les capacités de la solution de réseau autonome (ADN) tout optique et de son composant principal iMaster NCE.

Huawei iMaster NCE a remporté le titre de leader dans le rapport GlobalData

Selon le WAN SDN Controller : Competitive Landscape Assessment publié par GlobalData en 2022, Huawei iMaster NCE a été classé n° 1 dans quatre domaines au niveau mondial et a remporté le seul titre de « leader » en améliorant les capacités d’une série de solutions.

Dans cette analyse concurrentielle, GlobalData a évalué et analysé la solution WAN SDN et a proposé qu’elle se concentre sur l’automatisation. Ce rapport a évalué et analysé les huit principaux fournisseurs mondiaux selon six critères (couverture du produit, ouverture, performances, principaux composants du système, étendue de la solution et préparation du déploiement) et cinq niveaux (Leader, Very Strong, Strong, Competitive et Vulnerable). L’essence même de la compétitivité de Huawei iMaster NCE, qui se classe n° 1, comprend les trois aspects suivants :

  1. Une large gamme de produits couvrant les réseaux d’accès optique, les réseaux de transport optique, les campus d’entreprise, les data centers et les WAN ;
  2. Plusieurs options de sécurité et une large gamme d’API ouvertes, offrant une haute disponibilité ;
  3. Des algorithmes d’apprentissage et des capacités d’analyse de pointe.

Lauréat du prix Best New Gamechanger or Innovation au NGON Forum

Huawei a remporté le prix Best New Gamechanger or Innovation au NGON Forum 2022 qui s’est tenu le 23 juin à Barcelone, en Espagne. Ce prix récompense l’innovation continue et les solutions complètes de Huawei dans le domaine des réseaux optiques.

Le NGON Forum a toujours été un lien avec l’écosystème du secteur. Plate-forme importante pour les fournisseurs d’équipements, les opérateurs, les organismes de normalisation et les partenaires industriels du monde entier, le NGON Forum permet à tous les acteurs majeurs de partager les dernières tendances du secteur, les innovations technologiques et les réussites commerciales. Huawei travaille dans le domaine des réseaux optiques depuis de nombreuses années et s’engage à favoriser le développement de l’industrie par le biais d’innovations technologiques, tout en gardant sa place de leader mondial. Lors de ce forum, Huawei a présenté la solution de réseau autonome (ADN) tout optique, une solution spécifique à un scénario dans le domaine des réseaux tout optique, qui permet en permanence l’autonomie du réseau optique et les transformations numériques et intelligentes du réseau.

La solution ADN tout optique comprend iMaster NCE comme composant principal et fournit des cas d’utilisation de haute qualité, tels que l’assurance de l’intégrité du réseau optique, la détection intelligente de co-câblages et la compression d’alarme intelligente, pour faciliter l’exploitation et la maintenance efficaces des réseaux optiques et fournir une assurance déterministe pour des connexions de qualité. En outre, la solution de ligne privée haut de gamme de Huawei dans le domaine des réseaux optiques inaugure la mise à jour OTN P2MP (point à point multiple). Cette solution a été mise en service dans de nombreux pays du monde et aide les opérateurs à construire des lignes privées optiques de haute qualité, à améliorer la qualité des services et à générer des revenus prometteurs.

Chu Tao, président du domaine des réseaux optiques de Huawei, a déclaré : « Huawei s’efforcera de réaliser des investissements stratégiques et des innovations technologiques dans le domaine de l’ADN tout optique, afin d’aider les opérateurs à développer des réseaux tout optique autonomes, d’autoréparation et d’auto-optimisation automatisés, et à offrir des connexions de qualité dans chaque foyer et chaque entreprise. »

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Huawei, the Winner of “NGON Best New Gamechanger or Innovation” Award and the only Leader of “GlobalData WAN SDN Controller” in 2022

BARCELONA, Spain, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As a global leader in the optical network field, Huawei is committed to driving industry development through technological innovations. Recently, a series of recognition and awards are presented, highlighting the strength and capability of the all-optical autonomous driving network (ADN) solution and its core component iMaster NCE.

Huawei iMaster NCE won the Leader title in the GlobalData Report

According to WAN SDN Controller: Competitive Landscape Assessment released by GlobalData in 2022, Huawei iMaster NCE ranked No. 1 in four items globally and won the only “Leader” title by enhancing capabilities in a series of solutions.

In this competitive analysis, GlobalData further evaluated and analyzed the WAN SDN solution and proposed that the WAN SDN solution will focus on automation. This report rated and analyzed the global top eight suppliers in six dimensions (product coverage, openness, performance, major system components, solution breadth, and deployment preparation) and five levels (Leader, Very Strong, Strong, Competitive, and Vulnerable). The core competitiveness of Huawei iMaster NCE, which ranks No. 1, contains the following three aspects:

  1. A wide range of products covering optical access networks, optical transport networks, enterprise campuses, data centers, and WANs;
  2. Multiple security options and a wide range of open APIs, providing high availability;
  3. Industry-leading learning algorithms and analysis capabilities.

Winning the Best New Gamechanger or Innovation Award in NGON Forum

Huawei won the Best New Gamechanger or Innovation award at the NGON Forum 2022. This award is a recognition of Huawei’s innovation and comprehensive solutions in the optical network field.

The NGON Forum has always been a link to the industry ecosystem, allowing all major players to share latest industry trends, technological innovations, and business successes. Huawei has been in the optical network field for many years with a commitment to drive industry development through technological innovations, while remaining as a global leader. At this forum, Huawei showcased the all-optical autonomous driving network (ADN) solution, a scenario-specific solution in the all-optical network field, which continuously enables optical network autonomy and digital and intelligent network transformations.

The all-optical ADN solution features iMaster NCE as its core component and provides high-quality use cases, such as optical network health assurance, intelligent co-cable detection, and intelligent alarm compression, to facilitate efficient O&M of optical networks and provide deterministic assurance for quality connections. In addition, Huawei’s premium private line solution in the optical network field ushers in the OTN P2MP (Point to Multiple Point) update. This solution has been put into commercial use in many places around the world and is helping carriers to build high-quality optical private lines, improve service quality, and generate promising revenue.

Chu Tao, President of Huawei’s Optical Network Field, said: “Huawei will strive to make strategic investments and perform technological innovation in the all-optical ADN field, helping carriers build automated, self-healing, self-optimizing, and autonomous all-optical networks and bring quality connections to every home and enterprise.”

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WOM (au Chili) et Huawei entrent ensemble dans l’ère de l’ADN des réseaux optiques

BARCELONE, Espagne, 6 juillet 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Lors du NGON WDM forum 2022 qui s’est tenu récemment, WOM, opérateur du Chili, a partagé son plan stratégique et sa vision de la construction de réseaux optiques avec les partenaires du secteur et les médias. WOM a également fourni des témoignages sur la solution de réseau autonome (ADN) tout optique de Huawei.

Lors de ce forum, Edison Alfaro Leon, directeur du département de réseau principal et de réseau de transport de WOM, Chili, a prononcé un discours introductif intitulé « WOM’ s Next Generation Optical Autonomous Network ». Edison a déclaré que WOM travaillerait avec Huawei pour construire un réseau optique intelligent et automatisé dans tout le Chili, pour faire entrer plusieurs industries du pays dans la nouvelle ère des réseaux optiques.

Après seulement quelques années de développement, WOM compte plus de 80 centres de service client et 7 millions d’abonnés au Chili. Grâce à une philosophie commerciale axée sur le client, WOM s’est construit une solide réputation qui l’a propulsé à la première place du Customer Experience PXI Ranking de 2019 à 2021. Edison considère que, si l’infrastructure réseau de WOM a la croissance la plus rapide du Chili, il est difficile de déployer un réseau optique du nord au sud à cause de l’environnement géographique complexe du pays.

Le territoire du Chili s’étend sur 38 latitudes, avec des climats différents et un terrain complexe du nord au sud. Par conséquent, pour utiliser au mieux les ressources en fibre optique, WOM présentera les solutions d’interconnexion optique (OXC) et 400G de Huawei pour déployer des réseaux de transport optique (OTN) sur les réseaux de zone urbaine (MAN).

Edison a également souligné deux orientations stratégiques de WOM pour sa collaboration avec Huawei, en se concentrant sur l’efficacité des opérations d’exploitation et de maintenance de réseau optique. En présentant la solution ADN tout optique de Huawei, le composant principal Huawei iMaster Network Cloud Engine (NCE) permettra une toute nouvelle expérience d’exploitation et de maintenance de réseau optique.

Pour la stratégie visant à améliorer l’efficacité des opérations d’exploitation et de maintenance de réseau optique, Huawei iMaster NCE pourra être utile à certains égards. Tout d’abord, la prédiction de sous-intégrité du réseau optique identifie la détérioration des performances de la fibre avec une précision de 95 %. Ensuite, la combinaison des cartes EOTDR et GIS réduit la durée de localisation de plusieurs heures à quelques minutes. L’assurance des ressources réseaux optiques réduit le délai de commercialisation des services de plusieurs semaines à un jour. La fonction d’assurance de l’intégrité du réseau optique transforme la surveillance manuelle en surveillance visuelle en temps réel. En outre, la précision de la détection des risques SRLG dépasse 90 %, ce qui réduit les risques de défaillances de co-câblages.

Dans le cadre de la stratégie de monétisation de la qualité du réseau optique, Huawei iMaster NCE contribuera à améliorer la qualité du réseau optique et à augmenter les recettes. Tout d’abord, la durée de provisionnement de services est réduite de plusieurs semaines à quelques minutes. Deuxièmement, la capacité de bande passante à la demande (BoD) fournit la solution optimale avec une bande passante élevée et de faibles coûts pour divers secteurs d’activité au Chili. Troisièmement, la carte de latence fournit une latence visualisée et commercialisable. Quatrièmement, l’analyse des SLA aidera WOM à fournir une garantie de SLA déterministe aux clients. Enfin, l’assurance de disponibilité identifie et visualise les risques liés aux services, garantissant ainsi la stabilité des services.

Avec le développement rapide de l’Amérique latine, un nouveau centre numérique sera certainement créé en Amérique du Sud. Selon Edison, WOM renforcera sa coopération avec Huawei pour développer des réseaux optiques vers l’intelligence et l’automatisation, et fera de l’ADN de nouvelle génération la base de la transformation numérique de divers secteurs au Chili.

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WOM of Chile and Huawei Jointly Usher In the ADN Era of Optical Networks

BARCELONA, Spain, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In the recently held 2022 NGON WDM forum, WOM, a carrier from Chile, shared its strategic plan and vision for optical network construction with industry partners and the media. WOM also provided testimonials about Huawei’s all-optical autonomous driving network (ADN) solution.

At the forum, Edison Alfaro Leon, director of the Network Planning Department of WOM, Chile, delivered a keynote speech entitled “WOM’ s Next Generation Optical Autonomous Network”. Edison stated that WOM would work with Huawei to build an intelligent and automated optical network across Chile, leading various industries in Chile into the new optical network era.

WOM boasts of more than 80 customer service centers and 7 million subscribers in Chile after just a few years of development. According to Edison, although WOM has the fastest-growing network infrastructure in Chile, it is not easy to deploy an optical network from the north to the south due to Chile’s complex geographical environment.

Chile has a territory spanning 38 latitudes with multiple climates and complex terrain from the north to the south. Therefore, to make the best use of optical fiber resources, WOM will introduce Huawei’s optical cross-connect (OXC) and 400G solutions to deploy optical transport networks (OTNs) on the metropolitan area networks (MANs).

Edison also pointed out two strategic directions of WOM for collaborating with Huawei, focusing on optical network O&M efficiency. By introducing Huawei’s all-optical ADN solution, the core component Huawei iMaster Network Cloud Engine (NCE) will enable brand-new optical network O&M experience.

For the strategy of improving optical network O&M efficiency, Huawei iMaster NCE will help in certain aspects. First, the optical network sub-health prediction identifies fiber performance deterioration with an accuracy of 95%. Second, the combination of EOTDR and GIS maps shortens the locating duration from hours to minutes. The optical network resource assurance shortens the service TTM from weeks to one day. The optical network health assurance feature transforms the manual monitoring to visualized real-time monitoring. In addition, the accuracy of shared risk link group (SRLG) risk detection exceeds 90%, which will reduce the risks of co-cable faults.

For the optical network quality monetization strategy, Huawei iMaster NCE will help to improve optical network quality and increase revenue. First, the service provisioning duration will be shortened from weeks to minutes. Second, the bandwidth on demand (BoD) capability provides the optimal solution with high bandwidth and low costs for various industries in Chile. Third, the latency map will provide visualized and marketable latency. Fourth, SLA analysis will help WOM provide deterministic SLA assurance for customers. Fifth, the availability assurance identifies and visualizes service risks, ensuring service stability.

With the rapid development of Latin America, a new digital center will certainly be established in South America. According to Edison, WOM will deepen cooperation with Huawei to develop optical networks towards intelligence and automation, and make the next-generation ADN the foundation for the digital transformation of various industries in Chile.

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Dominica Proudly Hosts Cricket T20 International Matches at Windsor Park Sports Stadium

Roseau, July 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Commonwealth of Dominica has proudly hosted cricket T20 international matches at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium a five-year hiatus. The nation hosted two back-to-back games which were held on 2 and 3 July 2022.

The Windsor Park Sports Stadium, situated in the capital city Roseau, is one of the official venues for the T20I Bangladesh tour of the West Indies. Prior to these matches, the stadium witnessed four international matches; the first was a One Day International (ODI) played between West Indies and Bangladesh in the year 2009, and the second was also ODI, which was played between West Indies and South Africa in 2010.

Followed by the third match (first T20I), which was played by the West Indies and New Zealand in 2014, and the fourth was a Test Match between West Indies and Pakistan in the year 2017.

During the match, the authorities took special care of the audience’s entertainment and provided a “Carnival-like” atmosphere to the fans and patrons in the interim with the local Dominican cultural presentation.

The Director of Tourism of Dominica, Colin Piper praised the government for the successful hosting of the international matches. He outlined, “The Discover Dominica Authority would like to express its gratitude to the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Cricket West Indies for their efforts and assistance in bringing international cricket back to the country after a five-year absence.”

He further expressed pleasure that the two T20I matches in Dominica on July 2nd and 3rd were fantastic and witnessed a strong turnout of local, regional, and international cricket fans to enjoy the fixtures.

Events Management Executive of Cricket West Indies, Joneé Charles, also lauded Dominica for welcoming international cricket with such enthusiasm. She stated, “We are delighted that Dominica was chosen as the host of two matches, and we also hope to host more in the future. After a challenging two years owing to the pandemic, we must express our gratitude to the local organizing committee and Cricket West Indies for staging these T20I matches.”

Dominica has been able to host international matches on its land because of the efforts of the government. The government has been continuously making efforts to uplift the sports infrastructure in the country.

Recently, the Sports Division of Dominica upgraded the Windsor Park Sports Stadium; the authorities contributed to the refurbishment of the lawn. Earlier, new electronic scoreboards were installed at the Windsor Stadium. Prior to the installation, a protective structure was constructed to ensure the safety of the scoreboard, ensuring a more resilient system. The cost of the scoreboard was near ECD 1 million. The previous board was destroyed during Hurricane Maria hit the country in 2017.

Dominica has been creating stronger sporting bodies such as clubs and sports committees and has also been formalizing the National Sports Council, which is in progress as the documents have been drafted. The government has also been working to put the task force in place and has assigned a coordinator.

The government of Dominica has been uplifting the sports infrastructure through the funds generated through the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme of the country.

Citizenship by Investment of Dominica:

The programme is known to be one of the longest-running, safe and most secure in the world. Launched in 1993, Dominica has been providing alternative citizenship for around three decades.

The funds generated with the help of the programme largely contribute to the development and rehabilitation of resilient infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, healthcare centres, bridges and more. The government has been heavily investing in building the world’s first climate-resilient country which can withstand natural calamities such as Tropical Storms, Hurricanes as well as Cyclones.

Interested investors may apply for alternative citizenship of Dominica through two investment options – Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) and Real Estate Fund Option.

The Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) is a government-supported initiative which contributes toward socio-economic development and helps in the upliftment of the country. The fund generated with the EDF goes towards improving projects in the public and private sectors. To date, the funds generated have assisted in the development of schools, hospitals, sports stadiums and numerous sectors such as tourism and agriculture.

The minimum investment required to apply for the alternative citizenship of Dominica is USD 100,000.

To apply under the Real Estate Investment Option, the applicant has to apply for government-approved properties. The minimum investment required is USD 200,000.

About Dominica:
The magical island of the Caribbean, Dominica is a beautiful destination for anyone who wants to explore and discover exquisite volcanic landscapes, jungles, and tropical beaches.

Dominica is home to the world’s second-largest boiling lake and comprises of nine volcanoes that are entirely safe to visit.

Due to so many volcanoes on the small island country, many beaches in Dominica naturally have greyish-black sand. Mero Beach is one of the famous beaches of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Besides the magnificent volcanoes and beaches, Dominica also has an extraordinary number of rivers. Some of these rivers are cool and clear blue, while others are fast and cloudy, but almost all rivers are surrounded by exotic flora. The Indian River on the island is the widest of all.

Dominica is popularly known as the ‘Nature Island of the Caribbean’. The island also has the largest settlement of indigenous people in the whole Caribbean region.  

PR Dominica
Commonwealth of Dominica
001 (767) 266 3919
cbiusecretary@dominica.gov.dm
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Locus wins 2022 IFOY Award for Top Autonomous Mobile Robot Solution

Locus’s collaborative AMR lauded for its high degree of innovation and high market relevance to meet the demand for high-productivity, cost-effective robotics automation solutions.

WILMINGTON, Mass., July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Locus Robotics, the leader in autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for fulfillment warehouses, has won the 2022 IFOY Award for its Autonomous Mobile Robot Solution in the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV/AMR) category following a comprehensive, three-stage audit held over a 5-day period.

“Locus Robotics is honored to be chosen as a 2022 IFOY Award winner,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “The rigorous IFOY testing and evaluation process and the prestige of the award itself, validates the innovation and completeness of the Locus solution to deliver proven and cost-effective automation solutions for our customers around the world.”

Now in its tenth year, the IFOY awards are considered the industry’s premier award recognizing the year’s best intralogistics products and solutions for their outstanding technical and strategic achievements. A total of 14 products from 12 companies were tested and evaluated during grueling IFOY Test Days, held in March at the Messe Dortmund exhibition center.

“The 10 years of the IFOY Award stand for 10 years of outstanding innovations,” emphasized jury chair Anita Würmser.  “In 2022, the finalists have once again presented top products in the competition that will shape the future of intralogistics in the long term.”

“The IFOY Award represents the best of the world’s most innovative logistics technologies,” said Denis Niezgoda, Vice President, EMEA & APAC of Locus Robotics. “We’re proud to have been selected for this prestigious award and to have competed alongside such an innovative group of nominees.”

All finalists competed in a standardized, in-depth, three–stage audit that began on March 18th in Dortmund, Germany. The IFOY jury was comprised of 26 internationally recognized trade journalists and leading logistics media representing over 21 countries. Judges assessed each finalist across a range of key categories, including innovation value, technology, ergonomics and handling, safety, marketability, design, customer benefits, cost–effectiveness, and sustainability. In addition, for the third year in a row, numerous potential buyers were also on site during the Test Camp Intralogistics.

About Locus Robotics

Locus Robotics’ revolutionary, multi–bot solution incorporates powerful and intelligent autonomous mobile robots that operate collaboratively with human workers to dramatically improve piece–handling productivity 2–3x, with less labor compared to traditional piece handling systems. Locus helps retailers, 3PLs and specialty warehouses efficiently meet – and exceed – the increasingly complex and demanding requirements of fulfillment environments. Easily integrating into existing warehouse infrastructures without disrupting workflows, Locus transforms productivity without transforming the warehouse.

Locus’s European presence is centrally located in Amsterdam to better serve the European region. In 2021 Locus Robotics joined the Inc. 500, ranking number 428. For more information, visit www.locusrobotics.com.

About the IFOY Award

The International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY AWARD) recognizes the year’s best intralogistics products and system solutions. The aim of the organization is to document the performance capability and innovative drive of intralogistics, helping to boost competitiveness and raise the profile of the entire sector in the public arena. The winners of the IFOY AWARD are selected once a year by an independent jury of international trade journalists. The sponsor of the IFOY AWARD is the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Sector Association. IFOY partners are Messe Dortmund and the world´s leading forklift attachment manufacturer Cascade. The IFOY pallet partner is CHEP, the global market leader in pallet pooling. Logistics real estate partner is GARBE. The headquarters of the IFOY organization is in Ismaning, near Munich. The IFOY AWARD is under the patronage of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany.

CONTACT: Christina Gorini, christina@brandstyle.com

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1440363/Locus_Robotics_Logo.jpg

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7 Ways Nuclear Techniques Combat Malnutrition

How can nuclear science combat malnutrition?

Proper nutrition is fundamental to health. The world is facing a double burden of malnutrition – undernutrition and obesity coexist, contributing to non-communicable diseases. Using nuclear techniques, nutrition and health professionals can develop and evaluate nutrition actions to combat all forms of malnutrition.

Source: Government of South Africa

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Presidents Tshisekedi, Kagame to meet in Angola over Congo conflict

LUANDA (Angola)— Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DR Congo’s Félix Tshisekedi are scheduled to meet on Wednesday over the conflict in eastern DRC.

Angolan President Joao Lourenço, who is also the chairman of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), will hold talks with the two leaders with the aim of brokering peace between the two.

Rwanda and DR Congo have been at loggerheads following counter accusations of each country supporting different rebel groups in eastern DRC hostile to the other nation.

Kinshasa earlier accused Kigali of supporting the M23 incursion into its territory. An accusation that Rwanda denied. Congo labelled the M23 rebels a terrorist group. Rwanda in turn accused the DRC of supporting the FDLR rebels who are hostile against Kigali.

The relationship between the DRC and Rwanda has been deteriorating to an extent that Kinshasa demanded that Rwanda not contributed troops to the East African regional force that is meant to help stabilise eastern Congo.

The Wednesday meeting is part of a mediation strategy following the African Union’s decision to ask Lourenço to broker peace between the two states.

According to civil society in North Kivu, “50 military trucks from Rwanda” have crossed the border into the areas occupied by the M23 to support them”. And according to Bintou Keita, the head of Monusco, the rebels “have the military means of a real army”.

In Kinshasa, the coordinator of the new civil society, Jonas Tshiombela, believes that the DRC “must first impose itself militarily on the M23 before relying on the diplomatic option to resolve the crisis with Rwanda”.

According to President Kagame, who spoke on Monday about the conflict, the security problem cannot be solved only by force, but requires political solutions.

President Tshisekedi said that to resolve the conflict, all options, military and diplomatic, remain on the table. He said that “the will for peace and the willingness to engage in dialogue should not be seen as a sign of weakness”.

Following the escalation of the conflict that has had devastating consequences for civilians caught in the crossfire, NGO Amnesty International has called on all parties to the conflict to respect the rules of international humanitarian law.

It urged the parties to the conflict to do everything possible to ensure the safety of the population that has already suffered from the latest fighting in North Kivu. More than 80,000 people have fled their homes since the fighting began.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Pioneering Radon Research in Cameroon Decreases Risks of Lung Cancer

NGAOUNDERE AND YAOUNDE, CAMEROON – When Bobbo Hamadou gets up in the morning, he opens the door and window in his house. This is not just to air out his mattress – but to lower the concentration of radon in his home. He lives in one of the 150 dwellings in Ngaoundéré, found to have concentrations of this naturally occurring radioactive substance above the upper level recommended in IAEA safety standards and by the World Health Organization (WHO). Over a quarter of the houses surveyed in this city, capital of the Adamwa region, have high concentrations of radon.

“Dosimeters installed in my home enabled researchers to warn me that radon concentrations are high and that it is important to air out my home properly to avoid radon-related illnesses. Today, I air my house every morning and it has become part of my daily routine,” says Hamadou, who is the chief of a local district.

In a first of a kind pilot study in Africa, researchers at Cameroon’s Institute of Geological and Mining Research surveyed 3,000 dwellings across the country, including in areas that contain uranium deposits, where radon is often present at high levels. Over 2 per cent of the homes surveyed had radon concentrations above the upper IAEA recommended level of 300 Bq/m3, and a whopping 49 per cent were above the more conservative level recommended by WHO of 100 Bq/m3. Based on the data gathered – to be published in an article currently in press in the Journal of Radiation Protection and Research – the average radon level in Cameroon is 107 Bq/m3, versus the global average of just 40 Bq/m3.

“Our geology predetermines Cameroon for higher natural concentrations of radon, particularly in the north, south and west of the country, which are highly populated areas,” said Saidou, Chief of the institute’s Research Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology. The research was carried out with financial and technical support of the IAEA, along with other partners, including radiation protection institutes in India, Japan and Switzerland, which donated track detectors for measuring indoor radon levels.

Radon accounts for around half of all human exposure to radiation from different sources, and inhalation increases the risk of developing lung cancer. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Outdoors radon quickly dilutes to very low concentrations and poses no harm. On the other hand, even moderate concentrations of indoor radon pose health risks due to prolonged exposure. Chemical elements that decay into radon may be present in ground or soil, water and construction materials. See this Nuclear Explained article for more on radon.

Open the window, let radon out

Managing radon levels in a dwelling is not difficult – as long as the inhabitants are aware of the high concentration. Regularly airing houses, particularly bedrooms, is the most important in warm climates. For new construction, proper isolation of residential area from the ground combined with proper ventilation are the most important solutions.

But awareness building is a tall order in a predominantly rural country of 250 languages and cultures, Saidou said. “It’s hard for people to understand radon; it is even harder to convince them to allow dosimeters into their homes for the two-month measurement period required – many fear it is spyware or a bomb,” he said. Efforts now focus on finding funding to remediate the buildings where radon has been found as well as on increasing the sample size in order to be able to draw a fully representative map of radon levels in the country.

As the government is starting to hand out licenses for mining, creating baseline levels for concentrations of radon and thoron at future industrial areas is a new project Saidou is leading. “This is key to the country’s sustainable mining efforts,” he said.

A hub in Central Africa

For now, Cameroon is one of just a few countries in Africa to have begun mapping radon concentrations systematically. Neighbouring countries with similar geology are also taking notice. Current and former PhD students of Saidou’s are starting to carry out similar research in the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo and Gabon. Of the current batch of 1000 single use dosimeters donated by Hirosaki University in Japan, 600 will be used for pilot studies in these countries.

In Congo, research will focus on an area near a phosphate mine, where high concentration of radon was found in rocks, said Dallou Guy Blancbard, a former PhD student of Saidou, leading the research there. “People living near phosphate mining areas consume crops grown in these areas and also groundwater that are potentially contaminated,” he said. “Beyond the research, it will be important to make recommendations and implement awareness raising campaigns on the harmful effects of radon and how to mitigate these effects.”

Saidou is supporting the efforts in the Republic of Congo and is working to establish a regional centre of excellence on the topic, in collaboration with the IAEA. In the meantime, Hamadou is breathing more easily:

“This research saves life. More people should benefit,” he said.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency