The electorate wash UP Politics' dirty linen in public finally
Anjali Singh
Lucknow:This time round it promises to be an election with a difference, but then why not. As, at long last the citizens of India are now keen to elect and send clean and committed representatives to form the 15th Lok Sabha of the largest democracy in the world.
But is it possible to pick such candidates and place them in the parliament, given the years of dominance by leaders known to have criminal antecedents and whom the electoral process has been putting up with for decades?
It most certainly is, feel most activists in Uttar Pradesh (UP), a state which has earned the dubious distinction of electing and sending the largest number of tainted candidates to both the Lok Sabha and its own assembly the UP Vidhan Sabha.
Reasons Prabha Chaturvedi, a social activist whose organisation Exnora, has been campaigning against criminalisation in politics and has educated a good number in the city about such candidates, "The only way people with criminal antecedents can be kept out of the parliament is to actually vote them out. That's why exercising your franchise is of utmost importance. Until the electoral does not reject such candidates and say so by exercising their voting right even if it means going in for negative voting, the democratic process of the country will continue to give everyone even those with tainted background a right to contest the elections. It's up to the citizens to say 'NO' to such people who might end up leading our country."
Agrees Rajiv Hemkeshav a social activist aligned with the Jai Prakash Narayan (JP) movement, who started a signature campaign against the candidature of Sanjay Dutt to express the rejection of his candidature as Samajwadi Party (SP)'s candidate from Lucknow, "Based on the 1000 signatures a case was made to give a voice to the voters from Lucknow on Dutt's candidature. We have appealed to the Supreme Court to not give Dutt the permission to contest the elections, the hearing is up for 30 March 2009 and in all probability the voters' request will be considered. That's the power a common man's voice has, as people are supreme and have the power to change laws and stop such individuals from reaching the country's highest policy making machinery. Public awareness of the People's Representative Act also is a must to filter out tainted representatives."
But while the movement to clean up politics in UP is gaining grounds some feel it could also turn into a witch hunt taking a toll on many such candidates who are not criminals in the true sense of the word.
Says Himanshu Singh, a senior politician who has been associated with the Kisan Andolan movement against the large corporates out to privatise the Indian agrarian economy , "One must be sensitive to the fact that not everyone who has gone to jail or has cases filed against them are criminals. I myself have 17 cases filed against me and have gone to jail during my involvement in the andolan, so technically I too don't qualify as a clean candidate in the true sense of the word. But that's where a differentiation must be made between candidates like me and Sanjay Dutt etc. I also support the fact that it is necessary to project a clean candidate but it is crucial to be fully informed about the tainted one's too. Politics is a brutal game and just by negative voting things will not change, the focus has to be on arming the electorate with correct information too."
A fact that Ashish Tripathi, a senior journalist with the Times of India, and an expert on UP politics endorses,"I agree that a clear distinction is necessary when it comes to branding a contestant a criminal. For that FIRs should not be the deciding factor of a person's criminal antecedents we must see that a charge sheet has been filed post investigation and the person is facing a trail. In such circumstances he must not be allowed to contest elections at any cost, Sanjay Dutt being a fitting example. But then the question arises how will we decide about candidates like Narendra Modi, who does not have a single charge sheet filed against him and neither is he facing a trail but everyone knows that he is responsible for inciting riots in Godhra? In such cases the public role becomes paramount as they should give a clear verdict by rejecting such leaders. For that they must be made aware of such candidates, arming the voter with information about tainted candidates in the electorate has a very powerful impact, for instance in 2002 Lok Sabha elections out of 403 strength in the UP Vidhan Sabha a shocking 200 elected candidates were with criminal antecedents. But following the citizen's movements thereon to inform and make aware the electorate by groups like Associations of Democratic Reforms and many more working nationwide the tremendous fallout was seen in elections of 2007 when only 100 candidates with tainted backgrounds made it to the UP Vidhan Sabha. This year hopefully the numbers will reduce further. So the message is clear that finally it is the citizen who will have to exercise their democratic right and vote such individuals out, so that prospective candidates understand that if they have to be the people's representative their conduct has to be squeaky clean."
An added plus of such a people's initiative is that even the youth have been motivated enough to start their own anti-corruption campaign to expose tainted candidates at the block levels in rural India.
Say Himanshu and Mahendra Singh, young firebrand activist who have launched Project Vijay (www.lucknowmail.com/project_vijay) with a group of like minded youngsters to clean up the political system of criminals and corruption,"We educate the core of the political process which originates from rural India, and we tell them what is the actual democratic process. The governance of the people is for the people in which the leaders and bureaucrats are merely public servants. But that can only be reiterated if people exercise their franchise even if it means negative voting as that provision has been given to the voter in the constitution under Rule 49 (O) through which you can demand for the Form 17-A register which has to be provided by the election officer-on-duty and make a negative vote in the voter register. We advocate negative voting as this will ensure not only rejection of criminals as candidates but will also motivate the people to come till the polling booth and exercise their voting right."
Adds PN Kalki, a city based constitutional rights activists who has been promoting Rule 49 (O) extensively amongst the voters,"In present election procedure itself there is a facility to filter out uneligible candidates from reaching the parliament. During counting of votes the "not to vote" are separately counted as well but not many people know this. Although, there is no set procedure, or set of rules that could define what to do if the number of such kind of votes (not to vote) are more than the number of votes given to the wining candidate, nevertheless Rule 49 (O) is statutory rules and orders in The Code of conduct of Election Rules, 1961 of Election Commission of India that gives the right to the electorate to pick "not to vote". This rule states that if none of the candidates seem appealing or worthy enough to the voter he can be rejected. This can be done by informing the election officer of particular election booth, who will provide the voter with the Form 17-A. The rule can act as a powerful filter against candidates who do not have a clean background."
Finally the Indian voter is awakening from their slumber, will it herald a new era in the history of Indian politics we just have to wait and see.With bated breath of course!
Anjali Singh - Citizen News Service (CNS)
(The author is a senior journalist and Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: saakshamforchildrights@gmail.com)
Published in
Asian Tribune, Thailand/ Sri Lanka
Op-Ed News (OEN), USA
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Citizen News Service (CNS)
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
'Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan' activists released
'Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan' activists released
* Arrested slum dwellers and activists released by the Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra on signing of personnel bond in the false case against 200 andolankaries.
* Thousands of activist-slum-dwellers assemble outside the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate to seek the release of their jailed colleagues.
* Police under the influence of Builder nexus, files charge sheet within less than 12 hours of arrest under false charges of beating the police and unlawful assembly and rioting.
The Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra (Mumbai, India) on 26 March 2009 ordered the release of 200 jailed activist-slum dwellers who were arrested on 25 March 2009 outside the office of Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) where hundreds of them had assembled to have a dialogue on the issues related to rampant corruption and malpractices being engaged in by the corrupt nexus of builders-officials-politicians. The Magistrate ordered the release on the signing of the personal bond by those arrested as more than 2000 people awaited the release outside the Court since morning. The activists-slumdwellers were represented in the Court by Advocate Shakeel Ahmed, Advocate Parvinder Singh, Advocate Raman, Advocate Manisha Tulpule, Advocate Sheikh and Raj Awasthi.
The Kherwadi Police Station had filed the first-information-report (FIR) as well the Charge sheet the same day, falsely alleging that the protestors had attacked the police personnel, while it was other way round as innocent men-women were beaten up resulting in fracture to one women and many others injured. False case under IPC sections 241, 143, 145, 148, 332, 253, 135 was registered. The case is to come up for hearing on 9 April 2009.
Before the arrest, a delegation of slum dwellers-activists met the members of High Power Committee including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) -SRA Shri SS Jhende, Housing Secretary Shri S Kunte, Vice President-MHADA Shri Chaterjee. The delegation made them aware of the gross irregularities that were being followed in the implementation of the SRA, with the result being that instead of housing slum dwellers it was dis-housing them and at the same time Builders were reaping huge profits with vast tracks of land in Mumbai being transferred to them.
Today, while around 60 lakh people were forced to stay in in-human conditions of slums, thousands of square meters of land has been transferred to the builders in the guise of rehabilitating slum dwellers under the aegis of SRA. Latest in the line is the Shivalik Ventures project at Golibar, Bandra-Santa Cruz, where though more than 12,000 families are residing but according to the proposal of the builder, financially supported by notorious Lehman Brothers; only 3500 families are to be rehabilitated and in lieu around 100 acres of land to be transferred to the builder for free.
Later in the evening, Medha Patkar and other activists addressing thousands of slum dwellers outside the Court, lambasted the Authorities and the police administration that was working out - rightly to further the interests of the Builders - corporates and violating the rights of the poor. A resolve was taken to further the struggle for claiming the right to the city and just development.
Sumit Wajale, Hyder Imam, Nasrin Bano, Mangesh Sonawane, Simpreet Singh, Mohan Chavan, Suresh Banjan, Madhuri V, Amit Maru, Medha Patkar
* Arrested slum dwellers and activists released by the Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra on signing of personnel bond in the false case against 200 andolankaries.
* Thousands of activist-slum-dwellers assemble outside the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate to seek the release of their jailed colleagues.
* Police under the influence of Builder nexus, files charge sheet within less than 12 hours of arrest under false charges of beating the police and unlawful assembly and rioting.
The Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra (Mumbai, India) on 26 March 2009 ordered the release of 200 jailed activist-slum dwellers who were arrested on 25 March 2009 outside the office of Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) where hundreds of them had assembled to have a dialogue on the issues related to rampant corruption and malpractices being engaged in by the corrupt nexus of builders-officials-politicians. The Magistrate ordered the release on the signing of the personal bond by those arrested as more than 2000 people awaited the release outside the Court since morning. The activists-slumdwellers were represented in the Court by Advocate Shakeel Ahmed, Advocate Parvinder Singh, Advocate Raman, Advocate Manisha Tulpule, Advocate Sheikh and Raj Awasthi.
The Kherwadi Police Station had filed the first-information-report (FIR) as well the Charge sheet the same day, falsely alleging that the protestors had attacked the police personnel, while it was other way round as innocent men-women were beaten up resulting in fracture to one women and many others injured. False case under IPC sections 241, 143, 145, 148, 332, 253, 135 was registered. The case is to come up for hearing on 9 April 2009.
Before the arrest, a delegation of slum dwellers-activists met the members of High Power Committee including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) -SRA Shri SS Jhende, Housing Secretary Shri S Kunte, Vice President-MHADA Shri Chaterjee. The delegation made them aware of the gross irregularities that were being followed in the implementation of the SRA, with the result being that instead of housing slum dwellers it was dis-housing them and at the same time Builders were reaping huge profits with vast tracks of land in Mumbai being transferred to them.
Today, while around 60 lakh people were forced to stay in in-human conditions of slums, thousands of square meters of land has been transferred to the builders in the guise of rehabilitating slum dwellers under the aegis of SRA. Latest in the line is the Shivalik Ventures project at Golibar, Bandra-Santa Cruz, where though more than 12,000 families are residing but according to the proposal of the builder, financially supported by notorious Lehman Brothers; only 3500 families are to be rehabilitated and in lieu around 100 acres of land to be transferred to the builder for free.
Later in the evening, Medha Patkar and other activists addressing thousands of slum dwellers outside the Court, lambasted the Authorities and the police administration that was working out - rightly to further the interests of the Builders - corporates and violating the rights of the poor. A resolve was taken to further the struggle for claiming the right to the city and just development.
Sumit Wajale, Hyder Imam, Nasrin Bano, Mangesh Sonawane, Simpreet Singh, Mohan Chavan, Suresh Banjan, Madhuri V, Amit Maru, Medha Patkar
Bringing in winds of change through Radio Ga Ga
Bringing in winds of change through Radio Ga Ga
Anjali Singh
Lucknow: 32 years old Kanshiram undergoes a complete transformation as he goes behind the microphone talking to his listeners on the Community Radio (CR). Formerly a bus
conductor who used to ferry passengers to and fro from the remote village of Lalitpur, today he works as a radio jockey (RJ) at the newly set up community radio station here. "I can't believe I am now a RJ broadcasting and anchoring radio programmes. It gives me an immense sense of satisfaction that I am doing something for the society. What makes it even more meaningful is the fact that I get to see the real issues through my work and and also provide solutions for it."
Sentiments that are also echoed by Sunita Chandel, a village housewife, she is now one of the twelve community reporters the radio station has, “It was unheard of until now that a daughter-in law of the village, would be actually recording programmes, editing, reporting and getting involved in solving women related issues. Initially there were lots of questions and refusals to grant permission at home but once my family and society realised how productive the work was they gave their permission."
Interestingly both Kanshiram and Sunita are part of a new era in communication, one that was much needed until now. But then the concept of community radios has long been the demand of rural India, so much so that today it is a reality. Predictably doubling up as a medium of entertainment and an effective mode of information and
awareness, the first community radio station in Lalitpur, UP is all set to go on air soon.
An initiative of department of Planning, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP), UNICEF office for Uttar Pradesh and Ideosync Media Combine, community radio is being geared up as an important means of community outreach. Not only in the state of UP but Uttarakhand too. Jharkhand, Gujrat and Bihar these conventional radio stations have been making waves ushering in a change no other form of communication could achieve so far.
But will it work as a powerful mode of information dissemination for the community by the community?
Mr Tapas Datta, Programme Manager, UNICEF elucidates,"The few examples we have seen so far on how community radio can be used as a powerful tool of information and awareness goes on to prove that it is now become an integral part of democratic process. It is like a double edged sword which focuses not only on the interactive roles of individual shaping lives of people but at the same time facilitating a more horizontal spread of information which is ushering in a remarkable change in behaviours and attitudes."
And with Lalit Lokvani, situated 22 km from Lalitpur in Alapur village of Birdha block, making a beginning with over a lakh eager listeners within its 15 km transmission range covering 60 villages, radio will never be the same again. While dry run has been initiated the actual transmission will start after getting the license from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting soon, the station has been granted the frequency at 90.4 Megahertz.
And what programmes will the villagers get to hear?
Says Mridul Srivastava, station director of Lalit Lokvani, “Community radio is the real voice of the people, it is a communication service that caters to the interests and needs of a certain area, its culture, craft, cuisine and above all social and development issues. Most of our programmes will have participants from within the village community itself. In fact the narrow casting has been so successful that we are getting requests by the local candidates of various political parties to campaign for them through our community radio station.”
Adds Mazboot Singh, Community Reporter, Lalit Lokvani, Lalitpur, UP, recounting his experiences on how CR station in Lalitpur helped bringing about women empowerment "Lalit Lokvani proved to be a powerful motivator for the local women to come and participate in the radio programmes and also campaign for their rights and rights of the community as a whole. Though we are yet to start broadcasting the demand for our programmes are so high that we are narrow casting even now."
But what is extraordinary is that the community radio stations are doubling up as nerve centres in the villages of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand as well.
Citing examples of how their community radio station 'Mandakini Ki Awaaz' in Uttarakhand was raising relevant issues, Manvendra Negi, Station Manager of the community radio station elaborated, "Community radio can be used to solve many issues of social and cultural nature simply as it involves active participation of the community. As its a collaborative effort of SSGs, NGOs, gram panchayats and community reporters the impact it has is far more lasting than any other medium. Every social issue and government run programmes for the benefit of the community gets attention and information reaches those who need it most. What more can a communication media ask for?"
Darmyan Rana, Station Manager, 'Hevalvani' a community radio station also in Uttarakhand explains how their community radio station was also using the local cable network to disseminate information and programmes to the community.
"Using photographs as the background we run programmes with audio provided by our CRs and it has been very well received. The two pronged approach of CR thus makes it doubly meaningful for community outreach programmes as the imapct of visuals are always more."
But does CR have a impact to address social evils like corruption?
"Why not," says Suresh Kumar, Programme Coordinator, AID Jharkhand and Radio Vikalp, Garwha, a community radio initiative, "Take the example of programmes like Chala Ho Gaon Mein, which addresses topical issues of the village community. Here matters of violence, women rights and even corruption are addressed regularly specuially now with the elections around the corner. I feel the community radio is not only a cheap and best option for rural outreach programmes but is also pro poor as it helps fight for solidarity justice and good governance. Through the folk songs and dramas that we produce we have managed to do away with social evils and superstitions, raise child labour issues, highlight corruption and campaign against illetracy etc. Awareness and information about AIDS, Polio, Malaria and TB have also been addressed through our CR programmes."
Making a mention of the utility the community radio can have for disseminating information of govt policies and schemes, Kumar further says,"CRs can support the govt efforts to spared awareness about their schemes and policies and at the same time also help educate the community about the how they can benefit from these policies. As far as we have seen the impact of the policies through listenership of CR is higher than publicity material the government has printed so far."
Now that's what we call making waves and literally!
Anjali Singh - Citizen News Service (CNS)
(The author is a senior journalist and Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: saakshamforchildrights@gmail.com)
[Photo credit: Anjali Singh]
Photo captions:
Top photograph: Reporters and RJs planning a programme meeting.
Middle photograph: The team of reporters and producers at the Community Radio Station at Lalitpur, all members were picked up from the adjoining villages.
Bottom photograph: A community Radio Jockey presenting a programme for villagers in UP
Published in
Op-Ed News (OEN), USA
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Anjali Singh
Lucknow: 32 years old Kanshiram undergoes a complete transformation as he goes behind the microphone talking to his listeners on the Community Radio (CR). Formerly a bus
conductor who used to ferry passengers to and fro from the remote village of Lalitpur, today he works as a radio jockey (RJ) at the newly set up community radio station here. "I can't believe I am now a RJ broadcasting and anchoring radio programmes. It gives me an immense sense of satisfaction that I am doing something for the society. What makes it even more meaningful is the fact that I get to see the real issues through my work and and also provide solutions for it."Sentiments that are also echoed by Sunita Chandel, a village housewife, she is now one of the twelve community reporters the radio station has, “It was unheard of until now that a daughter-in law of the village, would be actually recording programmes, editing, reporting and getting involved in solving women related issues. Initially there were lots of questions and refusals to grant permission at home but once my family and society realised how productive the work was they gave their permission."
Interestingly both Kanshiram and Sunita are part of a new era in communication, one that was much needed until now. But then the concept of community radios has long been the demand of rural India, so much so that today it is a reality. Predictably doubling up as a medium of entertainment and an effective mode of information and
awareness, the first community radio station in Lalitpur, UP is all set to go on air soon.An initiative of department of Planning, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP), UNICEF office for Uttar Pradesh and Ideosync Media Combine, community radio is being geared up as an important means of community outreach. Not only in the state of UP but Uttarakhand too. Jharkhand, Gujrat and Bihar these conventional radio stations have been making waves ushering in a change no other form of communication could achieve so far.
But will it work as a powerful mode of information dissemination for the community by the community?
Mr Tapas Datta, Programme Manager, UNICEF elucidates,"The few examples we have seen so far on how community radio can be used as a powerful tool of information and awareness goes on to prove that it is now become an integral part of democratic process. It is like a double edged sword which focuses not only on the interactive roles of individual shaping lives of people but at the same time facilitating a more horizontal spread of information which is ushering in a remarkable change in behaviours and attitudes."
And with Lalit Lokvani, situated 22 km from Lalitpur in Alapur village of Birdha block, making a beginning with over a lakh eager listeners within its 15 km transmission range covering 60 villages, radio will never be the same again. While dry run has been initiated the actual transmission will start after getting the license from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting soon, the station has been granted the frequency at 90.4 Megahertz.
And what programmes will the villagers get to hear?
Says Mridul Srivastava, station director of Lalit Lokvani, “Community radio is the real voice of the people, it is a communication service that caters to the interests and needs of a certain area, its culture, craft, cuisine and above all social and development issues. Most of our programmes will have participants from within the village community itself. In fact the narrow casting has been so successful that we are getting requests by the local candidates of various political parties to campaign for them through our community radio station.”
Adds Mazboot Singh, Community Reporter, Lalit Lokvani, Lalitpur, UP, recounting his experiences on how CR station in Lalitpur helped bringing about women empowerment "Lalit Lokvani proved to be a powerful motivator for the local women to come and participate in the radio programmes and also campaign for their rights and rights of the community as a whole. Though we are yet to start broadcasting the demand for our programmes are so high that we are narrow casting even now."
But what is extraordinary is that the community radio stations are doubling up as nerve centres in the villages of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand as well.
Citing examples of how their community radio station 'Mandakini Ki Awaaz' in Uttarakhand was raising relevant issues, Manvendra Negi, Station Manager of the community radio station elaborated, "Community radio can be used to solve many issues of social and cultural nature simply as it involves active participation of the community. As its a collaborative effort of SSGs, NGOs, gram panchayats and community reporters the impact it has is far more lasting than any other medium. Every social issue and government run programmes for the benefit of the community gets attention and information reaches those who need it most. What more can a communication media ask for?"
Darmyan Rana, Station Manager, 'Hevalvani' a community radio station also in Uttarakhand explains how their community radio station was also using the local cable network to disseminate information and programmes to the community.
"Using photographs as the background we run programmes with audio provided by our CRs and it has been very well received. The two pronged approach of CR thus makes it doubly meaningful for community outreach programmes as the imapct of visuals are always more."
But does CR have a impact to address social evils like corruption?
"Why not," says Suresh Kumar, Programme Coordinator, AID Jharkhand and Radio Vikalp, Garwha, a community radio initiative, "Take the example of programmes like Chala Ho Gaon Mein, which addresses topical issues of the village community. Here matters of violence, women rights and even corruption are addressed regularly specuially now with the elections around the corner. I feel the community radio is not only a cheap and best option for rural outreach programmes but is also pro poor as it helps fight for solidarity justice and good governance. Through the folk songs and dramas that we produce we have managed to do away with social evils and superstitions, raise child labour issues, highlight corruption and campaign against illetracy etc. Awareness and information about AIDS, Polio, Malaria and TB have also been addressed through our CR programmes."
Making a mention of the utility the community radio can have for disseminating information of govt policies and schemes, Kumar further says,"CRs can support the govt efforts to spared awareness about their schemes and policies and at the same time also help educate the community about the how they can benefit from these policies. As far as we have seen the impact of the policies through listenership of CR is higher than publicity material the government has printed so far."
Now that's what we call making waves and literally!
Anjali Singh - Citizen News Service (CNS)
(The author is a senior journalist and Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: saakshamforchildrights@gmail.com)
[Photo credit: Anjali Singh]
Photo captions:
Top photograph: Reporters and RJs planning a programme meeting.
Middle photograph: The team of reporters and producers at the Community Radio Station at Lalitpur, all members were picked up from the adjoining villages.
Bottom photograph: A community Radio Jockey presenting a programme for villagers in UP
Published in
Op-Ed News (OEN), USA
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Police brutal on 'Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan' activists
Police brutal on 'Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan' activists
On 25 March 2009, about 300 slum dwellers, along with activists Medha Patkar and Simpreet Singh, were arrested in Mumbai. More than a thousand slum evictees were protesting in front of the Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (MHADA) building. They were protesting against atrocities and corruption by the builders in the name of slum rehabilitation.
After a dialogue with the MHADA, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and Mantralaya officials, the representatives were about to go and meet the collector at 3 pm when the police suddenly lathi-charged without any announcement or warning and began arrest.
Thousands of people in Mumbai are still living in transit camps after being evicted years back. The arrested women, more than 200 in number, were brutally lathi-charged and many women were molested and succumbed to injuries on the skull, legs and arms. When reports last came, the injured were being taken to hospital in batches. Many women and children are kept under custody in Bandra Kurla Complex.
Charges put against the people are absolutely fake. Police accused that people have attacked them while the reverse is what actually happened. They were charged under sections 353, 332, 142, 147, 149, some being non-bailable offences.
Vijaya Chauhan, Dipti Bhatnagar, Shrikantha, Medha Patkar
On 25 March 2009, about 300 slum dwellers, along with activists Medha Patkar and Simpreet Singh, were arrested in Mumbai. More than a thousand slum evictees were protesting in front of the Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (MHADA) building. They were protesting against atrocities and corruption by the builders in the name of slum rehabilitation.
After a dialogue with the MHADA, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and Mantralaya officials, the representatives were about to go and meet the collector at 3 pm when the police suddenly lathi-charged without any announcement or warning and began arrest.
Thousands of people in Mumbai are still living in transit camps after being evicted years back. The arrested women, more than 200 in number, were brutally lathi-charged and many women were molested and succumbed to injuries on the skull, legs and arms. When reports last came, the injured were being taken to hospital in batches. Many women and children are kept under custody in Bandra Kurla Complex.
Charges put against the people are absolutely fake. Police accused that people have attacked them while the reverse is what actually happened. They were charged under sections 353, 332, 142, 147, 149, some being non-bailable offences.
Vijaya Chauhan, Dipti Bhatnagar, Shrikantha, Medha Patkar
Supreme Court upholds right to peaceful protest
Supreme Court upholds right to peaceful protest
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS THE HISTORIC JUDGEMENT OF THE JABALPUR HIGH COURT ON RIGHT TO PEACEFUL PROTEST AND RIGHT TO LIFE
NARMADA SATYAGRAHIS TO BE PAID RS 5000 EACH BY MP GOVERNMENT FOR VIOLATION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
The Supreme Court heard the appeal filed by the Government of Madhya Pradesh (GoMP) against the Judgement of the Madhya Pradesh High Court (Principal Bench: Jabalpur) directing the Government to pay Rs. 10,000/- to each Narmada Satyagrahi (more than Rs 9 lakhs in total), who, while peacefully protesting against injustice through displacement without rehabilitation were subjected to ruthless police force, lathi charge and illegal detention.
Justice Rajinder Sacher pleaded the case very strongly on behalf of Medha Patkar and Narmada Bachao Andolan, vocally defending the Judgement of the High Court and the people’s right to protest peacefully when no brutal force becomes justifiable. The Interim Order delivered by Justice P. Sathasivam upholding the High Court Judgement partially directed the GoMP to immediately (within four weeks) pay Rs. 5000/- to each Satyagrahi totaling Rs. 4.5 lakhs.
The Sardar Sarovar Project affected adivasis and farmers: women, men and children of District Jhabua (now Alirajpur) and Badwani had camped at the Government lands of Krishi Vigyan Kendra as Satyagrahis, demanding the right to land for rehabilitation and right to life in July 2007. During the peaceful Satyagraha, they cultivated the land, without destroying anything belonging to the Government agency, nor did they disturb peace. When 91 of the Satyagrahis were arrested on the 25th July 2007, the women were manhandled and unjustifiable excessive force was used by the Madhya Pradesh police. The satyagrahis arrested under Sec 151 IPC were lodged in jail illegally without review even after 24 hours. The 5 days jail period for all and 3-5 days jail to senior NBA activists Ashish Mandloi and Medha Patkar maliciously invoking old cases was questionable and so was the whole procedure followed during the arrest with the use or brutal force and molestation of women.
The incidents and the role of the State was questioned through a letter sent by Medha Patkar and 25 women from the Indore District Jail which was admitted as a Public Interest Litigation and the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh heard the case, which was pleaded by Senior Advocate Shri N.S. Kale of Jabalpur and the Advocate General for the GoMP. The historic Judegment by the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court Justice Shri A.K. Patnai, along with Justice Ajit Singh upheld the right to protest peacefully by the adivasis and other Satyagrahis in the situation of their right to life, i.e. right to be rehabilitated as per policy, in the face of displacement, being violated.
The Judgement delivered after full hearing and viewing of CDs provided by both the GoMP and Narmada Bachao Andolan found that Medha Patkar and other agitators were forcibly dragged and bodily lifted and put inside the police van. The High Court found that no circumstances existed to invoke Sections 151 and 107 Cr.P.C. Therefore, the High Court gave a finding that Medha Patkar and other agitators were exercising their fundamental rights – the freedom of speech and expression and their arrest was, therefore, gross violation of their fundamental right, namely Article 19(1)(a), 19(1)(c) and Article 21 (right to life). It upheld the right of the petitioners to be compensated for the illegalities involved in the brutal police action and ordered a compensation of Rs 10,000 to be paid to each Satyagrahi, which money would be recovered from GoMP and the responsible SDM of Badwani.
The GoMP went into appeal against the said judgement of the Supreme Court and the former Justice Rajinder Sacher pleaded for Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), on 27 March 2009. The Supreme Court admitted the case, heard the parties, and gave an interim Order directing the GoMP to pay 50% of the compensation amount (Rs 5000) to each Satyagrahi within 4 weeks.
Undoubtedly, the Interim Order is justice delivered not just to NBA Satyagrahis and Project affected, but to all those in people’s movements fighting for the right to land and livelihood and indeed the right to true, human and ecologically just development. Amidst the overall political space for people’s movements shrinking and the state becoming unjustifiably brutal and repressive, using force and intimidation to quell and kill people’s rightful resistance, this is indeed a historic path-breaking judgment that is welcome.
NBA looks forward to the further proceedings in the Court on this matter, which is highly important to people’s movements at large and is thankful to Justice Rajinder Sacher with Advocate Sanjay Parikh and also Advocate NS Kale with Advocate Abhijiit Bhowmik and Advocate Raghavendra for their very valuable contribution to public interest cause at hand.
Kailash Awasya, Ashish Mandloi, Clifton Rozario, Philip Mathew, Medha Patkar
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS THE HISTORIC JUDGEMENT OF THE JABALPUR HIGH COURT ON RIGHT TO PEACEFUL PROTEST AND RIGHT TO LIFE
NARMADA SATYAGRAHIS TO BE PAID RS 5000 EACH BY MP GOVERNMENT FOR VIOLATION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
The Supreme Court heard the appeal filed by the Government of Madhya Pradesh (GoMP) against the Judgement of the Madhya Pradesh High Court (Principal Bench: Jabalpur) directing the Government to pay Rs. 10,000/- to each Narmada Satyagrahi (more than Rs 9 lakhs in total), who, while peacefully protesting against injustice through displacement without rehabilitation were subjected to ruthless police force, lathi charge and illegal detention.
Justice Rajinder Sacher pleaded the case very strongly on behalf of Medha Patkar and Narmada Bachao Andolan, vocally defending the Judgement of the High Court and the people’s right to protest peacefully when no brutal force becomes justifiable. The Interim Order delivered by Justice P. Sathasivam upholding the High Court Judgement partially directed the GoMP to immediately (within four weeks) pay Rs. 5000/- to each Satyagrahi totaling Rs. 4.5 lakhs.
The Sardar Sarovar Project affected adivasis and farmers: women, men and children of District Jhabua (now Alirajpur) and Badwani had camped at the Government lands of Krishi Vigyan Kendra as Satyagrahis, demanding the right to land for rehabilitation and right to life in July 2007. During the peaceful Satyagraha, they cultivated the land, without destroying anything belonging to the Government agency, nor did they disturb peace. When 91 of the Satyagrahis were arrested on the 25th July 2007, the women were manhandled and unjustifiable excessive force was used by the Madhya Pradesh police. The satyagrahis arrested under Sec 151 IPC were lodged in jail illegally without review even after 24 hours. The 5 days jail period for all and 3-5 days jail to senior NBA activists Ashish Mandloi and Medha Patkar maliciously invoking old cases was questionable and so was the whole procedure followed during the arrest with the use or brutal force and molestation of women.
The incidents and the role of the State was questioned through a letter sent by Medha Patkar and 25 women from the Indore District Jail which was admitted as a Public Interest Litigation and the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh heard the case, which was pleaded by Senior Advocate Shri N.S. Kale of Jabalpur and the Advocate General for the GoMP. The historic Judegment by the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court Justice Shri A.K. Patnai, along with Justice Ajit Singh upheld the right to protest peacefully by the adivasis and other Satyagrahis in the situation of their right to life, i.e. right to be rehabilitated as per policy, in the face of displacement, being violated.
The Judgement delivered after full hearing and viewing of CDs provided by both the GoMP and Narmada Bachao Andolan found that Medha Patkar and other agitators were forcibly dragged and bodily lifted and put inside the police van. The High Court found that no circumstances existed to invoke Sections 151 and 107 Cr.P.C. Therefore, the High Court gave a finding that Medha Patkar and other agitators were exercising their fundamental rights – the freedom of speech and expression and their arrest was, therefore, gross violation of their fundamental right, namely Article 19(1)(a), 19(1)(c) and Article 21 (right to life). It upheld the right of the petitioners to be compensated for the illegalities involved in the brutal police action and ordered a compensation of Rs 10,000 to be paid to each Satyagrahi, which money would be recovered from GoMP and the responsible SDM of Badwani.
The GoMP went into appeal against the said judgement of the Supreme Court and the former Justice Rajinder Sacher pleaded for Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), on 27 March 2009. The Supreme Court admitted the case, heard the parties, and gave an interim Order directing the GoMP to pay 50% of the compensation amount (Rs 5000) to each Satyagrahi within 4 weeks.
Undoubtedly, the Interim Order is justice delivered not just to NBA Satyagrahis and Project affected, but to all those in people’s movements fighting for the right to land and livelihood and indeed the right to true, human and ecologically just development. Amidst the overall political space for people’s movements shrinking and the state becoming unjustifiably brutal and repressive, using force and intimidation to quell and kill people’s rightful resistance, this is indeed a historic path-breaking judgment that is welcome.
NBA looks forward to the further proceedings in the Court on this matter, which is highly important to people’s movements at large and is thankful to Justice Rajinder Sacher with Advocate Sanjay Parikh and also Advocate NS Kale with Advocate Abhijiit Bhowmik and Advocate Raghavendra for their very valuable contribution to public interest cause at hand.
Kailash Awasya, Ashish Mandloi, Clifton Rozario, Philip Mathew, Medha Patkar
High-level Ministerial meeting on drug-resistant tuberculosis in Beijing
High-level Ministerial meeting on drug-resistant tuberculosis in Beijing
The High Level Ministerial Meeting on multi- and extensively- drug resistant TB (M/XDR-TB) will be held in Beijing from 1 to 3 April 2009 and is being organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
This meeting is likely to bring together health ministers and other stakeholders from 27 high M/XDR-TB burdened countries, including justice and science ministry delegations and representatives from international agencies, civil society, research communities and the corporate sector.
"We have been able to convince the ministers of health of 27 high burden M/XDR-TB countries to come to the Beijing meeting and commit to achieve the targets of the Global Plan to Stop TB" said Dr Ernesto Jaramillo, Medical Officer, Stop TB Department, World Health Organization (WHO) at the 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"The 2nd Global Plan to Stop TB which was launched in 2006 had laid out specific targets for MDR-TB, to provide universal access to diagnosis and treatment of MDR-TB by year 2015" said Dr Jaramillo.
"Only 3% of people who have MDR-TB have access to effective treatment. We have compelling evidence that we know how to prevent and treat MDR-TB and treatment success rate is 80% in low resource setting. Its intervention is complex but is effective, feasible and is cost-effective" stressed Dr Jaramillo.
The 27 countries represented will be Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Republic of Moldova, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Pakistan, South Africa, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
The highest levels of MDR-TB ever recorded were reported by WHO in its 'Anti-tuberculosis Drug Resistance in the World' report in February 2008 with nearly half a million new MDR-TB cases emerging worldwide. According to the new WHO report (Global Tuberculosis Control report 2009), the levels of multi-drug resistant TB might be more than half a million as previously thought.
The threat of MDR-TB and XDR-TB can be halted but few of the 27 high MDR-TB burdened countries have response plans in place. Many of these countries are not even properly equipped to diagnose drug-resistant TB.
"We need political commitment from the countries. The XDR-TB task force had met in April 2008 in order to assess the progress we had made in response to MDR-TB and XDR-TB. The Task Force came up with lot of positive things, major progress in many areas. However the number of people on treatment was far below the target. One of the clear recommendations coming out of the XDR-TB Task Force meeting was to convene a high level ministerial meeting where we can get ministers of countries responsible for the 85% of the global M/XDR-TB burden, to achieve the target of universal access to diagnosis and treatment of MDR-TB by 2015" explained Dr Jaramillo.
Countries with low resources are building their capacities to make things happen. Lesotho was able to make a state-of-the-art laboratory for diagnosis of MDR-TB in six months. "We have countries like Nepal, Philippines, Peru that despite of weakness in health systems are providing universal access to MDR-TB diagnosis and treatment" said Dr Jaramillo.
"So far the Green Light Committee (GLC) mechanism, which is an initiative of WHO, and has played an instrumental role in leading the response, began with only one country in the year 2000 - Philippines. Now 8 years later we have 58 countries that have 116 projects approved by GLC. However we have less than 20% of countries that are moving towards scale up country wide of these interventions" said Dr Jaramillo.
Dr Jaramillo expressed his concern that "Countries are not moving fast enough in order to prevent the death of 1000 people with MDR-TB every day."
Vice Premier of China, the Director-General of WHO and very likely that Bill Gates and ministers of health confirmed so far from 21 high burden M/XDR-TB countries will be taking part in the Beijing meeting opening next week.
"We are expecting that this will be a watershed meeting in response to M/XDR-TB" said Dr Jaramillo.
"After this meeting we will like to move towards a World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution. The resolution of WHA is powerful in the sense that countries really commit to do things. After the Beijing meeting, one month later, the Government of China has agreed to submit a proposal of a resolution to the WHA in order to accelerate the response to M/XDR-TB" shared Dr Jaramillo.
The aims of the WHO high-level ministerial meeting on M/XDR-TB include:
- Strengthening political commitment and boosting engagement among affected countries and the global community.
- Using the months leading up to April 2009 to support countries to develop costed MDR-TB components of TB control within health sector plans.
- Working towards solutions in areas such as:
* anti-TB drug quality, supply and rational use;
* laboratory capacity and fast adoption of new and rapid diagnostic tools;
* involvement of the private sector in MDR-TB prevention and control;
* prevention of transmission of TB in healthcare facilities (infection control), congregate settings, prisons and communities;
* promotion of patient and community rights and responsibilites (The Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis care);
* research and development of new drugs and diagnostics.
A new TB vaccine could be ready by 2016
A new TB vaccine could be ready by 2016
The current tools are not enough to control tuberculosis epidemic. The 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report says that the incidence of TB per capita continues to go down since 2004 however the decline is just one per cent per year which implies that TB will not be eliminated for centuries if we conduct 'business as usual'.
The existing BCG vaccine which came into the market in 1921, has limited effectiveness in preventing people from TB. Further, the BCG vaccine which is used to prevent childhood TB may not be safe for children living with HIV.
That is why AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation and other agencies including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are pushing hard to accelerate research and development of safe and effective TB vaccines.
Currently there are seven vaccine candidate products in different stages of the research pipeline around the world.
One phase-III clinical trial in Tanzania which was sponsored by a US University, studied adults who were living with HIV, to see if there was any reduction in disseminated TB in that population. The promising results were announced in October 2008. "We are looking at this clinical trial and might repeat the trial to get a stronger end-point," says Peg Willingham, Senior Director, External Affairs, AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation.
"In our research pipeline at AERAS we have six vaccine candidate products" shares Peg Willingham.
One vaccine candidate is being tested if it can replace existing BCG vaccine with a better, modern and more effective BCG vaccine. "The BCG or the improved BCG alone would be strengthened by having a booster shot - a different vaccine that will make the effect last longer and be more effective" explains Peg Willingham.
So we have five boosters and one improved BCG vaccine candidate products in the research pipeline, adds Peg.
By end of 2009, there will be 3 different clinical trials that should be entering phase IIb of two vaccine candidate products. Phase IIb is a mid-way safety and effectiveness trial between phases II and III.
"We are going to test them in different populations. Our objective is to see if the vaccine will work in people of all ages, people living with HIV, and those who have latent tuberculosis. Almost 2 billion people have latent TB so if the vaccine will not work in those with latent TB then it will take a very long time to eliminate TB" says Peg Willingham.
"Currently there are seven vaccine candidate products in different stages of clinical trials since the last 2 years, and it will be a number of years before we get to know if they are successful. They all look very safe currently and we have seen some very early preliminary results that are promising but you cannot say that a Phase I result in a few people will guarantee similar results in large scale phase III clinical trial" explains Peg Willingham.
"With sufficient resources, a new TB vaccine could be ready by 2016" says Peg Willingham.
These clinical trials are likely to be conducted at the highest international standards of ethics and quality because the product developers do aim to get the product approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and such agencies in different countries around the world.
- Bobby Ramakant
TB vaccine clinical trials may begin this year in India
TB vaccine clinical trials may begin this year in India
Very little research has been done on tuberculosis (TB) vaccine from the time BCG vaccine came into the market in 1921, until the last few years, says Peg Willingham, Senior Director, External Affairs, AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation.
In India, which has a high-burden of TB, particularly drug-resistant TB, the TB vaccine research is moving ahead through the regulatory approval processes at St Johns' Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
The existing BCG vaccine has limited effectiveness in preventing people from TB. The 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report which was released on 24 March 2009, says that the incidence of TB per capita continues to go down since 2004 however the decline is just one per cent per year which implies that TB will not be eliminated for centuries if we conduct 'business as usual'. The WHO Report also confirms the notion that there might be more than half a million multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases every year. Fifty-four (54) countries have reported extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), according to this report.
There is no doubt that as TB diagnosis and treatment efforts gets scaled up, the efforts to prevent TB should also get boosted. Alongside the compelling need to push research for new TB diagnostics, drugs and vaccines has to be accelerated.
"Sputum smear microscopy TB test was invented in 1882, so it is not the most technologically advanced way but it is the cheapest way to test TB that's why it is still being used in developing countries," says Peg Willingham. "Unfortunately it detects only 50% of TB cases unless the person is infected with HIV when it detects 20% cases" further explains Peg Willingham.
That is why the AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation gave expensive and sophisticated equipment called Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) to the Bangalore facility where the TB vaccine clinical trials may commence this year, to accurately diagnose TB. "This is one way in which a clinical trial may benefit the community where the research is taking place because we want to bring in very high standards of diagnosis because we want to get reliable results of a clinical trial" says Peg Willingham.
Presently in India, AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation is conducting epidemiological studies to find out how much TB is in the area. Since 2005, they have enrolled 11,000 babies and adolescents, not to give TB vaccine candidate products but to see how much TB is in the area. This information is important to evaluate if it is safe enough to do a large clinical trial in that area. AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation is also planning to conduct a Phase I clinical trial at St Johns' Research Institute, India, during the course of 2009, said Peg Willingham.
Just like other clinical trials that have taken place in India, AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation also is committed to engage communities through effective community advisory boards (CAB), and raising literacy about clinical trials in the community. "We want all our clinical trials to be conducted at the highest international standards of ethics and quality because we will like our vaccines approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and such agencies in different countries around the world. So if we did anything to compromise the quality it will be tragic because vaccine will not have good uptake" said Peg Willingham.
In the course of conducting these epidemiological studies, AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation has already consistently worked upon involving communities, providing them information about tuberculosis and other related information and services.
In Bangalore for these epidemiological studies to assess the TB incidence in the community, babies are enrolled even before they are born because they get BCG vaccine at birth. "So it entails working with pregnant mothers. One important thing we have found which is very cultural to India, is that mother-in-law is very important in the informed consent process" shares Peg Willingham.
"Babies get the existing BCG vaccine. We follow them for two years and provide check up and medical care and refer them to the treatment as needed" adds Peg Willingham.
Finding information about TB incidence in the proposed site for clinical trial of a TB vaccine is crucial to assess the feasibility of a large-scale clinical trial, as an enormous investment is at stake.
"We are also looking at some other possible partnerships to conduct clinical trials elsewhere in India. We have a manufacturing agreement with SERUM Institute of India" shares Peg Willingham.
The TB vaccine research will take at least another seven years before any vaccine can reach the market. Activist Ezio Santos Filho said that there is a gap of USD 2 billion every year to push research and development of new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. Along with pushing for new tools to fight TB, there is a clear need to scale up high-quality existing TB diagnostics, mobilize communities to test for TB and successfully complete treatment, scale up measures like infection control in congregated settings, provide isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) wherever possible, and continue advocating for new TB diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.
- Bobby Ramakant
One-third of TB cases go undetected: WHO
One-third of TB cases go undetected: WHO
About 3 million people fail to access TB treatment under directly-observed treatment shortcourse (DOTS), according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Control Report 2009.
Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of Stop TB Department of WHO, said to this correspondent that "more than one-third of all TB cases are not detected under DOTS. Some of these un-notified cases are never diagnosed."
Either the poor access to TB services in some African settings or people accessing TB services in private settings in Asia contribute to these cases going un-notified. There is a clear thrust to scale up new TB case detection and successfully treating those diagnosed.
"There are probably many more TB-HIV co-infection cases than we had previously thought", adds Dr Raviglione. "In 2007, out of the total 9.3 million TB cases, 1.4 million are due to HIV" says Dr Raviglione.
According to the new report released on World TB Day (24 March 2009) at the 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, out of 1.7 million TB deaths, half a million deaths are due to TB-HIV co-infection, which is double than the number of deaths attributed to TB-HIV co-infection last year (one out of four TB deaths is HIV-related, twice as many as previously recognized). This figure reflects an improvement in the quality of the country data, which are now more representative and available from more countries than in previous years.
The report reveals a sharp increase in HIV testing among people being treated for TB, especially in Africa. In 2004, just 4% of TB patients in the region were tested for HIV; in 2007 that number rose to 37%, with several countries testing more than 75% of TB patients for their HIV status.
Because of increased testing for HIV among TB patients, more people are getting appropriate treatment though the numbers still remain a small fraction of those in need. In 2007, 200,000 HIV-positive TB patients were enrolled on co-trimoxazole treatment to prevent opportunistic infections and 100,000 were on antiretroviral therapy.
There is a clear mandate to accelerate collaboration between TB and HIV programmes at all levels.
"The incidence of TB per capita continues to go down since 2004 however the decline is just one per cent per year which implies that we will not be able to eliminate TB for centuries" says Dr Raviglione. "We need to fully implement the Stop TB Strategy" stresses Dr Raviglione.
The WHO Global Tuberculosis Control Report 2009 confirms the notion that there might be more than half a million multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases every year. "54 countries have reported extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) to us" said Dr Raviglione.
- Bobby Ramakant
HIV-related TB deaths higher than past estimates
HIV-related TB deaths higher than past estimates
1.37 million new TB cases in 2007 among HIV-infected people, says new global TB control report
RIO DE JANEIRO: The total number of new tuberculosis (TB) cases remained stable in 2007, and the percentage of the world's population becoming ill with TB has continued the slow decline that was first observed in 2004, according to a new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on World TB Day, 24 March 2009.
However, the 2009 global TB control report also reveals that one out of four TB deaths is HIV-related, twice as many as previously recognized. In 2007, there were an estimated 1.37 million new cases of tuberculosis among HIV-infected people and 456 000 deaths. This figure reflects an improvement in the quality of the country data, which are now more representative and available from more countries than in previous years.
"These findings point to an urgent need to find, prevent and treat tuberculosis in people living with HIV and to test for HIV in all patients with TB in order to provide prevention, treatment and care. Countries can only do that through stronger collaborative programmes and stronger health systems that address both diseases," said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO.
Sharp increase in HIV testing
The report reveals a sharp increase in HIV testing among people being treated for TB, especially in Africa. In 2004, just 4% of TB patients in the region were tested for HIV; in 2007 that number rose to 37%, with several countries testing more than 75% of TB patients for their HIV status.
Because of increased testing for HIV among TB patients, more people are getting appropriate treatment though the numbers still remain a small fraction of those in need. In 2007, 200 000 HIV-positive TB patients were enrolled on co-trimoxazole treatment to prevent opportunistic infections and 100 000 were on antiretroviral therapy.
"We have to stop people living with HIV from dying of tuberculosis," said Mr Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support must include TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment. When HIV and TB services are combined, they save lives."
TB/HIV co-infection and drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis present the greatest challenges, the report says. In 2007 an estimated 500 000 people had multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), but less than 1% of them were receiving treatments that was known to be based on WHO's recommended standards.
Given the current financial crisis, the report documents concerns over an increasing shortage in funding. Ninety-four countries in which 93% of the world's TB cases occur provided complete financial data for the report. To meet the 2009 milestones in the Stop TB Partnership's Global Plan to Stop TB, the funding shortfall for these 94 countries has risen to about US$ 1.5 billion. Full funding of the Global Plan will achieve its aim of halving TB prevalence and deaths compared with 1990 levels by 2015.
"We have made remarkable progress against both TB and HIV in the last few years. But, TB still kills more people with HIV than any other disease," said Dr Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. "The financial crisis must not derail the implementation of the Global Plan to Stop TB. Now is the time to scale-up financing for effective interventions for the prevention, treatment and care of TB worldwide."
The release of the report today coincides with World TB Day and a 1500-strong gathering at the 3rd Stop TB Partners’ Forum in Rio de Janeiro. Next week health leaders and ministers will gather in Beijing in a meeting organized by WHO, the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the aim of securing commitments to actions and funding for drug-resistant TB.
1.37 million new TB cases in 2007 among HIV-infected people, says new global TB control report
RIO DE JANEIRO: The total number of new tuberculosis (TB) cases remained stable in 2007, and the percentage of the world's population becoming ill with TB has continued the slow decline that was first observed in 2004, according to a new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on World TB Day, 24 March 2009.
However, the 2009 global TB control report also reveals that one out of four TB deaths is HIV-related, twice as many as previously recognized. In 2007, there were an estimated 1.37 million new cases of tuberculosis among HIV-infected people and 456 000 deaths. This figure reflects an improvement in the quality of the country data, which are now more representative and available from more countries than in previous years.
"These findings point to an urgent need to find, prevent and treat tuberculosis in people living with HIV and to test for HIV in all patients with TB in order to provide prevention, treatment and care. Countries can only do that through stronger collaborative programmes and stronger health systems that address both diseases," said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO.
Sharp increase in HIV testing
The report reveals a sharp increase in HIV testing among people being treated for TB, especially in Africa. In 2004, just 4% of TB patients in the region were tested for HIV; in 2007 that number rose to 37%, with several countries testing more than 75% of TB patients for their HIV status.
Because of increased testing for HIV among TB patients, more people are getting appropriate treatment though the numbers still remain a small fraction of those in need. In 2007, 200 000 HIV-positive TB patients were enrolled on co-trimoxazole treatment to prevent opportunistic infections and 100 000 were on antiretroviral therapy.
"We have to stop people living with HIV from dying of tuberculosis," said Mr Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support must include TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment. When HIV and TB services are combined, they save lives."
TB/HIV co-infection and drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis present the greatest challenges, the report says. In 2007 an estimated 500 000 people had multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), but less than 1% of them were receiving treatments that was known to be based on WHO's recommended standards.
Given the current financial crisis, the report documents concerns over an increasing shortage in funding. Ninety-four countries in which 93% of the world's TB cases occur provided complete financial data for the report. To meet the 2009 milestones in the Stop TB Partnership's Global Plan to Stop TB, the funding shortfall for these 94 countries has risen to about US$ 1.5 billion. Full funding of the Global Plan will achieve its aim of halving TB prevalence and deaths compared with 1990 levels by 2015.
"We have made remarkable progress against both TB and HIV in the last few years. But, TB still kills more people with HIV than any other disease," said Dr Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. "The financial crisis must not derail the implementation of the Global Plan to Stop TB. Now is the time to scale-up financing for effective interventions for the prevention, treatment and care of TB worldwide."
The release of the report today coincides with World TB Day and a 1500-strong gathering at the 3rd Stop TB Partners’ Forum in Rio de Janeiro. Next week health leaders and ministers will gather in Beijing in a meeting organized by WHO, the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the aim of securing commitments to actions and funding for drug-resistant TB.
World TB Day marks a major turning point
World TB Day marks a major turning point
World TB Day, which is observed on 24 March each year, marks a major turning point in public health history. On that day in 1882, Dr Robert Koch of Germany identified the bacillus that causes tuberculosis, an infectious disease so devastating that it was then known in Europe as "the white plague". It took another 60 years before antibiotics rendered the disease
curable; and even today, with effective treatment available, the World Health Organization reported there were 9.2 million new cases and 1.7 million deaths in 2006.
World TB Day was launched in 1982 to mark the 100th anniversary of Koch's discovery. Countries around the world use marches, street theatre, murals, media workshops, government briefings and other events to educate people about the symptoms of TB; build awareness of the need for resources, including new TB diagnostic tools and drugs; and celebrate the survival of those who have recovered.
For organisations such as the 89-year-old International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), World TB Day serves an important purpose. "It's a reminder to everyone that the fight against tuberculosis is ongoing. It hasn't been won yet," says Dr Nils E Billo, Executive Director of The Union.
The theme for World TB Day, "I am stopping TB", emphasizes the wide-ranging effort required to prevent, treat and control TB. "To be successful, we need commitment at every level from government ministers and international donors to health care professionals, researchers, patients and families affected by TB," says Billo.
The Union, with headquarters in Paris, as well as regional offices and members in more than 100 countries, provides direct field assistance to some 80 countries each year, conducts research and organises international conferences and courses.
Billo notes that, since the first World TB Day, global tuberculosis control efforts have seen both significant successes and difficult new challenges:
* Since 1995, more than 31.8 million patients in 184 countries have been treated through the WHO-approved Stop TB Strategy, which is based on a treatment model originally developed by Union researchers.
* The Stop TB Partnership formed in 2000 by the World Health Organization, The Union and other TB organisations has grown into a formidable advocate for a disease that disproportionately affects the poor and voiceless. Today more than 1,000 organisations are members of the Partnership, which has developed the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006 – 2015 and meet the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
* Increased awareness has generated more resources. Funding for TB has increased from less than $1 billion in 2002 to more than $3.3 billion in 2008. The Union recently received a 5-year grant for up to US$ 80 million from the US Agency for International Development for its TREAT TB initiative. Dr I.D. Rusen, Director of The Union's Tuberculosis Department, calls this level of funding "unimaginable" a few years ago.
Other developments illustrate that tuberculosis remains a continuing threat to public health:
* The increasing incidence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) makes clear that without effective well-funded TB control programmes and the development of new drugs and diagnostic tools, incurable strains of tuberculosis will emerge.
* Tuberculosis is now the number one cause of death among people infected with HIV, and integrated services to address this TB-HIV co-epidemic are critically needed, according to Dr Paula I Fujiwara, Director of The Union's HIV Department.
* The spread of TB, including multidrug-resistant TB, is facilitated by today's highly mobile populations. TB control policy has to take into account not only issues of public health, but also of human rights. For example, a Union Working Group has studied the problem of reaching and treating undocumented immigrants with TB. Its recommendations stress the need for patient confidentiality, free diagnosis and treatment, and recognition of the problems created if patients can not or do not finish their treatment.
* Despite the significant increase in resources for TB, approximately $1 billion more funding per year is needed to implement the Global Plan to Stop TB.
The current economic crisis is also expected to have an impact on TB. The 22 countries with the highest burden of the disease — nearly 80% of the cases — are also among the world's poorest.
This and other issues will be discussed at the 40th Union World Conference on Lung Health, on 3-7 December in Cancún, Mexico, where the theme will be "Poverty and Lung Health".
Useful links:
World TB Day 2009
WHO 2009 Global Tuberculosis Report
World TB Day, which is observed on 24 March each year, marks a major turning point in public health history. On that day in 1882, Dr Robert Koch of Germany identified the bacillus that causes tuberculosis, an infectious disease so devastating that it was then known in Europe as "the white plague". It took another 60 years before antibiotics rendered the disease
curable; and even today, with effective treatment available, the World Health Organization reported there were 9.2 million new cases and 1.7 million deaths in 2006.
World TB Day was launched in 1982 to mark the 100th anniversary of Koch's discovery. Countries around the world use marches, street theatre, murals, media workshops, government briefings and other events to educate people about the symptoms of TB; build awareness of the need for resources, including new TB diagnostic tools and drugs; and celebrate the survival of those who have recovered.
For organisations such as the 89-year-old International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), World TB Day serves an important purpose. "It's a reminder to everyone that the fight against tuberculosis is ongoing. It hasn't been won yet," says Dr Nils E Billo, Executive Director of The Union.
The theme for World TB Day, "I am stopping TB", emphasizes the wide-ranging effort required to prevent, treat and control TB. "To be successful, we need commitment at every level from government ministers and international donors to health care professionals, researchers, patients and families affected by TB," says Billo.
The Union, with headquarters in Paris, as well as regional offices and members in more than 100 countries, provides direct field assistance to some 80 countries each year, conducts research and organises international conferences and courses.
Billo notes that, since the first World TB Day, global tuberculosis control efforts have seen both significant successes and difficult new challenges:
* Since 1995, more than 31.8 million patients in 184 countries have been treated through the WHO-approved Stop TB Strategy, which is based on a treatment model originally developed by Union researchers.
* The Stop TB Partnership formed in 2000 by the World Health Organization, The Union and other TB organisations has grown into a formidable advocate for a disease that disproportionately affects the poor and voiceless. Today more than 1,000 organisations are members of the Partnership, which has developed the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006 – 2015 and meet the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
* Increased awareness has generated more resources. Funding for TB has increased from less than $1 billion in 2002 to more than $3.3 billion in 2008. The Union recently received a 5-year grant for up to US$ 80 million from the US Agency for International Development for its TREAT TB initiative. Dr I.D. Rusen, Director of The Union's Tuberculosis Department, calls this level of funding "unimaginable" a few years ago.
Other developments illustrate that tuberculosis remains a continuing threat to public health:
* The increasing incidence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) makes clear that without effective well-funded TB control programmes and the development of new drugs and diagnostic tools, incurable strains of tuberculosis will emerge.
* Tuberculosis is now the number one cause of death among people infected with HIV, and integrated services to address this TB-HIV co-epidemic are critically needed, according to Dr Paula I Fujiwara, Director of The Union's HIV Department.
* The spread of TB, including multidrug-resistant TB, is facilitated by today's highly mobile populations. TB control policy has to take into account not only issues of public health, but also of human rights. For example, a Union Working Group has studied the problem of reaching and treating undocumented immigrants with TB. Its recommendations stress the need for patient confidentiality, free diagnosis and treatment, and recognition of the problems created if patients can not or do not finish their treatment.
* Despite the significant increase in resources for TB, approximately $1 billion more funding per year is needed to implement the Global Plan to Stop TB.
The current economic crisis is also expected to have an impact on TB. The 22 countries with the highest burden of the disease — nearly 80% of the cases — are also among the world's poorest.
This and other issues will be discussed at the 40th Union World Conference on Lung Health, on 3-7 December in Cancún, Mexico, where the theme will be "Poverty and Lung Health".
Useful links:
World TB Day 2009
WHO 2009 Global Tuberculosis Report
Court rules in favour of multi-disabled destitute children in UP
Court rules in favour of multi-disabled destitute children in UP
The Allahabad High Court Lucknow Bench on 24 March 2009 directed the state government to show cause and file Counter Affidavit stating therein as to what steps have been taken by the state Government for care and protection of multi-disabled destitute children within three weeks.
The above direction was passed by a division bench of Hon'ble Mr Justice Pradeep Kant and Hon'ble Justice Shabihul Hasnain in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Saaksham Foundation an organisation sensitising and highlighting child rights issues specially for the multi-disabled destitute children [writ petition no. 2825 (M/B) of 2009]. The PIL was filed through its Director Ms Anjali Singh.
In the petition it has been stated by the counsels Mr Padmesh Jain and Mr Amit Jaiswal that while abandoned children with multidisablities have been given the right to care and protection promised to them under Article 21 in the Indian constitution not a single child of this nature has been given his right when campaigned for by Saaksham Foundation. These children have also been deprived of their constitutional right to education as provided in Article 21 A of the constitution of India.
To give an idea of the alarming incidences of abandoning children, in the last two months ie January- February 2009, more than 25 children have been found abandoned by their parents out of which 22 were girls. This petition has been listed for hearing after three weeks.
For further information, please contact:
Anjali Singh, Director, Saaksham Foundation, phone: 9335924192
Legal Counsels: Amit Jaiswal: 9415010088, Padmesh Jain: 9415462734
The Allahabad High Court Lucknow Bench on 24 March 2009 directed the state government to show cause and file Counter Affidavit stating therein as to what steps have been taken by the state Government for care and protection of multi-disabled destitute children within three weeks.
The above direction was passed by a division bench of Hon'ble Mr Justice Pradeep Kant and Hon'ble Justice Shabihul Hasnain in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Saaksham Foundation an organisation sensitising and highlighting child rights issues specially for the multi-disabled destitute children [writ petition no. 2825 (M/B) of 2009]. The PIL was filed through its Director Ms Anjali Singh.
In the petition it has been stated by the counsels Mr Padmesh Jain and Mr Amit Jaiswal that while abandoned children with multidisablities have been given the right to care and protection promised to them under Article 21 in the Indian constitution not a single child of this nature has been given his right when campaigned for by Saaksham Foundation. These children have also been deprived of their constitutional right to education as provided in Article 21 A of the constitution of India.
To give an idea of the alarming incidences of abandoning children, in the last two months ie January- February 2009, more than 25 children have been found abandoned by their parents out of which 22 were girls. This petition has been listed for hearing after three weeks.
For further information, please contact:
Anjali Singh, Director, Saaksham Foundation, phone: 9335924192
Legal Counsels: Amit Jaiswal: 9415010088, Padmesh Jain: 9415462734
Private medical practitioners are equal partners in TB control
Private medical practitioners are equal partners in TB control
When close to 70 per cent of patients go to a private medical practitioner on their first visit, limiting directly observed treatment shortcourse (DOTS) in India to public sector healthcare services will not have desired patients' outreach, said members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) at the 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The involvement of private healthcare providers is seen as crucial to effective TB control and care, particularly in high-burdened countries. In India, 75% of all anti-TB drugs given to patients are administered by the private sector.
WHO's Stop TB Strategy envisages the engagement of all care providers using public-to-private and public-to-public approaches in line with the International Standards for Tuberculosis Care and the Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis Care.
When close to 70 per cent of patients go to a private medical practitioner on their first visit, limiting directly observed treatment shortcourse (DOTS) in India to public sector healthcare services will not have desired patients' outreach, said members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) at the 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The involvement of private healthcare providers is seen as crucial to effective TB control and care, particularly in high-burdened countries. In India, 75% of all anti-TB drugs given to patients are administered by the private sector.
WHO's Stop TB Strategy envisages the engagement of all care providers using public-to-private and public-to-public approaches in line with the International Standards for Tuberculosis Care and the Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis Care.
Dr Balasubramanian Muthiah from IMA said that the reach of IMA is extensive in India, with 1676 branches and more than 180,000 members across the country. IMA has also been working with a range of issues including polio and other immunization, HIV/AIDS, blood safety, family planning, female foeticide, blindness control and tuberculosis control too.
In 2007, IMA got financial support from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) and the project IMA-GFATM-RNTCP-PPM commenced. This was in collaboration with the revised national TB control programme (RNTCP) on public-private mix. In 2007, the project began in five states of India covering 167 districts.
By 2009, the project was scaled up to 15 states covering 850 million population in 406 districts in India.
IMA believes in providing no financial incentives to doctors and encouraging one-to-one peer sensitization on TB control.
The doctors were sensitized, trained, as a significant number of private medical practitioners don’t practice DOTS, said Dr Balasubramanian. So it was a process to mobilize them to accept DOTS and to encourage them to establish DOTS centres in their private healthcare settings.
By February 2009, under this IMA led project, 489 continuing medical education sessions were held reaching out to 21,788 private medical practitioners. District TB programmes were started in 120 districts and 2,532 private medical practitioners were trained. 557 DOTS centres were also opened in private healthcare settings by end of February 2009.
The new TB case detection rates have gone up, said Dr Balasubramanian.
In India, national programs collaborate with the Indian Medical Association, Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Federation of family Physicians of India and several other healthcare associations.
Efforts are also being made to link these associations to groups working at a district rather than national level and training programs and continued medical education sessions are often organized to encourage doctors to become involved in TB care and control.
- Bobby Ramakant
Rio 2009: TB patients' groups are strengthening TB responses in Congo
TB patients' groups are strengthening TB responses in Congo
The Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis Care (The Charter) is a part of national TB strategy in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but hasn't been implemented yet officially. However the people with TB, particularly those who have successfully completed the TB treatment, have organized themselves in form of TB patients' groups or clubs for years now, and are working closely with the healthcare providers to strengthen TB responses as equal partners.
Maxime Lunga from World Care Council, Africa, who is attending the 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is also representing a network of TB patients' groups in DRC called 'CAD' (Club Amis-des Damien). "We started forming TB patients' groups in 1999" said Maxime. "Our motivation was the responsibility we felt towards those newly diagnosed with TB, because we had experienced TB, and we didn’t want to suffer again"
The supportive attitude of healthcare providers also helps motivate TB patients' support groups, feels Maxime. The TB patients need to work with dignity and healthcare providers need to respect them as equal partners in TB care and control, says Maxime.
Presently Maxime has a network of 50 TB patients' groups in health centres of the DRC's capital Kinshasa, and 5 TB patients' groups each in Bukavu (eastern part of DRC), Kindu and Equator.
These TB patients' support groups provide support to those newly diagnosed or currently undergoing TB treatment, engage them and help share their own experiences with each other. Providing medical, social, and psychological support is crucial, feels Maxime. Sharing of experiences of having TB, benefits of completing the treatment, or conducting home visits to support, can radically improve TB treatment outcomes, believes Maxime. TB patients' support groups are the anchors for those who are newly diagnosed of TB, says Maxime.
The Charter, although is a part of the national TB strategy in DRC, is yet to be implemented in the country. It needs to be adapted for DRC, translated into local languages, and then used as a tool to scale up the standards of TB care.
The Charter is a great tool, believes Maxime. However the governments and donors need to invest more resources to print the Charter in local languages and disseminate it widely. The awareness levels about the Charter and the rights and responsibilities of people with TB it advocates for, is abysmally low.
"We need to raise awareness about the rights and responsibilities of people with TB, use the Charter as a tool for empowering the communities and mobilizing them to advocate for enhancing the standards of TB treatment and care in their localities" asserts Maxime.
In South Africa, a MSF report released today on World TB Day (24 March) shows how community-based approaches to drug-resistant TB have improved treatment outcomes considerably.
The people with TB, particularly those who have successfully completed the anti-TB treatment, is central to improving the TB response. The communities have a key role in increasing TB case detection, reducing TB-related stigma, partnering with healthcare staff, community awareness, screening of household contacts, encouraging rapid diagnosis to decrease the delay before starting treatment, improving treatment protocols, providing education and adherence counselling for patients and implementing infection control measures in clinics, patients' homes, and in the community, believes Maxime.
- Bobby Ramakant
The Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis Care (The Charter) is a part of national TB strategy in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but hasn't been implemented yet officially. However the people with TB, particularly those who have successfully completed the TB treatment, have organized themselves in form of TB patients' groups or clubs for years now, and are working closely with the healthcare providers to strengthen TB responses as equal partners.
Maxime Lunga from World Care Council, Africa, who is attending the 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is also representing a network of TB patients' groups in DRC called 'CAD' (Club Amis-des Damien). "We started forming TB patients' groups in 1999" said Maxime. "Our motivation was the responsibility we felt towards those newly diagnosed with TB, because we had experienced TB, and we didn’t want to suffer again"
The supportive attitude of healthcare providers also helps motivate TB patients' support groups, feels Maxime. The TB patients need to work with dignity and healthcare providers need to respect them as equal partners in TB care and control, says Maxime.
Presently Maxime has a network of 50 TB patients' groups in health centres of the DRC's capital Kinshasa, and 5 TB patients' groups each in Bukavu (eastern part of DRC), Kindu and Equator.
These TB patients' support groups provide support to those newly diagnosed or currently undergoing TB treatment, engage them and help share their own experiences with each other. Providing medical, social, and psychological support is crucial, feels Maxime. Sharing of experiences of having TB, benefits of completing the treatment, or conducting home visits to support, can radically improve TB treatment outcomes, believes Maxime. TB patients' support groups are the anchors for those who are newly diagnosed of TB, says Maxime.
The Charter, although is a part of the national TB strategy in DRC, is yet to be implemented in the country. It needs to be adapted for DRC, translated into local languages, and then used as a tool to scale up the standards of TB care.
The Charter is a great tool, believes Maxime. However the governments and donors need to invest more resources to print the Charter in local languages and disseminate it widely. The awareness levels about the Charter and the rights and responsibilities of people with TB it advocates for, is abysmally low.
"We need to raise awareness about the rights and responsibilities of people with TB, use the Charter as a tool for empowering the communities and mobilizing them to advocate for enhancing the standards of TB treatment and care in their localities" asserts Maxime.
In South Africa, a MSF report released today on World TB Day (24 March) shows how community-based approaches to drug-resistant TB have improved treatment outcomes considerably.
The people with TB, particularly those who have successfully completed the anti-TB treatment, is central to improving the TB response. The communities have a key role in increasing TB case detection, reducing TB-related stigma, partnering with healthcare staff, community awareness, screening of household contacts, encouraging rapid diagnosis to decrease the delay before starting treatment, improving treatment protocols, providing education and adherence counselling for patients and implementing infection control measures in clinics, patients' homes, and in the community, believes Maxime.
- Bobby Ramakant
Life-long contribution of Smitu Kothari to people's movements
Life-long contribution of Smitu Kothari to people's movements
Resolves to carry forward his vision for a just and pro-poor development
The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) joined other people's movements in expressing its shock and grief at the most untimely demise of Smitu Kothari, one of the most active, progressive and consistent voices against the neo-liberal anti-poor agenda of privatization, globalization and liberalization in recent times. A widely respected scholar, visiting academic at the Cornell and Princeton Universities, author of several publications on contemporary socio-political and economic discourses and above all an indomitable activist, Smitu Kothari, 59 passed away early this week owing to a cardiac attack after having undergone a heart surgery at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. The cremation was held at Lodi Road electric Crematorium in South Delhi at 4pm on the 23rd March 2009.
The most unexpected stroke came when Smitu was at a meeting of the Delhi Solidarity Group and Himalaya Niti Abhiyan to discuss strategies for strengthening the people's struggles in Himachal Pradesh against displacement, mining and environmental destruction on the 20th afternoon, from where he was rushed to the AIIMS and was discharged the same day as his ECG was found to be normal. However he was again hospitalized a day later due to arterial complications and succumbed during the post-operative care.
One of the founders of Lokayan ("Dialogue of the People"), and Intercultural Resources, two centres in Delhi promoting exchange between non-party political formations and concerned scholars and other citizens from India and the rest of the world, he was actively involved in ecological, cultural and human rights issues striving to collectively forge a national and global alternative that is socially just and ecologically sane and in this capacity has been vigorously pursuing multifarious academic and activist initiatives. Development induced displacement, people’s governance and social-environmental movements were some of his core concerns. He was also one of the striving spirits behind the Independent People's Tribunal on the World Bank Group in India held in 2007.
Smitu has also been a long time vocal supporter of the struggle of the thousands of adivasis, farmers, labourers, fishworkers, potters and all the project-affected people in the Narmada valley and articulated their concerns at various fora both within India and across continents.
A truly loving person, Smitu continues to be a source of inspiration not just for people's movements and struggles in India, but also to voices of dissent and alternatives across the globe. NBA expresses its heartfelt condolences to Smitu's extended family of activists, supporters and all peace and justice loving people. We salute his decades of invaluable contribution to diverse people's movements and resolves to take forward his message and commitment to come together and be united against all odds and strengthen our collective force for justice.
Medha Patkar
Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA)
Resolves to carry forward his vision for a just and pro-poor development
The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) joined other people's movements in expressing its shock and grief at the most untimely demise of Smitu Kothari, one of the most active, progressive and consistent voices against the neo-liberal anti-poor agenda of privatization, globalization and liberalization in recent times. A widely respected scholar, visiting academic at the Cornell and Princeton Universities, author of several publications on contemporary socio-political and economic discourses and above all an indomitable activist, Smitu Kothari, 59 passed away early this week owing to a cardiac attack after having undergone a heart surgery at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. The cremation was held at Lodi Road electric Crematorium in South Delhi at 4pm on the 23rd March 2009.
The most unexpected stroke came when Smitu was at a meeting of the Delhi Solidarity Group and Himalaya Niti Abhiyan to discuss strategies for strengthening the people's struggles in Himachal Pradesh against displacement, mining and environmental destruction on the 20th afternoon, from where he was rushed to the AIIMS and was discharged the same day as his ECG was found to be normal. However he was again hospitalized a day later due to arterial complications and succumbed during the post-operative care.
One of the founders of Lokayan ("Dialogue of the People"), and Intercultural Resources, two centres in Delhi promoting exchange between non-party political formations and concerned scholars and other citizens from India and the rest of the world, he was actively involved in ecological, cultural and human rights issues striving to collectively forge a national and global alternative that is socially just and ecologically sane and in this capacity has been vigorously pursuing multifarious academic and activist initiatives. Development induced displacement, people’s governance and social-environmental movements were some of his core concerns. He was also one of the striving spirits behind the Independent People's Tribunal on the World Bank Group in India held in 2007.
Smitu has also been a long time vocal supporter of the struggle of the thousands of adivasis, farmers, labourers, fishworkers, potters and all the project-affected people in the Narmada valley and articulated their concerns at various fora both within India and across continents.
A truly loving person, Smitu continues to be a source of inspiration not just for people's movements and struggles in India, but also to voices of dissent and alternatives across the globe. NBA expresses its heartfelt condolences to Smitu's extended family of activists, supporters and all peace and justice loving people. We salute his decades of invaluable contribution to diverse people's movements and resolves to take forward his message and commitment to come together and be united against all odds and strengthen our collective force for justice.
Medha Patkar
Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA)
Community-based approach to drug-resistant TB treatment in South Africa
Community-based approach to drug-resistant TB treatment in South Africa
Experience shows that providing treatment and care with dignity in homes of people with drug-resistant TB, particularly for those who are also co-infected with HIV, radically improves treatment outcomes.
Experience shows that providing treatment and care with dignity in homes of people with drug-resistant TB, particularly for those who are also co-infected with HIV, radically improves treatment outcomes.
Not only for today, the World TB Day (24 March), but also for the ongoing 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (23-25 March 2009) and the forthcoming high-level ministerial meeting on M/XDR-TB (multi and extensively drug-resistant TB) in Beijing, China (1-3 April 2009), this is undoubtedly a food for thought.
"Experience in fighting drug-resistant TB globally comes mainly from Eastern Europe, but what we face in Khayelitsha (South Africa) is a radically different situation requiring a radically new approach," said Dr Eric Goemaere, Medical Coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in South Africa.
"The number of patients with drug-resistant TB are much larger and the majority are HIV co-infected. We are applying lessons learnt in providing HIV/AIDS treatment to tackle this complex medical challenge, for example de-centralisation of treatment to the primary care level, integration of HIV and drug-resistant TB care, promotion of earlier diagnosis of drug-resistant TB, and reinforcement of treatment adherence and infection control using a patient-centred, community-based approach."
The current national policy in South Africa is one of centralised care and treatment for drug-resistant TB in regional, specialised treatment centres. Patients often spend at least six months in congregate wards. As these centres are often far from patients' homes, they are usually cut-off from their families and their livelihoods and feel abandoned. Consequently, there is a high rate of default, with up to a third of patients refusing to remain in care. There is also a waiting list for beds for drug-resistant TB patients in eight of South Africa's nine provinces.
"We are convinced that more patients will be diagnosed and successfully treated if they are supported to follow treatment in their homes and communities, rather than being isolated in specialised hospitals," said Dr Virginia Azevedo, Khayelitsha Sub-District Manager for the City of Cape Town Health Department. "Our main objectives in this project are to increase diagnosis of drug-resistant TB, improve treatment outcomes for drug-resistant TB patients, and contribute to decreasing drug-resistant TB transmission at the community and facility level in Khayelitsha."
Key aspects of the model of care include increasing drug-resistant TB case detection through staff training, community awareness, and screening of household contacts; encouraging rapid diagnosis to decrease the delay before starting treatment; improving treatment protocols; providing education and adherence counselling for patients and implementing infection control measures in clinics, patients' homes, and in the community. A small 12-bed inpatient facility to provide sub-acute care, Lizo Nobanda, is in the process of being set up in Khayelitsha.
The MSF, the City of Cape Town, and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape Department of Health released a new report to mark World TB Day, on a joint pilot project, launched in late 2007, to provide decentralised, patient-centred care, support and treatment for people with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Khayelitsha, a large township of approximately 500,000 people outside of Cape Town with one of the highest burdens of both HIV and TB in South Africa.
The TB incidence rate in Khayelitsha is at least 1,500 per 100,000 people per year – among the highest in the world. Of the nearly 6,000 people diagnosed with TB in Khayelitsha in 2008, 196 were diagnosed with drug-resistant TB and 74% of these were also HIV-infected. However, if all TB patients were to be tested, close to 400 patients would be diagnosed with drug-resistant TB each year in Khayelitsha. This would give an incidence of drug-resistant TB of around 60 per 100,000 people each year – one of the highest rates of drug-resistant TB in the world.
"The Province is very pleased to support this successful collaboration between MSF, the Provincial Department of Health, and City Health, which has produced an innovative model of care for drug-resistant TB patients in one of the highest burden areas in South Africa and the world," said Dr Giovanni Perez, Director of Metro District Health System for the Khayelitsha and Eastern sub-districts of the Cape Metro. "The development of this new model for managing drug-resistant TB care and treatment in a high HIV prevalence setting will produce valuable lessons for other areas where needs are also immense."
The drug-resistant TB treatment is long and arduous. Patients have to take up to six drugs, which are difficult to tolerate, and treatment lasts for 24 months. The development of a patient-centred approach to adherence has therefore been crucial. The project focuses intensively on counselling, education, and support to patients and their families to empower them to understand the disease, observe infection control measures, and take responsibility for their treatment.
"I am a living example that drug-resistant TB can be cured, just like normal TB, even for people living with HIV," said Busi Beko, MSF's drug-resistant TB Adherence Counsellor. "But it was not easy and I know firsthand the difficulties that people experience in trying to complete the full course of treatment. People need to feel supported and encouraged, not blamed for their disease."
While significant progress has been made in some programme areas, challenges remain: patients will still have to wait too long for their diagnosis and will have difficulties with adherence to lengthy and difficult treatment for the foreseeable future.
"Our experience in Khayelitsha tells us that the majority of drug-resistant TB transmission is occurring before patients are even diagnosed and started on treatment," said Dr Goemaere. "Patients can definitely be cured of drug-resistant TB treatment despite the fact that it is complex and resource-intensive. But it is an uphill battle. In addition to new models of care, like the one we have developed in Khayelitsha, we urgently need better rapid diagnostic tools to detect drug-resistant TB earlier and less toxic, better tolerated, and more affordable drugs to treat patients."
The Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis Care (PCTC, The Charter), which is part of the global TB strategy, stresses on the rights and responsibiltiies of people with TB - and certainly needs to be implemented so that most affected communities can take more leadership in advocating for increasing the standards of TB care and treatment.
- Bobby Ramakant
Unified action: The only way forward to control TB
Unified action: The only way forward to control TB
"We simply must stop TB. This succinct but compelling message implies a shared responsibility for unified action at all levels, by health-care providers, national and international partners and communities to control and eliminate TB", said Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang, World Health Organization (WHO)'s Regional Director for South-East Asia.
The strong call for unified action at all levels to control TB, is significant, and echoes the responses to concerns raised by many other people on what should be done to improve TB responses in these times of global economic meltdown. At the first day of the 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a day before the World TB Day (24 March 2009) and a week before the high-level ministerial meeting on X/MDR-TB opens in Beijing, China (1-3 April 2009), the call for unified action at all levels from WHO regional office in South-East Asia, adds to underlining the urgency needed for TB control.
Progress in reducing the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases stands at a crossroads today. While over 87% of the two million TB patients in the South-East Asia Region are being treated successfully every year, multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB), TB-HIV co-infection and the global economic crisis pose a serious threat to the gains achieved so far.
For instance, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) falls short by USD 5 billion of its 2009-2010 budget of USD 8 billion. Countries instead of keeping their promises to the GFATM, are instead disbursing many times more of bail-out money to banks (which banks are disbursing to their employees as holiday bonuses). It is clear that TB care and control is not yet a development priority for most countries - and the need to engage these stakeholders as equal partners was never so compelling.
Annually over 10% of the estimated 3.6 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the south-east Asia Region are likely to develop active TB. Hence, it is critical that both HIV/AIDS and TB control programmes ensure that the benefits of expanding access to HIV counselling, testing and care, including access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), reach TB patients who also have HIV.
Levels of drug-resistance in TB patients in most parts of the South-East Asian Region are still low at less than 3%, due to good implementation of basic directly-observed treatment short-course (DOTS). However, given the large number of TB patients, this represents over 150,000 new patients with MDR-TB every year. "Widespread unregulated use of anti-TB drugs outside of national programmes is our major concern in the context of drug resistant TB," stressed Dr Plianbangchang.
Increasing investments in health-care systems are essential to ensuring that all TB patients have equitable access to free and quality care at all health care facilities at the primary level. What is also urgently required is that all health professionals, from both the public and private sectors, adhere strictly to internationally recommended standards for TB care, and that appropriate measures are duly implemented to contain unregulated use of anti-TB drugs to prevent the emergence of drug resistance.
- Citizen News Service (CNS)
Will genuine partnerships improve TB responses despite of economic recession?
Will genuine partnerships improve TB responses despite of economic recession?
In these times of global meltdown, it is all the more critical to focus on how can TB care and control, be still seen as a smart investment to governments, private sector and other stakeholders.
There is enough evidence to substantiate that TB care and control is a smart investment. In December 2007, a World Bank report had revealed that high burden TB countries can earn significantly more than they spend on TB diagnosis and treatment if they signed onto the Stop TB Partnership's Global Plan to Stop TB. This study made it clear that the economic benefits of TB control are greater than the costs. Most highly affected countries could gain nine times or more their investments in TB control.
In these times of global meltdown, it is all the more critical to focus on how can TB care and control, be still seen as a smart investment to governments, private sector and other stakeholders.
There is enough evidence to substantiate that TB care and control is a smart investment. In December 2007, a World Bank report had revealed that high burden TB countries can earn significantly more than they spend on TB diagnosis and treatment if they signed onto the Stop TB Partnership's Global Plan to Stop TB. This study made it clear that the economic benefits of TB control are greater than the costs. Most highly affected countries could gain nine times or more their investments in TB control.
However, when the 3rd Stop TB Partners' Forum is about to begin in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (23-25 March 2009), World TB Day (24 March 2009) is hardly few hours ahead, and the high-level Ministerial meeting on M/XDR-TB will commence during 1-3 April 2009 in Beijing, China, it is certainly a food for thought on how can we still salvage TB care and control programmes in these times of economic recession.
Just few days back, the American International Group (AIG) was in the news for disbursing nearly half a billion US dollars as bonuses of the bail-out money.
In most countries, leaders are resorting to extreme cost-cutting measures that threaten funding for TB treatment and control measures across the globe. The cuts will be made, and the investment will only occur in 'smart' areas.
Clearly more needs to be done to convince the world that TB care and control is a smart investment. In the past months, the indications have been worrisome. While the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) continues its search for the US$ 5 billion in funding still needed for 2009-2010, Wall Street corporations gave themselves $18 billion in holiday bonuses.
The money for these bonuses came from tax payers but would tax payers rather fund holidays for bankers, or save lives in countries hit hard by the three diseases - AIDS, TB and Malaria? The Merrill Lynch bonuses alone would have paid off GFATM's funding short-fall in full.
Jeffery Sachs, Director of Columbia University's Earth Institute and a Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General, had called on the US government to take back the $18 billion and use the money to help buy antiretroviral drugs and mosquito nets.
Calling the bonuses, "unbelievably egregious" Sachs said, "Those bonuses are being paid out of our bailout funds . . . I suggest the US government reclaim that funding and put the money into the Global Fund immediately."
The GFATM provides a quarter of all international funding for the response to HIV, two-thirds of all the money that goes to tackling TB and three quarters of all money spent on stopping malaria.
But GFATM has only collected $3 billion of the $8 billion needed to fund projects around the world in 2009 and 2010. Sachs says the $5 billion funding short-fall faced by GFTAM is less than half a percent of the money G8 countries have spent on bailing out failed banks in the past three months.
The US has failed to keep its promises to GFATM and has not handed over 0.7% to 1% of its annual gross national product as agreed. The US is at 0.16 of 1% of its income for development assistance. It's the lowest level of all 22 donor countries.
It is clear that unless the TB advocates reach out to decision makers to impress upon them the urgency of strengthening TB care and control programmes, the global economic meltdown is likely to threaten to reverse the gains made in TB care over past decades. "I believe we should not lower our sights one bit. Rather, we should broadcast far and wide irrefutable arguments for more and better TB control now. The fight against TB is more than a humanitarian cause – it is also a smart investment, at a time when many investments seem insecure" said Dr Marcos Espinal, on the Stop TB Forum's blog.
Time is running out. How can the world begin to see TB care as a smart investment?
Unless those who are not yet convinced that TB care is a smart investment, get convinced that they are equal partners in TB programmes, the situation will not radically change.
The answer might be in partnerships - genuine partnerships - not just between TB stakeholders, but with a broad range of partners. This will also mean that people will have to step beyond the mandates of their institutions and organizations to synergize as effectively and genuinely as possible. It is not only the TB advocates, but other potential partners who need to be convinced that TB care is a smart investment.
TB needs to be seen more than a medical or health issue, it is in all earnestness, a development challenge threatening sustainable development in most hard-hit communities.
- Bobby Ramakant
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