Like sand slipping through fingers, anti-TB drug resistance threatens to unwind the progress

There is no doubt that groundbreaking progress has been made in fight against tuberculosis (TB) in the past two decades, but it might be prudent to review if we are winning the fight in order to #endTB by 2030. Do we slip backwards when we fail to prevent every single transmission of new TB infection or when a new person becomes resistant to anti-TB drugs? Are we sliding farther away from our #endTB goalpost, when we fail to ensure early diagnosis, effective treatment and successful cure?

Connecting 'silos': Interdependence is key to #endTB in sustainable development era

When major weak-spots go beyond the purview of health ministry, inter-sectoral programming becomes critical to progress towards ending tuberculosis (TB) by 2030, globally. Indian government has committed to end TB by 2025 - a welcome political commitment indeed - but warrants urgent and unprecedented actions to muscle up the required pace to keep this promise.

Bringing TB out of the shadows

So said Jose Luis Castro, Executive Director of the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union). TB related stigma and discrimination still lurks in our communities and blocks access to existing care services. Jose shared several examples where TB patients felt isolated, frustrated and cornered enough to resort to extreme acts of desperation like suicide.

#IndiaVsTB: Keeping workforce healthy is also a smart business strategy

Later this month, health ministers of our governments will convene for World Health Assembly (WHA) to shape the agenda of the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as elect its new leader as Dr Margaret Chan's tenure as WHO Director-General comes to an end. During Dr Chan's leadership of WHO, adoption of the WHO End TB Strategy in WHA 2014 and world leaders coming together to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at UN General Assembly 2016, are among the key milestone moments.

[Podcast] #IndiaVsTB: Film stars and public health experts call upon ending TB stigma and catastrophic costs

[Listen or download this audio podcast] This CNS Podcast episode features 3 Indian film-stars Suniel Shetty, Sonu Sood and Suhail Khan, and Executive Director of International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union) Jose Luis Castro, along with Deepti Chavan, who is not only a TB survivor but also champions the cause for improving TB care for all those in need. They were key speakers at the TB Free India Summit held on World Health Day 2017 in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. [Listen or download this audio podcast]

[Podcast] Collective action can help accelerate the pace to #endTB, says Rhea Lobo at #IndiaVsTB

[Listen or download the audio podcast] Rhea Lobo, a noted international award winning film-maker and a freelance journalist, is also a TB survivor. She shared her insights on how to accelerate the pace to end TB at the potentially-game changing inter-sectoral meet, TB Free India Summit  (#IndiaVsTB) at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, on World Health Day 2017 [Listen or download the audio podcast].