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| Photo credit: Rahul D/ CNS |
When the going gets tough, the tough get going: Islawati
Why is counseling important in TB treatment?
Dr Carolyn Kavita Tauro, CNS Correspondent, India
Rohani (name changed) was one of those quieter female TB patients. But they almost all are, including the one who had committed suicide the previous night by jumping out of the hospital ward window. It is difficult, though not impossible, to comprehend what goes behind the calm exterior of patients like Rohani. Another TB patient, Archana (name changed), was just told that she would have to take her TB medications for a period of two years and that she would not be able to see her one-year old baby for at least a year.
TB in pregnant women
There were an estimated 3.3 million new cases of TB and an estimated 510 000 TB deaths among women in 2013, says the WHO Global TB Report 2014. While TB as a women’s health issue has been largely overlooked, it presents one of the major reasons that TB in women should be taken seriously. Gender inequality around the world makes women with TB particularly vulnerable to stigma. In addition, TB poses a variety of deep threats to women’s lives medically, economically, and socially.
Nepalese women with TB face unique challenges
TB victimized Pabitra Tamang (name changed), a resident of a village in Dhading, Jawang, in the hilly region of Nepal, ten years ago. After being diagnosed with TB, she was deprived of proper medical treatment due to destitution of her family. To fuel the fire, her family started to torture her mentally instead of arranging for necessary medical treatment. After knowing her TB status, her husband abandoned her to marry another woman. Eventually, she was thrown out from her home by her family.
Need for continued conversations on TB
Diana Wangari, CNS Correspondent, Kenya
(First published in The Star, Kenya)
On March 24 we marked World TB Day and, as we have come to expect during such celebrations, TB was in the news: There was an article and news brief here and there in the newspapers; there was a mention of the acknowledgement of the day on the radio stations and a segment in the news in the TV stations. More so, there was perhaps, a breakfast meeting held somewhere and at a different location - multiple locations even – and so were events held to mark the World TB Day.
(First published in The Star, Kenya)
On March 24 we marked World TB Day and, as we have come to expect during such celebrations, TB was in the news: There was an article and news brief here and there in the newspapers; there was a mention of the acknowledgement of the day on the radio stations and a segment in the news in the TV stations. More so, there was perhaps, a breakfast meeting held somewhere and at a different location - multiple locations even – and so were events held to mark the World TB Day.
Vietnam's major regional thrust for a malaria-free Asia Pacific by 2030
Tuberculosis: A rocky road for women’s health
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“TB needs to be taken seriously as a women’s health issue because it kills more than half a million women a year and makes more than 3 million women sick annually”. This is what Paula I Fujiwara, Scientific Director, and Riitta Dlodlo, Director, Department of Tuberculosis and HIV of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), say in commemorating World TB Day 2015.
What's in a name? Tobacco in any form is deadly!
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service (CNS)
Just as a rose would smell as sweet if called by another name, so also tobacco would spell disease and death no matter in which guise it is consumed. Globalization is changing the face of smoking, especially among the youth, and they are turning to alternative forms of tobacco (often referred to as Alternative Tobacco Products or ATPs) like e-cigarettes, water pipes and now the midwakh, even as cigarette smoking subsides. Presenters at the 16th World Conference on Tobacco Or Health (WCTOH 2015),
held in Abu Dhabi, shared valuable information on the ill effects of
ATPs and their ever increasing popularity during the last decade
globally.
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| Photo credit CNS: citizen-news.org |
Nepal leading tobacco control in South Asia: Will it spiral domino effect on other nations?
South Asian region has very high levels of tobacco use, and thus not surprisingly, rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and other tobacco related illnesses also rage high. Nepal is in spotlight in the South Asian region by demonstrating high commitment to tobacco control and also acting on the ground! Recognizing Nepal's leadership, the country was awarded the prestigious 'Bloomberg Philanthropies Award for Global Tobacco Control' at the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH 2015).
Progress made but work remains on firewalling health policy from tobacco industry
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service (CNS)
Considerable progress has been made in different countries globally in protecting public health policy from tobacco industry interference, but certainly lot more work needs to be done. 2012 World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) Declaration had called upon all governments to establish a national coordinating mechanism of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which is fully firewalled from the tobacco industry. In 2012 we had envisioned that at least 50 governments should adopt comprehensive measures to prevent tobacco
industry interference in public health policies in line with FCTC
Article 5.3 guidelines.
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| Cloe Franko, NATT/ Corporate Accountability International |
Hold tobacco industry liable: Turn the cost-benefit ratio upside down
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
Despite loads of credible and scientifically robust evidence that tobacco kills and is a common risk factor for major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), public health programmes have achieved limited success in controlling tobacco epidemic. With over 6 million tobacco-related deaths every year, the world is far from eliminating tobacco deaths. Every tobacco-related death is a tragedy, because it is preventable, had rightly said US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy at the opening of the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH 2015).
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| WCTOH session on FCTC Art.19: Neil Collishaw and Cloe Franko Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org |
Where there is a will there is a way: Teeja Devi
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
[CNS image library] 55 years old Teeja Devi was born in village Bargadavaan in a family of farm labourers. The youngest of 4 siblings, her father died even before she was born. A father less Teeja had a tough childhood. She grew up amid fields, and from early childhood farming became part of her daily life. Teeja studied till class 5 and then was married in a rural household
of a nearby village. Teeja reminiscences--“I was too young when I got
married-- perhaps a child bride. I have no recollections of my marriage.
The only thing I remember is that I was brought in a bullock cart to my
in-laws house”.
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| Photo credit: Rahul D/ CNS |
Women with TB have the right to live too
Twenty years have passed since the signing of the Beijing Declaration on women but issues such as women and poverty, human rights and health remain unresolved despite them being enunciated in the twelve critical areas of the declaration. TB is a disease killing more than half a million women a year and making more than 3 million women sick annually. It is a blow to note that women suffering from the disease often face unique challenges, including intense stigma and discrimination. They have a more challenging time accessing TB services than men do, and this has a proven negative impact on their already deteriorating health.
Gender dimension of TB: Voices from the field
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
TB is the third leading cause of death for women worldwide, with women accounting for 3.3 million (37%) of the total of 9.0 million incident cases and over half a million TB deaths in 2013. Even though the TB bacteria does not distinguish between the sexes while targeting its prey, TB impacts women differently due to a host of social, cultural and economic factors, affecting them severely --whether they themselves are TB patients or are care givers of some TB patient in the family.
TB is the third leading cause of death for women worldwide, with women accounting for 3.3 million (37%) of the total of 9.0 million incident cases and over half a million TB deaths in 2013. Even though the TB bacteria does not distinguish between the sexes while targeting its prey, TB impacts women differently due to a host of social, cultural and economic factors, affecting them severely --whether they themselves are TB patients or are care givers of some TB patient in the family.
From adversity to prosperity
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
[CNS image library] It is not uncommon to hear about tales of migration from villages to cities in search of greener pastures. But, 22 years ago, a quirk of fate trans-located 42 years old Preeti from the city of Gorakhpur to a village called Bantaaniya. The youngest of 5 siblings—3 sisters and 2 brothers—Preeti grew up in Gorakhpur, a town in east UP, India. She had a comfortable childhood as her father had a government job in the railways.
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| Photo credit: Rahul D/ CNS |
TB, the silent killer of women
Pretty Chavango, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe
TB, an airborne infectious disease, is the third leading cause of death in women worldwide. In 2013, there were 3.3 million new cases of TB among women and 510,000 deaths. Surprisingly, regardless of this impact on women, little attention is paid to the disease as a women's health issue.
TB, an airborne infectious disease, is the third leading cause of death in women worldwide. In 2013, there were 3.3 million new cases of TB among women and 510,000 deaths. Surprisingly, regardless of this impact on women, little attention is paid to the disease as a women's health issue.
When will the good times (achhe din) come for women in India?
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
While stone statues of the female form (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga/Kali) are worshipped in temples and religious rituals, a large number of those made of flesh and blood face violence on the streets and in homes, and encounter discrimination throughout their lives that begins at (or even before) birth, and continues during childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
While stone statues of the female form (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga/Kali) are worshipped in temples and religious rituals, a large number of those made of flesh and blood face violence on the streets and in homes, and encounter discrimination throughout their lives that begins at (or even before) birth, and continues during childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
More lung cancer awareness among women needed
Babs Verblackt, CNS Special Correspondent, Belgium
While cancer in women often gets associated with breast cancer, there is an equal threat of lung cancer. In fact, in Europe death rates from lung cancer are expected to exceed those for breast cancer among women for the first time this year (2015). Public awareness remains low and should be improved, lung cancer organisations stress.
While cancer in women often gets associated with breast cancer, there is an equal threat of lung cancer. In fact, in Europe death rates from lung cancer are expected to exceed those for breast cancer among women for the first time this year (2015). Public awareness remains low and should be improved, lung cancer organisations stress.
Keep people before profit: Comments on the draft National Health Policy 2015
[Download] The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, is seeking comments and feedback on the draft National Health Policy (NHP) 2015. After consultations organized by Socialist Party (India), National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Asha Parivar, and Vote For Health campaign, Citizen News Service (CNS), we have summarised the comments that came forth on the draft shared by the government. These comments were submitted on 26th February 2015. Download the report summarising the comments here.
Medicines Patent Pool brings hope for kids living With HIV
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), an organization founded by UNITAID, and backed by the United Nations, signed today (24th February 2015) a licensing agreement with the American pharmaceutical company MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme), known as Merck in the United States and Canada, for paediatric formulations of raltegravir- a key medicine approved for children living with HIV, one month of age and older.
Report: Christian response to AIDS, homophobia and violence against women
Lung cancer and smoking are best friends
A cancer is a growth in the body, which becomes large with time due to various reasons. It passes through a variety of stages from which either to recover or to die. Among the many cancers happening around the world is the deadly lung cancer; but the good news is that it can be prevented if we understand about its basic cause. According to the World Cancer Report 2014, many lakhs are affected with lung cancer every year. Out of them only few will survive. In India alone, it is considered as a major cancer type and there are specialized hospitals to treat such patients from all over the country including from neighbouring nations.
Increasing lung cancer cases in women ring alarm bells
Diana Wangari, CNS Special Correspondent, Kenya
(First published in The Star, Kenya)
I remember one time when my grandmother paid us a visit in the city, she remarked on 'How the world has changed.' She was referring to a group of ladies, standing outside a restaurant who, while chatting, would pause every now and then to take a puff from the cigarette clutched between their meticulously manicured nails.
(First published in The Star, Kenya) I remember one time when my grandmother paid us a visit in the city, she remarked on 'How the world has changed.' She was referring to a group of ladies, standing outside a restaurant who, while chatting, would pause every now and then to take a puff from the cigarette clutched between their meticulously manicured nails.
TB Alliance advances next-generation TB drug candidate into clinical testing
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) announced on February 19, 2015 the start of the first human study of a new TB drug candidate TBA-354--the first new potential TB drug to begin a Phase 1 clinical study in 6 years since 2009. “There is a critical gap of new compounds for TB,” said Mel Spigelman, MD, President and CEO of TB Alliance. “The advancement of TBA-354 into clinical testing is a major milestone, not only because of the potential it shows for improving TB treatment, but because it is the first new potential TB drug to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial in six years.”
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| CNS Image Library (March 2013) |
Is too much health research - unnecessary, unethical, unscientific, wasteful?
Too much health and medical research may be unnecessary, unethical, unscientific, and wasteful, warns a new global network, 'Evidence-Based Research Network (EBRNetwork)' - initiated by a group of Norwegian and Danish researchers. Researchers, research funders, regulators, sponsors and publishers of research fail to use earlier research when preparing to start, fund or publish the results of new studies, EBRNetwork experts argue. They stress: To embark on research without systematically reviewing evidence of what is already known, particularly when the research involves people or animals, is unethical, unscientific, and wasteful.
Patients struggle to access quality diabetes care
Diabetes in Malawi seems to be nobody’s baby. Speaking from personal experience, Mariam Ladi, a diabetes patient and a Diabetes Club leader at Kawale Township in Lilongwe, rues that people who suffer from diabetes related complications, such as kidney failure, are often unable to access proper treatment due to the prohibitive costs involved.
A suitable prescription for an unfit nation
Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman of Fortis C-DOC Hospital
(First published in the LiveMint News)
“Doctor, I cannot exercise because of cold/hot/rainy weather; dogs and mosquitoes/ chain snatchers/beggars on the street; parties, etc”—utterances that I hear from my patients ad nauseam. Very few state that the inability to do exercise is primarily because of their laziness. Many of them have a stationary exercise bicycle, treadmill, or even a fully equipped gym at home. Having worked in India, the UK and US, I firmly believe that urban Indians are far more inactive as compared with other races. Is it in our genes? Unlikely.
(First published in the LiveMint News)
“Doctor, I cannot exercise because of cold/hot/rainy weather; dogs and mosquitoes/ chain snatchers/beggars on the street; parties, etc”—utterances that I hear from my patients ad nauseam. Very few state that the inability to do exercise is primarily because of their laziness. Many of them have a stationary exercise bicycle, treadmill, or even a fully equipped gym at home. Having worked in India, the UK and US, I firmly believe that urban Indians are far more inactive as compared with other races. Is it in our genes? Unlikely.
Lung cancer: Difficult to diagnose, difficult to treat, easy to prevent
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
Just a few days before World Cancer Day this year, an acquaintance of mine succumbed to this dreaded disease within 10 months of diagnosis, and became part of the world statistics of someone dying somewhere of lung cancer every 30 seconds. Of all known cancers, lung cancer has highest annual mortality (1.6 million) as well as incidence (1.8 million) globally, and is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 cancer related deaths.
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| Dr Surya Kant, KGMU |
Childhood pneumonia - the forgotten killer
Diana Wangari, CNS Special Correspondent, Kenya
(First published in The Star, Kenya)
If you were asked what were the leading infectious disease killers of children under the age of five, what would your answer be? Unless you were a health professional or keep abreast with health information regarding that particular population, I am almost certain that pneumonia would not find a place in the top three diseases that came across your mind.
(First published in The Star, Kenya)
If you were asked what were the leading infectious disease killers of children under the age of five, what would your answer be? Unless you were a health professional or keep abreast with health information regarding that particular population, I am almost certain that pneumonia would not find a place in the top three diseases that came across your mind.
Deworm to not lose gains made on child health and nutrition
Government of India is observing National Deworming Day on 10th February to control infections in children caused by Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) or intestinal worms, which are among the most common infections worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 241 million children between the ages of 1 and 14 are at risk of STH infection in India. These worms live in human intestines and consume nutrients meant for the human body. They are transmitted by eggs present in human feces, which contaminate soil in areas where sanitation is poor. STH infections can lead to anemia, malnutrition, impaired mental and physical development, and reduced school participation. Safe, inexpensive and effective medicines are available to control infection.
Lung cancer - deadly and yet preventable
Since the last decade, the number of lung cancer patients has been rapidly increasing in Nepal. The statistical report released by B.P Koirala memorial cancer hospital (BPKMCH), Bharatpur, Nepal clearly depicts this grim scenario.
Lung cancer - the bane of smokers
Pretty Chavango, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe
Millions of people from all over the world join together in commemorating the annual World Cancer Day on the 4th of February. Worldwide, over 14.1 million people are diagnosed with cancer and 8 .2 million people succumb to it every year (GLOBCAN 2012). If proper action, such as modifying lifestyles, is taken in time then perhaps 30%-40% of cancers can be prevented and another 30% can be cured if diagnosed early.
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| Elizabeth (R):lung cancer victim: Photo credit: ECCT |
Better to prevent rather than treat lung cancer
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
Every 30 seconds, someone, somewhere in the world dies of lung cancer. According to the World Cancer Report 2014, more people die from lung cancer than from any other type of cancer. In 2012 lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with 1.8 million cases worldwide, accounting for 13% of all cancer cases. It also resulted in 1.6 million deaths (19.4% of total cancer deaths). Dr Sumitra Thongprasert, Special Content Editor of Journal of Thoracic Oncology, and member, Board of Directors, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), spoke to Citizen News Service (CNS) team in lead up to the World Cancer Day 2015.
Every 30 seconds, someone, somewhere in the world dies of lung cancer. According to the World Cancer Report 2014, more people die from lung cancer than from any other type of cancer. In 2012 lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with 1.8 million cases worldwide, accounting for 13% of all cancer cases. It also resulted in 1.6 million deaths (19.4% of total cancer deaths). Dr Sumitra Thongprasert, Special Content Editor of Journal of Thoracic Oncology, and member, Board of Directors, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), spoke to Citizen News Service (CNS) team in lead up to the World Cancer Day 2015.
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