Climate change is making heatwaves more common and intense, and workers worldwide are already experiencing the health impacts

International News via Reuters:

Governments and employers should take urgent action to help protect the health of workers who are increasingly exposed to extreme heat, the United Nations said on Friday. 

Climate change is making heatwaves more common and intense, and workers worldwide are already experiencing the health impacts, the agencies said in what they described as a “much needed” major update of a report and guidance last published in 1969. 

Worker productivity drops by 2-3% for every degree above 20°C, the report said, with half of the world’s population already suffering the adverse consequences of high temperatures. 

The health risks include heatstroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction and neurological disorders, said the World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Association.

Manual workers in sectors like agriculture, construction and fisheries, as well as vulnerable populations like children and older adults in developing countries, were particularly at risk, they added. 

“Protection of workers from extreme heat is not just a health imperative but an economic necessity,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.

In response, the agencies called for heat action plans tailored to regions and industries, developed alongside workers, employers, unions and public health experts. 

Unions in some countries have pushed for maximum legal working temperatures, for example, which the agencies said was an option but would likely differ globally depending on the context. 

They also called for better education for health workers and first responders, as heat stress is often misdiagnosed.

The International Labour Organization recently found that more than 2.4 billion workers are exposed to excessive heat globally, resulting in more than 22.85 million occupational injuries each year.

“No-one should have to risk kidney failure or collapse just to earn a living,” said Rüdiger Krech, director ad interim for environment, climate change and health at the WHO, at a press conference ahead of the report’s release. 

Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Hugh Lawson

The 23-time Grand Slam champion will headline a multi-year national marketing campaign for GLP-1 drugs

International News via Reuters:

Telehealth company Ro has tapped tennis star Serena Williams as a celebrity patient ambassador for its weight-loss treatments, the company said Thursday.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion will headline a multi-year national marketing campaign for GLP-1 drugs, a company spokesperson said.

Williams, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, said in an advertisement that after struggling to lose post-baby weight, the treatments helped her lose 31 pounds (14 kg) – her first time speaking out about using them, Ro said.

“Serena knows people may be surprised to learn that she would use a GLP-1, and that’s exactly why we think she is the perfect person to share her story,” said a Ro spokesperson.

Ro said Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of social media site Reddit, is an investor in the company and serves on its board.

GLP-1 drugs promote weight loss by reducing appetite and causing the stomach to empty more slowly. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound have been shown to reduce weight by around 20%.

Ro, which sells both drugs through its weight-loss program, said Williams was on a branded GLP-1 but declined to say which one.

Paul Cerro, a former Ro strategy analyst and founder of Cedar Grove Capital Management, said the deal will boost Ro’s visibility and credibility in a crowded weight-loss drug market as companies push deeper into women’s health.

“Well known people are willing to put their name with a company that they believe is doing the right thing in the right way,” said Cerro.

Ro offers cash-pay access to Zepbound and Wegovy through Novo and Lilly’s direct pharmacies, although eligible patients can use insurance. It sells compounded Wegovy in varying doses for patients whose clinicians deem it medically necessary.

Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru and Amina Niasse in New York; Editing by Patrick Wingrove and Joe Bavier

Owner and Chairman Hans Georg Naeder and his family will likely put 25% to 30% of their shares up for sale in the IPO

International News via Reuters:

German prosthetics maker Ottobock is eying a valuation of more than 6 billion euros ($7 billion) as it considers a possible initial public offering between late September and mid-October, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Owner and Chairman Hans Georg Naeder and his family will likely put 25% to 30% of their shares up for sale in the IPO, but divesting in steps over time is also an option, the source said.

Handelsblatt first reported the potential valuation and possible listing structure on Thursday. The newspaper quoted Ottobock CEO Oliver Jakobi as saying the company is ready for a potential IPO but that he would not elaborate further.

A company spokesperson said there had been no final decision yet and declined further comment.

Separately, Ottobock said first-half adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 30.5% to 180 million euros, on sales of 801 million euros, helped by product launches and acquisitions.

Financial advisers have viewed Ottobock as an IPO candidate during the second half, alongside generic drugmaker Stada, Deutsche Boerse’s research and technology unit ISS Stoxx, and classifieds business Swiss Marketplace Group, Reuters reported last month.

Naeder put earlier plans to take Ottobock public on hold in 2022 because of choppy financial markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

($1 = 0.8581 euros)

Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr, writing by Rachel More and Ludwig Burger; editing by Matthias Williams, Kirsten Donovan