A bouquet of novel compounds: New treatment options for HIV

Shobha Shukla - CNS

It was 40 years ago when the first case of HIV infection was diagnosed. Since then, 77.5 million people have been infected with the virus and 34 million people have died from AIDS-related causes. While a lot has been achieved in terms of providing lifesaving antiretroviral treatment to save lives, we still lost 690,000 people living with HIV to AIDS-related illnesses in 2020. Even today more than 10 million (27%) of the 37.6 million people living with HIV are not on treatment. Moreover, "we are getting signals of HIV drug resistance, which means we need to strengthen our surveillance efforts and continue to invest in long-acting prevention and treatment tools, in the absence of an HIV vaccine, and also remember that solutions we find may not be one size that fits all", said Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President of the International AIDS Society (IAS), during the closing session of the recently concluded 11th International IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2021).

[video] Thailand's alternative land management

[video] Think twice: Can we deliver on #HealthForAll without saving lives from viral #hepatitis?

One size does not fit all: Expanding the buffet of choices for preventing HIV

Shobha Shukla - CNS

Great strides have been made in HIV prevention, treatment and care, since the first case of the viral infection was reported 40 years ago. Thanks to the untiring efforts of the HIV community, activists, and medical fraternity, 74% (27.5 million) of the 37.7 million people living with HIV are able to access the lifesaving antiretroviral therapy today. But the governments' promise of ending AIDS by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals) is still far from our sight.

[video] 46% rise in crime & violence against women in 2021 in India. Over half reported from Uttar Pradesh!

[video] UP's 8% full vaccination rate is half of Indian rate. Time bound vaccination of over 70% is vital

[video] Covid vaccinated have 5 times less infection risk, 10 times less risk of serious outcomes and death

[video] Sabotage, Deceit & Duplicity: BAT's dirty tricks in Africa: BBC exposes deadly BigTobacco

Tale of two pandemics: Follow the science and do not forget one at the cost of the other

Shobha Shukla - CNS

Covid-19 has posed innumerable health, economic, and social challenges for all, including people living with HIV. It has exposed the fragility of health systems around the globe and has diverted political attention and funding from other infectious diseases like TB and HIV. The opening session of the 11th International IAS Conference on HIV Science (#IAS2021) held virtually from Berlin, saw a lively panel discussing the tale of the two most horrendous recent pandemics in the history of our civilisation: Covid-19 and HIV/AIDS.

Are we hungry for change for genuinely transforming food systems?

Shobha Shukla - CNS

While the governments chant the mantra of "leaving no one behind", it is ironic that they are abetting corporate grabbing of land and resources, which is pushing farmers out of agriculture. Corporations are exercising more and more control over food and agriculture and influencing public policies. The forthcoming United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021, tentatively to be held in September 2021 and convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, purports to transform the way the world produces and consumes food, and leverage these actions to deliver progress on all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[video] Father Stan Swamy's institutional murder: a blot on Indian democracy

Governments must adopt a strong political declaration that the global crisis mandates

Shobha Shukla - CNS

Because if they do not, then we are doomed to fail to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 (for which only 113 months are left). The clock is ticking but governments from around the world, who are convening at the United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) seem to be regurgitating old timid commitments and shying away from taking bold decisions. The Covid-19 pandemic and cascading humanitarian crises warrant governments to adopt a strong enough Ministerial Declaration at HLPF 2021 which is critical for progressing towards a resilient recovery post-pandemic as well as for SDGs. The Ministerial Declaration is a major outcome of the HLPF, but sadly our governments failed to adopt one last year. The price of inaction for not taking genuinely transformative actions globally will not only be regressive, but will also worsen the already existing inequalities and injustices for the majority of the people.

Are some more equal than others?

In current times when India, like many other countries, is reeling under a severe economic crisis as well as backbreaking humanitarian crises, we also see ugly lavish (and avoidable) government expenditures, throwing austerity to the winds and jeopardising public interest. While equality is among the key values of the Indian Constitution, there are several instances that remind us of George Orwell’s famous quote: “All are equal, but some are more equal than others”, even during the pandemic. 

[video] 1 in 2 Covid deaths in Bhopal in those who had survived Bhopal Gas Tragedy

[video] Persons with disabilities + those with restricted mobility will get Covid vaccine at their doorstep!

[video] Delays in converting science breakthroughs into publichealth gains is failing us! No space for delay

[video] Cost of inaction: Not fully implementing tobacco control, made us more vulnerable to Covid pandemic

[video] Are elected representatives in democracy living in socially just & ecologically sustainable manner?

[video] 267000 infants died globally in 2020 due to Covid's economic downturn| 100,000 infants died in India

[video] ZyCov-D: Did you know about the new vaccine which got emergency use authorization from Indian government?

[video] Window is closing to fully vaccinate the global population so that we have the best chance for ending Covid

[video] Good roads & infrastructure for cars & motor vehicles but no safe space for cycling or walking: Why?

[video] Food systems: Localize, transform, reverse liberalization

[video] Nothing without us: Civil society solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic

Who should be held responsible for deaths due to negligence?

When India was reeling under the severest impact of the Covid pandemic, and the peak of around 450,000 new cases was reported in 24 hours around mid April 2021, then an interesting chronology of events were taking place regarding the Covid vaccination programme (along with Kumbh in Uttarakhand and elections in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh). 

Were people the missing link in Covid response?

Highest level of political leadership in Covid response is indeed unprecedented if we look at other health responses such as those for HIV, non-communicable diseases, TB or other communicable diseases that affect our lives. But were people having any voice in helping shape the response to the corona virus pandemic? To what extent did governments adapt important game-changing learnings over the past decades from several other health and development struggles? 

[video] Peasants Rise Up: Rice, bullets and 'build build build'

Putting people first is a critical cog in the wheel for responsive health systems

 

Shobha Shukla - CNS

 
Imagine a world where no one was suffering from any of the preventable diseases, be it non-communicable diseases (NCDs) or infectious diseases, or had to die untimely due to diseases that were primarily avoidable! Also imagine a tobacco free world - imagine a world where healthy balanced nutrition for all was a reality - where health for all was not just a chant but a reality for everyone where no one was truly left behind.

#WorldLocalizationDay: Peasants rise up to demand genuine food-system reforms

Food nourishes life. Our farmers produce more than enough food to feed all the people on the planet but due to socially unjust and ecologically unsustainable food systems, many people are forced to go hungry. Moreover farmers who help nurture life, continue to struggle for their livelihoods and human rights. In lead up to 2021 World Localization Day, farmers from all continents worldwide are uniting to demand genuine reforms in our food system that also localize supply-chains and help recover people’s connections to nature and community.

[video] Future of farmers' movement: #WorldLocalizationDay

When the health system became the cause of death

Well known Hindustani classical singer Padma Vibhushan Channulal Mishra, chosen as one of the proposers of Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha elections, lost his wife and elder daughter to Covid in private hospitals in Varanasi. Younger daughter has accused Medwin Hospital of charging Rs. 1.5 lakhs for treatement of her sister and not being able to explain the cause of death. Pandit Channulal Mishra has asked for a probe into his daughter’s death from the Chief Minister. The family has also asked for the CCTV footage of the ward where deceased daughter was admitted for a week. Madhurima Kundu, a Ph.D. student at Jawaharlal Nehru University was admitted for four days at Sultanpuri Government Isolation Centre for Covid patients in Delhi and has described the pathetic conditions related to availability and behavior of doctors, medical and para-medical staff, sanitation, food, medicines, linen and monitoring of oxygen in a petition filed in High Court. The ill patients had to go down to the reception to ask for every basic thing and stand in queues in scorching sun to get medicines. 

Peasants Rise Up: The oppression of small milk farmers

watch full episode of Peasants Rise Up here

Aside from the pasteurisation law, the government has already introduced the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act in 2016 and the Seed (Amendment) Act in 2015. Pakistan, as a member of the WTO, is bound by the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and is compelled to pass legislation that would protect the interests of intellectual property rights holders, which are mostly transnational corporations. 

[video] Covid and TB, HIV and other infections or chronic diseases