CNS: Stop gender-based discrimination, adopt healthy lifestyles

[हिंदी] How gender based discrimination impacts lives of men and women on daily basis and how unethical and misleading corporate marketing of products such as tobacco, alcohol, fast food, among others, is influencing and changing lifestyles of young people which puts them at heightened risk of biggest killer diseases in India, were the issues discussed at Sherwood College of Engineering, Research and Technology, Faizabad Road, Barabanki to mark World Cancer Day.

Dr Farzana, Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives (AALI), interacted with the students and staff. Gender based discrimination should stop and women and men, both should enjoy a life of dignity and realize their rights, said Dr Farzana.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are on the rise in India. As per the latest data, 2/3rd deaths in India occur due to major NCDs such as heart diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes, among others, said Rahul Kumar Dwivedi, Coordinator, Citizens for Healthy Lucknow (CHL) campaign. It is important to understand that common risk factor for all the major NCDs is tobacco use. Tobacco scales up the risk manifold for cancer, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, respiratory diseases, among others. People who use tobacco are up to five times more at risk of developing cancer than those who aren’t using any tobacco product, said Rahul Kumar Dwivedi.

Rahul’s message was clear: stop tobacco and alcohol use, exercise daily, and eat nutritious balanced diet (and not fast food) to stay away from ill-health. Gender-based discrimination puts women at a very high risk of serious health conditions too, said Rahul.

Tobacco industry is the only entity that benefits by deceptive tobacco promotion, said Bobby Ramakant, WHO Director-General’s WNTD Awardee. Tobacco industry knowingly is manufacturing and promoting a product that puts people at an elevated risk of biggest killer diseases, said Bobby Ramakant. It is misleading to say tobacco industry gives revenue to government because government and people spend MANY TIMES MORE money than this revenue on treatment of tobacco related diseases and disabilities, said Bobby Ramakant.

This session was jointly organized by: Citizens for Healthy Lucknow (CHL) Campaign, AALI, Asha Parivar, and Indian Society Against Smoking.