Breaking silos: TB and poverty

Latest advancements in TB science in spotlight

Important game-changing scientific advancements in preventing and treating TB (TB or tuberculosis, is among the deadliest of infectious diseases globally), were in spotlight at the recently concluded International Conference on Retroviruses and other Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2022).

Far from the promise of endgame, tobacco epidemic continues...

Tobacco industry-propelled epidemic of tobacco-caused diseases and untimely deaths continue to plague human development. Despite significant progress on tobacco control, endgame of tobacco - which is a human rights and social justice imperative - is not yet in sight. The recently released 7th edition of Tobacco Atlas shows that while global smoking prevalence in adults has declined from 22.7% in 2007 to 19.6% in 2019, we still have 1.3 billion tobacco users in the world. The progress on the endgame of tobacco is also threatened by the growing tobacco smoking rates among children aged 13 to 15 years in many countries, and by tobacco industry tactics targeting poorer countries with weak regulatory environments and pushing so-called 'novel' products in previously untapped markets.

Drug-resistant TB: Are we converting scientific breakthroughs into public health gains?

[listen to The Dose Podcast that premiered on 2022 World TB Day] [हिंदी] Undoubtedly, among the most important scientific breakthroughs for the diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) have happened in the past few years. But are we able to convert the scientific breakthroughs into public health gains quickly enough - by diagnosing every person with drug-resistant TB, and treating them with safe and effective medicines?

[video] CROI 2022: Global advocates offer insights and directions on the science and next steps needed

CROI 2022: Global advocates offer insights and directions on the science and next steps needed

(watch the recording) You are invited to join the CROI Community Liaison Subcommittee, AVAC, and European AIDS Treatment Group for a webinar to debrief this year's Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2022).

The Dose Podcast: Highly drug-resistant TB & ZeNix trial results

[podcast] When COVID-19 lockdown was clamped, HIV communities led from the front to ensure HIV medicines reached them

Listen to another episode of CNS #endAIDS Dialogues featuring noted human rights and HIV activist Daxa Patel, former President of National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India in conversation with CNS head Shobha Shukla at 13th national conference of AIDS Society of India (13th ASICON) in Hyderabad, India.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, aCast, Podtail, BluBrry, Himalaya, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, and other podcast streaming platforms.

[podcast] Community leadership synced with government response to ensure uninterrupted supply of HIV medicines during lockdown

Listen to another episode of CNS #endAIDS Dialogues featuring Padamshree and ASI Lifetime Achievement Awardee 2022 Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, who was earlier heading epidemiology at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and also has been a noted HIV scientist and expert at National AIDS Research Institute. He is in conversation with CNS Managing Editor Shobha Shukla at 13th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (13th ASICON).

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, aCast, Podtail, BluBrry, Himalaya, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, and other podcast streaming platforms.

[podcast] People living with HIV must stay virally suppressed and manage NCDs to reduce severe COVID risk

Listen to another episode of CNS #endAIDS Dialogues featuring Dr N Kumarasamy, who has been involved with HIV medical care and advancing HIV science since 1994, is Director of Infectious Diseases Medical Centre Voluntary Health Services Hospital, and Secretary General of AIDS Society of India (ASI). He is in conversation with CNS Managing Editor Shobha Shukla at 13th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (13th ASICON). He is also the Scientific Co-Chair of 13th ASICON.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, aCast, Podtail, BluBrry, Himalaya, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, and other podcast streaming platforms.

[video] Did COVID-19 lockdown impacted HIV and healthcare services? Noted rights activist Daxa Patel speaks

[video] People living with HIV must take lifesaving antiretroviral medicines, stay virally suppressed, and manage NCDs to reduce severe COVID risk

[video] #Leadership: During lockdown, it was the people living with HIV who ensured medicines reached them

[podcast] #WomenLead: Generations of women entrepreneurs who run Imperial Sweet House, give hope for gender justice

In old city of Hyderabad, India, one of the legends close to Salarjung Museum and Charminar, in the oldest part of this city (Noor Khan Bazar), is Imperial Sweet House - founded decades ago, and led by generations of women entrepreneurs striving hard and from the core of their hearts to keep the legacy alive! Sweets/ desserts such as Pure Kaju (cashew nut) Kii Jaali, Badam (almond) ki jaali, are among the most iconic ones here!

Listen to Ms Aisha and Ms Nafees - two generations of women who share highlights of their decades long journey and still continuing strong! They are in conversation with CNS founding Managing Editor Shobha Shukla.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, aCast, Podtail, BluBrry, Himalaya, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, and other podcast streaming platforms.

Prevention is better than cure, and is cheaper too!

This is an old adage that signifies the importance of taking precautionary steps to prevent a problem from happening rather than fixing it after it occurs. It is a fundamental principle of healthcare to avoid/reduce occurrence of any disease.

Is our response to health emergencies, missing organized medicine?

When health emergencies occur it is the doctors and other healthcare providers who are on the frontlines in responding to the humanitarian and public health crises. But they along with those impacted are not just part of the ‘problem’ but also key to effective solutions. Along with most affected people, it is the frontline healthcare providers who should be shaping responses to the pandemics and health emergencies.

[podcast] Are we on track to end AIDS in India?

Listen to this Podcast from the 13th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (13th ASICON), Hyderabad, India, held during 3-5 April 2022 on the theme of “Confronting Pandemics with Proficiency, Precision and Persistence.” Experts include UK's HIV expert Dr Jyoti Dhar, ASICON President Dr Ishwar Gilada, ASICON Co-Chair Dr Dilip Mathai, ASICON Scientific Co-Chairs Dr Naval Chandra and Dr Vijay Yeldandi.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, aCast, Podtail, BluBrry, Himalaya, ListenNotes, American Podcasts, CastBox FM, Ivy FM, and other podcast streaming platforms.

We can #endAIDS now if "undetectable equals untransmittable" becomes a reality for all persons living with HIV

[हिंदी] If every person living with HIV is aware of the positive status, receiving lifesaving and effective antiretroviral therapy, and remains virally suppressed, then not only virus becomes undetectable but also untransmittable (U Equals U). Not only this will ensure optimal quality of life for every person living with HIV but also will help translate the promise of our governments to end AIDS by 2030. We can end AIDS now, said Dr Jyoti Dhar, senior HIV expert from UK, who was speaking at the opening of 13th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (13th ASICON) in Hyderabad.

[video] 13th national AIDS conference to take stock of progress on the promise to #endAIDS by 2030

Are we ready to give it all to #endTB?

[हिंदी] First-ever United Nations High Level Meeting to end TB by 2030 was held four years ago. It culminated in an important political declaration that galvanised accelerated action towards eliminating TB by 2030. With less than a year to deliver on intermediary 2022 promises, progress has been there but dismal. More importantly, latest Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report of the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that COVID-19 gave a major jolt to the efforts to fight the ancient disease forcing to reverse gains that were made in the past decade. 

Preventing disease and strengthening health system are key while we open up economies

[हिंदी] Although some parts of the world are reporting another rise in new COVID-19 infections, many countries are doing away with pandemic-related public health and social measures that were put in place over two years ago. Experts of Organized Medicine Academic Guild of India (OMAG) raised an alarm and called for layered safeguards with "One World One Health" approach while we rebuild a more equitable social and economic order for everyone.

Will Himalayan Indian state eliminate tuberculosis by 2023?

Two years before the pandemic had struck us, the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh in India had declared that it will eliminate tuberculosis (TB) by 2023 - two years before the national #endTB target (2025), and seven years before the global #endTB target (2030). State Chief Minister’s dedicated initiative had further galvanized the efforts towards containing the ancient disease. But are we on track?

Treatment of the world's oldest epidemic: the past, present and future

This article is dedicated to all those who lost their lives to world's most deadly infectious disease - TB - and to those who defeated it

Is it not shocking that an ancient disease that has been with human since long before the recorded history, and is preventable and treatable, still kills around 1.5 million people every year? Molecular analysis of causative microbe of tuberculosis (TB) suggests that the first infections of humans occurred as much as 70,000 years ago. But the actual cause of TB was known only 140 years ago, when on March 24, 1882, Dr Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium - the microbe that causes TB. Even today, TB remains the leading infectious cause of death globally. 1.8 billion people (nearly 25% of the world’s population), harbour Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Every year nearly 10 million people contract the disease and around 1.5 million die from it.