The PN leader says a long-term plan is needed if the government continues with a policy to import 15,000 foreign workers every year
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Saturday, December 1, 2018
Workers a priority for the PN, Adrian Delia tells activists
Money ‘stolen’ from power station contract would go a long way to help families – Delia
The government is stealing from the people with the new power station, and the fact that Minister Konrad Mizzi continues to boast that this "theft is best practice" means that the government intends to continue stealing from the people, Opposition Leader Adrian Delia said today.
The money that is being stolen from the people would go a long way to help families, with workers getting only €2.33 extra a week as from next year, Delia said when closing a conference organised by the PN's Workers' Solidarity branch.
Delia said Prime Minister Joseph Muscat admitted that some €200 million are being stolen from the people every two years from the power station contract. This was happened at a time when young couples could not keep up with renting property, 3,200 people are waiting for social housing accommodation and 70,000 people are below the poverty line.
Delia said the people are at the centre of the Nationalist Party's policy and workers are a priority. For Muscat, the increase in population means a better economy but he is not realising that this does not mean a better quality of life, Delia said.
The bringing in of 15,000 foreign workers every year will lead to cheap labour and low wages. The number of people experiencing financial poverty has risen by 10,000 in the last five years, and many families are finding it hard to buy daily commodities, Delia said.
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More than 2,400 infections diagnosed at GU Clinic so far this year
41% of people tested at the Genitourinary (GU) Clinic this year had some form of sexually transmitted infection, with some individuals having more than one STD.
Data provided to The Malta Independent by the GU Clinic shows that 5830 patients had been tested as at 27 November. A total of 2428 infections were diagnosed.
A spokesperson said the date also includes patients who were diagnosed with more than one infection at the same time or in different sites (throat and/or anus and/or genital), representing a total burden of STIs diagnosed at the GU clinic this year.
In 2017, the clinic carried out 5,864 consultations.
68% of patients treated in 2018 were Maltese. 22% were EU citizens and 10% were third country nationals.
In 2017 and 2018, 65% of patients were males and 35% were females.
The data for both years shows that around 40% of patients were heterosexual men, and around 32% were heterosexual females.
Around 20% were gay men, and around 5% were bisexual. Trans people, lesbians and questioning individuals each accounted for less than one percent.
Importance of European Testing Week
European Testing Week (23 to 30 November) aims to make people more aware of HIV and the importance of early diagnosis. The goal of European Testing Week is to promote a discussion about the benefits of testing and supporting the educational programmes to promote safe sex campaigns.
As discussed earlier with Clayton Mercieca, Community Manger at the Allied Rainbow Communities (ARC) and LGBTQ spokesperson, the stigma of discussing HIV and testing is still an issue in Malta, which also is reflected in the number of registered patients at the GU Clinic.
The sooner a person is made aware of their condition, the sooner they can seek treatment and reach the stage known as viral suppression. While viral suppression does not mean that HIV is cured in person, it moderates the spread of the disease. Between 2004 and 2014 there have been a total of 300 new registered cases of HIV, and in 2016 two new cases of AIDS and 56 cases of HIV were reported.
HIV can be spread through the transmission of bodily fluids, such as through blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids and breast milk. Anyone who is sexually active and is not using protection can be at risk of contracting the life-long condition.
World AIDS Day
Today is World AIDS Day. In a statement yesterday, the government noted that self-testing HIV kits were made available both at the GU clinic at Mater Dei Hospital as well as in various local pharmacies. These self-test kits allow a person to test for HIV discretely and at their own convenience. At the GU clinic these tests are free and give a quick result within 20 minutes.
This falls in line with efforts being made in Malta to adhere to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development where EU member states resolved to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, the government said. A set of goals has been set up to achieve this by 2020:
- By 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status
- By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy
- By 2020, 90% of all people received antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.
Malta is achieving excellent results in the second and third categories, but there is still a lot of work to be done to increase the number of people who are aware of their HIV status and having these self –testing kits available will help push up the figure towards the desired 90%.
The message for this year's World AIDS Day is to encourage more people to test for HIV. An estimated 25% of those living locally with HIV are unaware of the infection. This significantly increases the risk of HIV transmission.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe have released the latest data on the HIV epidemic in the European Region, marking the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day. With nearly 160,000 people newly diagnosed with HIV, 2017 marked another year of alarming numbers of new HIV diagnoses in the WHO European Region. Encouragingly, the overall increasing trend is not as steep as before. The eastern part of the region recorded over 130 000 new HIV diagnoses, the highest number ever. In contrast, the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries reported a decline in rates of new diagnoses, mainly driven by a 20% decrease since 2015 among men who have sex with men.
Reaching and testing those at risk of infection with HIV is still a public health challenge across Europe. To diagnose HIV early, interrupt existing transmission chains and prevent further infections, Europe needs to work more closely with populations at risk. This means investing in prevention, testing and treatment particularly in key populations is needed to end the AIDS epidemic. No new cases of AIDS were reported in Malta in 2017.
The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate continuously collaborates with other entities, including the department of education and NGOs, to reach a wide range of people from different backgrounds, cultures and levels of education. The availability of these self-test kits is an important step in encouraging more people to test for the HIV virus. The earlier that someone is diagnosed with HIV, the earlier life-saving treatment can be started.
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Plastic washed ashore at Ghajn Tuffieha cleaned up
Plastic washed ashore at Ghajn Tuffieha Bay was cleaned up this morning, the government said in a statement,
The detrimental effect of plastics on our environment and health is becoming more of a concern to us all, the statement said. This has become more evident as reports on social media showed large amounts of plastic fragments and other litter brought to shore during the rough seas of the past days at Għajn Tuffieħa.
"We need to face reality and adopt a more circular economy approach while changing our mentality and norms," stated Minister José Herrera as the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change immediately coordinated efforts with the Environment and Resources Authority, Ambjent Malta and NGO No to Plastics to remove the plastic debris that littered the beach at Għajn Tuffieħa. This clean up took place Saturday morning, just a few hours after it was reported on social media.
The beach is considered an environmentally sensitive area and is also a Natura 2000 site, requiring for the clean up to be carried out by hand. ERA has issued an emergency permit to cover these works.
The public is being urged to report such findings to the appropriate authorities for action.
The Malta Independent report on the plastic items can be seen here
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Valletta pedestrian zones updated and extended
A legal notice which updates and extends the Valletta pedestrian zones towards safer roads in our country's capital city was announced yesterday by transport minister Ian Borg and Valletta 2018 Parliamentary Secretary Deo Debattista.
Minister Borg said this city has been rejuvenated more than ever and is witnessing commerce from morning until night-time, while the city also benefits from being a touristic area, a place of entertainment, and a residential zone.
"As can clearly be seen in the work we are carrying out around the country, we did not behave like other administrations. We did not plan things on papers to store upon a shelf. We looked at the plans, analysed what was missing and consulted with important stakeholders, including the Valletta Local Council, GRTU, and the business communities. I am pleased to see that we had the same ideas with the aim of improving safety for all those who visit our beautiful city," said the Minister.
He explained that one of the most important changes is the inclusion of the 9 Valletta squares as pedestrian zones. This comes together with extensions in some roads, such as Old Theatre Street, and changes in others. He said that as of today, one can see the necessary signs in the relevant roads and zones.
Borg said that while the Government understands that people must get used to the new signs, it is important to observe regulations as soon as possible as pedestrian safety is important, especially in a commercial and touristic centre such as Valletta.
He also mentioned the agreement reached with stakeholders on amendments in delivery times and said that while one understands that shops need to receive their products, one must also acknowledge that certain times may present obstacles to safety. Therefore, afternoon delivery times will take place over two days – Monday and Thursday from 2:30pm to 4:30pm – while access during early morning hours will be from 1:00am to 9:30am.
PS Debattista explained that Valletta has experienced a complete regeneration in the last years. This can be witnessed not only by those who live in our country's Capital, but also those who visit Valletta for various reasons. He said that the revision on pedestrian zones continues to strengthen this regeneration. The aim is to support Valletta's continuous growth regarding economy and lifestyle, and therefore pedestrian spaces are being increased for the benefit of residents and visitors, both local and the many tourists who visit this treasure. These pedestrian zones will also benefit the capital's business community. "With initiatives such as this one, we will be returning spaces to Valletta, to Valletta residents, and to those who visit. This is also helping Valletta to continue receiving the honour of world heritage site as it deserves," concluded the Parliamentary Secretary.
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Democratic Party aligns itself with Caruana Galizia family over call for public inquiry
The Democratic Party says parliamentary motion presented by the Nationalist Party for the setting up of an inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder is not up to standard
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