CNS: 2024

CNS wishes you a very happy 2025

Looking back at over 250 articles published on CNS (English, Hindi) in 2024 (and via CNS news wire syndication network worldwide), we are delighted to say that each of them (and the issues they focussed on) was so very important. Our heartfelt thanks to all those who shared their insights, analysis, reflections and science, evidence and rights-based viewpoints.

Looking back at CNS audio podcasts of 2024 on a range of issues around health and development justice, that streamed via CNS on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, TuneIn, Podtail, BluBrry, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, Player FM, iVoox and other podcast streaming platforms, here is a list of top 10!

Looking back at top conferences/ meetings or other events covered by CNS in 2024 on a range of issues around health and development justice, here is a list of top ones! (based on the popularity of the CNS conference coverage).

Looking back at over 150 online sessions (such as, Gender Equality Talks Live, End TB Dialogues, End Malaria Dialogues, SDG Talks Live, Global Media Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance, AIDS 2024 Affiliated independent event, Global Media Briefing before UNHLM on AMR, SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights), among others) hosted by CNS in 2024 and live streamed, we are delighted to say that each of them (and the issues they focussed on) was so very important. Our heartfelt thanks to all the panelists and participants.

Read 5 more top highlights of CNS and CNS-hosted Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) from what we did in 2024. We are grateful to all partners who engaged us in policy, advocacy and communications around health, gender and development justice over the years. Here are some more highlights of what we did in 2024:

Faith can move mountains. Thanks to all partners and supporters who believed in us and helped us do what we dare to do best. We look forward to continued solidarity and support in 2025 and beyond.

An anti-rights movement that is surreptitiously spreading its tentacles under the garb of 'protecting family values' is threatening gender equality, even as human rights activists call upon ending gender-based violence and protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights of all girls and women and other gender diverse communities.

Black Angels remind us of centuries of injustices plaguing the TB response

"Taking Care: Black Angels of Seaview Hospital" exhibit is open for all at Staten Island Museum till 29 December 2024

[हिंदी | watch the video photo-story with narration of CNS visit to exhibit] "Death from TB is caused by human choice. It is caused by human-built systems. And so that is terrifying and horrifying and deeply upsetting. It means we are not doing a good job of assigning equal value to every human life," had said the famous American author John Green at a panel discussion during United Nations General Assembly last year.

[watch the launch of AMR toolkit for youth engagement]

Youth are critical change-makers not only as future prescribers and users of antimicrobials but also as influencers of the behaviour of their peers, parents and community. Strengthening youth engagement in our response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can go a long way in addressing this global threat that is directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths and contributes to nearly 5 million deaths per year, apart from causing a loss of USD 3.4 trillion annually to global economy.

If we fail to find all cases of an infectious disease (and put them on care), then it will keep spreading. "We are not able to find all TB cases as of now. We had an estimated 1.1 million new TB cases in 2023 in Indonesia as per the latest WHO Global TB Report 2024. But the highest we could reach with TB services was around 804,800. So, we still missed a few hundred thousands. If we do not find these missing cases, and put them on treatment, they will remain there as a source of infection to the rest of the community," rightly said Dr Erlina Burhan, a widely acclaimed TB and lung disease medical expert.

[video] Disability inclusion must be centred in efforts to end gender-based violence

Medicines save lives but not when they stop working

Watch the AMR Dialogues session featuring Gabriella Balasa at UNHLM on AMR 2024

Despite dealing with drug-resistant infections herself since birth and being fully aware of the looming danger of running out of options to treat the infections, it is indeed inspiring to see Gabriella Balasa (also known as Ella) devotedly raising awareness and doing all she can to stop misuse and overuse of medicines and help save lives.

[register] Third session of SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights) will be held on the theme: "Gender equality, disability rights, and ending gender-based violence" to mark the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence and International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3rd December).

Antimicrobial resistance is not a silent pandemic

Antimicrobial Resistance directly kills more than 1 million people and is associated with almost 5 million deaths every year, that are expected to increase by 50% in the next 25 years. It also threatens our economies, with an estimated global annual cost of up to US$ 3.4 trillion by 2030 and 28 million people pushed to poverty by 2050. Every death and suffering due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is unacceptable and is essentially preventable.

[watch the WCLH session recording] "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has,” had said the famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead. Imbibing these values, a small group of people in India and Philippines have changed the lives of many people affected by tuberculosis (TB) – especially those who were being missed or left behind by public services. TB, despite being preventable and curable, continues to be the deadliest of infectious diseases in high TB burden countries. In 2023 TB infected 10.8 million people and killed 1.25 million people worldwide.

Despite strong scientific and community-based evidence to support tobacco and TB control, 1.1 million people died of TB in 2023 and over 8 million died of tobacco use in the same year. “Tobacco is an entirely preventable epidemic,” rightly said Dr Tara Singh Bam who is a force for change when it comes to stronger actions to prevent avoidable diseases and save lives in low- and middle-income countries.

"It is time to stop decades of failure. We have a lot to do to #EndTB by 2030," said Professor (Dr) Guy Marks, President of the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union), at the opening of the largest TB and lung health conference this year in Bali, Indonesia (Union World Lung Health Conference 2024).

(Nepalese) Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) was among those who were awarded "AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award" at the Fourth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (14-16 November 2024). GAMA Scientific Committee member Dr Ranga Reddy Burri accepted the award. The World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force of AMR Survivors, and Quadripartite Working Group on Youth Engagement for AMR were also awarded for their stellar contribution to AMR, among others.

[video] Community must drive #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB → #EndTB

Inconvenient question: Science is gifting us new HIV prevention tools but is it expanding choices for the people?

[watch the video interview] Any new HIV prevention method is not meant to sit on the shelf but to be used by the people who need it to protect themselves from HIV. We have to ensure that new HIV prevention technologies that are coming out of the scientific research pipelines, are accessible to people everywhere - especially those who are more at risk of HIV acquisition. Jim Pickett has passionately called for translating scientific gains into public health outcomes - not with delay, but with equity and justice.

Read session details on conference website

2024 World Conference on Lung Health in Bali, Indonesia, has a special Community Connect session on 15th November (9am, Singaraja) on the theme: "Community leadership is building power and driving #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB → #EndTB initiative in high TB burden countries." This is hosted together by TB People (India), TB People (Zimbabwe), Global Call to Find all TB, Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT), Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media), Vital Strategies and CNS.

In a world yearning for compassion and healing, Beyond Stigma had the incredible privilege of joining Letters from Love, an inspiring initiative by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love. This global project creates space for heartfelt letters and stories that celebrate courage, healing, and love — values deeply aligned with our mission at Beyond Stigma.

[watch the recording] Trump's earlier tenure as President of the United States was marred by the infamous jolt to abortion rights and broader sexual and reproductive health and rights. Within days after the 2024 election results point towards his imminent return as the President, anti-abortion and anti-rights agenda is menacingly on the rise once again, as per the recent news.

(watch the 4th Global Media Forum around World AMR Awareness Week 2024 - and Global AMR Media Awards Ceremony 2024)

[watch the interview] When we go to seek healthcare in hospitals or other healthcare settings, getting infected with hospital-acquired infections instead, is not part of the deal. “Why are hospital-acquired infections so acceptable?” rightly questions Dr Nour Shamas, a Lebanese infectious disease clinical pharmacist, who is also part of the World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Survivors.

[video] Young people do not want a future with looming threat of antimicrobial resistance

[video] Are we on track on the promises for gender equality and human rights?

[video] Antimicrobial resistance and animals: Misuse and overuse of medicines in veterinary and livestock must stop

4th Edition of the Annual Global Media Forum in lead up to World AMR Awareness Week

The 4th Edition of the Annual Global Media Forum in lead up to World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW: 18-24 November 2024) will be organised by Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) on 7th November, Thursday, 11am CET.

Who would ever want to deal with infections that are difficult (or impossible) to treat! Young people are right when they call on world leaders to ensure a future where antimicrobial resistance is no longer a threat to global health security and food security.

Our governments have promised to deliver on gender equality and human rights by endorsing a range of declarations, agreements and other commitments, including legally binding treaty CEDAW, 1994 ICPD and its platform of action, 1994 Beijing Declaration and its platform for action, UN Sustainable Development Goals, among others.

It is alarming to note that as per UNAIDS data the annual number of new HIV infections in the Latin American countries increased by 9% between 2010 and 2023, despite the advent of powerful new prevention tools like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).

Are we delivering new HIV prevention tools with speed, scale and equity?

[watch the video] Imagine failing 1.3 million times in a year: Failure to ensure that everyone has access to prevention options to protect oneself from HIV acquisition, has resulted in at least 1.3 million new HIV infections in 2023. The pace of progress towards ending AIDS is out of step if we are to end AIDS by 2030.

[video] New HIV prevention technologies must be accessible to people: Jim Pickett at #HIVR4P

Wakakosha: Restoring self-worth for young people living with HIV

A life-changing initiative is transforming the lives of young people living with HIV in the Global South by addressing a deeply rooted but often overlooked challenge: internal stigma. The Wakakosha programme, aptly named from the Shona language meaning "I am worth it," combines evidence-based practices and creative expression to help individuals reclaim their self-worth. This innovative, peer-led intervention is being championed by Beyond Stigma and Zvandiri in collaboration with UNAIDS, IAS, and other global partners.

Longstanding gender inequalities, discrimination and poverty deny many women and girls bodily and economic autonomy - which deprives them of control over their sexual health, and increase the risk of preventable infections like HIV. Women and girls are still disproportionately affected with HIV.

Watch the recording

Join us on 15th October 2024, in a special session of End TB Dialogues on the theme: At least a century of inequities and injustices plaguing the TB response.

Global meet comes to Asia Pacific – home to largest TB burden worldwide

(written by Rita Widiadana and published in Asia Sentinel)

Indonesia is gearing up to welcome thousands of delegates to the largest lung health gathering, the Union World Conference of Lung Health 2024, in Nusa Dua, Bali from Nov 12 through Nov 16 this year.

The reality is a mix of YES and NO. While the facts and figures shared in the latest report by UNAIDS reveal that as a world we are NOT already on the path, they do show that we CAN be there if world leaders take bold actions ensuring that the HIV response has the resources it needs and that the human rights of everyone are protected.

Alas! it is not for 45% of women who are not empowered to make choices over their healthcare and contraception needs and choices. Nearly half of the women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to decide whether to have sex with their partners, use contraception or seek healthcare, according to UNFPA’s State of World Population Report. This lack of bodily autonomy- the right to make free and informed decisions about one’s own body, without coercion or violence- has serious implications for the health and wellbeing of women and girls.

Sexual Health with Equity (SHE) and Rights initiative (or SHE & Rights initiative) is launched to increase media understanding and engagement around sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) particularly abortion care with the lens of equity and right to health.

Co-hosted by Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media), Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR), Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI) and CNS, this initiative was launched around Safe Abortion Day 2024.

Recently, over 500 feminist leaders from 38 countries across Asia and the Pacific region gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the 4th Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF 2024) to deliberate upon their collective journeys for building a world that is free of patriarchy, corporate capitalism, imperialism and colonialism, militarism and religious fundamentalism.

Published in IDN Bangladesh: 18 September 2024

Bangladesh has taken strong positions to prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the past. We urge the new leadership in Bangladesh to take stronger positions at the upcoming UN meeting of world leaders on 26th September 2024 on AMR and advance more concrete actions on the ground against AMR – one of the top-10 global health threats today.

This podcast features Nurgul Dzhanaeva, President of the Forum of Women's NGOs of Kyrgyzstan, who has worked on SDG-related issues at the local, national, regional and global levels. From 2016-2019, she was instrumental in initiating the campaign “From Global to Local” which sought to integrate SDG Goal 5 – to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls – into Kyrgyzstan’s local sustainable development strategies and plans.

She is in conversation with Shobha Shukla, CNS Founder Executive Director and feminist development justice leader, at the Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF 2024) in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Opening and closing instrumental piano music is played by young feminist Ms Tara Shukla Iyer from UK.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, TuneIn, Podtail, BluBrry, Himalaya, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, Player FM, iVoox, and other podcast streaming platforms.

[podcast] Reality check on gender justice in the Pacific: Nalini Singh of Fiji Women's Rights Movements speaks

This podcast features Nalini Singh, a noted Fiji's human rights activist and Executive Director of Fiji Women's Rights Movement (FWRM). She is in conversation with Shobha Shukla, a feminist development justice activist and CNS Founder Executive Director around the 4th Asia Pacific Feminist Forum on the theme of: Feminist world building - creative energies, collective journeys in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Opening and closing instrumental piano music is played by young feminists Ms Tara Shukla Iyer and Ms Reya Shukla Iyer from UK.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, TuneIn, Podtail, BluBrry, Himalaya, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, Player FM, iVoox, and other podcast streaming platforms.

[video] Global Media Briefing in lead up to 79th UNGA High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance

Rocking chair syndrome gripping the TB response?

[watch the video] Akin to a rocking chair that moves forwards and backwards without any real progress, we cannot assume busy TB programmes which may appear to have a lot of movement, to be making any real progress - unless they are doing what is warranted as per science and evidence to end TB.

Let us share an old story you might have read it already. But guiding lights always guide. This is one of them for us: "Once upon a time, there was an old woman who used to go to the ocean to do her writing. She had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before she began her work. Early one morning, she was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see. Off in the distance, she noticed a small girl approaching. As the girl walked, she paused ever so often and as she grew closer, the woman could see that the girl was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The woman called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The girl paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.” The woman replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I am afraid you would not really be able to make much of a difference." The girl bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

[video] AIDS deaths declining globally except in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Feminist world-building: Creative energies, collective journeys

watch the video | listen to podcast | हिन्दी

... So goes the theme of the 4th Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF) which will be held in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand next month. This theme is a pointer towards channelising the energies of people of all genders who work to defend human rights and promote gender equality to collectively resist the patriarchal, militarised and greed-driven world we are living in, and envisioning a feminist world order.

This special Podcast features Dr Po-Lin Chan, Regional Advisor (HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections - STIs) at World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office, and Dr Ishwar Gilada, who is a part of Organising Committee of 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) and Governing Council of International AIDS Society (IAS). They were in conversation with CNS Founder Executive Director and Managing Editor Shobha Shukla in Munich Germany. CNS is among the official media partners of AIDS 2024.

Opening and closing instrumental piano music is played by Ms Reya Shukla Iyer from UK.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, TuneIn, Podtail, BluBrry, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, Player FM, iVoox, and other podcast streaming platforms.

This special Podcast features leaders from 2024 Asia Pacific Feminist Forum #APFF4 (Chiang Mai, Thailand: 12-14 September 2024). The theme of APFF4 is "Feminist world-building: Creative energies, collective journeys." Panelists include: Abia Akram, a disability rights activist and the founder and CEO of the National Forum of Women with Disabilities in Pakistan; Eni Lestari, a migrant rights activist and the Chairperson of International Migrants Alliance; Ivy Josiah, a women's rights activist who has led Malaysia’s Women’s Aid Organisation for 20 years as its Past President and Executive Director. They are in conversation with CNS founder Executive Director and feminist leader Shobha Shukla.

For more information on APFF4, click here.
Opening and closing instrumental piano music is played by a 7 years old feminist Ms Tara Shukla Iyer from UK.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, TuneIn, Podtail, BluBrry, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, Player FM, iVoox, and other podcast streaming platforms.

Transformative empowerment is mostly not given by ‘experts from the outside,’ but happens when the most affected people themselves rise to take back power to transform their lives and wellbeing. “When we put people first, then we cannot just address one or two issues they face,” rightly says Amrita Sarkar of India HIV/AIDS Alliance who has worked on a range of issues related to transgender people since last 23 years.

Call to register

The United Nations General Assembly will convene a High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) for the second time during its 79th session in New York on 26th September 2024. The theme of the meeting is “Investing in the present and securing our future together: Accelerating multi-sectoral global, regional and national actions to address Antimicrobial Resistance.”

Reaching the unreached migrants in unorganised workforce with health services

According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment of Government of India, the workers in the unorganised sector constitute about 93% of the total workforce in the country. A lot of them are informal migrant workers who live in difficult conditions and are most likely to be left behind when it comes to accessing healthcare and social protection services.

AIDS-related deaths have declined worldwide except in Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. The latest data from joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) released last month shows that as compared to 2010, AIDS-related deaths have declined globally by more than half (51%) by 2023 but increased by 34.4% in Eastern Europe and Central Asia region.

"No one is safe until everyone is safe," said Dr Umesh Dahal, Director General, Department of Livestock Services, Government of Nepal. He was referring to antimicrobial resistance or drug resistance when microbes (such as bacteria, virus, fungi or parasites) stop responding to medicines – which makes diseases difficult (or impossible) to treat.