Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a global health problem. It is an indicator of poor nutrition and poor health. Based on the Al-Quran and prophetic Sunnah, dates are mentioned as a superfood that helps in the preservation of health. Therefore, we are evaluating the potential of using dates as a treatment for IDA from data published in various reports. The search was conducted for relevant articles published in four electronic indexed databases namely Medline, Ovid, Scopus, Biomed Central, and PubMed. Bibliographies of the screened studies and relevant reviews and manuscripts were also searched using Google scholar. The data reported involved systematic reviews and reports of studies that are according to the PRISMA guidelines. There were only three articles that discussed the effects of the use of dates in IDA. A significant increase was shown (p<0.05) in haematological parameters such as haemoglobin level, red blood cell count, packed cell volume and platelet count while no effect was shown on total white blood cell count, differential white blood cell and bone marrow (p>0.05). This systematic review identified limited reports that reported on the beneficial effects of dates in reducing IDA. There are several gaps in the available evidence, hence, further studies are needed to provide a comprehensive understanding on this matter.

Abstract:The Halal pharmaceutical industry is relatively new and offers untapped opportunities to be furtherdeveloped. The objective of this study is to develop Halal certification modules and training programmes tocater to the differing groups of auditors, industry, health professionals and consumers. In January 2012,Standards Malaysia announced the debut of the new Malaysian Standard for Halal pharmaceuticals, MS2424:2012, a great leap forward in allowing pharmaceutical manufacturers to obtain Halal compliance certificationfor their products. With the advent of this Halal standard, there is now a growing demand from thepharmaceutical industry for training programmes in order to apply and achieve Halal certification for theirproducts. The MS 2424:2012 standard is studied in depth and organizations involved in the development areconsulted to develop appropriate training modules. Experts from various fields including medicine, dentistry,shariah, science and others are recruited and trained to become module instructors. The graduate internsinvolved in the project undergo attachments and extensive training in view of upscaling into halalpharmaceutical executives. The launch of the modules and training programme is expected to contributesignificantly to greater ability of the pharmaceutical industry to cater to Halal requirements and thus satisfypublic demand, while at the same time promising higher sales and export potential. There is a growingawareness and thus corresponding demand for medicines that comply with shariah requirement from the Muslimummah or public. Thus, the research perspective of halal pharmaceutical industry in Malaysia becomes wider.The development of the training module is an effort to facilitate the pharmaceutical industry to comply with theshariah requirements. Key words: Pharmaceuticals Halal Training Module MS2424:2012 Certification