CNS: January 2017

#BeTheChange: It is about growing in years, not about getting old!

Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS

[Podcast] [Video] As fertility rates decline and life expectancy increases, the number of senior citizens is growing globally. Among the 7.3 billion people worldwide in 2015, an estimated 617.1 million, were aged 65 years or more. The Asia Pacific region is ageing rapidly and South-East Asia’s elderly numbers are growing fast at around 5% a year - between now and 2030 there will be nearly 20 million more people aged 60 and above in the region.

[Listen or download this podcast] Jerome Pons, Head of Cooperation (Malaysia and Thailand) at the European Union spoke with CNS (Citizen News Service) in Chiang Mai, Thailand on 19th January 2017. He raised important ageing related issues and made a strong case calling upon countries to not ignore the elderly and adapt development responses to meet the unique needs of changing population demographics. Thanks to the HelpAge International's East Asia Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) for helping facilitate this interview. [Listen or download this podcast]

[Focus] Stop ignoring ageing issues and adapt to changing population demographics

[Podcast] Scaling up ART for people living with HIV: Major success but challenges remain to #endAIDS

[Listen or download this podcast] Dr BB Rewari is widely acknowledged for his decade-long stewardship of Indian government's roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme beginning from ART provision to the first person living with HIV to over a million now. Now he is the focal person for HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office and helping accelerate ART and other efforts to #endAIDS by 2030 (#SDGs). This interview is part of CNS Inspire Series. [Listen or download this podcast]

[Focus] "From small beginnings come great things": Dr BB Rewari on progress to #endAIDS

Tobacco products cost the world economies more than USD 1 trillion annually

Aarti Dhar, CNS Correspondent, India
(First published in theindiasaga.com)

The tobacco industry and its products, which have a deadly impact on people’s lives, cost the world’s economies more than US$ 1 trillion annually in healthcare expenditures and lost productivity, according to findings published in ‘The Economies of Tobacco and Tobacco Control.’ Around 6 million people die annually as a result of tobacco use, with most of them living in developing countries. Policies to control tobacco use, including tobacco tax and price increases, can generate significant government revenues for health and development work, according to this new landmark global report from WHO and the National Cancer Institute of the United States of America.

[Click here to see webinar recording] [Listen or Download audio podcast] In lead up to 2017 World Cancer Day this webinar aims to review if we are on track in reducing cancer deaths by one-third by 2030 (as well as other commitments made in SDGs in this regard).

Looking back at interviews with global health experts featured in over 400 articles published by CNS Correspondents in Asian and African countries in 2016, we are compelled to say that each voice that was documented was invaluable and a 'must-heard' voice for discourses on sustainable development. We cannot overemphasize the importance of each of these spotlight interviews and critical issues they highlighted.

Looking back at over 20 conferences/ meetings on global health and development justice covered by CNS Correspondents in Asian and African countries in 2016, here are our top conference coverage assignments from 2016. Thanks to entire CNS Correspondents Team!

Looking back at over 150 video-articles produced by CNS Correspondents in Asian and African countries in 2016, we are compelled to say that each video-article, and the issue it focussed on, is so very important, even today! We cannot overemphasize the importance of each of these spotlight video-articles and critical issues they highlighted.

Looking back at over 400 articles written by CNS Correspondents in Asian and African countries in 2016, we are compelled to say that each article, and the issue it focussed on, is so very important, even today! We cannot overemphasize the importance of each of these spotlight articles and critical issues they highlighted.

Looking back at over 50 audio podcasts based upon interviews conducted by CNS Correspondents in Asian and African countries in 2016, we are compelled to say that each one of them, and the issue it focussed on, is so very important, even today! We cannot overemphasize the importance of each of these spotlight podcasts and critical issues they highlighted.

Looking back at over 400 articles written by CNS Correspondents in Asian and African countries in 2016, we are compelled to say that each article, and the issue it focussed on, is so very important, even today - thanks to each one of the Correspondents and Fellows. We cannot overemphasize the importance of each of these spotlight articles and critical issues they highlighted.

[CNS Rewind] Top 5 webinars of 2016

[Check out all webinars hosted by CNS here]

Looking back at all webinars hosted by CNS in 2016, we are compelled to say that each webinar, and issue it focussed on, is so very important, even today - thanks to all the panelists and participants. However if we look at some indicators such as the number of registrations, attendees, interaction on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook page, LinkedIn, email listservs, post-webinar media coverage, podcast and expert-presentation downloads, among others, here are top-5 webinar picks from 2016 CNS archives:

Reducing childhood pneumonia deaths in India: Work in progress

Dr Nachiket Sule, CNS Correspondent, India

During the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) period, the global under 5 mortality rate declined by more than half— from 90 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 43 deaths per 1000 live births in 2015. India had an estimated 609,000 deaths among children under the age of 5 due to pneumonia and diarrhea in 2010, the highest amongst all the countries in the world.

How we can stop more deaths from breast cancer by 2030

Francis Okoye, CNS Correspondent, Nigeria
(First published in Nigeria Politics Magazine)

In a webinar organised for the media by Citizen News Service, titled ‘Are we on track to reduce breast cancer deaths by 1/3 by 2030?’ medical experts and breast cancer survivors shared their views on how to reduce deaths from this dreaded cancer.
The panel of experts and cancer survivors included Priya Kanayson, Advocacy Officer, NCD Alliance; Dr Pooja Ramakant, Associate Professor, Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, King George Medical University; Prof Anand Mishra, Head of Department of Endocrine and Breast surgery, KGMU; and Bret Miller, Founder, Male Breast Cancer Coalition and a breast cancer survivor himself.

Childhood pneumonia

Aarti Dhar, CNS Correspondent, India

(First published in TheIndiasaga.com)
According to the Global Coalition Against Childhood Pneumonia (GCACP), pneumonia is the most deadly infectious illness for children under 5 years of age worldwide. Even as 2000 to 2015, the annual death toll from childhood pneumonia decreased from 1.7 million deaths in 2000 to 920,000 in 2015, approximately 2,500 children still die from pneumonia every day. This amounts to 16% of all child deaths.

Not-to-miss message in the laudable act by Dipa Karmakar

Dr Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Awardee and CNS Columnist

Because of the fantastic performance in Gymnastics in the Rio Olympics in 2016 Dipa Karmakar was chosen along with P.V. Sindhu and Sakshi Malik, the two medal winners, by the Hyderabad Badminton Association to be awarded a BMW car which was presented by Sachin Tendulkar. Dipa has now returned the car saying the roads of Tripura where she lives are not broad enough for this car and there is no BMW service centre there. She has decided to buy a less expensive car which is suitable for the conditions where she lives.