India demonstrates high political leadership for preventing antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is among the top 10 global health threats - and is also a threat to food safety and security and environment. AMR warrants more robust action to stop misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medicines in all sectors with One Health approach. World leaders have come together twice earlier in 2016 and 2024 at United Nations General Assembly High Level Meetings, and adopted Political Declarations with important time-bound commitments that have spurred stronger global response. But we need more country-level leadership at highest levels of echelons of power and sub-national levels to spark lasting change for health security.

[video] WHO welcomes Indian PM's leadership to prevent antimicrobial resistance

Why are we still failing on gender equality despite years of promise

As 2025 wraps up, let us remind ourselves of some of the prominent promises (including some legally binding ones) which our governments have made since 1945 to advance progress on gender equality and human rights. The Preamble of the United Nations Charter adopted by all governments in 1945 begins with the three words: "We the peoples…" and not "We the men..." Equal rights of men and women are further reaffirmed in the UN Charter Preamble 1945.

Impacting positive change for those left behind

Given the medical advancements today - in an ideal world, all children should be born free of infections like HIV, syphilis or hepatitis-B; all pregnant women should be accessing full spectrum of maternal and newborn care (including services to prevent vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis-B); and all people living with HIV should lead normal and healthy lives. We have proven science- and evidence-based tools and person-centred and rights-based approaches to help us achieve these public health outcomes. But sadly, this is not an ideal world yet and intersectional social inequities, injustices and inequalities mar lives of so many of us.

3rd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards

Click here to apply!

To mark Human Rights Day (last day of 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence) and Universal Health Coverage Day, the Geneva-based Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI) and CNS proudly announce the 3rd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026.

Instead of declining, rates of female genital mutilation/ cutting rose by 15% in 8 years

Ten years back at the United Nations General Assembly, all world leaders promised to eliminate harmful practice of female genital mutilation/ cutting (SDG-5 target 5.3) by 2030. But instead of declining, female genital mutilation/ cutting has instead increased by 15% over the past 8 years: from 200 million in 2016 to over 230 million in 2024.

[video] Speak up and heal: End gender-based violence

Would gender-based violence end with us?

"Let us pledge that gender-based violence will end with us. For how many generations and centuries will we bear the brunt of gender-based violence? We are not asking for mercy from men or boys – we are asking for our right to live with equality and justice – just like them. Enough is enough. Full Stop." These were the words of keynote speaker Shobha Shukla at Africa's Speak Up and Heal Summit organised by African Girls Empowerment Network to mark International Human Rights Day.

Put people first mantra to drive WHO task force to save the medicines that protect us

[watch the AMR Dialogues, listen to podcast] The United Nations apex health agency – the World Health Organization (WHO) – had announced the establishment of its first-ever civil society Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in October 2025. This marks a major shift in addressing AMR which is not only among the top 10 global health threats but also threatening our food safety and systems and polluting our environment. After all, it is we the people that must be central to health and development responses.

[video] Why is there hardly any change in violence against women since 2000? #ItsTimeForAccountability

[video] WHO Civil Society Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance gives hope

[podcast] Co-Chairs of WHO Civil Society Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance share insights

This Podcast features both co-chairs of first-ever World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Katherine Urbaez and Tracie Muraya.

Katherine Urbaez is a former diplomat from the Dominican Republic, who has been instrumental throughout her career in numerous negotiations and in developing public policies within various multilateral processes, with a specific focus on health, human rights, and environmental issues. She also served on the Executive Board Membership to WHO.

Tracie Muraya is the Deputy Director for Policy & Strategy for ReAct Africa. She engages with policymakers, AMR stakeholders, and national and local AMR Coordinating Committees, including at the Regional Quadripartite and Africa CDC. Tracie coordinates in-country projects in Africa which are implementing National Action Plans on AMR.

They were in conversation with Shobha Shukla, Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) and CNS Executive Director.

Background piano music credit: Ms Reya Shukla Iyer and Tara Shukla Iyer.

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

SHE & Rights | Why is there hardly any change in violence against women since 2000? #ItsTimeForAccountability

Watch the recording

Join us on 8th December 2025, Monday, in SHE & Rights special session during the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, and ahead of International Human Rights Day and UHC Day.

Why are we failing to end one of humanity's oldest and most pervasive injustices?

Ending gender-based violence is human rights imperative

[हिंदी] Few weeks ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said: "Violence against women is one of humanity’s oldest and most pervasive injustices, yet still one of the least acted upon. No society can call itself fair, safe or healthy while half its population lives in fear. Ending this violence is not only a matter of policy; it is a matter of dignity, equality and human rights."

[video] Finding strength in struggle: HIV long-term survivors of India: Hope lies in you

[video] Story-telling and media engagement around AMR

Tobacco-free and nicotine-free future is a bedrock to deliver on #EndTB and SDGs

According to the latest WHO Global TB Report 2025 released a week ago, tobacco smoking is among the top-5 risk factors for the deadliest of all infectious diseases worldwide - tuberculosis (TB). In countries with alarmingly high tobacco use, like Indonesia, tobacco use is the biggest risk factor for TB. Tobacco is also among the major common risk factors for a range of other non-infectious (or non-communicable) diseases, such as heart diseases and stroke, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, among others.

Zimbabwe and Cambodia getting return on investment by addressing AMR

Right to health is a fundamental human right. There is no doubt that everyone - without any exception or exclusion - should be able to live healthily in a rights-based manner - everywhere. Along with ensuring high to health is a reality for all, it is also important to recognise health financing as a smart investment.

From shadow to light: Supporting unhoused persons to access lifesaving TB services

The risk of getting TB disease is among the highest in unhoused and other marginalised persons but the likelihood of them seeking public TB services is low – and finishing lifesaving TB therapy is even lower. The delay is long – very long – for them to get right diagnosis (if at all) – and so are the catastrophic costs which they may incur until getting correctly diagnosed. Not being able to finish lifesaving TB treatment is not helping either- the person suffers and so does the TB response - because we collectively fail to disrupt TB transmission.

Schooling ourselves to protect our present and secure our future

Let us go back in time 97 years ago and dare to imagine the plight of those who suffered with bacterial infections before the discovery of world's first antibiotic in 1928 (penicillin). Without lifesaving medicines, curable or treatable infections could become deadly - once again. Today, a lot of medicines are failing to treat infections because disease-causing bacteria, virus, fungi and/or parasites are becoming drug-resistant - largely because of human-made misuse and overuse of medicines. Choice is ours: Do we want to slip back in time when there were not enough medicines around, or would we stop misuse and overuse of medicines and use them responsibly?

Will governments make Big Tobacco pay and kick Big Polluters out from Treaty meets?

[watch the recording] As intergovernmental Treaty meetings open on climate (UNFCCC) and tobacco control (WHO FCTC), there is a growing call to make Big Tobacco pay and kick Big Polluters out of these Treaty negotiations. Experts have underpinned the critical importance of firewalling intergovernmental health and climate policy negotiations from corporate interference and called for advancing progress towards holding abusive corporations to account.

[video] Governments must prioritise accountability and urgent actions at climate and tobacco control Treaties

1st inaugural India AMR Media Awards 2025

Watch the recording of 1st inaugural India AMR Media Awards 2025

Watch the recording of 1st inaugural India AMR Media Awards 2025, which was part of 5th Annual Global Media Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance, organised ahead of World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW 2025).

2nd Global AMR Media Awards 2025

Watch the recording of 2nd Global AMR Media Awards Ceremony 2025

2nd Global AMR Media Awards Ceremony 2025 was held as part of 5th Annual Global Media Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance, ahead of World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW 2025).

[video] 5th Annual Global Media Forum ahead of World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW 2025), 2nd Global AMR Media Awards 2025 and 1st India AMR Media Awards 2025

Gateway to universal access to SRHR is human right to health

[watch the recording] The human right to health is not a privilege, it is a legal obligation - rooted in international human rights law - and must form the foundation of all efforts toward universal access, equity, and justice. Protecting, implementing, and enforcing this right is essential for the wellbeing of women, girls, and all gender-diverse peoples.

2nd SHE & Rights Media Awards 2025

Watch the recording of SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony at International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025) in Bogota, Colombia

SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony at ICFP 2025

A brewing crisis: Millions of women still lack access to family planning

The landscape of sexual and reproductive health and rights is shifting: millions of women want to avoid pregnancy but are not using a modern method of contraception.

World's largest TB prize illuminates Indian Molbio’s tech innovation reaching the unreached

[Read official announcement] World's largest prize devoted to TB, the coveted Kochon Prize, was awarded to India's Molbio Diagnostics for its technological innovation which is helping over 90 governments worldwide to reach the unreached with best of multi-disease molecular diagnostics. This is the third time India won Kochon Prize with previous two recipients being 2006-head of Indian government's TB programme Dr LS Chauhan, and country's apex medical research body - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 2017.

Myanmar implements standardised plain packaging to curb deadly tobacco's 'appeal'

Tobacco use poses a severe burden on Myanmar’s health and economy, killing about 64,000 people each year. Myanmar has marked a significant milestone in protecting public health and advancing global tobacco control efforts with the successful implementation of standardised plain packaging on tobacco products.

Transforming teachers and teaching for adolescent health, well-being and gender equality

Having taught Physics for over 30 years to young girls, when experts called for transforming teachers and teaching for young people’s health, well-being and gender equality, it resonated strongly with me.

Preserving hard-won gains: Feminist voices on the future of gender equality

Gender equality is enshrined in the opening preamble of United Nations Charter 1945. But despite progress and some setbacks, not a single country has delivered 100% on gender equality. Is the sinister link between patriarchy, capitalism, corporate capture, religious fundamentalism, militarisation, and politics of power, the reason why progress on gender equality remains off the mark?