March 2023 – Malawi Wire

March 31, 2023

2023 Digital Therapeutics Alliance Inaugural Summit: DTx Industry Leaders Gather to Transform Global Healthcare

Held at the Washington D.C. Marriott at Metro Center June 7 – 9, 2023.The 3-day Summit programming will be facilitated by leaders from all facets of the DTx industry, including policymakers, manufacturers, payors, and other experts to guide innovation and equity in healthcare.

Arlington, VA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) is hosting its Inaugural Summit on June 7-9, 2023 at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center. Leaders from all facets of the digital therapeutics (DTx) ecosystem, including policymakers, clinicians, and payors, will join DTA members to discuss the challenges and opportunities of DTx integration into the healthcare system and identify optimized policy, reimbursement, and regulatory pathways to accelerate adoption.

The 3-day Summit programming will be facilitated by Andy Molnar, Chief Executive Officer of DTA, and feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions that cover the advancement of DTx, the impact of healthcare policy, reimbursement and regulatory pathways, clinical evidence requirements, and patient access optimization.

DTA’s Chief Executive Officer, Andy Molnar states: “We are here to transform healthcare and deliver a new category of medicine to patients to improve their lives. The 2023 DTA Inaugural Summit brings together the leaders in healthcare innovation that are making these monumental changes. We are building viable frameworks with partners from Capitol Hill, the investment ecosystem, clinicians, health plans, patients, and caregivers.”

DTx products use evidence-based, clinically evaluated technologies to optimize clinical and health economic outcomes, deliver high quality therapies to underserved populations, and transform how patients understand, manage, and engage in their healthcare.

Leading into the Summit, US-focused DTA members and staff will convene in Washington D.C. to meet with congressional members and other influential parties to advocate for the Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act (S. 723 and H.R. 1458).This bill seeks to create a new benefit category for digital therapeutics and ensure permanent coverage and reimbursement of DTx products by Medicare and Medicaid.

Everett Crosland, DTA board member and Chief Commercial Officer for Cognito Therapeutics, commented, “Given the rapidly evolving reimbursement environment, DTA’s 2023 Inaugural Summit offers the DTx industry an unprecedented opportunity to engage and advocate on the issues that matter most to our companies, patients, providers, and payor partners. I’m excited to speak about the emerging frameworks that are shaping our future.”

Event details and registration: 2023 DTA Inaugural Summit

About DTA:

The Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) is a global non-profit trade association of industry leaders and stakeholders with the mission of broadening the understanding, adoption, and integration of digital therapeutics into healthcare. DTA works to enable expanded access to high quality, evidence-based digital therapeutics for patients, clinicians, and payors to improve clinical and health economic outcomes. To learn more, please visit: www.dtxalliance.org and follow us on LinkedIn.

Attachment

2023 Digital Therapeutics Alliance Inaugural Summit

Autumn Brennan
Digital Therapeutics Alliance
608-304-8000
abrennan@dtxalliance.org

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8799236

March 31, 2023

New ambassadors must defend country’s interests – Head of State

The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, this Friday in Luanda recommended the new ambassadors to defend Angola´s interests, above all, in attracting foreign investment and tourists to the country.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of six (6) new ambassadors, João Lourenço, defended the need to safeguard the name and interests of Angola abroad in the political, commercial, tourist, cultural and economic areas.

“By investing in you, we believe that you are the right cadres to be able to fulfil this role”, expressed the Head of State, who, on the occasion, wished success to those who took office.

Agostinho de Carvalho dos Santos Van Dúnem (ambassador to the United States of America), Albino Malungo, for Zambia, Alcino dos Prazeres Izata Francisco da Conceição (Kingdom of Norway), Emílio Miguel de Carvalho Sobrinho (Serbia), Rui Orlando Ferreira de Ceita da Silva Xavier (South Africa) and Teodolinda Rosa Rodrigues Coelho (Japan), Rui Orlando Ferreira de Ceita da Silva Xavier, (South Africa) and Teodolinda Rosa Rodrigues Coelho, to the Empire of Japan, took office.

The ceremony, held in the Main Hall of the Presidential Palace, was witnessed by the Vice President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa and members of the government.

Reinforcement of cooperation

In their first statements to the press after taking office, the newly appointed ambassadors to the United States, Agostinho Van-Dúnem, and in South Africa, Rui Xavier, expressed their intention to strive for strengthening cooperation in the various sectors.

“We are going to continue the work in progress, seeking to strengthen bilateral cooperation and also identifying new areas with the US authorities”, added Agostinho Van-Dúnem.

Rui Xavier, ambassador to South Africa, highlighted the importance of cooperation with this country in the context of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and, in general, at an international level.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

March 31, 2023

Mozambique praises extension of Angolan military mission

The Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique congratulated the Angolan Parliament for the approval, Wednesday, of the extension of the mission of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), for contributing to the efforts to combat terrorism.

The National Assembly of Angola approved, by 187 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions, the extension, for another three months, of the Angolan mission in the Standby Force of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to Mozambique.

The three months correspond to the period from April 10th to July 11th of the current year. The mission includes 20 military personnel, from the air projection component, material means, including an aircraft, and financial means, equivalent to one million, 174 thousand, 307 dollars.

The Mozambican position was expressed this Thursday, in Luanda, by the leader of the National Group of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique in the African Parliament, Aires Bonifácio Batista Ali, at the end of a courtesy meeting with the First Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly, Américo Cunonoca, which also served to assess the cooperation between these two sovereign bodies.

“This firm and clear position of the Angolan deputies is to be encouraged, welcomed and we are happy in this regard”, said in statements to the press the Mozambican parliamentarian who is on a week-long working visit to the country.

According to the deputy, the permanence of this mission contributes to the fight against terrorism, a general evil currently affecting Mozambique.

Regarding the cooperation between Angola and Mozambique in the parliamentary domain, Aires Bonifácio Batista Ali said that “it is on the right path”, but he considers that there is always room for improvement, improving and showing vitality.

Last February, the chairpersons of the parliaments of Angola, Carolina Cerqueira, and of Mozambique, Vitória Esperança Dias, met in the Angolan capital.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

March 31, 2023

Sirius Awards: FAS wins Social Responsibility Award

The Local Development Institute “FAS” won on Thursday night, in Luanda, the Social Responsibility Award category of the 9th Sirius Awards, an event that recognizes and distinguishes companies, projects and individual personalities that excell in some fields during a year in Angola.

FAS, formerly known as the Social Support Fund, won the prize from a total of six companies, for presenting the Social Protection Strengthening Programme known as ‘Kwenda”.

Kwenda has registered more than one million vulnerable households, 700,000 of whom have already benefited from monetary transfers, as disclosed by the director general of this institute, Belarmino Jelembi.

Announcing the winner of the category during the awards gala, the First Lady of the Republic and president of the Sirius Awards jury, Ana Dias Lourenço, highlighted the geographic scope, effectiveness and credibility, as well as the commitment, budget and value addition of this programme as the main criteria that contributed to attribution of this prize to FAS.

The First Lady underlined that the analysis of the numerous applications received was particularly challenging for the jury, taking into account the high quality of the projects presented by the competitors.

According to Ana Dias Lourenço, the Social Responsibility Award was one of the most prominent categories in this edition, as it registered a greater number of competitors, with a wide range of companies operating in the most varied areas of Angolan society.

Ana Lourenço considered the list of nominees for the award as a demonstration that companies/organizations are on the right track for the preservation and development of local communities.

“Currently, social responsibility must be part of the list of strategic objectives of organizations, accepting a commitment to the values of protecting society, with the aim of repaying, in a fair way, what communities offer”, the First Lady clarified.

The category recognizes companies that run, essentially, programmes aimed at education, health, the fight against hunger and poverty, contributing to the reduction of regional asymmetries to aid the country’s development.

FAS general director, Belarmino Jelembi, on his turn, said the award received is a recognition that increasingly motivates the organization to continue working hard, with a view to achieving the set goals.

Several other companies were awarded honourable mentions, such as the commercial bank BFA, Carrinho business group (with the school food delivery programme), Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, Sonangol and Unitel (e-Health mobile health programme), who were honored with the attribution of honourable mentions.

The 9th edition of the Sirius Awards recorded a total of 34 competitors, including companies/projects, managers and entrepreneurs, distributed in eight categories.

Held under the motto ‘Distinguishing excellence, promoting the future’, the Sirius Awards was launched almost five years ago, however temporarily halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Deloitte CEO, José Barata, the initiative has resurfaced with reinforced ambition, maintaining the purpose of distinguishing and rewarding the main organisations, personalities and projects carried out during a year in Angola.

Under Deloitte promotion, the last edition (8th) of the Sirius Awards was held in November 2018, with the participation of 55 competitors (companies, managers and entrepreneurs) that competed for ten categories that were part of the event at that time.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

March 31, 2023

Malawi Sets Final Deadline for Refugee Return to Lone Authorized Camp

Malawi’s government has told refugees and asylum-seekers to relocate to the country’s lone refugee camp by April 15 or face forced eviction from their homes.

The Ministry of Homeland Security said in a statement Thursday that the new deadline followed the expiration of the February 1 deadline the government set last year for about 8,000 refugees who had settled outside the Dzaleka refugee camp.

Ken Zikhale Ngoma, Malawi’s minister of homeland security, said the latest move was in line with Malawi’s encampment policy, which prohibits refugees from staying outside a refugee camp.

Ngoma said the Dzaleka camp in central Malawi has facilities that meet international standards for all refugees and asylum-seekers, including primary and secondary schools, a health center and a public market.

Raphael Ndabagha, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, disputes that.

Ndabagha lived outside the Dzaleka camp before returning ahead of the February 1 deadline. “The advantage of living in the city, you have many more opportunities than the camp,” he said. “In the city, if you are a businessperson, you can open a shop and you are able to make a living, because you can make income, you can prosper.”

Ndabagha said that in the city, his three children were able to go to better schools than those in and around the refugee camp.

Kenyi Emanuel Lukajo, associate external relations and reporting officer for the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR in Malawi, told VOA on Friday that the agency would comment officially on the new deadline later.

However, the UNHCR had previously expressed concerns when the Malawi government issued the first relocation order in August 2022.

The refugee agency said in a statement that the relocation would result in extreme pressure on the camp’s already inadequate health services, water, shelter and sanitation.

But the Malawi government said in its new order that refugees were already given ample time to make necessary arrangements for the relocation.

It warned that those resisting the new deadline would be forcefully evicted from their homes.

Business operators in Malawi have long threatened to forcefully evict refugees from market areas, saying they are bringing unnecessary competition in terms of prices of goods.

Teneson Mulimbula, general secretary for an association of small-business operators in Malawi, said, “If you go to their shops you will find that there is stock, farm produce items like beans, rice, peas, which they receive at Dzaleka refugee camp. And just because they receive them freely, they start selling them at a lower price.”

But some refugee traders, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, denied that they were selling items from the refugee camp.

The government said state agencies such as the Malawi Police Service and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services would be involved in the relocation.

It added that any person or group found to be harassing refugees or asylum-seekers would be arrested.

Dzaleka is home to refugees and asylum-seekers from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Somalia.

The camp was meant to accommodate about 10,000 refugees but now is home to more than 50,000.

Source: Voice of America

March 30, 2023

Vista Equity Partners Completes Acquisition of Duck Creek Technologies

Boston, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies (“Duck Creek”), the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, today announced the completion of its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners (“Vista”), a leading global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses, for $19.00 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2.6 billion.

“We are excited to commence our partnership with Vista Equity Partners and work together to advance the next generation of P&C insurance technology,” said Michael Jackowski, Chief Executive Officer of Duck Creek. “With Vista’s global network and deep sector expertise, we will be better positioned to support and accelerate the industry’s transition to the cloud while continuing to deliver a best-in-class customer experience.”

“Duck Creek is a demonstrated leader in the P&C space, delivering innovative solutions that empower carriers to be faster and more nimble in servicing the digital needs of their customers,” said Monti Saroya, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of Vista’s Flagship Fund. “We look forward to partnering with Mike and the Duck Creek team as they continue to scale and define the future of P&C insurance technology.”

“We’re excited to welcome Duck Creek to the Vista ecosystem,” said Jeff Wilson, Managing Director at Vista. “Their commitment to excellence and innovation coupled with Vista’s experience in driving sustainable growth will take the business to new heights while delivering solutions that help carriers transform their business.”

Duck Creek has earned the right to partner with and provide its modern technology solutions to an esteemed list of leading carriers across the globe, including Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Hollard Insurance, Northbridge Financial Corporation and Tokio Marine.

With the completion of the transaction, Duck Creek Technologies shares have ceased trading and are no longer listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

J.P. Morgan acted as financial advisor to Duck Creek, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal counsel to Duck Creek.

Evercore acted as financial advisor to the Special Committee of the Duck Creek Board of Directors, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as legal counsel to the Special Committee of the Duck Creek Board of Directors.

RBC Capital Markets acted as financial advisor to Vista, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to Vista.

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies is the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Vista Equity Partners

Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $95 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2022. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista’s investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn, @Vista Equity Partners, and on Twitter, @Vista_Equity.

Carley Bunch
Duck Creek Technologies
+1 (201) 962-6091
carley.bunch@duckcreek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8798688