It is time to get back to basics if we are to end TB

This year’s World TB Day theme is #WeCanEndTB. However, many nations in the global north were successful in eliminating TB as a public health threat many decades back.

Connecting the dots: TB, tobacco, air pollution, modernization, urbanization, industrialization, and bad diet and lifestyle

Smoking rates decline in Cambodia but challenges remain to #endTobacco

New study findings show that the number of tobacco smokers in Cambodia has declined by one-fifth during the 2014-2021 period. However, to end tobacco use which remains the single largest preventable cause of diseases and untimely deaths, stronger urgent actions are needed in Cambodia, and globally.

The Djinn of vaccine hesitancy: Is it still out?

[हिन्दी] It was a busy day for Usman Mu’azu Yusuf as he negotiated with customers at his shop in the Nasarawa GRA area of Kano, Kano State, in Nigeria. The proximity between him and his customers was well less than the one-metre stipulated for the COVID-19 safety protocols.

Shadow pandemic: Gender-based violence is one of the biggest human rights violations

Although the world gave unprecedented attention to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet it has long ignored paying heed to one of the most widespread violations of human rights globally: sexual and other forms of gender-based violence – a shadow pandemic that has been menacingly lurking since long. May be it is the deep-seated patriarchy and its sinister links with capitalism and religious fundamentalism that prevents us from ending all forms of violence against women and girls, and other people of different gender identities and expressions.

Thai government shuts down key-population led PrEP services

Mounting pressure on government to reverse policies jeopardising HIV prevention services for men who have sex with men, transgender women and sex workers

(published in aidsmap on 13 February 2023)

[video] Why has Thailand jolted its community-led HIV response as well as other disease prevention and health promotion?

[podcast] Why has Thailand jolted its community-led HIV response as well as other disease prevention and health promotion?

This podcast features Natthakarn Laohacharoensombat from MPLUS Foundation Thailand, who explains in details how community-led interventions that were instrumental in improving access to thousands of people to #PreExposureProphylaxis #PrEP and #PostExposureProphylaxis #PEP, are threatened and disrupted due to recent Government decisions. These recent government decisions also impact access to free HIV testing for all or condoms and other HIV prevention services.

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, Player FM, and other podcast streaming platforms.

[video] Dr Nittaya Phanuphak demands urgent resolution of policy challenges threatening Thai AIDS response

[podcast] Dr Nittaya Phanuphak demands urgent resolution of challenges confronting Thai AIDS response

This podcast features Dr Nittaya Phanuphak, Executive Director of IHRI (Institute of HIV Research and Innovation) who got twice elected to the Governing Council of International AIDS Society (IAS) from Asia Pacific region, and currently serves on the GC IAS too. 

She explains in details how community-led interventions that were instrumental in improving access to thousands of people to #PreExposureProphylaxis #PrEP and #PostExposureProphylaxis #PEP, are threatened and disrupted due to recent Government decisions. These recent government decisions also impact access to free HIV testing for all or condoms and other HIV prevention services. Now several groups like APCOM, IHRI, Raks Thai Foundation, Swing Foundation, Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, FHI 360, MPlus Foundation Chiang Mai, among others are lobbying the Thai government to reverse this policy guideline, and resume and scale up access to HIV prevention and whole range of services which is key to be on track to #endAIDS by 2030. 

[podcast] Will Thailand government reverse the decision that disrupted access to HIV prevention services like PrEP?

This podcast features Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director of APCOM who shares insights on the how recent decisions made by Thailand government has disrupted community-led HIV prevention services such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

[video] Will Thailand government #TakeBack policy that has disrupted access to #PrEP?