Why prefer AAP over BJP and Congress?

Dr Sandeep Pandey and Dr Rahul Pandey, CNS Columnists
For the first time since Narendra Modi government has come to power in the centre and won state after state in assembly elections it faces a tough challenge from AAP in Delhi. AAP is not like any other political party. It has emerged from a movement and represents a changing mood in this country, giving a chance to especially the youth to get involved in political process. It is a different matter that equal or more number of youth are involved with BJP now. BJP has more effectively used methods, which AAP brought into Indian politics, to its advantage.

Tobacco smoking ruining lives: Lung cancer rates alarming

Clarity Sibanda, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe
Many engage in smoking just for the fun of it and unfortunately get caught in the nicotine addiction trap such that they cannot do without a certain number of puffs per day. Smoking has had a great adverse impact on many communities and has been directly responsible for the plight of those who are slowly wasting away from the ravages of lung cancer. In 2012 (the most recent year for which data are available) lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer with 1.8 million cases worldwide, accounting for 13% of all cancer cases. It is also the most common cause of cancer death, and killed 1.6 million people in 2012 (19.4% of total cancer deaths).

Government warns churches over HIV cure claims

Garikai Chaunza, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe
(First published in New Zimbabwe)
The government has warned churches led by so-called prophets, against deceiving people that they can cure HIV/AIDS, as this could result in unnecessary loss of life when people living with HIV stop taking their medication. The warning comes after the multiplication of churches led by ‘miracle-performing prophets’ who are using free-to-air television channels to preach and claim that they can cure HIV.

Biting the hands that feed all?

CNS Image Library/2015

Amidst deafening echoes of promised good times by Narendra Modi led government, one of the seldom heard voices is of those who feed all of us: farmers. In times when urban citizens want a guarantee of salaries, and post-retirement benefits and security, India is failing to provide even the minimum support price to farmers for their crop yield. Magsaysay Awardee and national vice-president of Socialist Party (India) Dr Sandeep Pandey said to Citizen News Service (CNS): "Not even guaranteeing minimum support price to farmers is a matter of grave shame, especially for a country in which over 250,000 farmers have committed suicide in last 20 years, and plight of farmers is appalling."

Stepping up access to healthcare

Pretty Chavango, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe

CNS Image Library/2013

Health has been recognized as central to human development as both a contributor and an outcome and should be accessed by all. Universal health coverage is vital in the process of development. Yet, distribution of resources in society has seen somewhat unbalanced health coverage, culminating in gaps and unequal access to healthcare, thus disrupting economic growth.

New HIV treatment regimen introduced in Zimbabwe

Garikai Chaunza, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe
(First published in New Zimbabwe) 
The government of Zimbabwe is, with effect from January 2015, switching all people on HIV treatment to a new daily regimen of one tablet per day from the current three pills a day treatment to make it easier for patients to not miss out on taking their medication. The new single tablet is a fixed dose combination of three drugs (Tenofovir, Lamivudine and Efavirenz-TLE), a departure from the previous complicated treatment of taking three different tablets-- namely Tenofovir, Lovovidine and Nevirapine (TLN).

Access to health services for everyone, everywhere!

Babs Verblackt, CNS Special Correspondent, Belgium
Achieving access to health services for all citizens remains challenging for many countries. Yet to fragile and transitional states it often is an even more complex issue. Still universal health coverage is an attainable goal that needs involvement of all essential parties - including local communities.

Implementing universal health coverage in Nigeria

Isaac Eranga, CNS Correspondent, Nigeria
Universal health coverage (UHC) means that every person, everywhere, has access to quality health care without suffering financial hardships. Unfortunately, each year 1 billion people cannot afford a doctor, cannot pay for medicines and/or cannot access other essential healthcare services without risking impoverishment.

The possibility of universal health coverage

Alice Tembe, CNS Correspondent, Swaziland

CNS image library/2013

The Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland, through its Ministry of Health, has made some strides toward achieving Universal Health Coverage, through promotion of patient centred health care delivery, designing of mobile health care models that do not wait for patients to come to the health centres but actively go out to where the patients are, provision of subsided health care services, and free treatment programmes.