Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/472423
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 4 MARCH 2015 7 TANGIERS Group has acquired Air Malta's insurance subsidiary, Osprey Insurance Brokers, Malta's largest aviation insurance and risk manage- ment specialists. Tangiers Group is led by American entrepreneur Chris Catrambone, whose Migrant Offshore Aid Sta- tion was launched in 2014 as a pri- vately-funded humanitarian rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea. Catrambone also operates security specialists OBS, having recruited the services of retired Armed Forces of Malta commander Martin Xuereb. Tangiers Group is a leading emer- gency medical assistance and on- the-ground claims services provider with expertise and significant pres- ence in frontier markets. Through Osprey, Tangiers adds insurance brokerage to its already robust claims, crisis management and emergency medical and travel as- sistance services. "We are experienced brokers serv- ing clients with complex needs, with a base in one of Europe's most at- tractive business environments," Osprey managing director Charlot Bartolo said. "Clients now are pro- vided with access to A-Rated insur- ance products backed by 20 years of experience as well as Tangiers' inter- national services." With four new airlines at Malta International Airport, aviation ex- perts predict nearly five million air passengers in 2015, the airport reported. Osprey will continue to offer insurance placement and risk management advice to the grow- ing international aviation industry while leveraging Tangiers' market expertise. Tangiers Group offers emergency, medical, on-the-ground informa- tion, insurance, and claims-han- dling services to its global customer base, often in changing and complex risk-management scenarios. Tangiers operates a network of in- surance carriers, field personnel and service providers in 52 countries in 40 languages, with more than 100 employees managing 20,000 medi- cal and service providers. Based in Malta, Tangiers has been pioneering new ways to manage medical, se- curity and liability risks worldwide since 2006. News ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "#$%#!&'(!)(#**'+!,-(.'+-/!0'1'%-2!'3.'%-/! #$$!'3%-(-/%-2!4#(%'-/!%5!/671'%!%8-'(!%-32-(!*5(! ! "#$!%&''()!*+,!-$(./$0)!12!3+$04)!322.5.$+6!"17$0!819'&6$0:!1+! ;(*+<$6!=0,$0!;*:.:! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!)8-!%-32-(!25+61-3%/!1#9!7-!25:3$5#2-2!*(51! 56(!:-7/'%-!777>9*(6*6:>519! ;514$-%-2!25+61-3%!16/%!7-!/671'%%-2!%5!!!!! ! ?.+*+5$!*+,!@,9.+.:60*6.1+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A*(6*!@.0!"0*22.5!%$0/.5$:!B.9.6$,! C=!;1D!E! A*(6*!F+6$0+*6.1+*(!@.0'106G!! B&H*!BI@!JKKK! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!79!<('2#9!=> %8 !"#(+8!?@=A!B!==C@@!;D)!1#(E-2! L"$+,$0!MNOKEJ!P%&''()!*+,!-$(./$0)!12!3+$04)!322.5.$+6!"17$0! 819'&6$0:!1+!;(*+<$6!=0,$0!;*:.:! )-32-(/!35%!(-+-'.-2!79!%8-!+$5/'3F!2#%-!#32!%'1-!:'$$!7-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #6%51#%'+#$$9!2'/G6#$'*'-2!*(51!%-32-(!4(5+-26(-H !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! Baby born every three days with birth defects MAJOR congenital anomalies oc- cur at the rate of 3% of all births or one in every 33 babies born. In Malta, an infant with one or more major birth defect is born every three days. Birth defects, the department of health information and research said, are a main cause of infant mortality: between 2003 and 2012, birth defects led to 104 infant deaths, accounting for 43.5% of all infant deaths in Malta. Among those children who survive, several may suffer from disabilities. Over the 10-year pe- riod 2003-2012 there was a total of 1,184 babies registered with major anomalies. Babies may have one or more anomalies. To increase awareness of birth defects, an International World Birth Defects Day was celebrated for the first time yesterday, and will be every year from now. The World Birth Defects Day is supported by the Malta Congenital Anomalies Registry. Congenital anomalies, also com- monly referred to as birth defects, include structural defects (congen- ital malformations, deformations, disruptions and dysplasias) and chromosomal abnormalities. Congenital anomalies are a ma- jor cause of fetal, neonatal and in- fant mortality and are among the top causes of potential years of life lost. Furthermore, children who sur- vive may suffer lifelong disabilities imposing a high burden on the af- fected individual, their family and the community. Most birth defects occur in the first stages of pregnancy, or even earlier. "Although several congenital anomalies have no known cause, we know today that several expo- sures such as certain medications and alcohol may lead to certain birth defects. Methods of primary prevention are available, these in- clude: maintaining healthy nutri- tion, preconception folic acid sup- plementation, control of maternal infections and chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and epi- lepsy," the department said. "It is important to have accurate, reliable surveillance systems for congenital anomalies in order to provide epidemiological informa- tion, plan health service require- ments, monitor for teratogenic ex- posures and to assess effectiveness of prevention." Annual Mortality Report 2013 During the year 2013, 3,236 Mal- tese nationals passed away. There were 1,636 male deaths and 1,600 female deaths in residents, a de- crease of 110 males and 73 females over the previous year. Deaths in residents included 12 residents who died abroad. In addition, 77 non-residents died in Malta. The remainder of this report concen- trates on deaths in residents unless otherwise specified. There were also 19 fetal deaths (stillbirths 22+ weeks gestation). The crude death rate for males was 775 deaths per 100,000 and for females it was 754 deaths per 100,000. The overall crude death rate was 764 per 100,000 popula- tion. The period between 1980 and early 1990s has shown a steady de- crease in the crude mortality rate which has reached a steady level after that. Life expectancy shows a steady gradual increase over the whole period from 1980 to 2013. The age- standardised death rate (SDR) has been showing a decreasing trend over the whole period 1980-2013, despite the relative stable crude mortality rates from the early 1990s, indicating that people are dying at older age groups. Increase in disposable income too little for low- income earners – PN MATTHEW VELLA LATEST NSO data has shown that the minimum wage in Malta has increased by an average of €2 per month during 2014, compared to an average of €17 a month over the six-year period between 2008 and 2014. The comparison was made by the Nationalist Party, which said families' concerns over their dis- posable income, especially among low-income earners, had been confirmed by the NSO data. "This means that for the approx- imately 10,000 people earning a minimum wage, their revenue over the past year has decreased substantially. This is due to the fact that, apart from the minimal wage increase shown by the NSO, the government introduced or raised a number of taxes and fees, including those on housing, MAT- SEC examinations, mobile phones, insurance, car licences, and court fees, among others," shadow fi- nance minister Mario de Marco said. "All this apart from the fact that Maltese families – including those with the lowest incomes – are still paying among the highest prices in Europe for diesel and petrol. Con- trary to government promises to eradicate poverty in our country, the measures taken by the govern- ment continue to reduce dispos- able income and put people at a higher risk of poverty." De Marco said the PN endorsed constituted bodies' concerns on falling incomes and called on the government to address the matter. Air Malta subsidiary sold to Tangiers Group