Economic loss caused by tobacco to global economy is over US$ 1.4 trillion every year

M A N J A R I   P E I R I S

[published in Asian Tribune]

Professor (Dr) Surya Kant, Head of the Respiratory Medicine Department, King George's Medical University delivering his keynote address at the ongoing Sustainable Development e-Talks (#SDGtalks) co-hosted by Indian Institute of Management Indore and CNS, said that scientific evidence from countries hard-hit by corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic shows that those with previously existing conditions like heart diseases, high blood pressure, cancers, kidney diseases, diabetes, tuberculosis among others, are at an alarming risk of serious COVID-19 outcomes, including death. "Tobacco is the entirely-preventable common risk factor of these conditions that increase the deadly risk of serious outcomes of COVID-19." Professor Kant said.

A tribute to Professor Carlo Fonseka

Manjari Peiris, Sri Lanka

The world recently lost a man in a million! Yes, I am talking of none other than Professor Carlo Fonseka - a superlative human being of our times who left for his heavenly abode on September 2, 2019 at the age of 86 years. Many articles and newspaper editorials have appeared in the press during the last few days paying tribute to this great Sri Lankan, whose sad demise has left a void that is difficult to fill.

End tobacco is imperative for health justice

Manjari Peiris, Sri Lanka
(First Published in Asian Tribune, Sri Lanka/Thailand on June 5, 2019)

The Citizen News Service (CNS) hosted a webinar on ‘End Tobacco is an imperative for health justice’ with a panel of experts to celebrate the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2019. The panel of experts included, Dr. Kerstin Schotte of the WHO, Professor Rama Kant, President Lucknow College of Surgeons, Professor Surya Kant, Head of Respiratory Medicine Department, King George's Medical University, and noted cardiologist Professor Rishi Sethi.

Unfortunately, UN agencies have never put TB as their top priority, said Dr. Mario Raviglione

Manjari Peiris, Sri Lanka 

Dr Mario Raviglione

[First published in Asian Tribune, Sri Lanka/Thailand on March 30, 2019]
“There is no single country in the world which has ever eliminated tuberculosis (TB)- the number one infectious disease killer in the world. Asia and Africa respectively account for 60% and 25% of the global TB cases. Every year 10 million patients with TB are reported in the world and 1.6 million die of it, which amounts to nearly 4000 deaths per day. So we need to move fast to achieve elimination targets set by the World Health Assembly as part of the End TB Strategy”, stated Dr. Mario Raviglione, Director, Global Health Centre, University of Milan, and former Director, Global TB Program of the WHO, while speaking at a webinar organized by Citizen News Service (CNS) in the lead up to World TB Day 2019.

"India spending three times more money to treat tobacco-related diseases than revenue from tobacco": Prof Surya Kant

Manjari Peiris, Sri Lanka 
[First published in Asian Tribune, on February 7, 2019]
Worldwide tobacco industry's so-called claim that they are revenue earners for governments and are good for the country's' economy is a totally baseless one.

WHO prioritizes AMR: A key issue tackled through multi-sectoral partnership

Manjari Peiris, Sri Lanka
[First published in Asian Tribune]

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a multi-sectoral problem affecting human and animal health, agriculture, as well as the global environment and trade. Clean water, sustainable food production and poverty alleviation are but a few of the challenges it poses. It is learnt that AMR threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

Rotation of pictorial health warnings on tobacco products

Manjari Peiris, Sri Lanka

[First published in Asian Tribune]
Sri Lanka initiated implementation of Article 11- as envisaged in WHO’s Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)- on packaging and labelling of tobacco products, in early 2015. Eight pictures on Pictorial Health Warnings (PHWs ), that covered 80% of the surface area of cigarette packets, were introduced.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena blasts tobacco industry for attempting to bribe

 Manjari Peiris, Sri Lanka 
(First published in The Asian Tribune, Sri Lanka on 26 September 2013)  
The Minister of Health Sri Lanka, recently made a shocking revelation proving the worldwide well established notorious demeanour of the tobacco industry-- their attempts to bribe politicians, policy makers and journalists etc. -- to hinder bringing in people friendly health policies in the country. Generally laws are meant to protect the people of a country, but very strangely the tobacco industry demands and seeks legal remedy for itself to further engage in ‘man slaughtering’.