CNS: November 2010

Strengthening Health Systems: Global Health Financing

A new research report "Financing Global Health 2010: Development assistance and country spending in economic uncertainty", by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, indicates that despite the worst global economic crisis in decades, public and private donors continue to donate generously to global health, though at a slower rate. The report documents the continued rise in health funding and the effects of that funding on spending for health by governments in developing countries. The commitment to health in the developing world has grown dramatically over the last twenty years, with the developing countries' governments increasing their spending on health. Read more

Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien, the Director of International Health Policy Program, MOPH Thailand and the winner of Edwin Chardwick Medal Award, shared the successful experiences of Thailand over 27 years to achieve full Universal Health Coverage at the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR), 16 – 19 November 2010, Montreux, Switzerland. Read more.

Inspiring stories, both on paper and film, have recently been published to address the issue of tuberculosis (TB) in Thailand. The TB/HIV Research Foundation bundled the memories of volunteers working with people affected by TB in a book, and made a video to enhance treatment adherence among people living with TB. Read more.

At the forthcoming Biennial Conference of the Irish Forum for Global Health (IFGH) in Maynooth, Ireland, one of the two keynote guest lectures - The John Kevany Memorial lecture - will be delivered by Dr Zeda Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) on "New Science, New Hope: Giving Women Power over HIV/AIDS." The microbicides refer to a new type of product being developed that people could use vaginally or rectally to protect themselves from HIV and possibly other sexually transmitted infections. Read more

Three-quarters of all blindness can be prevented or treated. Avoidable blindness poses an enormous challenge to healthcare system, particularly in low- and middle- income countries. There are nine million people in Africa alone with preventable blindness, out of which 50-75% people are blind due to cataract and 5% due to glaucoma, says Keerti Bhusan Pradhan (Right To Sight) who is heading to Ireland to present his work in Africa at the Irish Forum for Global Health (IFGH) biennial conference next week (29-30 November 2010). Read more

Health remains the most important goal in one’s life. All diseases need proper attention, though (one may argue) some need more attention than others. Our fight should not be directed merely against certain specific diseases, but to have a disease free and healthy mind and body. To achieve this, we will need to strengthen health systems and work towards the fair and equitable distribution of health care resources to all those who need them. Read more

Asthma is the most common chronic disease. Since 2000, some areas of public health, such as tuberculosis (TB), have gone from being deprived of resources for decades to having significant amounts of funding. While important gaps remain, this “dream come true” has also revealed that spending better is equally necessary as spending more. Ms Cécile Macé, Pharmacist and Coordinator, The Union's Asthma Drug Facility (ADF) said at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany that "ADF improves affordability of essential asthma medicines in developing countries." Read more

"Where we have indigenous people, we have more poverty and more TB incidence" said Mirtha del Granado, Regional Adviser on TB, WHO (in Americas) at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany. There are 63,432 missed cases of TB in Americas (North, Central and South America), said Mirtha. Most of them are in Priority countries detecting less than 50% TB, said Mirtha. Read more

"Basic human rights as enjoyed by others have not benefitted indigenous peoples. Therefore the respect and recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples is critical to our dignity and survival. In particular, implementation of our right to health is essential if we are to stop TB" said Wilton Littlechild, Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations, who was speaking at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany. Read more

As the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany was going on, another development took place in Canada – which will surely impact public health including tuberculosis (TB) and lung health among indigenous communities. Canada endorsed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Communities. Wilton Littlechild, Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations, has been a powerful advocate demanding this endorsement from Canada since years. Four states had voted against the declaration initially, New Zealand, Australia, United States of America and Canada. However, New Zealand and Australia had changed their position and endorsed the declaration earlier. Now Canada too have endorsed the declaration, thankfully. Read more

"Current economic crisis threatens to reverse much of the progress made in developing countries"
The Irish Forum for Global Health (IFGH) is concerned at the further cuts to the overseas aid budget in the Government's four-year plan. It urges the Government to protect aid funding for health and HIV programmes in developing countries and to keep its promise to increase aid to 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015. The current economic crisis threatens to reverse much of the progress made in developing countries over recent decades and UNESCO estimates that the economic downturn will cause between 200,000 and 400,000 additional child deaths each year between now and 2015. Urgent measures are needed to protect the poor and vulnerable. Read more

The biennial conference of the Irish Forum for Global Health (IFGH) to mark the World AIDS Day (1 December) is focussing on the theme of "Partnerships to address health and diseases of poverty challenges." IFGH together with National University of Ireland (NUI) Maynooth and Irish Aid is organizing this two days meet (29-30 November 2010) bringing together experts from all sectors involved and working on global health - in particular, issues affecting the developing world. Read more

The Ambassador of Indonesia, Lt Gen (Retd) Andi M Ghalib, has been extensively touring all across Indian states, re-building relations. Indonesia is a member state of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Finally, he found the place, which he liked the most and which according to him, can actually work towards reaffirming the economic, cultural and social relations between the two countries. The place is heart of India – the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Lt Gen Ghalib was on a four day visit to Uttar Pradesh. Read more

Simple, safe and effective medication is a right of all TB patients

A new report, presented at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health held recently in Berlin, Germany, by a consortium of international TB organizations (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the Global Drug Facility (GDF), Treatment Action Group, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), the Global Alliance for Drug Development (TB Alliance), and Management Sciences for Health) has highlighted that many TB patients, especially in the developing countries, are still not getting simple, quality assured first line medicines which are available in the global market. Read more

“Around 150 million people are suffering from the hardships presented by the collapse of financial systems. And 100 million people have actually been pushed under the poverty line because of the need to use and pay for health services," said David Evans, director of health systems financing at the WHO and the author of World Health Report 2010, which was officially launched in November. Read more

“Every year almost 9 million children and infants die from preventable causes.”

“1 in 5 children are now over weight. Childhood obesity is 10 times higher than it was in 1970.”

“Poverty and disease in any one country has an impact on every other country because we are all living in an age where national borders should matter less and humanity matters more.”

These are some of the hard hitting quotes that Judith Rodin, the president of Rockefeller Foundation stated over the opening session of The First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR) which was held in Montreux, Switzerland, from 16 to 19 November 2010. The event was hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners in order to scale up better health systems research. Read more

Declaration at treaty meeting affirms priority of public health over trade
PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY – As the host country for this week's tobacco control treaty meetings braces for a legal challenge from Philip Morris International (PMI) to its graphic cigarette warning labels, 172 Parties are uniting behind Uruguay in a declaration adopted at this meet. The declaration reaffirms the right of Parties to the treaty, "to give priority to their right to public health” over trade, given the “devastating worldwide health, social, economic, and environmental consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke." Read more

Berlin, Germany: Louder voices and more demand for new tools against tuberculosis (TB) from people and communities are needed to push the fight against the airborne disease, participants of the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (November 11-15) stressed. Read more

(Based on an interview given exclusively to CNS by Dr. Dean Schraufnagel, Vice president of The Union, and Professor of Medicine and Pathology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, during the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, which was held in Berlin during 11--15 November,2010)
The connection between breath and life is fundamental, yet lung health does not seem to be high on the public health agenda. Around 10 million people (especially the poor, old and the weak) die every year, due to lung diseases, including tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia, influenza, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) which is soon going to become the number one killer. Read more

The discussions at the recently concluded 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, in Berlin, brought forth several connections between diabetes and tuberculosis, clearly showing a link between non communicable and communicable diseases. According to Professor Anthony Harries, a seasoned physician and Director, Department of Research, at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), "There is very good evidence which suggests that if you have diabetes, the risk of TB is twice than if you do not have it. In terms of diagnosis and treatment also, there is similarity of obstacles. We do not have simple diagnostic tests available for both these diseases." Read more

One of the most adversely affected communities is at times least likely to seek care – as demanding care might have a price. "Relevance of strong tuberculosis (TB) control programmes is more when social determinants are weak" said Dr Ernesto Jaramillo from Stop TB Department, WHO at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany. Read more

Uruguay proposes resolution calling for unity in face of tobacco industry interference
PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY: A new investigative report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists exposes a wide range of tactics employed by the tobacco industry to undermine advances being made by the global tobacco treaty. Threats to health policy include aggressive lobbying and legal intimidation, to charitable donations and even outright payoffs. Read more

Within that pill is also your health – said Rachel C Orduno who herself completed anti-TB treatment (ATT) years back to encourage others who were on ATT and didn’t want to take the pills due to toxicity and side effects of ATT. “Take the pills and get on with your lives” said she. She showed a photograph of all ATT pills for her family put in one bag – and titled the photograph as ‘Gift of Health.’ Six of her family members had come out positive for TB. This was one of the most motivating sessions at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (symposium of advocacy, communication and social mobilization – ACSM on 14 November 2010). Rachel C Orduno was introduced as a TB survivor, rightly so – who continues to strengthen social response to TB that complements the biomedical one in such a vital way. Read more

Success hinges on treaty financing, limiting industry interference
PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY: A weeklong treaty meetings commenced on 15 November 2010 as an industry prohibited from participating attempts to influence its outcomes from the outside looking in. Philip Morris International (PMI) is launching a legal attack against Uruguay for implementing the global tobacco treaty (formally known as the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) by requiring graphic warning labels on its cigarettes. Read more

The private pharmacists are real partners in TB control helping increase new TB case detection and treatment in Cambodia. Senior TB advocate Hara Mihalea from PATH presented the best practice example of Cambodia at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany. Not only private agencies referred suspected TB cases to TB clinics for further diagnosis and required treatment, they also stopped keeping anti-TB treatment drugs in their pharmacies – an outcome in Cambodia that surely needs to be replicated in many settings. Read more

Sting operations are morally, ethically and professionally wrong: Kuldip Nayar

Bara Banki: "Sting operations are morally, ethically and professionally wrong, they are pure drama and stunt, aimed at creating sensationalism. This is not responsible journalism." These were the views of veteran journalist and chief patron of Media Nest, while speaking in a seminar "Sting operation: trial by fire", organized by Media Nest at Jahangirabad Media Institute at Bara Banki on 13 November 2010. Read more

World Diabetes Day is on 14th November
Diabetes is a leading threat to public health and, along with other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality globally. The largest burden -- 80% (28 million) -- occurs in low- and middle- income countries, making NCDs a major cause of poverty and an urgent development issue. Building awareness of this issue is the main focus of World Diabetes Day, which will be on Sunday, 14 November 2010.

"You can not talk about public health today without addressing the rise of non-communicable diseases, especially in low- and middle-income countries", said Dr Nils E Billo, Executive Director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), which is one of the key partners of the NCD Alliance. Read more

Today is World Diabetes Day and also Children’s Day in India. We are also in the middle of an international conference on Lung Health in Berlin ( 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010). There can be better way to meaningfully link all these events together than by taking part in the Global Walk which is being promoted by the World Diabetes Foundation. Read more

Swaziland: Fight against TB in troubled waters

Swaziland has the highest per capita TB burden in the world, and HIV incidence is 26% which is no less alarming. Not surprisingly TB-HIV co-infection rate amongst TB patients in Swaziland is 80%. "The government is creating genocide where we are infecting each other" said Tengetile Hlophe from Swaziland at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany. Also rate of drug-resistant TB among new TB cases is worrisome, said Tengetile. Read more

Berlin, Germany: Civil society initiatives continue to play an important role in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), participants of the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010) heard on the first day. Door to door visits in communities by persons who have been through TB treatment help find the harder to reach TB patients who otherwise would go undetected. Read more

Did isolating (jailing) TB patients in Kenya helped public health?

When Kenyan activist Nelson Otwoma went to see the three TB patients who were put in isolation (in the prison) in August 2010 for forcible TB treatment – he was shocked. They weren’t isolated rather they were sharing the prison chamber with other inmates defeating the very public health argument for isolation, and of course further worsening the human rights situation in prison for all – the three TB patients, other inmates, prison staff and prison warden who was supposed to be the 'DOTS provider.' Nelson was speaking at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010). Read more

World Diabetes Day is on 14 November 2010
Starting from 12th November, people from all corners of the world are uniting together for three days of celebration to put diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. World Diabetes Day is the best opportunity there is to draw attention to the silent killer that is diabetes. Read more

WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY, 12 November 2010
Every 20 seconds pneumonia causes a preventable tragedy somewhere in the world. That's how often a child under five dies of a disease that is preventable, treatable and curable with existing vaccines and antibiotics. World Pneumonia Day, to be held this year on Friday, 12 November, was established in 2009 by the Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia to increase awareness and gain commitment to ending this waste of young lives. Read more

World Pneumonia Day, 12 November 2010
The second World Pneumonia Day is being held on November 12, 2010. World Pneumonia Day was launched in 2009 by a broad coalition of public and non profit organizations, the Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia, to mobilize efforts to fight a neglected disease. This day seeks to bring focus on pneumonia as a public health issue and to prevent the millions of avoidable deaths that occur each year. Read more

Bring Tuberculosis Out Of The Dark Into Light....

...So said Gerry Elsdon, the very svelte TV broadcaster from South Africa, during the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), during the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010). In an exclusive interview given to CNS, she told her fascinating story, giving first hand information about the problems she faced as a TB patient, despite her celebrity status. She is currently a goodwill brand ambassador for Red Cross Society, spreading awareness about the dreaded disease and breaking many myths related to TB. Read more

TB and poverty: India has third of world's poor and highest TB burden

Poverty is the greatest impediment to human and socio-economic development. "Globally, poor people and those from disadvantaged social groups suffer more illness, and are less likely to receive adequate care when ill. Poor people are more likely to have early and premature deaths as compared to more privileged in the society. Poverty represents a principal barrier to health. Tuberculosis (TB) thrives in conditions of poverty and can worsen poverty" said Dr LS Chauhan, Deputy Director General (TB), Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. He was speaking at the recently convened consultative workshop of TB and poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership in India (29-30 October 2010).TB and poverty issues are also up on the agenda of the forthcoming 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010). Read more

TB and poverty: a dangerous mix in hilly Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand state of India, 93% of land area is hilly and 47.1% families live below poverty line. Not surprisingly, tuberculosis (TB) is a challenge in this state too. At the consultative workshop of the TB and poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership held in India (29-30 October 2010), the state TB officer of Uttarakhand presented the efforts of state TB programme in addressing poverty in TB control. The secretariat of the TB and poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership has also moved now to India since August 2010, being housed in the South-East Asia office of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). The ongoing 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010) will also address issues related to TB and poverty. Read more

The deadly mix: TB, tobacco, diabetes and poverty

Today we are more likely to work in silos, but the diseases and conditions like poverty - collaborate in a deadly manner increasing manifold the impact of each other on people's lives. Working collaboratively is surely what makes sense.

34% of the global TB burden is in the South-East Asian region. 3 million new TB cases and 600,000 TB deaths annually every year occur in this region, said Dr Nevin Wilson, Regional Director, South-East Asia office of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). Dr Wilson was addressing the consultative workshop of the TB and poverty sub-working group held recently in India (29-30 October 2010). Nearly 3 million TB-HIV co-infected people are in this region. Although data on drug-resistant forms of TB is emerging, India is estimated to have 100,000 incident cases of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) annually. Read more

TB Alliance Launches First Clinical Trial of a Novel TB Drug Regimen

On the eve of the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, being held in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010), the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) celebrated its 10th anniversary bash by announcing the launch of the first clinical trial to test a novel tuberculosis regimen, which shows a promise to treat both drug-sensitive (DS-TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) with a single three-drug combination, reducing treatment duration of MDR-TB from 2 years to less than six months. Read more

Addressing poverty in TB programmes of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has a unique context as it is among the better performing states of India in terms of addressing poverty. Poverty in the Tamil Nadu state dropped from 51.7% in 1983 to 21.1% in 2001. For the period 2004–2005, the Trend in Incidence of Poverty in the state was 22.5% compared with the national figure of 27.5%. However, it is one of the HIV high-incidence states of India and the response to HIV and TB both has been commendable, said Dr C Udayashankar, State TB Officer, Tamil Nadu. "The poverty is still high in Tamil Nadu, especially in the rural areas" said Dr Udayashankar. He was speaking at the consultative workshop of TB and poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership, the secretariat of which has now moved to the South-East Asia office of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). The forthcoming 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010) will also address issues around TB and poverty. Read more

Addressing poverty in TB programmes of Bihar

44.3 per cent people in Indian state of Bihar are living below the poverty line, which is the second highest number of poor people in any state of India (Orissa has the most poor people in India). Not surprisingly diseases that are associated with poverty like tuberculosis (TB) are at alarming levels. However there is a annual reduction in poverty, and TB programme performance is improving as well, said Dr AK Jha, State TB Officer, Bihar. Dr Jha was speaking at the consultative workshop of the TB and poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership held in India (29-30 October 2010), the secretariat of which has now moved to the South-East Asian office of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). There are sessions at the forthcoming 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010) addressing TB and poverty as well. Read more

Innovative approaches to addressing poverty in TB programmes in Jharkhand

Imagine a cycle rickshaw puller and a 'paan' or tobacco shop owner as a DOTS provider – that is a reality since 7 years now in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The state TB programme in Jharkhand has taken many innovative steps to increase new TB case detection, provision of and adherence to anti-TB treatment under DOTS, and to reach the unreached people who might need TB care, said Dr R Dayal, State TB Officer, Jharkhand state, India. Dr Dayal was speaking at the consultative workshop of the TB and poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership in India (29-30 October 2010), the secretariat of which has now moved to the South-East Asia office of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). The forthcoming 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health (11-15 November 2010) will be a great opportunity to document community-centric and innovative approaches in addressing poverty in TB control programmes. Read more

47 per cent TB patients remain unreached in Chhattisgarh

"47% of TB cases are being missed by the state TB programme" said Dr DN Dewangan, State TB Officer in Chhattisgarh (every year, expected number of TB cases in Chhattisgarh is 51,840 and number of those TB patients registered under revised national TB control programme (RNTCP) is 27,300). Dr Dewangan was speaking at the consultative workshop of the TB and poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership, secretariat of which has now moved to the South-East Asia office of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). Chhattisgarh is a low intensity internal conflict ridden Indian state where 80% of population is living in rural parts and 32% are tribals. Nine out of eighteen districts are inhabited by tribal population. Poverty further exacerbates the situation denying access to existing healthcare services including those for TB. Hope these issues are well addressed by the forthcoming 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany. Read more

[To listen to audio podcast of CNS Exclusive interview with Dr Anil Kapur on TB-diabetes, click here]
People with diabetes are at a high risk of tuberculosis (TB). According to several studies and systematic reviews, people with diabetes might have 2 to 3 fold higher risk of getting tuberculosis (TB). In the lead up to the World Diabetes Day (14 November), and 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010), it might be wise to see one of the key outcomes of a TB and poverty meeting that brought deadly synergy between diabetes and TB to the fore. The linkage of TB and diabetes came out very prominently when different TB programme managers from Nepal, Thailand, India and those from different Indian states shared their experience at the recently concluded consultative workshop of the TB and poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership (29-30 October 2010). Read more

Tuberculosis And Poverty: Partners By Default

There is a direct link between tuberculosis (TB) and poverty. It is indeed a vicious cycle, as one begets the other. The stark reality is that TB saps the economy of the community, which in turn increases the likelihood of contracting TB. This point emerged several times at two important meetings in past 2-3 months: Open Forum 4: Critical Path to TB Regimen: New Hope of Life for TB Patients, Ethiopia, and the consultative workshop of the TB and poverty sub-working group in India (29-30 October 2010). Before the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health opens in Berlin, Germany, the point is made clear: the economic impact of TB is staggering. Read more

Poverty impedes access to existing tuberculosis (TB) care services

Poverty not only makes poor people more vulnerable to tuberculosis (TB) but also makes them less likely to access the existing TB-related prevention, treatment and care services. There is substantial number of active TB patients that are still not reached by existing TB control programmes. Efforts to scale up might mean a very well coordinated and community-centric approach so that those vulnerable communities who aren't benefitting from the existing healthcare services are reached and served optimally. This was a key thrust in varied sessions of the consultative workshop of TB and Poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership which was held in India (29-30 October 2010). Read more

Tobacco use, tuberculosis (TB), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are all burgeoning problems in resource poor settings. The evidence of their potentially devastating effects on global public health is increasing and they require a coordinated approach for control. These diseases all occur in predominantly resource-poor countries. They are perpetuated by poverty and inadequate resources, was the clear mandate from the consultative workshop organized by the TB and Poverty sub-working group of the Stop TB Partnership in India (29-30 October 2010). It is expected that the scientific deliberations at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010), will address these concerns on a well-coordinated response to these epidemics. Read more

"So little attention has been given to the tuberculosis (TB) pandemic because it's a disease of the poor" had said Dr Nils Billo, Executive Director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) at the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town, South Africa in 2007. In 2010, before the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health opens next week in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010), the issues around TB and poverty have only become more severe. At the consultative workshop organized by the TB and poverty sub-working group of Stop TB Partnership in India (29-30 October 2010), it was clear that TB continues to affect society's most vulnerable - those who live in abject poverty, are marginalized or economically and socially isolated. Poverty significantly increases a person's vulnerability to the disease. Read more

At the tuberculosis (TB) and poverty sub-working group meeting which was held recently in India (29-30 October 2010), the experience of Thailand in responding to TB particularly among those who were poor (or uninsured) was in the spotlight. The government of Thailand along with other partners has taken major steps to prevent, diagnose and treat TB, particularly among those people who are uninsured (or poor). The discussion around TB and poverty assumes further significance as just a week or more later, the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health is slated to open in Berlin, Germany on the theme of "TB, HIV and Lung Health: from research and innovation to solutions." Read more

Piles to Smiles

More than 50% population suffers from piles (or haemorrhoids) despite of the reality that effective prevention and treatment options are available. I am reminded of my sojourn through solitude in Dublin, Ireland, where I went to receive the honorary FRCS from Royal College of Surgeons Ireland. I was spending my time in Ireland in revising treatment policies in Piles when I went through memorable quote "Had it not been due to painful thrombosed piles, Napoleon would have not lost the War." Read more

Photo credit: wondersofpakistan.blogspot.com

Statement by NAPM
Arundhati Roy, in articulating the sentiments of the people of Kashmir valley, has said nothing offensive or seditious. It is unfortunate the sections of the media reported only selective parts of her speech to sensationalise what she said. It is also unfortunate and condemnable the attempts by some political parties to seek strong action against her on the basis of these reports. Read more

The 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health will be held on 11-15 November 2010 in Berlin, Germany, and is expected to be attended by 2500 delegates from over 100 countries. The theme of this year's conference is "Tuberculosis (TB), HIV and lung health: from research and innovation to solutions." Read more