On October 16, 2010 a group representing independent laboratories, academic departments and commercial confectionery companies from Europe and the US met in Perugia, Italy to establish a new International Society focused on the applications of chocolate and cocoa in medicine.
The name of the new society is “International Society of Chocolate and Cocoa in Medicine (ISCHOM)”.
The purpose of the Society is to bring together groups and individuals in an interdisciplinary organization in order to promote the science of use of cocoa and chocolate products in the human diet, health and medicine for the benefit of the public.
Individuals from all disciplines interested in the use of cocoa and chocolate in medicine are invited to join the Society at one of three membership levels: Full, Associate, Honorary after filling out an application and paying the appropriate membership fee.
Members will receive the Society’s newsletter, access to the website and other materials prepared by the Executive Board of the Society. Those in attendance at the initial meeting of the Society elected the following officers and other members of the Executive Committee:
Sepsis in children is a complex syndrome that develops from various infections and results in 15-30% mortality in high-income countries and up to 50% or higher in low-income countries. Worldwide, this represents an annual burden of 30 million cases resulting in 8 million deaths. Not surprisingly, there is a significantly higher burden in low-income countries with children there being 18 times more likely to die before the age of 5 years compared to high-income countries. Factors such as commercial air travel, climate change, and unchecked population growth have contributed to the growing burden of infectious diseases and ensuing sepsis. Improving public awareness of sepsis; increasing access to essential medicines and vaccines; improving use of evidence-based treatment guidelines; raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance, encouraging antibiotic stewardship; and, developing resilient health systems that can cope with health crises are all important challenges. Advocacy in these areas can assist nations in reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) of low rates of neonatal and under-5 mortality.
On May 26, 2017, the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, adopted a resolution proposed by the Global Sepsis Alliance to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and management of sepsis.The resolution highlights sepsis as a global threat and urges the 194 United Nations member states to take specific actions and implement appropriate measures to reduce its human and health economic burden. The resolution is a major step toward achieving the targets outlined by the Sustainable Developmental Goals for decreasing mortality in infants and children, but implementing it will require a concerted global effort.
