You may not cure but control your asthma

Tuyeimo Haidula, CNS Correspondent, Namibia
Asthma is a neglected tropical disease which cannot be cured but it can be treated and controlled. Good asthma control means a person can live life normally with no or very minimal symptoms. These were the sentiments shared by experts during a recently organised webinar by Citizen News Service (CNS) for media in lead up to World Asthma Day 2017.

Take care of your heart

Tuyeimo Haidula, CNS Correspondent, Namibia

Take care of your heart instead of burning it out… This was the message delivered by a panel of experts during a webinar organised by CNS and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), in lead up to World Heart Day. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally. In 2012, 31% of all global deaths were attributed to CVDs – this equates to roughly 17.5 million deaths.

World beating back malaria

Tuyeimo Haidula, CNS Correspondent, Namibia

“Reducing and eliminating malaria is unequivocally one of the best buys in the global health”, said Dr Tim France, Team Leader for External Communications, Asia Pacific Leaders' Malaria Alliance (APLMA) and Managing Director, Inis Communication, while speaking during a webinar last month. The webinar was held on progress made (or lack of) towards ending TB, malaria and Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) by 2030 (or earlier).

Hope for patients suffering from multi drug resistant TB

Tuyeimo Haidula, CNS Correspondent, Namibia
Patients suffering from multi drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) may have the  likelihood of a higher cure success rate after the World Health Organization approved a new treatment regimen for it. The new WHO approved treatment is more patient friendly and aims to speed up diagnosis and improve treatment outcomes for MDR-TB in a shorter and cheaper way.

Tobacco kills: Plain packaging could be the answer

Tuyeimo Haidula, CNS Correspondent, Namibia
Plain packaging on tobacco products makes them less attractive. The death and health risks from smoking is high, and yet the number of new smokers every year continues to grow. In order to address this issue and highlight the devastating impact of tobacco use on health, the World Health Organization commemorates the World No Tobacco Day on 31st May every year. WHO also advocates for policies that help people quit tobacco use and discourage non-users from starting.

Do not ignore your asthma

Tuyeimo Haidula, CNS Correspondent, Namibia
Despite the fact that asthma affects over 300 million people globally, very little attention is given to this chronic and persistent disease. Speaking during a webinar organized by Citizen News Service and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), Jeremiah Chakaya, of Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) lamented that asthma is under diagnosed all over the world, and not just in poor countries, and when it is diagnosed it is under treated.