Put people first mantra to drive WHO task force to save the medicines that protect us

[watch the AMR Dialogues, listen to podcast] The United Nations apex health agency – the World Health Organization (WHO) – had announced the establishment of its first-ever civil society Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in October 2025. This marks a major shift in addressing AMR which is not only among the top 10 global health threats but also threatening our food safety and systems and polluting our environment. After all, it is we the people that must be central to health and development responses.

High-Level Roundtable to mark World Health Day: Strengthening South-South partnerships for improving access to health technologies developed by Global South for achieving UHC

[video] Annual End TB Dialogues Summit 2024 | Treatment is prevention: Find all TB → treat all TB → prevent all TB → End TB

[video] Insights on getting on track to end TB by former WHO Director of Global TB Programme Dr Mario Raviglione

Build the world we want: A healthy future for all

So goes the theme of this year’s (2022) Universal Health Coverage Day. Air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat are the three basic necessities to sustain life. But the poor quality of any of these can lead to unhealthy outcomes, which we are seeing in today’s world in the form of a plethora of air, water and food borne illnesses. Destruction of biodiversity by humans is also creating conditions that abet the spread of new diseases. Logging, mining, deforestation, road construction, all bring people into closer contact with animal species. Data show that an estimated 75% of the emerging infectious diseases in humans have an animal origin, triggered by viruses or bacteria.

Stopping antimicrobial resistance is the bedrock for advancing universal health coverage

Shobha Shukla - CNS

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day is 12 December

[हिंदी] Stopping antimicrobial resistance by promoting infection prevention, responsible and appropriate use of antimicrobial medicines in human health, livestock and food systems, is the bedrock for promoting universal health coverage. Failing this, the absence of efficacious antimicrobials will effectively return the world to the pre-antibiotic era before the 1920s when lives were lost at a far greater rate due to infection.

Leaders of cities in Asia Pacific commit for united local actions to meet global health goals

#EndTobacco is an essential part of the bedrock for Universal Health Coverage

[हिंदी] Can we deliver on the promise of health for all unless we fix the gaping and widening punctures that are causing epidemic-proportion of preventable diseases and untimely deaths? No one needs to suffer from preventable illnesses or die from curable diseases. Tobacco use kills over 8 million people worldwide every year. While ‘Big Tobacco’ industries become richer, it is the governments and the people worldwide who are not only dealing with mountainous health crises but also becoming more vulnerable to fritter away whatever progress they have been able to make towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and targets.

Community health work is work

This year the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) day is different in a way that never before the UHC message was so loud and clear. From first case of coronavirus eleven months ago to nearly 70 million cases worldwide, the pandemic has made us realize how essential is health security for each one of us - and - unless we ensure development justice for each one of us, no one is protected. Primary healthcare is the fundamental building block of health systems and community health workers who provide primary healthcare services are the true champions. More importantly, community healthcare work, is also an essential work - failing which, our entire health system is threatened.

Universal access to sexual and reproductive health services is a human rights imperative

S H O B H A   S H U K L A  -  C N S

(हिंदी) The Asia Pacific region is home to more than half of the global population and many low income countries. While the region is witnessing rapid economic growth, gender inequalities persist and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services are far from being available to all. In the lead up to this year's International Women's Day and the forthcoming 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSHR10) in Cambodia, CNS Managing Editor Shobha Shukla spoke with Tomoko Fukuda, Regional Director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation for East & South-East Asia and Oceania Region, on advancing gender equality and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in this region.

Universal rights-based access to sexual and reproductive health services is key for SDGs

Niti Aayog must stop plan to privatise public health

In late November 2019 Khwahish Warsi, a daily wage earner who makes his living by making and selling 'dholaks', the Indian percussion instrument, who did not have one pelvic joint, met with a major accident and suffered major fracture in both his legs. He was taken to the trauma centre of the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, India. Because of major rush here he could not be admitted for two days and was ‘advised’ to seek treatment in private hospital. That is how he landed at a private hospital in the city. Even after he had borrowed Rs. 1.1 Lakhs (around US$ 1500) from his village in Barabanki he could not muster half the amount the hospital was asking to go ahead and perform the surgery which included putting iron rods in his legs. Had it not been for some charitable individuals he would not have been able to make all hospital payments. But everyone may not be as lucky.

Health and treatment literacy is a linchpin for global health security

This Podcast features Dr Dilip Mathai, Vice President of AIDS Society of India (ASI), and Co-Chair of Scientific Committee of ASICON 2019 (12th National Conference of ASI). He was conferred upon the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award by ASI for 2019. Dr Mathai is Dean, and Professor of Medicine & Adult Infectious Disease, at Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR) in Hyderabad.

We cannot end AIDS without combating antimicrobial resistance

S H O B H A   S H U K L A   -   C N S

With just 133 months left to end AIDS, this year's World AIDS Day underlines the urgency to step up the fight against the epidemic. Despite unprecedented progress made in scaling up HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, we are not yet on track to end AIDS by 2030. One of the major threats lurking to reverse these gains made in combating AIDS is antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Is Universal Health Coverage an opportunity to end AIDS and TB?

[Watch recording of IAS2019 session] At the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019, a special United Nations High Level Meeting (UNHLM) will be held on Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 193 countries have promised to deliver on UHC by 2030 by committing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

#UHC can help find missing TB cases and ↓ catastrophic cost in seeking care

Is universal health coverage an opportunity to #endAIDS & #endTB?

This Podcast features a conversation on "Is Universal Health Coverage (UHC) an opportunity to accelerate progress to end AIDS and TB?"

This dialogue took place on last day of 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2019) in Mexico.

Panelists included:

Need to go beyond #UHC on lines of "WHO's 3 Billion" model to #endAIDS, #endTB, ↑ #healthsecurity

Is UHC an opportunity to accelerate progress to end AIDS and TB?

Inis Communication, CNS, AIDS Society of India (ASI) and People Health Organization (PHO) are organizing this press conference at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2019): "Is UHC an opportunity to accelerate progress to end AIDS and TB?". This session will be held on Wednesday, 24 July, 16:00 – 16:45 pm, in Press Conference Room (PCR), Casa Montejo 3, Centro Citibanamex, Mexico.

#UHCday: Voices of 7 women leaders on boosting HIV prevention to #endAIDS

Complacency kills: Prevention cannot take a backseat while we scale up treatment coverage to #endAIDS

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

[Webinar recording, podcast] "The global health system is only as strong as its weakest parts" had said UNDP’s Mandeep Dhaliwal in her article around last year's World AIDS Day. The context has only deepened over the year, not only for ending AIDS but also for health security in general. With Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) on 12th December this year, time is running out to catch up on lost opportunities to advance towards UHC.