McKinsey & Company Uses AI-Powered Intelligence to Deliver Customer-Centric Experiences with CustomerOne

CustomerOne extends the power of AI-powered decision-making, using its proven, comprehensive approach to help organizations drive up to 20% revenue growth

NEW YORK and LONDON, Oct. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, marketing and sales teams have to connect with their consumers and buyers in entirely new ways. But disjointed data, complex tech stacks, and siloed work practices can derail those efforts.

That’s why McKinsey & Company is extending the power of CustomerOne’s proven, comprehensive approach. By driving personalization at scale, sales growth, and enabling data-driven pricing, organizations in any industry can achieve 10-20% revenue growth.

Powered by QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, CustomerOne uses a Hybrid intelligence approach, combining human understanding with machine and AI intelligence, to reveal customer insights, identify opportunities for growth, and deliver lasting impact at speed. It also delivers agile operating models and builds capabilities to transform critical insights into customer action.

Surface Actionable Insights with End-to-End Growth Transformations
Customer preferences, demands, and dynamics are rapidly shifting. For organizations with siloed functions and complex technology stacks, it is challenging to stay in lock step with their customers. The data boom, as well as the proliferation and convergence of sales channels, makes this challenge even harder. To capture the right moments across every channel, identify new growth horizons, and capture long-term value, these organizations need an end-to-end approach that aligns technology with deep expertise.

CustomerOne seamlessly integrates strategy, technology, AI-powered growth capabilities, and implementation accelerators. It drives top-line growth, creates long-term customer value, and helps marketing and sales teams achieve higher returns by optimizing efficiency and effectiveness across the entire sales funnel.

“We have seen a lot of seismic shifts in the way consumers and buyers are changing,” said Kelsey Robinson, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company. “They have tremendous power. The ability for marketing and sales teams to succeed in this new world hinges on what they do with the incredible amounts of consumer-permissioned data to get closer to the customer, personalize experiences, and create ‘ignite’ moments.”

CustomerOne’s expanded set of domain capabilities includes: 

  • Personalization and Customer Value Management: Drives personalization at scale by integrating unified customer data, machine learning algorithms, and analytics, so marketers can derive the right insights and act on them. Outperforming companies achieve 40% more of their revenue from personalization than their peers.
  • Sales Growth: AI-powered capabilities enable sales teams to win new customers, increase customer retention, and drive loyalty. Companies that do this well drive 10-20% revenue growth.
  • B2B Pricing: Helps organizations analyze complex market dynamics, including customer willingness to pay, customer and product segmentation, and contract performance. CustomerOne uses the outputs to dynamically manage pricing and performance, and achieve above-market improvements. Companies that use data-driven pricing achieve 2-7% return on sales by expanding their margins.

“Successful change extends across the commercial organization. From the strategic decision on where and how to grow, to the insights that inform each customer interaction, most organizations struggle when it comes to putting the right talent, expertise, capabilities, and technology into one comprehensive approach to drive change. The extension of CustomerOne brings our capabilities together as one to drive faster end-to-end transformations for our clients across industries,” said Stuart Schardin, Partner at McKinsey & Company.

“Even in the best of times, growth is not easy. In fact, 25% of companies don’t grow at all,” said Jeff Hart, Partner, McKinsey & Company. “At the core of what we do is to help our clients across industries meet this moment with a proven, technology-enabled approach that makes it easier to consume insights and recommendations, and quickly unlock new growth opportunities. For example, a logistics company using this approach was able to expand its margins by 44%, while a chemical company achieved 2% return on sales in a matter of six weeks.”

To learn more about CustomerOne, click here.

About McKinsey Growth, Marketing & Sales
The mission of the McKinsey Growth, Marketing & Sales Practice is to help leaders of both consumer and business-to-business clients create Growth That Matters through meaningful transformations and marketing-driven profit. The practice helps our clients set their strategic direction, develop their marketing and sales capabilities, and connect their organization to realize the full potential of today’s omnichannel opportunities. Clients benefit from McKinsey’s experience in core areas of marketing, B2B and B2C pricing, customer experience, and sales and channel management.

For further information please contact:

US: Digennaro Communications
MaryLiz Ghanem – EL
McKinsey-DiGennaro@digennaro-usa.com
917-518-8422

UK: 3THINKRS
Ruth Jones / Becca Ross
mckinsey@3thinkrs.com
+44 208 0872843

Le salon littéraire « Le Monde lit Beijing »– L’enfants de Beijing tenu en Tunisie

TUNIS,TunisiaOct. 11, 2022/PRNewswire/ — Le 29 septembre 2022, le salon littéraire « Le Monde lit Beijing » (Tunisie) – L’enfants de Beijing, parrainé par la Fédération des Cercles Littéraires et Artistiques de Pékin et organisé conjointement par la China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Co., Ltd. et le Collège de Littérature Lao She, s’est tenu avec succès. Plus de 40 invités chinois et étrangers, dont M. Xing He, auteur de l’écrivain de science-fiction chinois L’enfants de Beijing, et la traductrice de l’édition arabe de L’enfants de Beijing, ont assisté à l’activité. L’activité s’est concentrée sur le contexte et l’histoire de la création de L’enfants de Beijing, montrant le développement de la littérature de science-fiction chinoise et l’histoire et la culture de Pékin aux lecteurs tunisiens, et a également suscité une forte résonance parmi les lecteurs des pays arabes.

L’activité vise à permettre aux lecteurs tunisiens de mieux lire et comprendre Pékin et à ouvrir la porte à d’autres écrivains et œuvres de Pékin. Le Salon littéraire « Le Monde lit Beijing » est une nouvelle activité de marque lancée par la Fédération des Cercles Littéraires et Artistiques de Pékin en 2022 pour promouvoir la « mondialisation » de la littérature chinoise. En invitant les lecteurs locaux, les critiques, les traducteurs, etc. à communiquer avec les écrivains Chinois, les œuvres littéraires chinoises peuvent être diffusées et promues à l’étranger. Au cours de l’année, une série d’activités seront organisées autour de livres chinois tels que Poissons: les étoiles sautant dans la mer en italien, Pays du chat en turc, Les céréales considérées comme la vie en espagnol et Les blés en roumain.

“World Reading Beijing”- Beijing Kid Literature Salon was successfully held in Tunis

TUNIS,Tunisia, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — On September 29, 2022, the “World Reading Beijing” (Tunisia) – Beijing Kid Literature Salon, sponsored by Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles and co-hosted by China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Ltd. and Beijing Lao She Academy of Literature, was successfully held in Tunis. More than 40 Chinese and foreign guests, including Mr. Xing He, a Chinese science fiction writer and the author of Beijing Kid, and the translator of Arabic version of Beijing Kid, attended the salon. The salon focused on the discussion of creation background and story plots of Beijing Kid. This novel also presented to Tunisian readers with the development of Chinese science fiction influenced by Beijing’s history and culture. This aroused strong resonance among Arab readers.

The salon aims to help Tunisian readers with better reading and understanding Beijing, and to open the window for Tunisian readers to know more Beijing writers and works. The “World Reading Beijing” Literature Salon is a new brand activity launched by Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles in 2022 to promote the “Going Global” of Chinese literature. By inviting local readers, critics, publishers and translators, the event is to further their communication with Chinese writers. Within year 2022, a series of Literature Salon will be held for the Italian version of Star Fish (written by Zhou Xiaofeng), the Turkish version of Cat City (written by Lao She), the Spanish version of Freaking Food (written by Liu Heng) and the Romanian version of The Wheat (written by Liu Qingbang).

LeddarTech Adopts an Automotive Software Business Model to Support ADAS and AD Solutions

The Globe and Mail Announces That LeddarTech Has Been Selected as One of Canada’s Top Growing Companies

LeddarTech®, a global leader in providing the most flexible, robust, and accurate ADAS and AD sensing technology, is pleased to announce its recognition among Canada’s Top Growing Companies for 2022 by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business, where LeddarTech ranked 280 out of 430 eligible companies.

QUEBEC, Oct. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech®, a global leader in providing the most flexible, robust and accurate ADAS and AD sensing technology, is pleased to announce it is adopting a business strategy that translates to greater financial and team resources dedicated to an automotive software business model.

For over a decade, LeddarTech has been at the forefront of developing sensing technology that has served the mobility, on-road and off-road markets worldwide. For several years, the company has invested heavily in developing a one-of-a-kind raw data sensor fusion and perception solution. This solution has received multiple awards and the attention of major global automotive Tier 1s and OEMs.

LeddarTech’s fusion and perception software solution, LeddarVision™, is a high-performance, scalable, sensor-agnostic and auto-grade solution that delivers highly accurate 3D environmental models. In addition, LeddarVision supports all SAE autonomy levels by applying AI and computer vision algorithms to fuse raw data from sensors employed in L2-L5 applications. LeddarTech’s use of raw data fusion detects very small obstacles on the road with better detection rates and fewer false alarms than legacy “object fusion” solutions. In addition, unclassified obstacles are also detected, providing an additional layer of safety to the vehicle.

“I am excited to announce the next stage of LeddarTech’s evolution as a leader in automotive software for ADAS and AD applications. “stated Mr. Charles Boulanger, CEO of LeddarTech. “We initiated our foray into automotive software several years ago, and our development has led to a unique award-winning solution that is highly regarded by an industry struggling to solve the challenges of accelerating the large-scale adoption of greater autonomy.” Mr. Boulanger continued, “The conclusions of market analysts and customers clearly support that we are in a unique position with a software solution that OEMs need to enhance ADAS and AD performance.” Mr. Boulanger stated, “The market’s need for a sensor fusion and perception solution that can be easily integrated and includes all the benefits of LeddarVision has never been greater, and our use of raw data fusion makes our offering even more attractive to customers.” Mr. Boulanger concluded, “The LeddarTech team is excited and eager to move ahead on our path and have dedicated ourselves and our technical efforts to the ambitious yet attainable goal of being the most adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution in the market.”

About LeddarTech
Founded in 2007, LeddarTech is an automotive ADAS and AD software company that offers comprehensive end-to-end raw data fusion and perception solutions enabling customers to solve critical challenges across the entire value chain.

LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software technology, LeddarVision™, is a flexible, robust, cost-effective, sensor-agnostic solution that delivers highly accurate 3D environmental models. In addition, this scalable software supports all SAE autonomy levels by applying AI and computer vision algorithms to fuse raw data from sensors employed in L2-L5 applications. LeddarTech’s use of raw data fusion detects very small obstacles on the road with better detection rates and fewer false alarms than legacy “object fusion” solutions. In addition, unclassified obstacles are also detected, providing an additional layer of safety to the vehicle.

LeddarTech is responsible for several innovations in cutting-edge automotive and mobility applications, with over 140 patents granted or applied for, enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedInTwitterFacebook and YouTube.

LeddarTech Has Been Selected as One of Canada’s Top Growing Companies

Contact:
Daniel Aitken, Vice-President, Global Marketing, Communications and Investor Relations, LeddarTech Inc.
Tel.: + 1-418-653-9000 ext. 232 daniel.aitken@leddartech.com

Investor relations contact: InvestorRelations@leddartech.com
https://investors.leddartech.com/

Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarSteer, LeddarEngine, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, LeddarCore, LeddarEcho, VAYADrive, VayaVision, XLRator and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c9eea29e-3a7b-4833-b444-6c5cee00297a

LeddarTech adopte un modèle d’affaires axé sur les logiciels de fusion de données et de perception pour l’industrie automobile

The Globe and Mail Announces That LeddarTech Has Been Selected as One of Canada’s Top Growing Companies

LeddarTech®, a global leader in providing the most flexible, robust, and accurate ADAS and AD sensing technology, is pleased to announce its recognition among Canada’s Top Growing Companies for 2022 by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business, where LeddarTech ranked 280 out of 430 eligible companies.

QUÉBEC, 11 oct. 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech®, chef de file dans les solutions de logiciels de fusion de données brutes et de perception pour les systèmes avancés d’aide à la conduite (systèmes ADAS) et de conduite autonome (systèmes AD), est heureuse d’annoncer qu’elle adopte une stratégie d’affaires axée sur le développement de solutions logicielles pour l’industrie automobile.

Depuis plus d’une décennie, LeddarTech est à l’avant-garde du développement de technologies de détection destinées aux marchés de la mobilité et des véhicules à travers le monde. Depuis plusieurs années, l’entreprise a investi dans le développement et la commercialisation d’une solution unique et brevetée de fusion de données brutes et de perception. Cette solution est lauréate de plusieurs prix et distinctions et sera adoptée par plusieurs des principaux équipementiers et constructeurs automobiles.

La solution de fusion de données et de perception de LeddarTech, LeddarVision™, est basée sur une technologie performante, évolutive, agnostique aux types de capteurs qui permet à l’industrie automobile d’atteindre des niveaux de performances de détection auparavant inatteignables. De plus, LeddarVision supporte tous les niveaux d’autonomie de la classification SAE, grâce une méthode algorithmique unique et brevetée. Cette méthode utilise l’intelligence artificielle et la vision par ordinateur afin de permettre la fusion de données brutes provenant de tous les types de capteurs tels que la caméra, le radar ou le LiDAR, intégrés dans les véhicules. Les logiciels de LeddarTech permettent de recréer un modèle environnemental en 3D pour le véhicule de très haute définition rendant possible la détection de très petits obstacles sur de longues distances. La solution de LeddarTech permet d’atteindre de meilleurs taux de détection que les solutions actuelles.

” Je suis heureux d’annoncer cette prochaine étape de l’évolution de LeddarTech en tant qu’acteur de premier plan pour les systèmes avancés d’aide à la conduite et à la conduite autonome. ” a déclaré M. Charles Boulanger, Chef de la Direction de LeddarTech. “Nous développons des logiciels complexes pour l’industrie automobile depuis plusieurs années, et notre solution est considérée comme la meilleure de l’industrie. Notre stratégie et nos développements nous ont conduit à offrir une solution unique et primée dans une industrie qui investit massivement pour résoudre les défis liés à l’accélération de l’adoption à grande échelle des systèmes avancés d’aide à la conduite et à la conduite autonome.” M. Boulanger a poursuivi : ” Les conclusions des analystes du marché et des clients confirment clairement que nous offrons une solution logicielle unique dont les équipementiers ont besoin pour améliorer les performances des systèmes ADAS & AD. ” M. Boulanger a déclaré : “Le besoin du marché pour une solution de fusion de capteurs et de perception facilement intégrable comprenant tous les avantages de LeddarVision n’a jamais été aussi grand, et notre offre technologique basée sur la fusion de données brutes résout un problème majeur pour nos clients.” M. Boulanger conclut : ” Nous sommes très bien positionnés pour capitaliser sur la transition de l’industrie vers des automobiles de plus en plus intelligentes et sécuritaires en étant une entreprise dédiée au développement et à la commercialisation de logiciels.”

À propos de LeddarTech

Fondée en 2007, LeddarTech offre à l’industrie automobile des solutions logicielles complètes de fusion de données brutes et de perception de bout en bout permettant aux clients de résoudre des défis critiques dans l’ensemble de la chaîne de valeur.

La technologie logicielle de LeddarTech répondant aux normes automobile, LeddarVision™, est une solution flexible, robuste et agnostique aux types de capteurs livrant des modèles environnementaux en 3D de très haute résolution. De plus, ce logiciel évolutif supporte tous les niveaux d’autonomie SAE grâce une méthode algorithmique unique et brevetée utilisant l’intelligence artificielle et la vision par ordinateur qui permet la fusion de données brutes provenant de tous types de capteurs tels que la caméra, le radar ou le LiDAR intégrés dans les véhicules. Les logiciels de LeddarTech permettent de recréer un modèle environnemental pour le véhicule en 3D de très haute définition rendant possible la détection de très petits obstacles sur de longues distances. La solution unique de LeddarTech permet d’atteindre de meilleurs taux de détection que les solutions actuelles.

Détentrice de plus de 140 brevets, LeddarTech est à l’origine de plusieurs innovations dans des applications de pointe pour l’industrie de l’automobile et la mobilité, améliorant les capacités des systèmes d’aide à la conduite et à la conduite autonome.

Des informations supplémentaires sur LeddarTech sont disponibles à l’adresse www.leddartech.com et sur LinkedInTwitterFacebook and YouTube.

LeddarTech®, a global leader in providing the most flexible, robust, and accurate ADAS and AD sensing technology, is pleased to announce its recognition among Canada’s Top Growing Companies for 2022 by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business, where LeddarTech ranked 280 out of 430 eligible companies.

Contact:

Daniel Aitken, Vice-président, marketing mondial, communications et relations avec les investisseurs, LeddarTech Inc.

Tél : + 1-418-653-9000 poste 232 daniel.aitken@leddartech.com

Relations avec les investisseurs : InvestorRelations@leddartech.com https://investors.leddartech.com/

Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarSteer, LeddarEngine, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, LeddarCore, LeddarEcho, VAYADrive, VayaVision, XLRator et les logos associés sont des marques de commerce ou des marques déposées de LeddarTech Inc. et de ses filiales. Toutes les autres marques, noms de produits et marques sont ou peuvent être des marques de commerce ou des marques déposées utilisées pour identifier les produits ou services de leurs propriétaires respectifs.

Une photo accompagnant ce communiqué de presse est disponible à l’adresse suivante : https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c9eea29e-3a7b-4833-b444-6c5cee00297a

Omdia: No dominant chatbot players on the horizon

LONDON, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The world’s most lucrative AI business – Chatbots/Virtual Digital Assistants — will remain a market served by a robust, diverse ecosystem of vendors. In a new report, Omdia suggests that contrary to a wide range of vendor assessments and traditional technology market trends, Chatbot/VDA solutions will not be dominated by a small number of big-name vendors.

“There are several reasons for a robust chatbot solutions market,” said Mark Beccue, Principal Analyst, Omdia, “One, there is persistent market demand for solutions which address a broad spectrum of complexity, from pro developer Do It Yourself (DIY) tools and no code SaaS to bespoke end to end solutions; two, it’s likely there will be new market disruptors because of evolving technology, particularly the potential emergence of affordable NLU and training from open-source Large Language Models (LLM), and three ,the total addressable market is very large and very complex, led by broad market drivers for CX and workflow automation. The market opportunity is nowhere near saturated or commoditized, leaving the door open for a variety of vendors to succeed and prosper.”

Omdia notes other market trends shaping the trajectory for Chatbots/VDAs, including demand for increasingly sophisticated roles for chatbots, the rising importance of BPOs and SIs in the ecosystem and the legitimacy of messaging channels. “Chatbots & Virtual Digital Assistants 2022: Market Trajectory, Forecasts“, examines all these issues and more. The report will help readers understand the rapidly shifting enterprise Chatbot/VDA market landscape by identifying key drivers and barriers, market trends, the dominant use cases, who the key players are, why they are so key, and what they see in the marketplace. It provides forecasts for Chatbot/VDA spend through 2026 with analysis by verticals and regions.

Mark Beccue and a team of Omdia analysts will be presenting and debating a wide range of upcoming IoT, AI and Quantum Computing issues and trends at The AI Summit & IoT World Austin, co-located with the Quantum Computing Summit 2-3 November 2022. Register for a media pass or request an analyst briefing  here .

ABOUT OMDIA
Omdia, part of Informa Tech, is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets combined with our actionable insights empower organizations to make smart growth decisions. To learn more, visit www.omdia.com.

Media Contact
Fasiha Khan / T: +44 7503 666806 / E: fasiha.khan@omdia.com

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1911373/Enterprise_chatbot_VDA_spend__world_markets.jpg

Ahli United Bank and Montran Corporation to Deliver Virtual Accounts Management to Ahli United Bank Corporate Clients

Ahli United Bank will enhance its value propositions for its various corporate client segments in the Middle East and North Africa via Montran’s next-generation solutions

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Ahli United Bank, a leading pan-regional financial services provider, today announced that it has selected Montran Corporation’s Virtual Account Management solutions to provide centralized treasury and cash management operations, across its diverse corporate client segments. Both companies commemorated the announcement with a signing ceremony at Sibos 2022 in Amsterdam.

Utilizing Montran’s multi-currency virtual account management platform will allow Ahli United Bank to help their corporate clients in the region to both simplify their cash and payment transactions and manage them more effectively.

“Our large corporate clients typically have a complex account structure that complicates unified, real-time visibility and reconciliation,” said Othman Hijazi, Deputy Group CEO, Corporate Banking, Ahli United Bank. “With the help of Montran’s Virtual Account Management solutions, we will be better equipped to empower said clients to simplify and streamline their bank account structures, gain a unified view and control of real-time liquidity positions, and drive greater efficiency across global liquidity reporting and management, as well as overall treasury operations.”

Alexander Esca, Chairman and CEO at Montran Corporation, said, “The versatility of Montran’s multi-bank Virtual Account Management solutions mean a fast and streamlined integration into Ahli United Bank’s existing infrastructure, with rapid client onboarding across the MENA region. Montran’s Virtual Account Management solutions enable a modern platform for Ahli United Bank to offer its various client segments sophisticated liquidity management capabilities. We are thrilled to announce this strategic relationship, and look forward to delivering the future-forward solutions that Ahli United Bank requires.”

About Ahli United Bank
Ahli United Bank B.S.C (AUB) is a leading pan-regional financial services provider, incorporated in Bahrain in May 2000. It offers a full range of retail, commercial, and private banking & wealth management services, both conventional and Sharia-compliant, across the MENA region and the UK. AUB operates through its Bahrain Head Office and its subsidiaries in Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, and the UK as well as its associates in Oman and Libya; and a branch in the UAE (DIFC). For more information, visit www.ahliunited.com.kw.

About Montran
Founded in 1979, Montran Corporation provides Payment, Cash and Liquidity Management solutions and services to many of the world’s foremost financial and corporate institutions, enabling them to stay ahead in today’s increasingly challenging financial industry landscape. Having mission critical installations and operations in over 80 countries, Montran Corporation is a global leader in the financial technology arena. More information about Montran Corporation’s Products and Services can be found at www.montran.com.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1917767/Montran_Sibos_Group.jpg

US Stops Funding Some Militaries Using Child Soldiers

The Biden administration is finally putting firmer pressure on governments using child soldiers. On October 3, it announced that a majority of the 12 governments implicated in using child soldiers would be ineligible for certain categories of military assistance until they addressed the problem.

In 2008, Congress passed a landmark law, the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, which withholds certain types of US military assistance from governments using children in their forces or supporting militias that recruit children. The law is designed to pressure governments to end child recruitment and release children from their forces.

In some cases, it’s worked. For example, after the US announced it would stop providing training for military battalions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congolese government signed a United Nations action plan to end its recruitment and use of child soldiers. In the decade since, the UN has documented only a handful of child recruitment cases by Congolese government forces.

In many other cases, however, US administrations – including under both Barack Obama and Donald Trump – waived the law’s prohibitions for governments using child soldiers, citing national security as a reason to continue military aid. According to the Stimson Center, these waivers have allowed governments using child soldiers to receive over US$7 billion in arms sales and military assistance since 2010. It found that only 3 percent of aid prohibited by the Child Soldiers Prevention Act was actually withheld.

The result is that countries exploiting children as soldiers have little incentive to change their practices. For example, Somalia has received waivers for 10 years straight, allowing over $2 billion in US military assistance. Not surprisingly, the security forces continue to recruit child soldiers. Last year, the UN documented 135 cases of child recruitment by Somali army and police forces.

This year, for the first time, the White House gave no full waivers to the countries on its list, meaning that at least some military assistance will be withheld from governments using child soldiers. Seven of the 12 countries received no waivers at all, a record high.

While this is progress, four countries using child soldiers will receive at least $234 million in US military aid next year. The US needs to make clear to these countries that if they want aid beyond next year, they need to stop using child soldiers.

Source: Human Rights Watch

Polio eradication: delegates recommit to step up efforts at the 69th Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean

Members of the Regional Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean reviewed recent progress during the 69th session of the Regional Committee. It was the sixth meeting of the subcommittee since it was formed during the 67th Regional Committee.

During the meeting Member States and partners reiterated their commitment to freeing current and future generations of children from polio and called for sustained efforts to end polio once and for all, including the pockets of wild poliovirus that linger in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Representatives of partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and Regional Directors from the Middle East and North Africa and South Asia Offices of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered interventions in support of the ongoing work to end polio in the Region. Member States represented either in person or virtually included Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Dr Hamid Jafari, Director of the Region’s Polio Eradication Programme, updated Member States on efforts to halt transmission of both wild and variant polioviruses in the Eastern Mediterranean. Since the 68th session of the Regional Committee nationwide vaccination campaigns have resumed in Afghanistan, the Region has implemented outbreak response campaigns using novel Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), and concerted and sustained efforts have led to the closure of a poliovirus outbreak in Sudan and a high-risk event in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Dr Jafari briefed Member States on the epidemiological situation in the last two countries in the Region – Afghanistan and Pakistan – with wild poliovirus transmission. Despite an increase in cases in 2022, in Pakistan concerted efforts have led to just one virus lineage surviving in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The country’s top priorities are now to stop circulation of endemic polio in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rollout intense mop-up campaigns in any district that detects wild poliovirus type 1, and prevent transmission in high-risk districts.

Great strides

In Afghanistan, increased access to children has been a game-changer. The programme now has an opportunity to focus efforts on halting transmission in the Eastern Region and preventing a spillover from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan into southeast Afghanistan and from the Eastern Region into Pakistan. The programme’s current foci are to reach missed children, strengthen cross-border coordination and build partnerships with the Essential Programme on Immunization and organizations delivering humanitarian services.

In his capacity as chair of the Regional Certification Commission, Dr Yaqob Al Mazrou remarked that although the Eastern Mediterranean Region is the last WHO Region with endemic poliovirus and faces recurrent humanitarian crises and challenges, it has made great strides towards eradicating polio.

While noting that 20 of the Region’s 22 countries have achieved the programme standards for polio eradication certification, he urged Member States to continue to intensify surveillance due to an increased risk of poliovirus spread.

Dr Al Mazrou also explained recent innovations at the Regional Commission of Certification, including the pioneering Electronic Annual Certification Reporting system. The repository, part of the eradication programme’s legacy, will house certification reports and information on countries’ experiences in polio eradication, permitting detailed and swift data analysis and saving time by facilitating quicker responses.

HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, Qatar and co-chair of the Regional Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks, explained that the epidemiological situation in the Region has evolved in the last few months. Low level wild poliovirus circulation that survived in pockets has led to spikes in cases, and variant polioviruses which spread across borders have persisted in some countries.

With several countries in the Region facing complex, multi-layered emergencies – natural disasters and conflict alongside health crises – for many children vaccines have moved further out of reach. The implications of this were highlighted by Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al-Rand, on behalf of HE Dr Abdul Mohammed Al Oweis, co-chair of the Regional Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks.

Dr Chris Elias, Chair of the Polio Oversight Board and President of Global Development at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation underscored that one of the common threads to ongoing poliovirus outbreaks in the Region is limited access to all children. He emphasized that the national polio programme was unable to reach all children with oral polio vaccine due to “a tragic combination of insecurity, violence, lack of political will and community rejections.” He reiterated the polio programme is not facing a technical challenge, as polio vaccines do work, but that it urgently requires the ability to deliver vaccines to all children.

Given the increasing movement of populations, and polioviruses, across borders, all partners reiterated their commitment to stepping up efforts to end polio in the Region. They agreed to scale-up strategies and tactics, including surveillance for polio and access to children, to ensure polioviruses have no opportunity to spread.

The efforts of Member States towards ending polio circulation have the unwavering support of WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari.

Source: World Health Organization