CNS: 2025

United action is warranted for antimicrobial resistance which threatens everyone

[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?"

Click here to apply for SHE & Rights Media Awards 2025

Will governments firewall public health from tobacco industry's lies and deceptive tactics?

A new WHO report launched in June 2025, warrants stronger measures to save lives from deadly tobacco and nicotine products and hold industry liable

[video] Strengthening capacities in Global South to end AIDS, TB and deliver on SDGs

40 years back when first few people in Mumbai and Bangkok were diagnosed with HIV

Although world is not on track to end AIDS by 2030 but it is no less than a miracle when we take into account the scientific and community-led progress which has powered the global AIDS response since 1981 - when for the first time AIDS was reported in the world.

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In lead up to 13th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2025) of which CNS is an official media partner, we welcome you to register for IAS 2025 Affiliated Independent Event on 1st July 2025 (virtual) during 11am to 2pm Rwanda/ South Africa/ Zimbabwe/ Geneva time.

[हिंदी] "When human rights are treated like an 'à la carte menu' by governments, and not what they truly are - indivisible, foundational and unconditional... we move fast into dystopia," said Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Right To Health.

[video] German Film & TV Actress Annabelle Mandeng's message on 25+ years of NMP+ & social enterprise TAAL+

[video] UNAIDS India Director David Bridger congratulates 25 years of Network of Maharashtra People with HIV

Finding strength in struggle for gender equality and human rights

The year 2025 marks 30 years since the landmark Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action was adopted in 1995. Despite rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes, some progress on these bold promises gives hope and strength, to strive for achieving SDG5 fully by 2030 or earlier.

"We need to design services around people, not the disease," rightly said Dr Nittaya Phanuphak. Unless point-of-care health technologies are deployed for those who are most-in-need in a person-centred and rights-based manner, we would fail to deliver on the promises enshrined in #HealthForAll and SDGs goals and targets.

Legalising key population or community-led health services has been a gamechanger in Thailand to protect most-at-risk people from getting infected with HIV, as well as to take evidence-based standard care to the people living with HIV in a person-centred manner so that they can lead normal healthy lives, said Dr Praphan Phanuphak, a legend who helped shape Thailand's HIV response since the first few AIDS cases got diagnosed in the land of smiles in 1985.

Scientific research has gifted us with a range of evidence-based options to protect ourselves from getting infected with HIV. In 2012, US FDA had first approved Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) daily oral medicines for HIV prevention. More recently, long-acting injectable options of PrEP are also approved. We at CNS listened to the experts on both of these PrEP options so that we can make an informed choice.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection. Since an effective HPV vaccine exists and HPV screening and treatment of pre-cancer lesions can save lives, no one should be suffering from any of the HPV related cancer or had to die of it.

We have all the scientifically proven tools to end AIDS. It is about ensuring that these tools reach people who need them the most, through a sustainable HIV response, so said Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, the well known infectious diseases expert form Malaysia and a former President of International AIDS Society (IAS). She was speaking at the plenary of the 10th Asia Pacific AIDS and Co-infections Conference (APACC 2025) in Tokyo, Japan.

We cannot deliver on universal health coverage (UHC) unless we reach the unreached people with standard health services – with equity and human dignity. Uniting Health systems with Community-led health services should be the new lens to look at UHC.

Love oneself. Stay healthy. And have a health-seeking behaviour to ensure all of us get to age with rights and remain disease-free.

[video] Key population led health services are critical to deliver on SDG3 and other goals and targets

CNS Live with Dr N Kumarasamy on long-acting ARVs for HIV prevention and treatment

Join us in CNS Live session with Dr N Kumarasamy on 9th June 2025, Monday at 3:30pm IST. He will share latest updates on long-acting antiretroviral therapies for HIV prevention as well as treatment, and insights on preventing and managing advanced HIV disease (AHD).

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Join us in CNS Live session with Dr Nittaya Phanuphak on latest updates on AIDS and co-infections and co-morbidities, and importance of key population led services to deliver on SDG goals and targets, on 9th June 2025, Monday at 11am Thailand time.

Cervical cancer (cancer of the cervix) is preventable and curable, only if it is detected early and managed effectively. Yet it is the 4th most common cancer among women worldwide, with the disease occurring in 660,000 women and claiming the lives of 350,000 women in 2022 worldwide, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).

Celebrating those who courageously stand with public health and human rights despite tobacco industry interference

photo courtesy: HealthTVonline.com

Before world leaders meet at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025 at the High-Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), it is important to underline that the major common risk factor of most NCDs is tobacco and nicotine use. Tobacco is also a major risk factor for deadliest infectious disease TB (and COVID-19). Unless we decimate (or eliminate) such risk factors, how will we deliver on the promises enshrined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030?

Commitment to end tobacco must translate to bold actions on the ground, said Dr Tara Singh Bam. He exhorted the new government of Indonesia to sign and ratify the global tobacco treaty (formally called the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control or WHO FCTC) in the interest of the health and wellbeing of its people.

[हिंदी] The same deceptive tricks and tactics are used by industries that profit from getting our children addicted to ultra-processed foods, high sugar products, tobacco and nicotine. Experts from the United Nations health agency – the World Health Organization (WHO) and Corporate Accountability, call for concerted efforts from the governments to put people before profit, and hold industries that do the reverse (prioritise profit over health) accountable.

Watch 1st Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony 2024-2025 as part of WHA78 Side Event: "Delivering on UHC in an era of pushback against gender equality and human right to health"

Vaccines (sitting on a shelf) do not save lives, but vaccination does. Only when people can access vaccines and get vaccinated in a people-centred manner, can we yield desired public health outcomes. Same goes for medicines or diagnostics or other disease prevention tools.

When TB is preventable and curable then why over 1.1 million people died of it worldwide in 2023 (as per the latest WHO Global TB Report 2024)? Even one TB death is a death too many. Most of these deaths took place in low- and middle-income countries. Unless we find what went wrong and what we could have done better, how would we ever improve TB programmes in order to avert these untimely deaths?

[video] Babacar Sene, Senegal | Special Mention Prize | She & Rights Media Awards 2024-2025

[video] Betty Herlina, Indonesia | Special Mention Prize | She & Rights Media Awards 2024-2025

[video] Hamu Madzedze, Zimbabwe | Special Mention Prize | She & Rights Media Awards 2024-2025

[video] Yecenu Sasetu, Nigeria | Special Mention Prize | She & Rights Media Awards 2024-2025

[video] Kalpana Acharya | 3rd Prize winner | She & Rights Media Awards 2024-2025

[video] Catherine Murombedzi, Zimbabwe | 2nd Prize winner | She & Rights Media Awards 2024-2025

[video] Ojoma Akor, Nigeria | 1st Prize winner | She & Rights Media Awards 2024-2025

[video] Delivering on UHC in an era of pushback against gender equality and human right to health

WHA78 Side Event: Delivering on UHC in an era of pushback against gender equality and human right to health

Welcome to hybrid Side Event around 78th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) on 22nd May, 3:30pm Geneva/ CEST time (90 minutes duration) on the theme: "Delivering on UHC in an era of pushback against gender equality and human right to health."

[video] Live Press Conference of 10th Indonesian Conference on Tobacco Control (ICTOH 2025)

Conflicts and crises intensify the need for gender equality and health equity

[हिंदी] Conflicts and humanitarian crises significantly exacerbate pre-existing gender inequalities for women, girls and gender diverse populations, leading to increased vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence, reproductive health complications, and mental health challenges, alongside reduced access to basic needs like healthcare and shelter and livelihoods.

[video] Message | Dr BB Rewari who played a defining role in shaping India's rollout of lifesaving HIV medicines

On May Day, stand with striking community health workers across Asia Pacific

Public service workers from Kerala to Aotearoa demand dignity, fair pay, and labour rights

This May Day, Public Services International calls on unions, allies, and the public across the Asia-Pacific to stand in solidarity with the region’s most vital yet undervalued workers — community health workers. From India’s frontline ASHA workers to New Zealand’s home support workforce, thousands are rising up against exploitation and demanding the recognition and respect they deserve.

Governments have promised to end malaria by 2030. With around five and a half years left to eliminate the vector-borne disease worldwide, it is alarming that progress is off the mark. More worrying is that whatever progress has happened towards ending malaria, can be reversed. Without adequate science-backed and strategic investments and actions, how will countries that have ended malaria, keep the burden below the elimination levels? Climate change worsens the crisis as disease patterns shift.

[video] Made in India health technologies reducing dependence on Global North, being exported to 85+ nations

[video] Impact on gender justice and health during conflicts or other humanitarian crises

We cannot turn a blind eye to preventable epidemics if we are to deliver on SDGs

The epidemic-proportion diseases and untimely deaths caused by tobacco use are entirely preventable. Likewise, we have science-based tools and approaches to find all TB cases, treat all of them and prevent transmission of the disease. When even one TB or tobacco death is a death too many, how can one explain 1.25 million TB deaths and over 8 million tobacco-related deaths in 2023 alone? How can TB disease, that is entirely preventable (and curable), become the deadliest infectious disease worldwide?

SHE & Rights | Impact on gender justice and health during conflicts or other humanitarian crises

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The seventh session of SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity & Rights) will be organised on the theme: "Impact on gender justice and health during conflicts or other humanitarian crises." It will also feature highlights of The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health report released earlier this month.

The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health launched a new report in April 2025 on "achieving gender justice for global health equity" in Delhi, India. The report reflects how a lack of understanding of the link between gender and health is negatively affecting health outcomes.

[हिंदी] Despite knowing how to prevent vertical transmission (from mother to the baby) of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis-B infections, we are failing with every child who is born with either of these preventable infections. We have the science-backed tools to ensure that all children are born free of these three infections. Failing to deploy them with utmost effectiveness is highly unacceptable.

Half of women cannot make decisions about their reproductive health and bodily autonomy

In the lead up to 2025 World Health Day, it is important for us to review why almost half of women are not able to make decisions pertaining to their own reproductive health and bodily autonomy.

(L to R) Dr Ishwar Gilada, Dr Jurgen Rockstroh, Gujarat CM B Patel

Treatment for people living with HIV (antiretroviral therapy) is lifesaving and revolutionary as it has made HIV akin to any other chronic disease. It has been proven that those who are on treatment and remain virally suppressed, live healthy and normal lifespans - comparable to those without the virus – and there is zero risk of any further HIV transmission from them.

Right to safe abortion cannot be dislocated from human rights

[हिंदी] Abortion is a human right. Yet, abortion-related stigma - rooted in patriarchy, misinformation, and control - continues to restrict access, fuel legal persecution, and force people into unsafe conditions in several countries. This Global Day of Action to Destigmatise Abortion, there is a stronger call for an end to criminalisation, medical gatekeeping, and harmful cultural narratives that shame and silence people who undergo abortions.

The funding crises forced upon by the US government on several low- and middle-income countries is an opportunity in disguise to improve programme efficiency and outcome and invest optimally in health and development responses from domestic coffers.