TambakooKills News Bulletin
Friday, 23 May 2008
Issue 384
Latest Warne scandal: spin king caught smoking… again
News Live, Australia: 22 May 2008
Excerpt
Indian Premier League superstar Shane Warne has been caught by The Hindustan Times smoking a cigarette in the smoke-free Eden Gardens stadium. Warne grabbed similar headlines years ago when he was snapped by a schoolboy smoking a cigarette after signing a deal with an anti-smoking lobby worth a cool $200,000.
To read the complete news, click here
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Bidi habit poses hidden health risk
The National, United Arab Emirates: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
The first worldwide study to compile existing information about bidi consumption and manufacture - and the health effects of smoking and producing bidis - was published last week.
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Poison Moonshine Kills 110 of India’s Poor
Somini Sengupta, New York Times, USA: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
R. Srikumar, the state police chief, said the liquor was spiked with camphor and tobacco and was suspected to have contained toxic methyl alcohol.
To read the complete news, click here
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Mizoram is India's cancer capital
The Indic Post, Mizoram, India: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
Reports suggest the Mizoram has the highest incidence in the world of four types of cancer; caused mainly by overwhelming consumption of tobacco.
To read the complete news, click here
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Centre warns NE [North East] on Bidi Smoking
Assam Tribune, Assam, India: 20 May 2008
Excerpt
A report of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a strong note of warning to the North East which has a high prevalence of bidi smoking amongst the younger generation compared to rest of India.
To read the complete news, click here
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Ramadoss should stop Govt staff from using tobacco: Amitabh Bachchan
Asia Times, Hong Kong/ Thailand: 22 May 2008
Excerpt
Amitabh Bachchan's blog had earlier poked at another prominent target - Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, whose pet peeve, that India's national health is being grievously undermined by actors drinking and smoking on screen, is driving the film community into a frenzy. Bachchan urged Ramadoss to first wean government employees off tobacco.
To read the complete news, click here
*****************************************
To download or read Hindi and English language news bulletin/ articles on tobacco control, click here or go to:
http://TambakooKills.blogspot.com
To receive email updates on tobacco control in Hindi and English languages, send an email to:
TambakooKills-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
----------------------------
Jointly brought to you by the Tambakoo-Kills youth team supported by:
Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Abhinav Bharat Foundation (ABF), Asha Parivar, Citizen News Service (CNS) and Tobacco Cessation Clinic of CSM Medical University
Email: Tambakoo.Kills@gmail.com
-----------------------------
TambakooKills News Bulletin: 23 May 2008: Issue 384
TB stigma still affecting women, says Indian health minister
Photo by bobbyramakantWhile many people think TB-related stigma is a thing of the past, studies conducted by the Tuberculosis Research Centre in India show that a significant number of women become homeless after being diagnosed with the disease.
India’s Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss told delegates at the Fifth International Microbicides Conference 2008 held in New Delhi from February 24 to 27 that “studies done at the Tuberculosis Research Centre in Chennai showed that of the number of women who develop tuberculosis, one in 1000 lose their home.”
Back in 1998, Dr Paul Dolin of WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme said “Wives, mothers and wage earners are being cut down in their prime and the world isn’t noticing . . . Yet the ripple effect on families, communities and economies will be felt long after a woman has died.”
“TB is the single biggest killer of young women,” WHO said the same year.
Dr Ramadoss repeated these concerns at the conference and said that since TB was a leading opportunistic infection among people living with HIV and AIDS, the diseases’ impact had become increasingly serious.
Women are biologically and socially more vulnerable to HIV transmission than men and it is vital that TB programs be made accessible to women, particularly those most under-served and economically disadvantaged.
Just a week ago, the body of a woman who died from TB in India was kept in a car for five days by her employer instead of being handed over to her family for cremation. Stories like this highlight the fact that stigma and discrimination are still very real for women with TB.
The WHO-recommended treatment for TB—Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS)—should help reduce gender inequities and TB education programs should be designed to reach women in a variety of settings. TB treatment centres should be more accessible and safe.
Women’s health is the last priority on many families’ lists so it is hardly surprising that many women are diagnosed and treated for TB very late. Many Indian women also receive the least nutritional food of everyone in their family, making it harder for them to respond well to treatment.
It is high time that people working to reduce gender inequality and those tackling HIV and TB work more closely together. As International Women’s Day and World TB Day approach, let us bring different stakeholders together to change the situation so that even the most disadvantaged women can say ‘I can stop TB’.
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
India’s Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss told delegates at the Fifth International Microbicides Conference 2008 held in New Delhi from February 24 to 27 that “studies done at the Tuberculosis Research Centre in Chennai showed that of the number of women who develop tuberculosis, one in 1000 lose their home.”
Back in 1998, Dr Paul Dolin of WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme said “Wives, mothers and wage earners are being cut down in their prime and the world isn’t noticing . . . Yet the ripple effect on families, communities and economies will be felt long after a woman has died.”
“TB is the single biggest killer of young women,” WHO said the same year.
Dr Ramadoss repeated these concerns at the conference and said that since TB was a leading opportunistic infection among people living with HIV and AIDS, the diseases’ impact had become increasingly serious.
Women are biologically and socially more vulnerable to HIV transmission than men and it is vital that TB programs be made accessible to women, particularly those most under-served and economically disadvantaged.
Just a week ago, the body of a woman who died from TB in India was kept in a car for five days by her employer instead of being handed over to her family for cremation. Stories like this highlight the fact that stigma and discrimination are still very real for women with TB.
The WHO-recommended treatment for TB—Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS)—should help reduce gender inequities and TB education programs should be designed to reach women in a variety of settings. TB treatment centres should be more accessible and safe.
Women’s health is the last priority on many families’ lists so it is hardly surprising that many women are diagnosed and treated for TB very late. Many Indian women also receive the least nutritional food of everyone in their family, making it harder for them to respond well to treatment.
It is high time that people working to reduce gender inequality and those tackling HIV and TB work more closely together. As International Women’s Day and World TB Day approach, let us bring different stakeholders together to change the situation so that even the most disadvantaged women can say ‘I can stop TB’.
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
NREGS Social Audit (Day II): 'where trees are planted before they are purchased'
NREGS Social Audit (Day II)
'where trees are planted before they are purchased'
Dr Sandeep Pandey
On the second day of training of about hundred citizens who are preparing to go into the villages
of Miyaganj Block of Unnao District to conduct social audit of the NREGS, the DM Rajshekhar addressed a gathering of citizens of this Block. He said that he would not tolerate any discrepancy in muster rolls as well as measurement books.
A number of officials and people responsible for implementation of this scheme believe that only one of the two documents can be prepared honestly, the other will have to be manipulated to fit the first. He said that NREGS had tremendous potential to transform the rural landscape and standard of living of rural poor but equally there was enough possibility for large scale embezzlement of funds. He said that if there was any embezzlement of funds found in the implementation of NREGS and people decided to go to the court even a DM might have to go to jail.
Even before the teams go out into the various village panchayats discrepancies are being discovered in the records obtained through RTI. For example, in village panchayat Nurullapur in a work 3000 bricks have been shown to have been purchased for Rs. 74,481. This implies that a brick cost about Rs. 21.
The people are already asking what was the brick made of? The Pradhan of this panchayat Samim has shamelessly put his signature at all places on the muster rolls – from taking attendance of the labourers to verifying the work. Usually different people are supposed to perform different functions. But he seems to be the only authority in his village panchayat. He doesn’t see the role of any panchayat level employee or a supervisor for the work.
The other instance of corruption discovered is purchase of saplings at the rate of Rs. 4 per plant which can be bought for fifty paise to Re. 1 in the market. A purchase of Rs. 20,000 has been shown in each panchayat from a single supplier – ‘Messers Paurush Priya Traders.’ Muster rolls have been filled for 7-10 days for plantation of these saplings and for 10-15 days for watering of these plants. In reality not a single sapling has been planted.
This implies straightaway embezzlement of over Rs. 13 lakhs. Even more interestingly, in village panchayat Barha Kalan the saplings have been shown to have been planted between 1st and 12th October, 2006 whereas the purchase of saplings has been shown on 29th November, 2006.
However, the purpose of social audit in not simply to expose such corruption and discrepancy. Social audit should be institutionalized as a process within the Gram Sabhas wherein the citizens should conduct continuous audit of their panchayat records. They should make their Pradhans and government employees appointed to serve them accountable to themselves.
They should not just be passive observers to the rampant corruption around them but play an active role in checking that corruption. Except for this there doesn’t seem to be any way that the lot of rural poor can improve.
The time has come when the beneficiaries of the government schemes must assert their rights. RTI Act and NREGA, both implemented in 2005, are citizen-empowering laws. The two laws are playing a vital role in changing the equation between the ruling elite and the common people. It is up to the people to use the two laws creatively to break the hold of corrupt officials and mafia on their resources.
Dr Sandeep Pandey
[Author is a noted social activist, recepient of Ramon Magsaysay Award (2002) for emergent leadership and heads National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) in India]
Published in
Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh, India
Assam Times, Assam, India
The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
News Blaze, USA
Scoop Independent News, New Zealand
'where trees are planted before they are purchased'
Dr Sandeep Pandey
On the second day of training of about hundred citizens who are preparing to go into the villages
of Miyaganj Block of Unnao District to conduct social audit of the NREGS, the DM Rajshekhar addressed a gathering of citizens of this Block. He said that he would not tolerate any discrepancy in muster rolls as well as measurement books.A number of officials and people responsible for implementation of this scheme believe that only one of the two documents can be prepared honestly, the other will have to be manipulated to fit the first. He said that NREGS had tremendous potential to transform the rural landscape and standard of living of rural poor but equally there was enough possibility for large scale embezzlement of funds. He said that if there was any embezzlement of funds found in the implementation of NREGS and people decided to go to the court even a DM might have to go to jail.
Even before the teams go out into the various village panchayats discrepancies are being discovered in the records obtained through RTI. For example, in village panchayat Nurullapur in a work 3000 bricks have been shown to have been purchased for Rs. 74,481. This implies that a brick cost about Rs. 21.
The people are already asking what was the brick made of? The Pradhan of this panchayat Samim has shamelessly put his signature at all places on the muster rolls – from taking attendance of the labourers to verifying the work. Usually different people are supposed to perform different functions. But he seems to be the only authority in his village panchayat. He doesn’t see the role of any panchayat level employee or a supervisor for the work.
The other instance of corruption discovered is purchase of saplings at the rate of Rs. 4 per plant which can be bought for fifty paise to Re. 1 in the market. A purchase of Rs. 20,000 has been shown in each panchayat from a single supplier – ‘Messers Paurush Priya Traders.’ Muster rolls have been filled for 7-10 days for plantation of these saplings and for 10-15 days for watering of these plants. In reality not a single sapling has been planted.
This implies straightaway embezzlement of over Rs. 13 lakhs. Even more interestingly, in village panchayat Barha Kalan the saplings have been shown to have been planted between 1st and 12th October, 2006 whereas the purchase of saplings has been shown on 29th November, 2006.
However, the purpose of social audit in not simply to expose such corruption and discrepancy. Social audit should be institutionalized as a process within the Gram Sabhas wherein the citizens should conduct continuous audit of their panchayat records. They should make their Pradhans and government employees appointed to serve them accountable to themselves.
They should not just be passive observers to the rampant corruption around them but play an active role in checking that corruption. Except for this there doesn’t seem to be any way that the lot of rural poor can improve.
The time has come when the beneficiaries of the government schemes must assert their rights. RTI Act and NREGA, both implemented in 2005, are citizen-empowering laws. The two laws are playing a vital role in changing the equation between the ruling elite and the common people. It is up to the people to use the two laws creatively to break the hold of corrupt officials and mafia on their resources.
Dr Sandeep Pandey
[Author is a noted social activist, recepient of Ramon Magsaysay Award (2002) for emergent leadership and heads National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) in India]
Published in
Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh, India
Assam Times, Assam, India
The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
News Blaze, USA
Scoop Independent News, New Zealand
Poverty increases vulnerability to TB
Photo by babasteveSo little attention has been given to the tuberculosis (TB) pandemic because it's a disease of the poor, Dr Nils Billo, executive director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease told delegates towards the end of the 38th World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town.
TB generally affects society’s most vulnerable – those who live in abject poverty, are marginalized or economically and socially isolated. Poverty significantly increases a person’s vulnerability to the disease.
Social and economic determinants at individual, household and community levels affect a person’s vulnerability to TB. Special situations such as massive population movements – the displacement of people and refugee flows – and living or working in particular conditions also increase the risk of a person contracting TB.
In developed countries, ethnic minorities and other marginalized communities are at a greater risk of contracting the disease. In Canada for instance, indigenous communities have a 20 to 30 times higher TB burden than majority ethnic groups, Dr Kim Barker and Dr Anne Fanning from Stop TB Canada said during the conference.
Factors such as social isolation, reduced access to health services, a lack of trust in the health system and lack of organized community voices exacerbate the risk of TB spreading. But by identifying these vulnerabilities to TB, control strategies can become more focussed on reaching the people most in need.
TB is transmitted more readily in conditions such as overcrowding, where there are inadequate ventilation and malnutrition. Improvements in socio-economic conditions will therefore lead to reductions in TB incidence. This should also lead to improvements in access to care, its rational use and quality of care.
“Poverty is so terrible” said Prisca Akelo, who completed TB treatment in Kenya and later founded a patients’ support group called the Coastal Organisation for Prevention and care of TB.
“If someone takes only black tea in the morning, and nothing during the day, by the end of the day the person is likely to default [on their treatment]” said Prischa. “TB drugs are strong, made me vomit. I lost lot of water due to vomiting and was so weak” she said.
“We need to come up with better drugs that are less toxic, have less side effects and have elements of food supplement.”
About one billion people live in urban slums and over the next 30 years that number is expected to double. In the poorest countries, about 80% of the urban population lives in slums. The poor socio-economic and environmental conditions that characterize the slums facilitate the transmission of many communicable diseases including TB. The burden of TB is often far greater in these urban settings than in rural areas.
There is also increasing recognition of the fact that TB reduces people’s ability to work and earn a living and that TB controls have the potential to reduce poverty.
Poor TB patients in developing countries are mainly dependent on daily wages or income from petty trading and have no security of income or employment. In many studies people with TB have been found to have borrowed money, used transfer payments or sold assets because of their illness.
“We have to create jobs, find income generation alternatives for those people who are on TB treatment and need financial support to sustain them through the entire treatment course,” said Prischa.
Even where Directly Observed Treatment – Short course (DOTS) programmes are well established, patients with TB face substantial costs prior to diagnosis. While aggregate costs for poor people tend to be lower than for those from a higher socio-economic position, the costs as a proportion of income are much higher for the poor.
Prischa also said that it was usually health-care volunteers that reached the most marginalized communities, providing them with TB and HIV care and treatment services.
“I haven’t heard anybody talking about remunerating community volunteers. Why do people expect us from poor countries to work for free? We end up volunteering 24 hours even taking sputum samples to the hospitals and bringing back the results. In Europe I have heard people volunteer for two hours!” Prischa said.
“I was down with TB for nine months. I know how it feels with no one to help you and no one to assist you or share or care. Mostly the care and support needs are met by community volunteer health-care workers – without these volunteer health-care workers TB will engulf you all,” she warned.
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
TB generally affects society’s most vulnerable – those who live in abject poverty, are marginalized or economically and socially isolated. Poverty significantly increases a person’s vulnerability to the disease.
Social and economic determinants at individual, household and community levels affect a person’s vulnerability to TB. Special situations such as massive population movements – the displacement of people and refugee flows – and living or working in particular conditions also increase the risk of a person contracting TB.
In developed countries, ethnic minorities and other marginalized communities are at a greater risk of contracting the disease. In Canada for instance, indigenous communities have a 20 to 30 times higher TB burden than majority ethnic groups, Dr Kim Barker and Dr Anne Fanning from Stop TB Canada said during the conference.
Factors such as social isolation, reduced access to health services, a lack of trust in the health system and lack of organized community voices exacerbate the risk of TB spreading. But by identifying these vulnerabilities to TB, control strategies can become more focussed on reaching the people most in need.
TB is transmitted more readily in conditions such as overcrowding, where there are inadequate ventilation and malnutrition. Improvements in socio-economic conditions will therefore lead to reductions in TB incidence. This should also lead to improvements in access to care, its rational use and quality of care.
“Poverty is so terrible” said Prisca Akelo, who completed TB treatment in Kenya and later founded a patients’ support group called the Coastal Organisation for Prevention and care of TB.
“If someone takes only black tea in the morning, and nothing during the day, by the end of the day the person is likely to default [on their treatment]” said Prischa. “TB drugs are strong, made me vomit. I lost lot of water due to vomiting and was so weak” she said.
“We need to come up with better drugs that are less toxic, have less side effects and have elements of food supplement.”
About one billion people live in urban slums and over the next 30 years that number is expected to double. In the poorest countries, about 80% of the urban population lives in slums. The poor socio-economic and environmental conditions that characterize the slums facilitate the transmission of many communicable diseases including TB. The burden of TB is often far greater in these urban settings than in rural areas.
There is also increasing recognition of the fact that TB reduces people’s ability to work and earn a living and that TB controls have the potential to reduce poverty.
Poor TB patients in developing countries are mainly dependent on daily wages or income from petty trading and have no security of income or employment. In many studies people with TB have been found to have borrowed money, used transfer payments or sold assets because of their illness.
“We have to create jobs, find income generation alternatives for those people who are on TB treatment and need financial support to sustain them through the entire treatment course,” said Prischa.
Even where Directly Observed Treatment – Short course (DOTS) programmes are well established, patients with TB face substantial costs prior to diagnosis. While aggregate costs for poor people tend to be lower than for those from a higher socio-economic position, the costs as a proportion of income are much higher for the poor.
Prischa also said that it was usually health-care volunteers that reached the most marginalized communities, providing them with TB and HIV care and treatment services.
“I haven’t heard anybody talking about remunerating community volunteers. Why do people expect us from poor countries to work for free? We end up volunteering 24 hours even taking sputum samples to the hospitals and bringing back the results. In Europe I have heard people volunteer for two hours!” Prischa said.
“I was down with TB for nine months. I know how it feels with no one to help you and no one to assist you or share or care. Mostly the care and support needs are met by community volunteer health-care workers – without these volunteer health-care workers TB will engulf you all,” she warned.
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
DAY 1: Social audit of NREGS begins
DAY 1: Social audit of NREGS begins
Dr Sandeep Pandey
Published in:
Assam Times, Assam, India
The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
News Blaze, USA
Media for Freedom, Nepal
Dr Sandeep Pandey
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The preparations are underway to conduct the social audit of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Miyaganj development block of Unnao district in UP.
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 bestows the rights to citizens to conduct a social audit of the work carried out under the act.
Before this Act came into place, the citizens had the only choice to lodge a complaint with concerned officer reporting the drawbacks or shortcomings. It was completely on the discretion of the officer whether to take that complaint forward and act upon it, or drop it. The citizens were mute spectators and the right to act upon a complaint or turn a blind’s eye to it was the privileges of the officers.
From this perspective, the right of an ordinary citizen to conduct a social audit on development work under the NREGA is a revolutionary step forward in Indian democracy.
It is only a matter of time that the people of this country will begin demanding similar rights to conduct a social audit on other development schemes of the government.
The way governance functions in
On 4 December 2006, when a native of Unnao district Yashwant Rao had demanded information from the Block Development Officer of Miyaganj using Right-to-Information Act (RTI) regarding the work carried out under the NREGS, he was denied. When Yashwant lodged a complaint about this denial of information at the UP State Information Commission, he then received a letter from the block development office informing him to deposit Rs 1,58,400 and take the documents he wanted copies of. Under the RTI Act, if the information is provided within one month, then the receiver needs to pay Rs 2 per page. But the block development office had stamped an arbitrary rate of Rs 2,400 per gram panchayat to provide information for the NREGS work carried out in 66 gram panchayats. After more than a year and 10 hearings at UP State Information Commission, the block development office was finally ordered to provide all the information free-of-cost to the applicant (Yashwant).
In April 2008, documents related to NREGS work in 65 out of 66 gram panchayats were finally provided to Yashwant.
Although under NREGA the information related to the work carried out under NREGS should be provided within 7 days on actual costs, but still it is a triumph of people’s democratic rights even if they have received it after one and a half years! The officials tried their level best to delay or derail the process at every step, but eventually they had to adhere to the legal provisions under the NREGA and RTI Act, which strengthens democracy at the grassroots tremendously.
Now the local people of Miyaganj block and other citizens with support from social organizations are conducting a social audit for the next 6 days in each of the gram panchayats to verify the information related to development work which is provided by the authorities. This kind of democratic and empowering activity in this region is not heard of so far. In this social audit, citizens from other districts of UP like
Currently about 100 citizens who will be leading the social audit are being briefed and oriented at the Block Development office of Miyaganj block in Unnao. They are studying the muster rolls provided by the government and also planning on ways to sensitize people they meet to be more aware and proactive in protecting their own rights.
Dr Sandeep Pandey
Note: This is a translation. Dr Pandey originally wrote in Hindi , which is available online here
Published in:
Assam Times, Assam, India
The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
News Blaze, USA
Media for Freedom, Nepal
TambakooKills News Bulletin (21 May 2008): Issue 383
TambakooKills News Bulletin
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Issue 383
Heart diseases and strokes become the world's biggest killers: WHO's WORLD HEALTH STATISTICS 2008 report
The Hindu, India: 21 May 2008
To download the complete World Health Statistics 2008 report, click here (released on 19 May 2008)
Excerpt
Chronic conditions such as heart disease and stroke have taken over from infectious diseases as diarrhoea, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis as the leading causes of death around the globe, says the World Health Statistics 2008 report of World Health Organization (WHO) which was released on 19 May 2008.
"We tend to associate developing countries with infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. But in more and more countries the chief causes of death are non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and stroke."
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Bidi habit poses hidden health risk
The National, UAE: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
The first worldwide study to compile existing information about bidi consumption and manufacture -- and the health effects of smoking and producing bidis -- was published last week.
The report, titled Bidi Smoking and Public Health, reveals that India, home to the world's largest market of bidi consumers and producers, has more than 100 million bidi smokers. Of these, 2.3 per cent are children.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
India can also import health products and services, tobacco and rum from Cuba
The Hindu, India: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cuba, who is visiting Delhi, Mr Amador said 'while Cuba needs to import food products, health products, transportation and energy services from India, India can also import health products and services, tobacco and rum from Cuba.
Comment: Health and tobacco go together?
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Lifestyle diseases to cost India $237 bn by 2015
The Times of India: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
Smoking, consuming high-calorie fast food and being a couch potato will not only cut short your lifespan but will also cost the country dear.
A report, jointly prepared by the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum, says India will incur an accumulated loss of $236.6 billion by 2015 on account of unhealthy lifestyles and faulty diet.
To download the complete World Health Statistics 2008 report, click here (released on 19 May 2008)
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
'Tobacco multinationals in Pakistan exploiting growers'
The News, Pakistan: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
Muhammad Ali, President Sarhad Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) Monday claimed the tobacco smokers have been spending Rs100 to 111 billion annually in Pakistan. He told 'The News' the cigarettes worth Rs90-96 billion were being manufactured locally while the rest being smuggled in or imported from countries like China, India and Japan.
He said, "Tobacco earns huge profit as one cigarette is made of one gram tobacco while 1000 cigarettes prepared from one kilogram. The government and multinational companies are minting a huge amount but all including Pakistan Tobacco Board were exploiting the poor farmers," he said.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Shah Rukh Khan smokes at IPL Cricket matches
Meri News, India: 20 May 2008
Excerpt
India's noted film-star and Bollywood heartthrob, 'the King Khan' - Shah Rukh Khan, again smoked cigarette after cigarette in full public view at the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches last week.
Dr Shekhar Salkar from National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) who has been contributing significantly in strengthening tobacco control in India, was one of the few to raise concerns on the blatant disregard by Shahrukh of the repeated pleas from not only the health advocates, but also of the India's Health and Family Welfare minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, which is also in-sync with the provisions of The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (2003).
To read the complete news, click here
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Journalist argues 'creative liberty' against Dr Ramadoss' efforts to advocate for smoke-free films
The Times of India, India: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
"Truth be told, people get subliminal messages about products all the time. Let's face it, everything boils down to individual choice when you have all these products available on the shelves in supermarkets and one gets information from so many mediums these days. These are all aspects of the pop culture today, and it is hypocritical to expect people to conform to them. Such criticism is bound to kill artistic creativity and make people afraid to try something new.
"If the health minister is so worried about people's health, he should try stopping the production of such harmful products. At the end of the day, films are a reflection of the society. I think Mr Ramadoss is using Bollywood to stay in news."
To read the complete news, click here
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'Submissiveness of Ministry of Health is becoming triumph for tobacco industry'
The News, Pakistan: 20 May 2008
Excerpt
The submissiveness of the Ministry of Health and its partners in the crusade against tobacco control in Pakistan is becoming the triumph of the tobacco industry.
No new restrictions on tobacco advertisements; no headway in introduction of rotating or picture-based health warnings on cigarette packs; no ban on designated smoking areas in line with the World Health Organisation's strategy of 100 per cent smoke-free environments; and no major breakthroughs in implementation of the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 are in the pipeline ahead of the fast approaching World No-Tobacco Day on May 31.
To read the complete news, click here
*****************************************
To download or read Hindi and English language news bulletin/ articles on tobacco control, click here or go to:
http://TambakooKills.blogspot.com
To receive email updates on tobacco control in Hindi and English languages, send an email to:
TambakooKills-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
----------------------------
Jointly brought to you by the Tambakoo-Kills youth team supported by:
Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Abhinav Bharat Foundation (ABF), Asha Parivar, Citizen News Service (CNS) and Tobacco Cessation Clinic of CSM Medical University
Email: Tambakoo.Kills@gmail.com
-----------------------------
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Issue 383
Heart diseases and strokes become the world's biggest killers: WHO's WORLD HEALTH STATISTICS 2008 report
The Hindu, India: 21 May 2008
To download the complete World Health Statistics 2008 report, click here (released on 19 May 2008)
Excerpt
Chronic conditions such as heart disease and stroke have taken over from infectious diseases as diarrhoea, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis as the leading causes of death around the globe, says the World Health Statistics 2008 report of World Health Organization (WHO) which was released on 19 May 2008.
"We tend to associate developing countries with infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. But in more and more countries the chief causes of death are non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and stroke."
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Bidi habit poses hidden health risk
The National, UAE: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
The first worldwide study to compile existing information about bidi consumption and manufacture -- and the health effects of smoking and producing bidis -- was published last week.
The report, titled Bidi Smoking and Public Health, reveals that India, home to the world's largest market of bidi consumers and producers, has more than 100 million bidi smokers. Of these, 2.3 per cent are children.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
India can also import health products and services, tobacco and rum from Cuba
The Hindu, India: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cuba, who is visiting Delhi, Mr Amador said 'while Cuba needs to import food products, health products, transportation and energy services from India, India can also import health products and services, tobacco and rum from Cuba.
Comment: Health and tobacco go together?
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Lifestyle diseases to cost India $237 bn by 2015
The Times of India: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
Smoking, consuming high-calorie fast food and being a couch potato will not only cut short your lifespan but will also cost the country dear.
A report, jointly prepared by the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum, says India will incur an accumulated loss of $236.6 billion by 2015 on account of unhealthy lifestyles and faulty diet.
To download the complete World Health Statistics 2008 report, click here (released on 19 May 2008)
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
'Tobacco multinationals in Pakistan exploiting growers'
The News, Pakistan: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
Muhammad Ali, President Sarhad Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) Monday claimed the tobacco smokers have been spending Rs100 to 111 billion annually in Pakistan. He told 'The News' the cigarettes worth Rs90-96 billion were being manufactured locally while the rest being smuggled in or imported from countries like China, India and Japan.
He said, "Tobacco earns huge profit as one cigarette is made of one gram tobacco while 1000 cigarettes prepared from one kilogram. The government and multinational companies are minting a huge amount but all including Pakistan Tobacco Board were exploiting the poor farmers," he said.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Shah Rukh Khan smokes at IPL Cricket matches
Meri News, India: 20 May 2008
Excerpt
India's noted film-star and Bollywood heartthrob, 'the King Khan' - Shah Rukh Khan, again smoked cigarette after cigarette in full public view at the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches last week.
Dr Shekhar Salkar from National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) who has been contributing significantly in strengthening tobacco control in India, was one of the few to raise concerns on the blatant disregard by Shahrukh of the repeated pleas from not only the health advocates, but also of the India's Health and Family Welfare minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, which is also in-sync with the provisions of The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (2003).
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Journalist argues 'creative liberty' against Dr Ramadoss' efforts to advocate for smoke-free films
The Times of India, India: 21 May 2008
Excerpt
"Truth be told, people get subliminal messages about products all the time. Let's face it, everything boils down to individual choice when you have all these products available on the shelves in supermarkets and one gets information from so many mediums these days. These are all aspects of the pop culture today, and it is hypocritical to expect people to conform to them. Such criticism is bound to kill artistic creativity and make people afraid to try something new.
"If the health minister is so worried about people's health, he should try stopping the production of such harmful products. At the end of the day, films are a reflection of the society. I think Mr Ramadoss is using Bollywood to stay in news."
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
'Submissiveness of Ministry of Health is becoming triumph for tobacco industry'
The News, Pakistan: 20 May 2008
Excerpt
The submissiveness of the Ministry of Health and its partners in the crusade against tobacco control in Pakistan is becoming the triumph of the tobacco industry.
No new restrictions on tobacco advertisements; no headway in introduction of rotating or picture-based health warnings on cigarette packs; no ban on designated smoking areas in line with the World Health Organisation's strategy of 100 per cent smoke-free environments; and no major breakthroughs in implementation of the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 are in the pipeline ahead of the fast approaching World No-Tobacco Day on May 31.
To read the complete news, click here
*****************************************
To download or read Hindi and English language news bulletin/ articles on tobacco control, click here or go to:
http://TambakooKills.blogspot.com
To receive email updates on tobacco control in Hindi and English languages, send an email to:
TambakooKills-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
----------------------------
Jointly brought to you by the Tambakoo-Kills youth team supported by:
Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Abhinav Bharat Foundation (ABF), Asha Parivar, Citizen News Service (CNS) and Tobacco Cessation Clinic of CSM Medical University
Email: Tambakoo.Kills@gmail.com
-----------------------------
Can we stop drug-resistant TB?
Photo by bobbyramakantThis year’s World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on 24 March provided us with the opportunity to review responses to the disease.
TB is both treatable and curable and with the help of proper interventions we should be able to say ‘I can stop TB’. But can we say the same thing for drug-resistant strains of the disease?
Drug-resistant TB levels are at their highest in history, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report ‘Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance in the World’ released in February. The percentage of people resistant to at least one anti-TB drug is on the rise worldwide and has reached as high as 56.3% in Azerbaijan.
Multi drug-resistant TB, or MDR-TB, is a strain of the disease resistant to the effects of isoniazid and rifampicin – two of the most powerful first line anti-TB drugs. People with MDR-TB are significantly less likely to be successfully treated than people with drug-susceptible strains.
Global estimates indicate that 4.8% of TB cases involve MDR-TB and since treatment is available to just 10% of these people the vast majority will not receive the care they need when they need it.
About 50% of MDR-TB cases occur in India and China, due to their large populations. In Africa, which has also been hit hard by HIV, the number of drug-resistant TB cases is alarming. Across the former Soviet Union, almost half of all TB cases involved resistance to one drug and 1 in 5 cases will involve MDR-TB.
Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is virtually untreatable and is likely to emerge in areas where second-line anti-TB drugs are widely and inappropriately used. XDR-TB is more expensive and difficult to treat than MDR-TB, resulting in higher mortality rates. More than 40 countries have reported cases of XDR-TB, with the United Kingdom reporting its first case last week.
Studies suggest that the transmission of TB, and drug resistant strains of the disease in particular, is more likely to take place where there are high numbers of people living with HIV. Health-care facilities, such as antiretroviral treatment clinics, are just one place where improper controls could put people with HIV at risk of contracting TB.
TB is the most common opportunistic infection and is a leading cause of death among people living with HIV. Improving infection control procedures in health-care settings is just one way to save lives and stop the disease from spreading.
Laboratories in many countries do not have the capacity to test for drug-resistant TB, which makes scaling-up TB programmes difficult. The new WHO report only contained TB drug-resistance data for six African countries since most are unable to test for these strains of the disease. Developing countries’ capacities to test for drug-resistant TB is vital to the fight against the spread of the disease.
More supplies and better quality TB drugs and diagnostic equipment are urgently needed to tackle the problem. Better strategies for combating the disease also need to be developed so that world’s most vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities have access to treatment and drug resistance can be reduced.
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
TB is both treatable and curable and with the help of proper interventions we should be able to say ‘I can stop TB’. But can we say the same thing for drug-resistant strains of the disease?
Drug-resistant TB levels are at their highest in history, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report ‘Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance in the World’ released in February. The percentage of people resistant to at least one anti-TB drug is on the rise worldwide and has reached as high as 56.3% in Azerbaijan.
Multi drug-resistant TB, or MDR-TB, is a strain of the disease resistant to the effects of isoniazid and rifampicin – two of the most powerful first line anti-TB drugs. People with MDR-TB are significantly less likely to be successfully treated than people with drug-susceptible strains.
Global estimates indicate that 4.8% of TB cases involve MDR-TB and since treatment is available to just 10% of these people the vast majority will not receive the care they need when they need it.
About 50% of MDR-TB cases occur in India and China, due to their large populations. In Africa, which has also been hit hard by HIV, the number of drug-resistant TB cases is alarming. Across the former Soviet Union, almost half of all TB cases involved resistance to one drug and 1 in 5 cases will involve MDR-TB.
Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is virtually untreatable and is likely to emerge in areas where second-line anti-TB drugs are widely and inappropriately used. XDR-TB is more expensive and difficult to treat than MDR-TB, resulting in higher mortality rates. More than 40 countries have reported cases of XDR-TB, with the United Kingdom reporting its first case last week.
Studies suggest that the transmission of TB, and drug resistant strains of the disease in particular, is more likely to take place where there are high numbers of people living with HIV. Health-care facilities, such as antiretroviral treatment clinics, are just one place where improper controls could put people with HIV at risk of contracting TB.
TB is the most common opportunistic infection and is a leading cause of death among people living with HIV. Improving infection control procedures in health-care settings is just one way to save lives and stop the disease from spreading.
Laboratories in many countries do not have the capacity to test for drug-resistant TB, which makes scaling-up TB programmes difficult. The new WHO report only contained TB drug-resistance data for six African countries since most are unable to test for these strains of the disease. Developing countries’ capacities to test for drug-resistant TB is vital to the fight against the spread of the disease.
More supplies and better quality TB drugs and diagnostic equipment are urgently needed to tackle the problem. Better strategies for combating the disease also need to be developed so that world’s most vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities have access to treatment and drug resistance can be reduced.
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
Murder of Lalit Mehta in Palamau: Aimless crime or planned intimidation?
Murder of Lalit Mehta in Palamau
At the time of this incident, Lalit was helping a team of volunteers from
Our immediate demands:
(1) CBI enquiry into this incident;
(2) strict action on all the complaints and irregularities emerging from this social audit of NREGA.
Local contact: 06566-290013 (Vikas Sahyog Kendra) or rozgar@gmail.com
Shahrukh Khan smokes at IPL Cricket matches
Shahrukh Khan smokes at IPL Cricket matches
To read this posting in Hindi language, click here
India's noted film-star and bollywood heartthrob, 'the King Khan' - Shahrukh Khan, again smoked cigarette after cigarette in full public view at the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches last week. To see the photographs, click here and to read the news, click here
Dr Shekhar Salkar from National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) who has been contributing significantly in strengthening tobacco control in India, was one of the few to raise concerns on the blatant disregard by Shahrukh of the repeated pleas from not only the health advocates, but also of the India's Health and Family Welfare minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, which is also in-sync with the provisions of The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (2003).
Shahrukh Khan and other film-stars have defended smoking-on-screen for 'creativity'.
Ajay Devgan, another leading film-star had said last week (to read click here):
"There should not be a ban on smoking especially in a democracy, where everyone has a right to his opinion. If someone has to make a film on Churchill, how can it be done since he used to smoke cigars regularly? If smoking is banned in films, would you put lollypop in Churchill's mouth instead?"
Dr Ramadoss gave a befitting reply on 11 May 2008 (to read click here)
"Creativity as an art should be used for improving lives instead of taking them"
RECAP
---------
In 2006, while receiving the Luther Terry Award - the world's noted award in tobacco control - Dr Ramadoss had said (to read click here):
In an earlier study done by World Health Organization and Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2003 it was revealed that 76% of Indian movies had tobacco use shown in them. In 1991, where 22% of top box office movie hits had lead characters using tobacco on-screen, in 2002, this escalated to 53% tobacco use depiction by lead characters in Indian movies. This study also demonstrated that 52.2% of children in India who had their first smoke were influenced by tobacco use depicted in movies.
A repeat follow-up study conducted by WHO and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India on top box office movie hits during 2004-2005 demonstrated that tobacco use depiction in movies has become more aggressive as compared to previous years. During 2004-2005, 89% of all movies analyzed contained tobacco use on screen and 75.5% movies depicted leading stars using tobacco on screen. Moreover 41% of movies screened had clear and distinct tobacco brand placement.
The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 came into effect since May 31, 2003. Explaining the amendments notified on May 31, 2005, Dr Ramadoss had said that movies showing tobacco use will be given 'A' certificate on the condition that the characters using tobacco on screen agree to do a
disclosure stating tobacco hazards clearly either before, middle or before the end of that movie.
Health warnings in the same language as that of the movie would start scrolling up 1 minute before the use of tobacco is depicted in movies and will end not before another minute after the depiction of tobacco use stops in that movie.
"One of the easiest ways to significantly bring down number of children and youth who get initiated to tobacco use in India, without any budgetary allocation for this public health exercise, is to remove depiction of tobacco use in films and TV"
On 27 January 2008 Dr Ramadoss had said (to read click here):
"The movies are most responsible (for encouraging smoking). When I said movies should not have smoking scenes we have statistics which show that 52 per cent of children have their first puff of a cigarette because of movie celebrities,"
"..I have already made appeals to Shah Rukh Khan...I would like to make an appeal to him and Amitabh Bachchan and all other personalities," Ramadoss said in an interview to a private news channel. He was also critical of Khan for smoking at a cricket match.
In March 2008, Shatrughan Sinha, another legendary film-star and politician had said (to read click here)
"There is an urgent need to spread the awareness about the deadly effects of tobacco products in the nation, particularly in rural areas where most people still remain ignorant to the ill effects of tobacco"
On 11 May 2008 an op-ed article was published (to read click here) written by Dr Ramadoss.
EXCERPTS:
Tamil actor Rajnikant's two latest movies were smoke-free and both were the biggest hits in the history of the Indian film industry. I wish some of the celebrities could come forward to tell the people that a can of Pepsi/Coco-cola contains 5-7 spoonfuls of sugar and a packet of chips contains 500 calories, and also its adverse impact on the health of its users.
We do not overlook the impact Amitabh Bachchan has had on our Pulse Polio campaign as a brand ambassador, or the contribution of our celebrities in promoting several campaigns under the National Rural Health Mission. It would be a service to humanity if this impact were replicated in removing social evils.
Experts also say smoking scenes in movies are more effective than direct forms of tobacco advertisements. Surveys have shown that 52 per cent of youngsters start smoking after being influenced by movies.
It is, therefore, not difficult to imagine the kind of impact smoking in films has on our youth, particularly in the context of more brand visibility of cigarette companies in films.
Still, surrogate advertisements have increased with the latest platform being the Indian Premier League cricket matches, which have a massive viewership. The Indian Cinematography Act, 1952 prohibits glamorising smoking in movies but the law is violated and there is not a word of protest from anywhere. An efficient Censor Board would not be keeping quiet on the glamorising of alcohol and tobacco and the vulgar depiction of obscenity in movies.
To read this posting in Hindi language, click here
India's noted film-star and bollywood heartthrob, 'the King Khan' - Shahrukh Khan, again smoked cigarette after cigarette in full public view at the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches last week. To see the photographs, click here and to read the news, click here
Dr Shekhar Salkar from National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) who has been contributing significantly in strengthening tobacco control in India, was one of the few to raise concerns on the blatant disregard by Shahrukh of the repeated pleas from not only the health advocates, but also of the India's Health and Family Welfare minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, which is also in-sync with the provisions of The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (2003).
Shahrukh Khan and other film-stars have defended smoking-on-screen for 'creativity'.
Ajay Devgan, another leading film-star had said last week (to read click here):
"There should not be a ban on smoking especially in a democracy, where everyone has a right to his opinion. If someone has to make a film on Churchill, how can it be done since he used to smoke cigars regularly? If smoking is banned in films, would you put lollypop in Churchill's mouth instead?"
Dr Ramadoss gave a befitting reply on 11 May 2008 (to read click here)
"Creativity as an art should be used for improving lives instead of taking them"
RECAP
---------
In 2006, while receiving the Luther Terry Award - the world's noted award in tobacco control - Dr Ramadoss had said (to read click here):
In an earlier study done by World Health Organization and Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2003 it was revealed that 76% of Indian movies had tobacco use shown in them. In 1991, where 22% of top box office movie hits had lead characters using tobacco on-screen, in 2002, this escalated to 53% tobacco use depiction by lead characters in Indian movies. This study also demonstrated that 52.2% of children in India who had their first smoke were influenced by tobacco use depicted in movies.A repeat follow-up study conducted by WHO and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India on top box office movie hits during 2004-2005 demonstrated that tobacco use depiction in movies has become more aggressive as compared to previous years. During 2004-2005, 89% of all movies analyzed contained tobacco use on screen and 75.5% movies depicted leading stars using tobacco on screen. Moreover 41% of movies screened had clear and distinct tobacco brand placement.
The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 came into effect since May 31, 2003. Explaining the amendments notified on May 31, 2005, Dr Ramadoss had said that movies showing tobacco use will be given 'A' certificate on the condition that the characters using tobacco on screen agree to do a
disclosure stating tobacco hazards clearly either before, middle or before the end of that movie.Health warnings in the same language as that of the movie would start scrolling up 1 minute before the use of tobacco is depicted in movies and will end not before another minute after the depiction of tobacco use stops in that movie.
"One of the easiest ways to significantly bring down number of children and youth who get initiated to tobacco use in India, without any budgetary allocation for this public health exercise, is to remove depiction of tobacco use in films and TV"
On 27 January 2008 Dr Ramadoss had said (to read click here):
"The movies are most responsible (for encouraging smoking). When I said movies should not have smoking scenes we have statistics which show that 52 per cent of children have their first puff of a cigarette because of movie celebrities,"
"..I have already made appeals to Shah Rukh Khan...I would like to make an appeal to him and Amitabh Bachchan and all other personalities," Ramadoss said in an interview to a private news channel. He was also critical of Khan for smoking at a cricket match.
In March 2008, Shatrughan Sinha, another legendary film-star and politician had said (to read click here)
"There is an urgent need to spread the awareness about the deadly effects of tobacco products in the nation, particularly in rural areas where most people still remain ignorant to the ill effects of tobacco"
On 11 May 2008 an op-ed article was published (to read click here) written by Dr Ramadoss.
EXCERPTS:
Tamil actor Rajnikant's two latest movies were smoke-free and both were the biggest hits in the history of the Indian film industry. I wish some of the celebrities could come forward to tell the people that a can of Pepsi/Coco-cola contains 5-7 spoonfuls of sugar and a packet of chips contains 500 calories, and also its adverse impact on the health of its users.
We do not overlook the impact Amitabh Bachchan has had on our Pulse Polio campaign as a brand ambassador, or the contribution of our celebrities in promoting several campaigns under the National Rural Health Mission. It would be a service to humanity if this impact were replicated in removing social evils.
Experts also say smoking scenes in movies are more effective than direct forms of tobacco advertisements. Surveys have shown that 52 per cent of youngsters start smoking after being influenced by movies.
It is, therefore, not difficult to imagine the kind of impact smoking in films has on our youth, particularly in the context of more brand visibility of cigarette companies in films.
Still, surrogate advertisements have increased with the latest platform being the Indian Premier League cricket matches, which have a massive viewership. The Indian Cinematography Act, 1952 prohibits glamorising smoking in movies but the law is violated and there is not a word of protest from anywhere. An efficient Censor Board would not be keeping quiet on the glamorising of alcohol and tobacco and the vulgar depiction of obscenity in movies.
TB News Summary: 19 May 2008: Issue 47
TB News Summary
Monday, 19 May 2008
Issue 47
-------------
Monday, 19 May 2008
Issue 47
-------------
This issue summarizes the below given news in Hindi language, to read the news summary in Hindi, click here or go to:
http://tapedik.blogspot.com
To read the main news directly in English, click on the below given news-links today.
Thanks
-------------
Better to build a fence at the cliff's edge than a hospital at the bottom
Must read article written by a clinician who was instrumental in convincing US government to close TB sanitoriums in 1970s. Now he reflects back, pondering over the enormous challenges posed by drug-resistant TB... Read source article...
Carbon monoxide (CO) in tobacco smoke, etc triggers tuberculosis
Carbon monoxide present in tobacco smoke, automobile emissions, etc triggers tuberculosis...
"This is the first description of a role for CO in mycobacterial pathogenesis, and may explain why smoking and air pollution contributes to TB," said Adrie Steyn, assistant professor in University of Alabama's Department of Microbiology and lead author on the study. Read source article...
Smoking is big risk factor for TB in Pakistan
The correlation between tobacco use and tuberculosis has never been more talked about - with TB becoming the single largest cause of death attributed to tobacco use in India and Pakistan (not cancer).
How will we achieve HIV targets without effective TB control?
Photo by desi.italyTuberculosis (TB) remains the most common opportunistic infection and the leading cause of death among people living with HIV.
The Asia-Pacific is home to more than two-thirds of the world’s TB cases, according to the Global Tuberculosis Control report released by WHO in March 2008. More than 8% of new TB infections occur among people living with HIV, who are also more vulnerable to drug resistance.
Multi-drug resistant TB, or MDR-TB, occurs when the disease becomes resistant isoniazid and rifampicin—the two most powerful first-line anti-TB drugs. People with MDR-TB are less likely to recover and global estimates indicate that about 5% of TB cases involved MDR-TB. About 50% of MDR-TB cases have been recorded in India and China.
Treatment is currently only available to about one in 10 MDR-TB patients and 90% will not receive the treatment they need.
Extensively drug-resistant TB, or XDR-TB, is virtually untreatable and is likely to emerge where second-line anti-TB drugs are widely and inappropriately used. XDR-TB is more expensive and difficult to treat than MDR-TB and the mortality rates among those affected are very high.
The transmission of TB, and in particular drug-resistant strains, is more likely to take place where there are high numbers of people living with HIV. Improper infection control procedures at healthcare facilities, such as those providing anti-retroviral treatment, can also put people at risk of TB infection, making efforts to improve control measures in these settings vital.
Developing means of rapid TB diagnosis is also vital. Most countries in the Asia-Pacific do not have the drug-susceptibility testing facilities they need to diagnose resistant strains of the disease, let alone provide treatment.
More and better quality TB drugs and diagnostics are urgently needed as well as better TB prevention and treatment programs, particularly for people living with HIV. We need to ask those fighting on the frontlines against HIV and TB in the Asia-Pacific:
- How closely integrated are TB and HIV programs in your country?
- What infection control measures are in place at healthcare facilities?
- Is your nearest hospital capable of diagnosing, preventing and treating TB in children?
- What infection control measures are in place in your country’s prisons?
- Is your nearest hospital equipped with laboratories for testing TB drug-resistance? Are infection control measures in place?
- Why do you think people with active and drug-resistant strains of TB are unable to adhere to treatment regimes?
Directly-observed treatment short-course (DOTS) is the internationally recommended TB control strategy and it includes standardized case detection, treatment and patient support. To be effective, it requires consistent drug supplies and effective monitoring systems.
But according to WHO, the emergence of drug resistant TB is a sign that DOTS programs are performing poorly. Drug-resistant strains of the disease have reached the highest levels ever recorded and if we hope to reverse this situation, surely we must look at improving the DOTS model.
Continuing current models might only compound the threat posed by drug-resistant TB. But right now many countries in the Asia-Pacific are expanding their DOTS coverage and the spread of drug resistant strains of TB is increasing exponentially.
Unless we significantly improve the performance of DOTS programs and respond effectively to drug-resistant strains of the disease we will struggle to achieve the Millennium Development Goals ‘to halt and reverse’ the spread of HIV and AIDS by 2015.
We will also fail to achieve Universal Access goals of “scaling up HIV prevention, treatment, care and support with the aim of coming as close as possible to the goal of universal access to treatment by 2010 for all those who need it.”
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
The Asia-Pacific is home to more than two-thirds of the world’s TB cases, according to the Global Tuberculosis Control report released by WHO in March 2008. More than 8% of new TB infections occur among people living with HIV, who are also more vulnerable to drug resistance.
Multi-drug resistant TB, or MDR-TB, occurs when the disease becomes resistant isoniazid and rifampicin—the two most powerful first-line anti-TB drugs. People with MDR-TB are less likely to recover and global estimates indicate that about 5% of TB cases involved MDR-TB. About 50% of MDR-TB cases have been recorded in India and China.
Treatment is currently only available to about one in 10 MDR-TB patients and 90% will not receive the treatment they need.
Extensively drug-resistant TB, or XDR-TB, is virtually untreatable and is likely to emerge where second-line anti-TB drugs are widely and inappropriately used. XDR-TB is more expensive and difficult to treat than MDR-TB and the mortality rates among those affected are very high.
The transmission of TB, and in particular drug-resistant strains, is more likely to take place where there are high numbers of people living with HIV. Improper infection control procedures at healthcare facilities, such as those providing anti-retroviral treatment, can also put people at risk of TB infection, making efforts to improve control measures in these settings vital.
Developing means of rapid TB diagnosis is also vital. Most countries in the Asia-Pacific do not have the drug-susceptibility testing facilities they need to diagnose resistant strains of the disease, let alone provide treatment.
More and better quality TB drugs and diagnostics are urgently needed as well as better TB prevention and treatment programs, particularly for people living with HIV. We need to ask those fighting on the frontlines against HIV and TB in the Asia-Pacific:
- How closely integrated are TB and HIV programs in your country?
- What infection control measures are in place at healthcare facilities?
- Is your nearest hospital capable of diagnosing, preventing and treating TB in children?
- What infection control measures are in place in your country’s prisons?
- Is your nearest hospital equipped with laboratories for testing TB drug-resistance? Are infection control measures in place?
- Why do you think people with active and drug-resistant strains of TB are unable to adhere to treatment regimes?
Directly-observed treatment short-course (DOTS) is the internationally recommended TB control strategy and it includes standardized case detection, treatment and patient support. To be effective, it requires consistent drug supplies and effective monitoring systems.
But according to WHO, the emergence of drug resistant TB is a sign that DOTS programs are performing poorly. Drug-resistant strains of the disease have reached the highest levels ever recorded and if we hope to reverse this situation, surely we must look at improving the DOTS model.
Continuing current models might only compound the threat posed by drug-resistant TB. But right now many countries in the Asia-Pacific are expanding their DOTS coverage and the spread of drug resistant strains of TB is increasing exponentially.
Unless we significantly improve the performance of DOTS programs and respond effectively to drug-resistant strains of the disease we will struggle to achieve the Millennium Development Goals ‘to halt and reverse’ the spread of HIV and AIDS by 2015.
We will also fail to achieve Universal Access goals of “scaling up HIV prevention, treatment, care and support with the aim of coming as close as possible to the goal of universal access to treatment by 2010 for all those who need it.”
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
TambakooKills News Bulletin (20 May 2008): Issue 382
TambakooKills News Bulletin
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Issue 382
Advertising giant pushes 'right to choice' argument
The Times of India, 19 May 2008
Santosh Desai, leading advertising giant, has authored this article
Excerpt:
Death is the leading cause of death. Not smoking, not drinking, not eating too many chips. Even dreaded diseases do not cause death; they are merely the vehicles in which the inevitable becomes imminent…
People smoke, drink and eat greasy food because they want to and not only because some star is asking them to do so. Celebrity anti-smoking campaigns do not really work, in spite of the same star power being behind them. Smoking exists not only because of advertising but because it conforms to the notion of what is cool that is prevalent in society…
It reduces the freedom of everyone else. Not showing people drink in films is a start; tomorrow we could well stop them from eating fried foods, ice-cream, drinking coffee and jaywalking. The belief that representation equals reality is a naive one. Not showing something will not make it disappear…
It is a choice that they must be free to make. If they want to be seduced by images of their heroes chomping chips, so be it. For it must be remembered that no matter what the good health minister does, we are all going to die. It might make sense to focus on living rather than be obsessed with not dying.
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Ministry's bidi report poses threat to Bidi sector
Financial Express, 20 May 2008
Excerpt:
Bidi tobacco is cultivated in around 30% of the total area under tobacco crop and its production accounts 33% of the total tobacco production. About 2,90,000 farmers grow bidi tobacco in India and around 4.4 workers are employed in production of bidis. This employment-oriented sector has become controversial with a recent paper of the Union ministry of health and family welfare entitled -- Bidi Smoking and Public Health Hazards.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Farmers jubilant as tobacco prices soar
The Times of India, 19 May 2008
Excerpt
"The drastic fall in production in Zimbabwe from 250 million kgs to 60 million kgs, due to internal problems including racial unrest is one of the major factors that boosted the prices of Indian stock. In addition, nearly 70 million kg shortage of production has been reported from one of the major tobacco producing nation Brazil" said Y Sivaji, former Member of Parliament and present president of Virginia tobacco growers association,
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Bhutanese people smoke smuggled cigarettes from India, 'Wills Navy Cut' is a favourite
Thai Indian News, 20 May 2008
The Hindu, India: 20 May 2008
Excerpt
In 2004, the kingdom became the first country in the world to ban the sale of tobacco and prohibit public smoking. People may smoke in the privacy of their homes but are forced to rely on smuggled cigarettes. Though there is little evidence to suggest smokers here have kicked their habit in large numbers, the ban is believed to have sharply reduced the number of first-time smokers, especially among the young.
But despite the ban many still smoke in the privacy of their homes, relying on cigarettes smuggled from Phuntsholing, 175 km from the Bhutanese capital or from India. Wills Navy Cut is a hot favourite.
To read both the news, click on Thai Indian News and The Hindu
------------------------------------------------------------------
Workplace programmes can improve health - new study
Reuters, 20 May 2008
Excerpt
Workplace programmes targeting physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary habits are effective in mitigating the impact of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, according to a study published on Monday.
Unhealthy diets and excessive energy intake, physical inactivity and tobacco use are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases, it said.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Awards for tobacco control
The Indian Express, Chandigarh, India: 19 May 2008
Excerpt
Burning Brain Society (BBS), a local NGO, has announced its annual awards for people working on tobacco control. The awards will be given to individuals and organisations contributing their bit . The eight categories of awards include two awards in Best Enforcement Activity; five awards in Best Mass Media Effort; two awards in Best Civil Society Efforts; two awards in Tobacco Control Bravery; one award each in Best State Government Initiative; Best District/ City Initiative; Best Educational Institute Initiative and Best Business House Initiative.
To read the complete news, click here
*****************************************
To download or read Hindi and English language news bulletin/ articles on tobacco control, click here or go to:
http://TambakooKills.blogspot.com
To receive email updates on tobacco control in Hindi and English languages, send an email to:
TambakooKills-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
----------------------------
Jointly brought to you by the Tambakoo-Kills youth team supported by:
Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Abhinav Bharat Foundation (ABF), Asha Parivar, Citizen News Service (CNS) and Tobacco Cessation Clinic of CSM Medical University
Email: Tambakoo.Kills@gmail.com
-----------------------------
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Issue 382
Advertising giant pushes 'right to choice' argument
The Times of India, 19 May 2008
Santosh Desai, leading advertising giant, has authored this article
Excerpt:
Death is the leading cause of death. Not smoking, not drinking, not eating too many chips. Even dreaded diseases do not cause death; they are merely the vehicles in which the inevitable becomes imminent…
People smoke, drink and eat greasy food because they want to and not only because some star is asking them to do so. Celebrity anti-smoking campaigns do not really work, in spite of the same star power being behind them. Smoking exists not only because of advertising but because it conforms to the notion of what is cool that is prevalent in society…
It reduces the freedom of everyone else. Not showing people drink in films is a start; tomorrow we could well stop them from eating fried foods, ice-cream, drinking coffee and jaywalking. The belief that representation equals reality is a naive one. Not showing something will not make it disappear…
It is a choice that they must be free to make. If they want to be seduced by images of their heroes chomping chips, so be it. For it must be remembered that no matter what the good health minister does, we are all going to die. It might make sense to focus on living rather than be obsessed with not dying.
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Ministry's bidi report poses threat to Bidi sector
Financial Express, 20 May 2008
Excerpt:
Bidi tobacco is cultivated in around 30% of the total area under tobacco crop and its production accounts 33% of the total tobacco production. About 2,90,000 farmers grow bidi tobacco in India and around 4.4 workers are employed in production of bidis. This employment-oriented sector has become controversial with a recent paper of the Union ministry of health and family welfare entitled -- Bidi Smoking and Public Health Hazards.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Farmers jubilant as tobacco prices soar
The Times of India, 19 May 2008
Excerpt
"The drastic fall in production in Zimbabwe from 250 million kgs to 60 million kgs, due to internal problems including racial unrest is one of the major factors that boosted the prices of Indian stock. In addition, nearly 70 million kg shortage of production has been reported from one of the major tobacco producing nation Brazil" said Y Sivaji, former Member of Parliament and present president of Virginia tobacco growers association,
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Bhutanese people smoke smuggled cigarettes from India, 'Wills Navy Cut' is a favourite
Thai Indian News, 20 May 2008
The Hindu, India: 20 May 2008
Excerpt
In 2004, the kingdom became the first country in the world to ban the sale of tobacco and prohibit public smoking. People may smoke in the privacy of their homes but are forced to rely on smuggled cigarettes. Though there is little evidence to suggest smokers here have kicked their habit in large numbers, the ban is believed to have sharply reduced the number of first-time smokers, especially among the young.
But despite the ban many still smoke in the privacy of their homes, relying on cigarettes smuggled from Phuntsholing, 175 km from the Bhutanese capital or from India. Wills Navy Cut is a hot favourite.
To read both the news, click on Thai Indian News and The Hindu
------------------------------------------------------------------
Workplace programmes can improve health - new study
Reuters, 20 May 2008
Excerpt
Workplace programmes targeting physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary habits are effective in mitigating the impact of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, according to a study published on Monday.
Unhealthy diets and excessive energy intake, physical inactivity and tobacco use are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases, it said.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
Awards for tobacco control
The Indian Express, Chandigarh, India: 19 May 2008
Excerpt
Burning Brain Society (BBS), a local NGO, has announced its annual awards for people working on tobacco control. The awards will be given to individuals and organisations contributing their bit . The eight categories of awards include two awards in Best Enforcement Activity; five awards in Best Mass Media Effort; two awards in Best Civil Society Efforts; two awards in Tobacco Control Bravery; one award each in Best State Government Initiative; Best District/ City Initiative; Best Educational Institute Initiative and Best Business House Initiative.
To read the complete news, click here
*****************************************
To download or read Hindi and English language news bulletin/ articles on tobacco control, click here or go to:
http://TambakooKills.blogspot.com
To receive email updates on tobacco control in Hindi and English languages, send an email to:
TambakooKills-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
----------------------------
Jointly brought to you by the Tambakoo-Kills youth team supported by:
Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Abhinav Bharat Foundation (ABF), Asha Parivar, Citizen News Service (CNS) and Tobacco Cessation Clinic of CSM Medical University
Email: Tambakoo.Kills@gmail.com
-----------------------------
Pakistan’s journalists help promote HIV awareness
Photo by bobbyramakant“When my friend returned after 10 years of working abroad, he was already in the last stages of an AIDS-associated illness and he passed away in 2003,” said Dr Zahid Rana, one of more than 1000 Pakistani journalists that form the National Foundation.
“This event was the turning point in my life. I, who had been reporting as a journalist on so-called mainstream stories of relevance . . ., never imagined that HIV was lurking so closely in my courtyard,” Dr Rana said.
The National Foundation is a partner of AIDS Care Watch—a campaign launched by a civil society block comprising 450 organizations from around the world. The campaign was designed to raise awareness of the treatment available to people living with HIV and Dr Rana has acted as Pakistan’s Country Focal Point for the project for two years.
“We need to do all that is possible to engage communities in development programs that affect their lives. Much more can be done to keep people living with HIV alive and to strengthen prevention programs by a range of interventions and approaches,” Dr Rana said.
“Such programs, including those of HIV and AIDS, shouldn’t be running without the equal partnership of communities.”
Dr Rana has devoted himself to engaging journalists through a series of interventions to sensitize them to a number of social issues including HIV. One of the National Foundation’s goals is to increase awareness among journalists in Pakistan of the interconnected issues surrounding HIV and its affect on people’s lives.
Journalists play a key role in informing the public about HIV and AIDS and the print and electronic media reporters that make up the National Foundation are also dedicated to involving young people in the discourse surrounding the disease.
For the past few years the group has reached out to schools, colleges and other educational institutions, involving them in a range of interventions aimed at increasing information exchanges and promoting open dialogue.
“From 2009, we are going to scale up interventions to engage children and youth not in formal educational setups and are working as domestic help or as domestic labour in the unorganized sector,” Dr Rana said.
“Such children and young people, who are even struggling to have access to basic amenities to sustain life and often grow up in very violent circumstances that scale up their vulnerability enormously, need attention.”
Dr Rana is in Chiang Mai (northern Thailand) to attend the pre-conference Inter-faith meeting on HIV and was interview by Duangkamol Donchaum and Bobby Ramakant.
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
“This event was the turning point in my life. I, who had been reporting as a journalist on so-called mainstream stories of relevance . . ., never imagined that HIV was lurking so closely in my courtyard,” Dr Rana said.
The National Foundation is a partner of AIDS Care Watch—a campaign launched by a civil society block comprising 450 organizations from around the world. The campaign was designed to raise awareness of the treatment available to people living with HIV and Dr Rana has acted as Pakistan’s Country Focal Point for the project for two years.
“We need to do all that is possible to engage communities in development programs that affect their lives. Much more can be done to keep people living with HIV alive and to strengthen prevention programs by a range of interventions and approaches,” Dr Rana said.
“Such programs, including those of HIV and AIDS, shouldn’t be running without the equal partnership of communities.”
Dr Rana has devoted himself to engaging journalists through a series of interventions to sensitize them to a number of social issues including HIV. One of the National Foundation’s goals is to increase awareness among journalists in Pakistan of the interconnected issues surrounding HIV and its affect on people’s lives.
Journalists play a key role in informing the public about HIV and AIDS and the print and electronic media reporters that make up the National Foundation are also dedicated to involving young people in the discourse surrounding the disease.
For the past few years the group has reached out to schools, colleges and other educational institutions, involving them in a range of interventions aimed at increasing information exchanges and promoting open dialogue.
“From 2009, we are going to scale up interventions to engage children and youth not in formal educational setups and are working as domestic help or as domestic labour in the unorganized sector,” Dr Rana said.
“Such children and young people, who are even struggling to have access to basic amenities to sustain life and often grow up in very violent circumstances that scale up their vulnerability enormously, need attention.”
Dr Rana is in Chiang Mai (northern Thailand) to attend the pre-conference Inter-faith meeting on HIV and was interview by Duangkamol Donchaum and Bobby Ramakant.
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
TambakooKills News Bulletin (18 May 2008): Issue 381
TambakooKills News Bulletin
Sunday, 18 May 2008
Issue 381
Tobacco, alcohol lobbies want to oust me: Ramadoss
Sify News, Chennai: 18 May 2008
EXCERPT
Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday alleged that the tobacco and alcohol lobbies and those against the reservation policy were conspiring to oust him.
"The lobby is out to get at me," the Minister told mediapersons here.
"The alcohol, tobacco and anti-reservation lobby is trying to destabilise me and destabilise my party (the PMK, a UPA constituent from Tamil Nadu)," Ramadoss said.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
'Alcohol, smoking lobbies out to get me'
Times Now.TV, 18 May 2008
EXCERPT
"Very powerful alcohol lobby, the tobacco lobby and the anti reservation lobby have joined together and are trying to destabilise me" said Dr Anbumani Ramadoss.
The minister who was in a combative mood said, that according to certain studies two-third of death in India is caused by smoking, drinking and junk food and that it was his responsibility to set things right.
Ramadoss's reaction came after the reclusive actor; Ajay Devgan questioned the health minister's move to censor creative freedom.
"There should not be a ban on smoking especially in a democracy, where everyone has a right to his opinion. If someone has to make a film on Churchill, how can it be done since he used to smoke cigars regularly? If smoking is banned in films, would you put lollypop in Churchill's mouth instead?" he [Ajay Devgan] said.
To see the video of Ajay Devgan's reaction, click here
To see the video of Dr Ramadoss' response, click here
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
India Liquor, Tobacco Firms Shift Tack
Wall Street Journal, USA: 17 May 2008
EXCERPT:
Tobacco and liquor companies are among India's largest advertisers, but for years, they've had to resort to some sleight of hand to market their products.
Because Indian law bans tobacco and liquor ads, the companies have relied on what are known as "surrogate advertisements." Instead of touting smokes and booze in their print and TV ads, they market unrelated, cheap-to-make products that they also happen to manufacture. Popular surrogate products have included CDs, playing cards and bottled water -- all, of course, carrying the same brand as the companies' cigarettes and beer or spirits.
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Godfrey Phillips test-marketing India's first clove cigarette
The Economic Times, India: 17 May 2008
EXCERPT
Tobacco is unhealthy. No rocket science that. But what if the cigarette is filled with healthy clove a la the imported Gudang Garams from Indonesia that vend across the country. Godfrey Phillips India (GPI), the Rs 1,593-crore tobacco major, seems to have taken a cue and is test-marketing India's first clove cigarette, Cluv Spice, across geographies.
"Globally, and specifically in Indonesia, there is a growing demand for cigarettes based on addition of processed natural clove. In India, across categories, clove is linked to oral hygiene and is perceived to have mouth freshening qualities," claims a company spokesperson.
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Laws prohibiting child labour and protecting bidi workers should be implemented
Central Chronicle, 17 May 2008
EXCERPT
Policy interventions needed urgently are as follows:
- Increase in taxes on bidis as it benefits the poor, prompting them to quit, thus saving lives and money, besides bringing revenue to the Government for welfare and public health measures.
- The distinction in taxes on hand-made and machine made bidis needs to be eradicated as such a policy only promotes tax evasion.
To read the complete news, click here
*****************************************
To download or read Hindi and English language news bulletin/ articles on tobacco control, click here or go to:
http://TambakooKills.blogspot.com
To receive email updates on tobacco control in Hindi and English languages, send an email to:
TambakooKills-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
----------------------------
Jointly brought to you by the Tambakoo-Kills youth team supported by:
Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Abhinav Bharat Foundation (ABF), Asha Parivar, Citizen News Service (CNS) and Tobacco Cessation Clinic of CSM Medical University
Email: Tambakoo.Kills@gmail.com
-----------------------------
Sunday, 18 May 2008
Issue 381
Tobacco, alcohol lobbies want to oust me: Ramadoss
Sify News, Chennai: 18 May 2008
EXCERPT
Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday alleged that the tobacco and alcohol lobbies and those against the reservation policy were conspiring to oust him.
"The lobby is out to get at me," the Minister told mediapersons here.
"The alcohol, tobacco and anti-reservation lobby is trying to destabilise me and destabilise my party (the PMK, a UPA constituent from Tamil Nadu)," Ramadoss said.
To read the complete news, click here
--------------------------------------
'Alcohol, smoking lobbies out to get me'
Times Now.TV, 18 May 2008
EXCERPT
"Very powerful alcohol lobby, the tobacco lobby and the anti reservation lobby have joined together and are trying to destabilise me" said Dr Anbumani Ramadoss.
The minister who was in a combative mood said, that according to certain studies two-third of death in India is caused by smoking, drinking and junk food and that it was his responsibility to set things right.
Ramadoss's reaction came after the reclusive actor; Ajay Devgan questioned the health minister's move to censor creative freedom.
"There should not be a ban on smoking especially in a democracy, where everyone has a right to his opinion. If someone has to make a film on Churchill, how can it be done since he used to smoke cigars regularly? If smoking is banned in films, would you put lollypop in Churchill's mouth instead?" he [Ajay Devgan] said.
To see the video of Ajay Devgan's reaction, click here
To see the video of Dr Ramadoss' response, click here
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
India Liquor, Tobacco Firms Shift Tack
Wall Street Journal, USA: 17 May 2008
EXCERPT:
Tobacco and liquor companies are among India's largest advertisers, but for years, they've had to resort to some sleight of hand to market their products.
Because Indian law bans tobacco and liquor ads, the companies have relied on what are known as "surrogate advertisements." Instead of touting smokes and booze in their print and TV ads, they market unrelated, cheap-to-make products that they also happen to manufacture. Popular surrogate products have included CDs, playing cards and bottled water -- all, of course, carrying the same brand as the companies' cigarettes and beer or spirits.
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Godfrey Phillips test-marketing India's first clove cigarette
The Economic Times, India: 17 May 2008
EXCERPT
Tobacco is unhealthy. No rocket science that. But what if the cigarette is filled with healthy clove a la the imported Gudang Garams from Indonesia that vend across the country. Godfrey Phillips India (GPI), the Rs 1,593-crore tobacco major, seems to have taken a cue and is test-marketing India's first clove cigarette, Cluv Spice, across geographies.
"Globally, and specifically in Indonesia, there is a growing demand for cigarettes based on addition of processed natural clove. In India, across categories, clove is linked to oral hygiene and is perceived to have mouth freshening qualities," claims a company spokesperson.
To read the complete news, click here
---------------------------------------
Laws prohibiting child labour and protecting bidi workers should be implemented
Central Chronicle, 17 May 2008
EXCERPT
Policy interventions needed urgently are as follows:
- Increase in taxes on bidis as it benefits the poor, prompting them to quit, thus saving lives and money, besides bringing revenue to the Government for welfare and public health measures.
- The distinction in taxes on hand-made and machine made bidis needs to be eradicated as such a policy only promotes tax evasion.
To read the complete news, click here
*****************************************
To download or read Hindi and English language news bulletin/ articles on tobacco control, click here or go to:
http://TambakooKills.blogspot.com
To receive email updates on tobacco control in Hindi and English languages, send an email to:
TambakooKills-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
----------------------------
Jointly brought to you by the Tambakoo-Kills youth team supported by:
Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Abhinav Bharat Foundation (ABF), Asha Parivar, Citizen News Service (CNS) and Tobacco Cessation Clinic of CSM Medical University
Email: Tambakoo.Kills@gmail.com
-----------------------------
Civil society calls for Universal Access to TB/HIV Care
Photo by futureshapeHealth & Development Networks (HDN) and AIDS Care Watch (ACW) campaign
Signs on the civil society Letter to the Governments of the World who will convene for the
First HIV TB Global Leaders’ Forum,
New York (9 June 2008)
So far 84 organizations from 39 countries have joined this civil society letter calling for universal access to TB/HIV care to stop the biggest killer of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world... please join by sending your ORGANIZATIONAL endorsement to:
Matt Kavanagh at mkavanagh@results.org by WEDNESDAY JUNE 4th.
-------------
Open Letter to the Governments of the World:
As leaders gather in New York for the “Global Leaders Forum on TB/HIV,”
we write as civil society groups, advocates, researchers, and groups of people living with TB and HIV from around the world to demand concrete action on TB and HIV.
We express our collective outrage that TB, despite being curable for over a half century, continues to be the leading cause of death of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A). We call on governments and multilateral institutions to take bold and concrete action—and commit ourselves to the same—to ensure that every person in need receives high quality TB and HIV treatment, prevention, diagnostics and care.
Enclosed here you will find a call to action from Civil Society—as we add our voices to the leaders gathered in New York June 9^th . In 2006, the UN Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS called for “accelerated scale-up of collaborative activities on tuberculosis and HIV, in line with the Global Plan to Stop TB.” Since then some nations have seen major scale-up, but the vast majority of people with TB/HIV co-infection still do not have access to coordinated services.
The world must treat TB/HIV as the crisis that it is. In Sub-Saharan Africa currently up to 50% of people living with HIV will develop TB—they are 30 times more likely to develop active TB. Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) TB, including Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) TB, is poised to become the next pandemic—and already has frighteningly high mortality amongst people with HIV. An effective response must be mobilized immediately.
*We understand that, if universal access to existing high quality TB/HIV care and services were available by 2015, we could likely cut the current mortality rates by 80%--saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year. *As a matter of urgency, we call upon governments of the world to move beyond declarations and provide the /plans/, the /resources/, and the /effective programs/ to stop these intertwined pandemics.
*We demand that governments /immediately and publicly announce:/*
1. *UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY TB/HIV CARE BY 2015: *By 2015,
in high burden areas, every person living with HIV should be
screened for TB, every person with TB should be offered HIV
counseling and testing, and treatment, prevention, and care must
be universally available and coordinated for both diseases. This
must be coordinated with a scale up to Universal Access on HIV by
2010.**
2. *FULL FUNDING: *Donor and high burden country governments must
announce specifically how they will fund the /at least/ *$19
billion through 2015* needed to ensure existing high quality
TB/HIV care is available to all and that new tools are on the way.**
3. *REDUCE TB/HIV MORTALITY:* Country plans should monitor progress
to reduce mortality to no more than 90,000 by 2010 and 50,000 by
2015—an 80% reduction over our current course.
4. *21^st CENTURY DIAGNOSTICS & TREATMENT: *A tangible global
commitment must be announced to developing and ensuring access to
21^st century diagnostic and treatment tools so that co-infected
people are screened and treated more effectively.
Signed
[LIST IN FORMATION: please email ORGANIZATIONAL sign-ons to Matt
Kavanagh: mkavanagh@results.org]
ActionAid International
African Services Committee, USA
AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa AIDS Care Watch Campaign, International AIDS Law Project, South Africa The AIDS Institute, USA *Alliance Burundais Contre le SIDA, Burundi* Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation Asia Pacific Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) Association African Solidarit, Burkina Faso British Columbia Lung Association, Canada Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities, USA Burundian Human Rights League Iteka Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition Child Foundation of India Christian Aid, United Kingdom Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi Consortium to Respond Effectively to the AIDS/TB Epidemic (CREATE), USA Delhi Network of Positive people (DNP+),India Estonian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), Belgium Franeois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, USA Fundacien Huellas, Ecuador Fundacien Huesped, Argentina Global Action for Children, USA Global AIDS Alliance, USA Global Health Advocates, India Global Harmony, India Goodwill Aid, Ghana Grupo Portugues de Activistas sobre Tratamentos de VIH/SIDA (GAT), Portugal Guyana Rainbow Association Harvard Medical School, Department of Social Medicine, USA HealthGAP (Global Access Project), USA Health & Development Networks (HDN), Thailand HIV/AIDS Task Force, Africa Japan Forum INSA India Initiatives for Research and Training for Development, Cameroon Initiative for Community Development, Nigeria Intimate Friends International, Cameroon Jamaican Network of Seropositives Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium Knowledge Ecology International, USA/Switzerland KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, The Netherlands
Lanka+, Sri Lanka
LHL - Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organization Living Positively, Canada Malaysian AIDS Council Media Network on HIV/AIDS and Development (MedNAD), Nigeria Migrant Clinicians Network, USA Mozambique AIDS Treatment Access Movement
MSM: No Political Agenda (MSMNPA), Trinidad & Tobago National Group of TB People, Pakistan Network of Zimbabwean Positive Women (NZPW+) New Jersey Medical School Global Tuberculosis Institute, USA Observatoire des Droits des Personnes Infectes et/ou Affectes par le VIH/SIDA (odpia+), Burundi Partners In Health, USA PATH, Cambodia Participatory Development Action Program (PDAP), Bangladesh Pinoy Plus Association—Association of People Livng with HIV/AIDS, Philippines Positive Life Association of Nigeria (PLAN), Nigeria Pro-Health Initiative, Nigeria Project RING, Japan AIDS and Society Association Puerto Rico Community Network on Clinical Research on AIDS Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC) Reseau Nigerien de Personnes Vivant Avec le VIH/SIDA, Nigeria RESULTS Educational Fund, USA RESULTS Canada RESULTS Japan RESULTS UK Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service Spiritia Foundation, Indonesia Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative (SHAII) STOP TB Italy St. Mary Cottage Hospital, Kenya Students Against Global AIDS (SAGA), Canada Student Global AIDS Campaign, USA Student Global AIDS Campaign, Cameroon Task Force of Empowerment for Migrant Workers and Spouses, Malaysia Target Tuberculosis, United Kingdom Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign, Zambia Treatment Action Movement (TAM), Nigeria Treatment Action Group, USA United Methodist Church, General Board of Church & Society, USA World AIDS Campaign, The Netherlands & South Africa Zambia Association for the Prevention of HIV and Tuberculosis (ZAPHIT)
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
Signs on the civil society Letter to the Governments of the World who will convene for the
First HIV TB Global Leaders’ Forum,
New York (9 June 2008)
So far 84 organizations from 39 countries have joined this civil society letter calling for universal access to TB/HIV care to stop the biggest killer of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world... please join by sending your ORGANIZATIONAL endorsement to:
Matt Kavanagh at mkavanagh@results.org by WEDNESDAY JUNE 4th.
-------------
Open Letter to the Governments of the World:
As leaders gather in New York for the “Global Leaders Forum on TB/HIV,”
we write as civil society groups, advocates, researchers, and groups of people living with TB and HIV from around the world to demand concrete action on TB and HIV.
We express our collective outrage that TB, despite being curable for over a half century, continues to be the leading cause of death of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A). We call on governments and multilateral institutions to take bold and concrete action—and commit ourselves to the same—to ensure that every person in need receives high quality TB and HIV treatment, prevention, diagnostics and care.
Enclosed here you will find a call to action from Civil Society—as we add our voices to the leaders gathered in New York June 9^th . In 2006, the UN Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS called for “accelerated scale-up of collaborative activities on tuberculosis and HIV, in line with the Global Plan to Stop TB.” Since then some nations have seen major scale-up, but the vast majority of people with TB/HIV co-infection still do not have access to coordinated services.
The world must treat TB/HIV as the crisis that it is. In Sub-Saharan Africa currently up to 50% of people living with HIV will develop TB—they are 30 times more likely to develop active TB. Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) TB, including Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) TB, is poised to become the next pandemic—and already has frighteningly high mortality amongst people with HIV. An effective response must be mobilized immediately.
*We understand that, if universal access to existing high quality TB/HIV care and services were available by 2015, we could likely cut the current mortality rates by 80%--saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year. *As a matter of urgency, we call upon governments of the world to move beyond declarations and provide the /plans/, the /resources/, and the /effective programs/ to stop these intertwined pandemics.
*We demand that governments /immediately and publicly announce:/*
1. *UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY TB/HIV CARE BY 2015: *By 2015,
in high burden areas, every person living with HIV should be
screened for TB, every person with TB should be offered HIV
counseling and testing, and treatment, prevention, and care must
be universally available and coordinated for both diseases. This
must be coordinated with a scale up to Universal Access on HIV by
2010.**
2. *FULL FUNDING: *Donor and high burden country governments must
announce specifically how they will fund the /at least/ *$19
billion through 2015* needed to ensure existing high quality
TB/HIV care is available to all and that new tools are on the way.**
3. *REDUCE TB/HIV MORTALITY:* Country plans should monitor progress
to reduce mortality to no more than 90,000 by 2010 and 50,000 by
2015—an 80% reduction over our current course.
4. *21^st CENTURY DIAGNOSTICS & TREATMENT: *A tangible global
commitment must be announced to developing and ensuring access to
21^st century diagnostic and treatment tools so that co-infected
people are screened and treated more effectively.
Signed
[LIST IN FORMATION: please email ORGANIZATIONAL sign-ons to Matt
Kavanagh: mkavanagh@results.org]
ActionAid International
African Services Committee, USA
AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa AIDS Care Watch Campaign, International AIDS Law Project, South Africa The AIDS Institute, USA *Alliance Burundais Contre le SIDA, Burundi* Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation Asia Pacific Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) Association African Solidarit, Burkina Faso British Columbia Lung Association, Canada Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities, USA Burundian Human Rights League Iteka Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition Child Foundation of India Christian Aid, United Kingdom Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi Consortium to Respond Effectively to the AIDS/TB Epidemic (CREATE), USA Delhi Network of Positive people (DNP+),India Estonian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), Belgium Franeois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, USA Fundacien Huellas, Ecuador Fundacien Huesped, Argentina Global Action for Children, USA Global AIDS Alliance, USA Global Health Advocates, India Global Harmony, India Goodwill Aid, Ghana Grupo Portugues de Activistas sobre Tratamentos de VIH/SIDA (GAT), Portugal Guyana Rainbow Association Harvard Medical School, Department of Social Medicine, USA HealthGAP (Global Access Project), USA Health & Development Networks (HDN), Thailand HIV/AIDS Task Force, Africa Japan Forum INSA India Initiatives for Research and Training for Development, Cameroon Initiative for Community Development, Nigeria Intimate Friends International, Cameroon Jamaican Network of Seropositives Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium Knowledge Ecology International, USA/Switzerland KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, The Netherlands
Lanka+, Sri Lanka
LHL - Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organization Living Positively, Canada Malaysian AIDS Council Media Network on HIV/AIDS and Development (MedNAD), Nigeria Migrant Clinicians Network, USA Mozambique AIDS Treatment Access Movement
MSM: No Political Agenda (MSMNPA), Trinidad & Tobago National Group of TB People, Pakistan Network of Zimbabwean Positive Women (NZPW+) New Jersey Medical School Global Tuberculosis Institute, USA Observatoire des Droits des Personnes Infectes et/ou Affectes par le VIH/SIDA (odpia+), Burundi Partners In Health, USA PATH, Cambodia Participatory Development Action Program (PDAP), Bangladesh Pinoy Plus Association—Association of People Livng with HIV/AIDS, Philippines Positive Life Association of Nigeria (PLAN), Nigeria Pro-Health Initiative, Nigeria Project RING, Japan AIDS and Society Association Puerto Rico Community Network on Clinical Research on AIDS Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC) Reseau Nigerien de Personnes Vivant Avec le VIH/SIDA, Nigeria RESULTS Educational Fund, USA RESULTS Canada RESULTS Japan RESULTS UK Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service Spiritia Foundation, Indonesia Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative (SHAII) STOP TB Italy St. Mary Cottage Hospital, Kenya Students Against Global AIDS (SAGA), Canada Student Global AIDS Campaign, USA Student Global AIDS Campaign, Cameroon Task Force of Empowerment for Migrant Workers and Spouses, Malaysia Target Tuberculosis, United Kingdom Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign, Zambia Treatment Action Movement (TAM), Nigeria Treatment Action Group, USA United Methodist Church, General Board of Church & Society, USA World AIDS Campaign, The Netherlands & South Africa Zambia Association for the Prevention of HIV and Tuberculosis (ZAPHIT)
Bobby Ramakant-CNS
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