CNS: 2025

According to the latest WHO Global TB Report 2025 released a week ago, tobacco smoking is among the top-5 risk factors for the deadliest of all infectious diseases worldwide - tuberculosis (TB). In countries with alarmingly high tobacco use, like Indonesia, tobacco use is the biggest risk factor for TB. Tobacco is also among the major common risk factors for a range of other non-infectious (or non-communicable) diseases, such as heart diseases and stroke, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, among others.

Right to health is a fundamental human right. There is no doubt that everyone - without any exception or exclusion - should be able to live healthily in a rights-based manner - everywhere. Along with ensuring high to health is a reality for all, it is also important to recognise health financing as a smart investment.

The risk of getting TB disease is among the highest in unhoused and other marginalised persons but the likelihood of them seeking public TB services is low – and finishing lifesaving TB therapy is even lower. The delay is long – very long – for them to get right diagnosis (if at all) – and so are the catastrophic costs which they may incur until getting correctly diagnosed. Not being able to finish lifesaving TB treatment is not helping either- the person suffers and so does the TB response - because we collectively fail to disrupt TB transmission.

Let us go back in time 97 years ago and dare to imagine the plight of those who suffered with bacterial infections before the discovery of world's first antibiotic in 1928 (penicillin). Without lifesaving medicines, curable or treatable infections could become deadly - once again. Today, a lot of medicines are failing to treat infections because disease-causing bacteria, virus, fungi and/or parasites are becoming drug-resistant - largely because of human-made misuse and overuse of medicines. Choice is ours: Do we want to slip back in time when there were not enough medicines around, or would we stop misuse and overuse of medicines and use them responsibly?

[watch the recording] As intergovernmental Treaty meetings open on climate (UNFCCC) and tobacco control (WHO FCTC), there is a growing call to make Big Tobacco pay and kick Big Polluters out of these Treaty negotiations. Experts have underpinned the critical importance of firewalling intergovernmental health and climate policy negotiations from corporate interference and called for advancing progress towards holding abusive corporations to account.

1st inaugural India AMR Media Awards 2025

Watch the recording of 1st inaugural India AMR Media Awards 2025

Watch the recording of 1st inaugural India AMR Media Awards 2025, which was part of 5th Annual Global Media Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance, organised ahead of World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW 2025).

Watch the recording of 2nd Global AMR Media Awards Ceremony 2025

2nd Global AMR Media Awards Ceremony 2025 was held as part of 5th Annual Global Media Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance, ahead of World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW 2025).

Gateway to universal access to SRHR is human right to health

[watch the recording] The human right to health is not a privilege, it is a legal obligation - rooted in international human rights law - and must form the foundation of all efforts toward universal access, equity, and justice. Protecting, implementing, and enforcing this right is essential for the wellbeing of women, girls, and all gender-diverse peoples.

Watch the recording of SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony at International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025) in Bogota, Colombia

A brewing crisis: Millions of women still lack access to family planning

The landscape of sexual and reproductive health and rights is shifting: millions of women want to avoid pregnancy but are not using a modern method of contraception.

[Read official announcement] World's largest prize devoted to TB, the coveted Kochon Prize, was awarded to India's Molbio Diagnostics for its technological innovation which is helping over 90 governments worldwide to reach the unreached with best of multi-disease molecular diagnostics. This is the third time India won Kochon Prize with previous two recipients being 2006-head of Indian government's TB programme Dr LS Chauhan, and country's apex medical research body - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 2017.

Tobacco use poses a severe burden on Myanmar’s health and economy, killing about 64,000 people each year. Myanmar has marked a significant milestone in protecting public health and advancing global tobacco control efforts with the successful implementation of standardised plain packaging on tobacco products.

Having taught Physics for over 30 years to young girls, when experts called for transforming teachers and teaching for young people’s health, well-being and gender equality, it resonated strongly with me.

Gender equality is enshrined in the opening preamble of United Nations Charter 1945. But despite progress and some setbacks, not a single country has delivered 100% on gender equality. Is the sinister link between patriarchy, capitalism, corporate capture, religious fundamentalism, militarisation, and politics of power, the reason why progress on gender equality remains off the mark?

Amidst anti-gender push, hope pins on ICFP 2025 to shift gears towards SRHRJ for all

Despite right to health and gender equality being fundamental human rights, the world is off the track from delivering on these goals in the next 62 months (by 2030). Anti-rights and anti-gender pushbacks have made the situation even more grim. Activists are pinning hope on an upcoming global meet to galvanise a stronger and equitable response to deliver on these goals.

Study proves strong impact of taking molecular TB diagnostics closer to the people

Urgent call to replace sputum microscopy completely with true point-of-care molecular tests to #FindAllTB

An important scientific study published in The Lancet shows the strong public health impact of deploying molecular diagnostics closer to the people.

[Watch the recording] 5th Annual Global Media Forum ahead of World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) would be organised on 12th November 2025 (begins 11:30AM CET). This year's WAAW is on the theme: "Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future."

The world is heading towards widespread resistance to common antibiotics. So indicates the Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025, that was launched today by the World Health Organization (WHO), cautioning that increasing resistance to essential antibiotics poses a growing threat to public health systems globally - especially in countries least equipped to handle it.

With 62 months left to deliver on #endTB and #endAIDS goals, SAARC TB and HIV/AIDS Centre making a difference

Tobacco vendor licensing plugs the loopholes in implementing lifesaving health laws

Before the intergovernmental global tobacco treaty meet opens next month, experts call for tobacco vendor licensing so that governments can enforce lifesaving tobacco control policies effectively, protect children and youth from misleading tobacco industry tactics and lies, and progress towards ending tobacco use. “No one must suffer from tobacco-related diseases or die of them,” rightly said Dr Tara Singh Bam, noted global health expert and Asia Pacific Director (Tobacco Control) of Vital Strategies.

[हिंदी] It was shocking to see that United States of America (USA) took a position against most other nations and went ahead to “torpedo” the draft political declaration that was about to be adopted with consensus at the 80th United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health.

[Watch the recording] Join us on 10th October 2025 (Friday) in SHE & Rights session ahead of the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025) in Bogota, Colombia, on the theme: "It is time for accountability and action after UNGA High Level Meeting around Beijing+30."

Bringing health and wellbeing services closer to the communities helps breaking barriers they face in accessing them. With this driving intent, few important promising initiatives were spearheaded by the Indian government this fortnight.

Artificial intelligence is not only for the rich and famous but it is also deployed in health technologies to serve the poorest of the poor and marginalised communities – with equity and human dignity.

[video] Ground Zero: Kangra #EndTB leader Dr RK Sood walks the talk to #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB

Will 80th UNGA theme of #BetterTogether unite all world leaders on safe abortion rights?

"Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights" is the theme of 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Would it unite world leaders to stop anti-rights and anti-gender pushbacks and deliver on the promises of gender equality and human right to health - where no one is left behind - is yet to be seen.

Call for stronger response in Asia Pacific which is home to half of global AMR burden

Asia Pacific Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance 2025 opens in Indonesia

Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2025 opened in Jakarta, Indonesia on the theme: "From Declaration to Action: Operationalizing One-Health AMR Action in the Asia-Pacific Region."

“Access to abortion is a human rights issue” says UN SR on Right To Health

“Sexual and reproductive health rights are an integral element of the right to health. Yet we know when we are speaking specifically about abortion care, that obstacles exist. They are interrelated and entrenched and operate at different levels in clinical care, at the level of health systems and in the underlying determinants of health. Abortion is health care. Access to abortion is a human rights issue. Full stop.” These are the words of Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Right To Health, who gave an opening address at SHE & Rights Anniversary Special session ahead of 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Contraception Day (26 September) and Safe Abortion Day (28 September).

[video] Abortion rights are human rights

80th UNGA must act to stop regressive pushbacks against health and gender

By committing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 2015), all government leaders had promised health and wellbeing (SDG-3) and gender equality (SDG-5) by 2030 “where no one is left behind.” Two-third along the way in 2025, writing on the wall is clear: promises are not being kept.

Will Nepal's leadership on health spur more action on SDG-3 globally?

Nepal has demonstrated commendable progress on a range of health indices, despite myriads of challenges. Nepal is among the least developed countries currently, but due to its sustained and growing progress on a range of sustainable development indices, it is all set to do away with this tag in 2026.

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[Watch the recording] Ahead of International Safe Abortion Day (28 September) and World Contraception Day (26 September), SHE & Rights session on 5th September 2025, Friday, would be held on the theme: "Abortion rights are human rights."

[हिंदी] How many healthcare facilities have sign language or braille interpretation, ramps or other acutely needed support for people with different forms of disabilities? Even health awareness and disease prevention campaigns are seldom in sign language, braille or visual communication medium, says Nishant Kumar, Coordinator of Y-PEER Nepal and Member, Working Group on Disabilities and 2030 Agenda.

Will world leaders at UNGA act on urgent interconnected threats posed by NCDs and AMR?

World leaders will meet at the upcoming 80th United Nations General Assembly and UN High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) next month. But would they take stronger action to prevent NCDs and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is yet to be seen. The draft text that would be up for their discussion next month is sadly weak and disappointing given the threat NCDs (and AMR) poses to global health and SDGs.

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[Watch the recording] Governments committed to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. As we cross the two-thirds mark this year on the road towards delivering on Agenda 2030, let us review where are we on the promises of gender equality and human right to health.

"In the Rohingya refugee communities, especially with whom I work, the progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality) has been deeply uneven and fragile - there have been small but significant steps forward," said Noor Fatima, Specialist in Education Policy and Equity, Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network.

[watch the recording] When misuse and overuse of medicines is making infections difficult or impossible to treat, then are not all of us at risk? rightly asks Bhakti Chavan, a survivor of extensively drug-resistant TB or XDR-TB (one of the severest forms of TB which has very limited treatment options) and a member of World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Survivors.

[video] Antimicrobial resistance: The silent pandemic - let media break the silence

Not capitalist but economically, socially and ecologically just order can deliver on SDGs

"Anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are driven by political, patriarchal, conservative, and religious bodies that frame wrong understandings of gender as a ‘threat to the social good’. They make it (wrongly) seem that any progressive position on justice- whether it is social, racial, gender, sexual, economic, disability, climate, or ecological- is threatening and destructive to the so-called 'dominant global order.' But we, particularly those of us in the Global South, have to understand it very clearly that this global order is white supremacist, capitalist, and patriarchal, that sustains itself through division, fear-mongering, and the wrong beliefs that ‘a market will fix anything and will fix everything.’ And we know that it does not”, said Dr Angelique V Nixon.

[हिंदी] Despite having science-based tools for HIV combination prevention, there were 1.3 million people who got newly diagnosed with HIV in 2023 - and also in 2024 - hardly any decline between the two years. Despite having lifesaving antiretroviral therapy to help every person living with HIV healthy and well (and virally suppressed - which also ensures there is zero risk of HIV transmission because treatment works as prevention), 630,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2023 - and also in 2024 - hardly any decline between the two years. We clearly need a prevention revolution to drastically bring down new HIV infections as well as a lot more needs to be done to reduce AIDS-related deaths. 'Business as usual' is clearly not an option.

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Ahead of International Youth Day and International Day of World's Indigenous Peoples, and in lead up to UN General Assembly where SDG-3 and SDG-5 both are under review this year, be welcome to join us in SHE & Rights session on the theme: "SDG-3 and SDG-5 under youth lens."

Youth-led, rights-based and gender transformative HIV response is key. “Community-led programmes are lifelines of the HIV response, reaching those most in need. As international aid shrinks, these lifelines are the first to disappear. We must protect them,” said UNAIDS. One such lifeline is youth-led programmes for HIV prevention and treatment. We need to protect it.

The irony of current times is that despite the writing on the wall "health is a fundamental human right," the ground reality cannot be farther from the truth. Over 70% people die of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - a significant number of them are preventable. An infectious disease like TB, which is preventable and curable, continues to be the deadliest infectious disease worldwide - especially in the Global South. When HIV combination prevention should be a reality, along with treatment as prevention, over 630,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2024 - and 1.3 million were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2024 (hardly any change when compared with 2023 data). If every life matters, then why is A for accountability, missing from global health?

Remove systemic blockers to enable access for women to economic and labour markets

Unless we remove systemic discrimination, disadvantages and patriarchal barriers, how would we ensure that women and gender diverse peoples in all their diversities are equitably and justly able to access economic markets and labour markets? Economic justice is critical cog-in-the-wheel for development justice.

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[हिंदी] While health, gender and other sustainable development goals are reeling under severe funding cuts, governments of richer nations are increasing defence budgets. More shocking is that same governments who are raising spending on militarisation, are the ones committing to ‘peace’ at a global meet on financing for development and refusing on debt cancellation for the Global South nations.

Let us refresh the old gold Buddhist tale of The Quail and the Net: “Long ago a flock of quails lived in a forest. Everyday a hunter would cast a net and trap many of them. But eventually, a wise quail told the rest that if they worked together, they could lift the net collectively at the same moment and escape as one. Next time the hunter tried to capture them, quails moved in unison, raising the net and flying off together. Unity is strength,” said Eamonn Murphy, Director of UNAIDS for Asia Pacific and Central Asia and Eastern Europe regions around the world’s largest conference on HIV science (13th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science).

[watch the recording] Health and gender equality are indivisible and fundamental human rights. "Right to health cannot be dislocated from gender equality and human rights. We have to ensure that gender equality and human right to health are recognised as fundamental human rights in all countries,” said Shobha Shukla, who was the Lead Discussant for SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) at the United Nations intergovernmental High Level Political Forum (HLPF 2025) at UN HQ in New York (14-23 July 2025). She was speaking on behalf of Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism.

Reforming global financial architecture is critical for gender equality and right to health

While governments have committed to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, inequalities, injustices and deadly divide between the Global North and Global South nations (and within rich and poor nations) has jeopardised progress on SDG goals and targets – including gender equality and right to health – both of which are fundamental human rights.

Recent funding cuts on health, gender equality and human rights have given a sudden blow to a range of important services for the most underserved communities. But solution is not as simple as suggesting low- and middle-income countries to increase ‘domestic investment on health and gender’ or find ‘innovative ways to financing.’

[video] It is time for Africa to end TB and AIDS epidemics and lead the world

Cambodia is 2nd Asian country to rollout long-acting injectable HIV prevention option

Watch CNS Live with Patricia Ongpin of UNAIDS

After Thailand, Cambodia becomes the second Asian country to rollout long-acting and injectable options to protect oneself from getting infected with HIV. United Nations health agency (formally known as World Health Organization or WHO) had first issued its guidelines in 2022, asking countries to deliver long-acting injectable Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), using cabotegravir medicine, as part of comprehensive approach to HIV prevention.

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The ninth session of SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity & Rights) will be organised before World Population Day on the theme: "Did 4th Financing for Development meet-outcomes deliver on gender equality and feminist agenda?"