CNS: November 2015

What APEC means to poor people in Asia

Cherian Mathews, Regional Director, Asia office of Oxfam

Recently Manila hosted the 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting—under the theme of Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World: A Vision for an Asia-Pacific Community- that was attended by prominent world leaders.

Addressing pneumonia: The deadly childhood illness

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org

Despite being preventable, pneumonia continues to be a top killer of children under five. It also wreaks 'breath-taking’ havoc in the lives of adults, particularly the elderly, and people living with HIV. According to the 2015 Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report released recently by the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a projected 5.9 million children around the world will die in 2015 before reaching their 5th birthday.

Dr Rahul Pandey, CNS Columnist
I wrote these personal thoughts immediately after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 but never sent it to a publication. On the heels of terrible terror attacks in Paris, in the midst of equally horrifying attacks going on in parts of the Arab world, and on the anniversary of 26/11, as similar thoughts come to my mind I decided to dig it out. So here it goes ..

Lessons to be learned from intolerance debate

Dr Rahul Pandey and Dr Sandeep Pandey

Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org

A good outcome of so many writers, poets, artists, historians and scientists returning awards or writing letters in protest against growing intolerance in Indian society is that a debate has been set off in the public domain. However the arguments and counterarguments have often become bitter. In this debate most of the bitterness has been displayed by some of those who do not agree that intolerance is on a rise.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined other Asia Pacific Leaders in taking a concrete step closer to defeating malaria. Along with the 17 other East Asia Summit (EAS) Leaders meeting in Malaysia this past weekend, he endorsed a detailed plan to eliminate the disease throughout the region by 2030.

Can global peace and harmony be a reality?

Dr Ajit Kumar Verma

Dr Ajit Kumar Varma, CNS Columnist
I am writing this as I am deeply pained by all the atrocities, killings, aggression and war rampant in different parts of the world. All this mad frenzy of violence and killing, which is going on all around us, has been present there in varying degrees since civilization began. Recent acts of terrorism have escalated it to new despicable heights. Nations are now discussing ways and means of countering the nefarious acts of terrorism. But most discussions on peace centre around ways of subjugation and suppression of the 'enemy'. Now there are talks of waging a war on terror.

Action against TB-Diabetes co-epidemic: If not now, then when?

Dr Richa Sharma, CNS Correspondent, India

Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org

The world is threatened by yet another big looming co-epidemic of TB and diabetes. And no, it has not happened overnight-- it has taken its own time to evolve and emerge as a public health emergency. The situation is so very similar to the TB-HIV epidemic and the late response that was meted to it that it scares the policymakers, public health professionals and people across all strata of society to think about the impact that this combination of deadly diseases will have, once it strikes with full force.

[Call to register] Webinar for media: Every breath counts: Stop pneumonia now!

[Webinar recording] We welcome you to register for an exclusive media webinar on one of the biggest cause of death for children under 5 years of age, Pneumonia. Pneumonia also effects adults, particularly the elderly. Top reason for people living with HIV ending up in intensive care units of hospitals is not heart disease or accident, but pneumonia! Get connected with noted experts from lead agencies such as the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), King George's Medical University (KGMU), among others, who will present and respond to questions live!

ICD 10: Adoption and patient care

Dr Raghav Gattani, CNS Medical Correspondent

International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is a method of integrating disease diagnosis and medical and surgical procedures into codes; codes of patient’s state of health. These codes primarily allow electronic documentation of patient conditions which help physicians revisit, transfer or share unambiguous data within the health care system. Extensive debates on the need to update the ICD from its 9^th edition to the 10^th, have led to adoption of ICD-10 CM/PCS from October 1^st, 2015 throughout United States. Surprisingly though, the update has come after 35 years and has expectedly brought with it diversity and specificity that will ultimately refine and revolutionise the medical system in the United States of America.

Diabetes mellitus and TB: Can we avert a looming co-epidemic?

Catherine Mwauyakufa, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe

Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) have a link, even though many people have not really taken time to see that this co-infection is on the increase. In 2013 4% of the global DM burden was in Africa. In the same year, the continent reported 29% of the TB burden. As per the Diabetes Atlas, worldwide 387 million people have DM today and this figure could rise to 552 million in 2030.

TB & Diabetes: How will I live?

Alice Tembe, CNS Correspondent, Swaziland

It seemed like the sun will not set, as Thandiwe Tsabedze (name changed), a 38 year old mother sat by the doorstep of her home in Msunduza while her children played with laughter in the backyard. Thandiwe had developed diabetes as a side effect of antiretroviral treatment (ART) that she started on a few years ago. At that time she was also diagnosed, and was successfully treated, TB as well.

The Bali Declaration aims to prevent diabetes from fuelling TB

Dr Amitava Acharyya, CNS Correspondent, India

Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org

The duel problem of TB and diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health dilemma today. Like in the case of TB-HIV, it has taken several years to focus the attention of the public health community and others on this crucial issue. According to estimates, 6 of the 10 high-TB-burden countries are also expected to have the highest numbers of people living with diabetes by 2035.

[Focus] UNAIDS India Director reflects on fight against HIV: Ending AIDS is possible if...

[Focus] Caring for the elderly living with HIV

New funding boosts research for effective control of TB, malaria, dengue and leishmaniasis

Dr BT Slingsby, GHIT Fund
Photo courtesy: GHIT Fund

[हिंदी] An additional investment of US$ 10.7 million has been announced by Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) to find more effective tools to control and eliminate TB, malaria, dengue and leishmaniasis. Dr BT Slingsby, CEO of GHIT Fund spoke with CNS (Citizen News Service) before this announcement: "We have been investing in these diseases for over 2 years now. Antimicrobial resistance has been creeping up, particularly in Asia, making drugs used to treat TB and malaria ineffective. If we look at dengue, after a gap of 70 years, Japan had a major spread of dengue 2 years ago. Controlling and eliminating these diseases is very important for global health. Without right interventions and right innovations in place it will be very difficult to effectively eliminate, and in some cases, eradicate these diseases."

Deadly connections: Diabetes, junk food, tobacco use and TB

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

The 2030 Global Goals for sustainable development have an important focus on health, and rightly so. The world has pledged, amongst other things, to end HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB by 2030 and also to reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 33%. Today, 387 million people are affected by diabetes mellitus (DM), with 77% of the cases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where TB is highly prevalent. It is also interesting to note that the high TB and DM burden countries have a high burden of tobacco consumption too.

Which is the bigger culprit: Diabetes or TB?

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

Bi-directional screening at Lok Nayak
TB Hospital, Delhi (CNS photo)

In so far as disease prevention and control is concerned, diabetes mellitus (DM) seems to be a more difficult nut to crack, believe the experts. During the just concluded world’s first International Summit on TB and diabetes, that was jointly organized by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and World Diabetes Foundation (WDF), CNS (Citizen News Service) spoke with some of the stalwarts in the field.

What will it take to avert the looming TB-Diabetes co-epidemic?

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

As per latest data, 9.6 million people fell ill with TB and 387 million people were living with diabetes mellitus (DM) in 2014. One person dies of TB every 22 seconds, while diabetes takes a toll of one life every 7 seconds. Six of the 10 countries projected to have the greatest numbers of people living with diabetes by the year 2035 - China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Russian Federation—are also classified as high TB-burden countries by the World Health Organization.

After convening a two-day summit this week in Bali, the Indonesian Ministry of Health, together with the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and the World Diabetes Foundation, today signed the Bali Declaration, uniting more than 100 global health officials and experts behind a global campaign to fight the twin scourge of TB and diabetes. Bi-directional screening is a key component of the Bali Declaration, which aims to bring the co-epidemic to the attention of governments across the globe.

Avert the looming TB-diabetes co-epidemic before it gets too late

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

The global picture presents a bleak scenario of the double burden of TB and diabetes, in so much as a communicable and a non-communicable disease seem to have joined hands to threaten public health. That's why the forthcoming first-ever Global TB Diabetes Summit in Indonesia becomes important for galvanizing effective and collaborative public health responses.

[Focus] Engaging parliamentarians in fight against AIDS is vital

[Focus] Prevent cervical cancer, other HPV related cancers: Cost of inaction is very high

Health Justice Media Awards

Deadline for applying has been extended to 15th February 2016

Health Justice Media Awards are hosted by CNS since 2015 with partners (see partners' listed below) to recognize health journalists with a difference! We value in-depth, rights-based, accurate/ evidence-based, consistent and people-centric news feature articles, radio or TV broadcasts, or blogs on issues around health justice.