CNS: Berlin 2010

Showing posts with label Berlin 2010. Show all posts

Winning project pictures life with Tuberculosis

The TB Photovoice Project, the winner of the 2010 TB Survival Prize, started as a one man's way to deal with the loss of his beloved ones to tuberculosis (TB). By now, it is touching the lives of many people around the world, helping – through pictures and narratives – to empower and raise the voices of persons and communities affected by the disease. Read more

Inspiring stories, both on paper and film, have recently been published to address the issue of tuberculosis (TB) in Thailand. The TB/HIV Research Foundation bundled the memories of volunteers working with people affected by TB in a book, and made a video to enhance treatment adherence among people living with TB. Read more.

Health remains the most important goal in one’s life. All diseases need proper attention, though (one may argue) some need more attention than others. Our fight should not be directed merely against certain specific diseases, but to have a disease free and healthy mind and body. To achieve this, we will need to strengthen health systems and work towards the fair and equitable distribution of health care resources to all those who need them. Read more

Asthma is the most common chronic disease. Since 2000, some areas of public health, such as tuberculosis (TB), have gone from being deprived of resources for decades to having significant amounts of funding. While important gaps remain, this “dream come true” has also revealed that spending better is equally necessary as spending more. Ms Cécile Macé, Pharmacist and Coordinator, The Union's Asthma Drug Facility (ADF) said at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany that "ADF improves affordability of essential asthma medicines in developing countries." Read more

"Where we have indigenous people, we have more poverty and more TB incidence" said Mirtha del Granado, Regional Adviser on TB, WHO (in Americas) at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany. There are 63,432 missed cases of TB in Americas (North, Central and South America), said Mirtha. Most of them are in Priority countries detecting less than 50% TB, said Mirtha. Read more

"Basic human rights as enjoyed by others have not benefitted indigenous peoples. Therefore the respect and recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples is critical to our dignity and survival. In particular, implementation of our right to health is essential if we are to stop TB" said Wilton Littlechild, Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations, who was speaking at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany. Read more

As the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany was going on, another development took place in Canada – which will surely impact public health including tuberculosis (TB) and lung health among indigenous communities. Canada endorsed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Communities. Wilton Littlechild, Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations, has been a powerful advocate demanding this endorsement from Canada since years. Four states had voted against the declaration initially, New Zealand, Australia, United States of America and Canada. However, New Zealand and Australia had changed their position and endorsed the declaration earlier. Now Canada too have endorsed the declaration, thankfully. Read more

Simple, safe and effective medication is a right of all TB patients

A new report, presented at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health held recently in Berlin, Germany, by a consortium of international TB organizations (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the Global Drug Facility (GDF), Treatment Action Group, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), the Global Alliance for Drug Development (TB Alliance), and Management Sciences for Health) has highlighted that many TB patients, especially in the developing countries, are still not getting simple, quality assured first line medicines which are available in the global market. Read more

Berlin, Germany: Louder voices and more demand for new tools against tuberculosis (TB) from people and communities are needed to push the fight against the airborne disease, participants of the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (November 11-15) stressed. Read more

(Based on an interview given exclusively to CNS by Dr. Dean Schraufnagel, Vice president of The Union, and Professor of Medicine and Pathology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, during the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, which was held in Berlin during 11--15 November,2010)
The connection between breath and life is fundamental, yet lung health does not seem to be high on the public health agenda. Around 10 million people (especially the poor, old and the weak) die every year, due to lung diseases, including tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia, influenza, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) which is soon going to become the number one killer. Read more

The discussions at the recently concluded 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, in Berlin, brought forth several connections between diabetes and tuberculosis, clearly showing a link between non communicable and communicable diseases. According to Professor Anthony Harries, a seasoned physician and Director, Department of Research, at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), "There is very good evidence which suggests that if you have diabetes, the risk of TB is twice than if you do not have it. In terms of diagnosis and treatment also, there is similarity of obstacles. We do not have simple diagnostic tests available for both these diseases." Read more

One of the most adversely affected communities is at times least likely to seek care – as demanding care might have a price. "Relevance of strong tuberculosis (TB) control programmes is more when social determinants are weak" said Dr Ernesto Jaramillo from Stop TB Department, WHO at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany. Read more

Within that pill is also your health – said Rachel C Orduno who herself completed anti-TB treatment (ATT) years back to encourage others who were on ATT and didn’t want to take the pills due to toxicity and side effects of ATT. “Take the pills and get on with your lives” said she. She showed a photograph of all ATT pills for her family put in one bag – and titled the photograph as ‘Gift of Health.’ Six of her family members had come out positive for TB. This was one of the most motivating sessions at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (symposium of advocacy, communication and social mobilization – ACSM on 14 November 2010). Rachel C Orduno was introduced as a TB survivor, rightly so – who continues to strengthen social response to TB that complements the biomedical one in such a vital way. Read more

The private pharmacists are real partners in TB control helping increase new TB case detection and treatment in Cambodia. Senior TB advocate Hara Mihalea from PATH presented the best practice example of Cambodia at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany. Not only private agencies referred suspected TB cases to TB clinics for further diagnosis and required treatment, they also stopped keeping anti-TB treatment drugs in their pharmacies – an outcome in Cambodia that surely needs to be replicated in many settings. Read more

World Diabetes Day is on 14th November
Diabetes is a leading threat to public health and, along with other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality globally. The largest burden -- 80% (28 million) -- occurs in low- and middle- income countries, making NCDs a major cause of poverty and an urgent development issue. Building awareness of this issue is the main focus of World Diabetes Day, which will be on Sunday, 14 November 2010.

"You can not talk about public health today without addressing the rise of non-communicable diseases, especially in low- and middle-income countries", said Dr Nils E Billo, Executive Director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), which is one of the key partners of the NCD Alliance. Read more

Today is World Diabetes Day and also Children’s Day in India. We are also in the middle of an international conference on Lung Health in Berlin ( 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010). There can be better way to meaningfully link all these events together than by taking part in the Global Walk which is being promoted by the World Diabetes Foundation. Read more

Swaziland: Fight against TB in troubled waters

Swaziland has the highest per capita TB burden in the world, and HIV incidence is 26% which is no less alarming. Not surprisingly TB-HIV co-infection rate amongst TB patients in Swaziland is 80%. "The government is creating genocide where we are infecting each other" said Tengetile Hlophe from Swaziland at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany. Also rate of drug-resistant TB among new TB cases is worrisome, said Tengetile. Read more

Berlin, Germany: Civil society initiatives continue to play an important role in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), participants of the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010) heard on the first day. Door to door visits in communities by persons who have been through TB treatment help find the harder to reach TB patients who otherwise would go undetected. Read more

Did isolating (jailing) TB patients in Kenya helped public health?

When Kenyan activist Nelson Otwoma went to see the three TB patients who were put in isolation (in the prison) in August 2010 for forcible TB treatment – he was shocked. They weren’t isolated rather they were sharing the prison chamber with other inmates defeating the very public health argument for isolation, and of course further worsening the human rights situation in prison for all – the three TB patients, other inmates, prison staff and prison warden who was supposed to be the 'DOTS provider.' Nelson was speaking at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010). Read more

WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY, 12 November 2010
Every 20 seconds pneumonia causes a preventable tragedy somewhere in the world. That's how often a child under five dies of a disease that is preventable, treatable and curable with existing vaccines and antibiotics. World Pneumonia Day, to be held this year on Friday, 12 November, was established in 2009 by the Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia to increase awareness and gain commitment to ending this waste of young lives. Read more