[podcast] Reaching the unreached people with TB services in Kangra Dharamshala

First podcast of 2025 features Dr Rajesh Kumar Sood, District Programme Officer, National Health Mission and District TB Officer (National TB Elimination Programme) Kangra Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India. He is in conversation with CNS founder Managing Editor and Executive Director Shobha Shukla on the ongoing #100Days focussed campaign to #ReachTheUnreached people with best of TB diagnostics, treatment and prevention services in India.

Opening and closing instrumental piano music is played by a young feminist Ms Tara Shukla Iyer from UK.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, TuneIn, Podtail, BluBrry, Himalaya, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, Player FM, iVoox, and other podcast streaming platforms.

[video] Kangra Dharamshala intensifies actions to reach the unreached with TB services

India shifting gears to get on the right track to #endTB

[हिंदी] India with the highest TB burden globally has made a drastic shift recently to reach the unreached people with free TB services. Indian government has launched a 100 days focussed campaign (7 December 2024 to 24 March 2025) to intensify progress to #endTB through improved case detection, reduction in diagnostic delays, and enhanced treatment outcomes across 347 most affected districts in 33 states of the country.

CNS wishes you a very happy 2025

Top CNS articles in 2024 | #Rewind2024

Looking back at over 250 articles published on CNS (English, Hindi) in 2024 (and via CNS news wire syndication network worldwide), we are delighted to say that each of them (and the issues they focussed on) was so very important. Our heartfelt thanks to all those who shared their insights, analysis, reflections and science, evidence and rights-based viewpoints.

Top CNS Podcasts of 2024 | #Rewind2024

Looking back at CNS audio podcasts of 2024 on a range of issues around health and development justice, that streamed via CNS on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, TuneIn, Podtail, BluBrry, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, Player FM, iVoox and other podcast streaming platforms, here is a list of top 10!

Top conferences covered by CNS in 2024 | #Rewind2024

Looking back at top conferences/ meetings or other events covered by CNS in 2024 on a range of issues around health and development justice, here is a list of top ones! (based on the popularity of the CNS conference coverage).

Top CNS Live sessions in 2024 | #Rewind2024

Looking back at over 150 online sessions (such as, Gender Equality Talks Live, End TB Dialogues, End Malaria Dialogues, SDG Talks Live, Global Media Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance, AIDS 2024 Affiliated independent event, Global Media Briefing before UNHLM on AMR, SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights), among others) hosted by CNS in 2024 and live streamed, we are delighted to say that each of them (and the issues they focussed on) was so very important. Our heartfelt thanks to all the panelists and participants.

More CNS & GAMA highlights of 2024 | #Rewind2024

Read 5 more top highlights of CNS and CNS-hosted Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) from what we did in 2024. We are grateful to all partners who engaged us in policy, advocacy and communications around health, gender and development justice over the years. Here are some more highlights of what we did in 2024:

Thanks to all CNS partners for trusting us in 2024 | #Rewind2024

Faith can move mountains. Thanks to all partners and supporters who believed in us and helped us do what we dare to do best. We look forward to continued solidarity and support in 2025 and beyond.

We cannot promote family life by restricting women's rights

An anti-rights movement that is surreptitiously spreading its tentacles under the garb of 'protecting family values' is threatening gender equality, even as human rights activists call upon ending gender-based violence and protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights of all girls and women and other gender diverse communities.

Learning and humbling moment to see Exhibit Taking Care: Black Angels of Seaview Hospital

Black Angels remind us of centuries of injustices plaguing the TB response

"Taking Care: Black Angels of Seaview Hospital" exhibit is open for all at Staten Island Museum till 29 December 2024

[हिंदी | watch the video photo-story with narration of CNS visit to exhibit] "Death from TB is caused by human choice. It is caused by human-built systems. And so that is terrifying and horrifying and deeply upsetting. It means we are not doing a good job of assigning equal value to every human life," had said the famous American author John Green at a panel discussion during United Nations General Assembly last year.

Engaging youth in tackling antimicrobial resistance to protect health and food security

[watch the launch of AMR toolkit for youth engagement] 

Youth are critical change-makers not only as future prescribers and users of antimicrobials but also as influencers of the behaviour of their peers, parents and community. Strengthening youth engagement in our response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can go a long way in addressing this global threat that is directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths and contributes to nearly 5 million deaths per year, apart from causing a loss of USD 3.4 trillion annually to global economy.

Failure to find all TB cases defeats us in #endTB efforts

If we fail to find all cases of an infectious disease (and put them on care), then it will keep spreading. "We are not able to find all TB cases as of now. We had an estimated 1.1 million new TB cases in 2023 in Indonesia as per the latest WHO Global TB Report 2024. But the highest we could reach with TB services was around 804,800. So, we still missed a few hundred thousands. If we do not find these missing cases, and put them on treatment, they will remain there as a source of infection to the rest of the community," rightly said Dr Erlina Burhan, a widely acclaimed TB and lung disease medical expert.

[video] Gender equality, disability rights, and ending gender-based violence | SHE & Rights session-3

[video] Disability inclusion must be centred in efforts to end gender-based violence

Medicines save lives but not when they stop working

Watch the AMR Dialogues session featuring Gabriella Balasa at UNHLM on AMR 2024

Despite dealing with drug-resistant infections herself since birth and being fully aware of the looming danger of running out of options to treat the infections, it is indeed inspiring to see Gabriella Balasa (also known as Ella) devotedly raising awareness and doing all she can to stop misuse and overuse of medicines and help save lives.

SHE & Rights: Gender equality, disability rights, and ending gender-based violence

[register] Third session of SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights) will be held on the theme: "Gender equality, disability rights, and ending gender-based violence" to mark the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence and International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3rd December).

[video] Medicines save lives but not when they stop working

Antimicrobial resistance is not a silent pandemic

Antimicrobial Resistance directly kills more than 1 million people and is associated with almost 5 million deaths every year, that are expected to increase by 50% in the next 25 years. It also threatens our economies, with an estimated global annual cost of up to US$ 3.4 trillion by 2030 and 28 million people pushed to poverty by 2050. Every death and suffering due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is unacceptable and is essentially preventable.

Reaching the unreached to find missing TB cases

[watch the WCLH session recording] "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has,” had said the famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead. Imbibing these values, a small group of people in India and Philippines have changed the lives of many people affected by tuberculosis (TB) – especially those who were being missed or left behind by public services. TB, despite being preventable and curable, continues to be the deadliest of infectious diseases in high TB burden countries. In 2023 TB infected 10.8 million people and killed 1.25 million people worldwide.

Decades of failure to end TB and tobacco use

Despite strong scientific and community-based evidence to support tobacco and TB control, 1.1 million people died of TB in 2023 and over 8 million died of tobacco use in the same year. “Tobacco is an entirely preventable epidemic,” rightly said Dr Tara Singh Bam who is a force for change when it comes to stronger actions to prevent avoidable diseases and save lives in low- and middle-income countries.

Are we on the wrong side of the #endTB track?

"It is time to stop decades of failure. We have a lot to do to #EndTB by 2030," said Professor (Dr) Guy Marks, President of the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union), at the opening of the largest TB and lung health conference this year in Bali, Indonesia (Union World Lung Health Conference 2024).

Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) awarded at the 4th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR 2024

(Nepalese) Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) was among those who were awarded "AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award" at the Fourth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (14-16 November 2024). GAMA Scientific Committee member Dr Ranga Reddy Burri accepted the award. The World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force of AMR Survivors, and Quadripartite Working Group on Youth Engagement for AMR were also awarded for their stellar contribution to AMR, among others.

[video] Leadership in addressing TB-tobacco co-epidemic

[video] Community must drive #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB → #EndTB

Inconvenient question: Science is gifting us new HIV prevention tools but is it expanding choices for the people?

[watch the video interview] Any new HIV prevention method is not meant to sit on the shelf but to be used by the people who need it to protect themselves from HIV. We have to ensure that new HIV prevention technologies that are coming out of the scientific research pipelines, are accessible to people everywhere - especially those who are more at risk of HIV acquisition. Jim Pickett has passionately called for translating scientific gains into public health outcomes - not with delay, but with equity and justice.

Community leadership must drive #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB → #EndTB in high burden settings

Read session details on conference website

2024 World Conference on Lung Health in Bali, Indonesia, has a special Community Connect session on 15th November (9am, Singaraja) on the theme: "Community leadership is building power and driving #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB → #EndTB initiative in high TB burden countries." This is hosted together by TB People (India), TB People (Zimbabwe), Global Call to Find all TB, Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT), Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media), Vital Strategies and CNS.

Firewall gender equality from threats like anti-rights Geneva Consensus Declaration

[watch the recording] Trump's earlier tenure as President of the United States was marred by the infamous jolt to abortion rights and broader sexual and reproductive health and rights. Within days after the 2024 election results point towards his imminent return as the President, anti-abortion and anti-rights agenda is menacingly on the rise once again, as per the recent news.

Global AMR Media Awardees 2024

(watch the 4th Global Media Forum around World AMR Awareness Week 2024 - and Global AMR Media Awards Ceremony 2024)

Hospital-acquired infections are fuelling antimicrobial resistance

[watch the interview] When we go to seek healthcare in hospitals or other healthcare settings, getting infected with hospital-acquired infections instead, is not part of the deal. “Why are hospital-acquired infections so acceptable?” rightly questions Dr Nour Shamas, a Lebanese infectious disease clinical pharmacist, who is also part of the World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Survivors.

[video] When her mother's UTI caused by drug-resistant bacteria changed her life