Land to the tillers for genuine food system change

The Asian Peasant Coalition (APC)'s observance of 29 March as "Land of the Landless: Land to the Tillers", reminds us of the words of Mahatma Gandhi: "In reality, the toilers is the owner of what he produces. If the toilers intelligently combine, they will become an irresistible power."

Will advances in TB treatment outweigh the Covid-19 pushback?

Shobha Shukla - CNS 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB diagnosis and mortality in 2020 has been frightening, to say the least. Recently released WHO data shows that 1.4 million fewer people got TB care in 2020 as compared to 2019- a 21% decrease. Also over 0.5 million people died from TB in 2020 due to lack of diagnosis. Latest data by Stop TB Partnership shows that in 9 countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Ukraine) which together account for 60% of the global TB burden, TB diagnosis and treatment enrolment in 2020 declined by 1 million - a drastic reduction of 23%. Globally, in 2020 there was an estimated drop of at least 1 million in TB treatment enrolment, pushing the TB response to 2008 levels in terms of people diagnosed and treated.

Workshop: No excuse for inaction on health security if we are to deliver on development justice in Asia Pacific

Join us on Sunday, 21st March 2021 (3pm Bangkok/Jakarta/Laos/Vietnam time, find your local time here) in a two-hours workshop on "No excuse for inaction on health security if we are to deliver on development justice in Asia Pacific." Co-hosted by CNS and partners, as part of Asia Pacific People's Forum for Sustainable Development, this workshop will elaborate on why inequalities and injustices that were existing before the pandemic too has failed us to prevent non-communicable diseases and communicable diseases. Failure to prevent every new case of infectious diseases like TB and Covid-19 is defeating us on SDGs. This workshop will also aim to connect the dots between corporate capture and right to health, as well as broader sustainable development.

Workshop: The Power of the 99% to Stop Corporate Capture

watch the recording (YouTube, Facebook)

Join us on Friday, 19th March 2021 (3pm Bangkok/Jakarta/Laos/Vietnam time, find your local time here) in a two-hours workshop on The Power of the 99% to Stop Corporate Capture. Co-hosted by ESCR Net, ALTSEAN Burma and CNS as part of Asia Pacific People's Forum for Sustainable Development, this workshop will elaborate on different manifestations of Corporate Capture and experiences of people's movements in Asia Pacific to combat corporate capture in order to advance development justice. This workshop will also focus on the link between corporate capture, religious fundamentalism, militarisation and patriarchy.

Embarrassment of riches: Are we doing enough to avert tobacco deaths in Indonesia?

Tobacco kills over 8 million people every year worldwide, with over 235,000 deaths occuring in Indonesia alone. Each of these untimely deaths could have been averted because we have evidence-backed measures to not only control tobacco use, but also to accelerate progress towards ending the tobacco-caused multiple epidemics of several preventable diseases. Tobacco use is a major common risk factor for not only the biggest cause of death worldwide- cardiovascular diseases (heart diseases and stroke)- but also for a range of other non-communicable diseases (such as, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, among others) as well as for communicable diseases (such as tuberculosis and Covid-19).

Instead of reducing maximum speed limit, Thailand increases it to 120 kph

Thailand was among the countries globally that promised last year to reduce the maximum speed limit to 30 kilometre per hour (30 kph) to reduce road traffic crashes, and thus, save lives. More importantly, the government of Thailand played a major role last year as part of the International Advisory Committee to 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety held in Stockholm during 19-20 February 2020.