CNS

Healers abuse people’s faith

Catherine Mwauyakufa, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe
(First published in Manica Post)

Acceptance of any condition is the first step to recovery. Denial is fatal. Acceptance is a process, and not an event. So acceptance of any condition is of importance to getting well. Not everyone has to disclose publicly, but disclosing to a loved one, or a buddy, helps. Everyone needs a medic buddy to help adhere to treatment. My spouse is my medic buddy who reminds me to take my medication.

Using faith to fight TB

Francis Okoye, CNS Correspondent, Nigeria

In a webinar organized by CNS, titled ‘Does faith help in fighting TB?’, experts from various sectors presented their views. One of the experts, Jody Boffa, a community based researcher and epidemiologist at Desmond Tutu TB centre, Stellenbosh University, Cape Town, South Africa, said that as a strong Christian and with her engagement with communities, she realized the important role faith plays in TB care and control.

Faith leaders can help fight TB

Locadia Mavhudzi, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe

TB has been identified as a major threat to global health security. In this regard it is imperative to take an inclusive approach towards its prevention, treatment, care and support. Research has proved that one's faith really help in fighting against the disease. The Seventh Day Adventist Church wellness programme in the Midlands province in Zimbabwe has gone a long way in promoting care and control of HIV and TB. The high burden of TB and HIV in mining townships across the province has prompted the church to provide a safe haven for care and support amongst the infected population.

[Watch video interview] [Listen or download the podcast] [हिंदी] Wisdom of Nelson Mandela, "It always seems impossible until it's done", has only deepened in relevance and context when we review the fight against tuberculosis (TB), a curable disease which continues to be one of the top ten causes of death globally.

Does faith help in fighting TB?

Dr P S Sarma, CNS Correspondent, India

Human beings live in the world of hope–hope for a better tomorrow. This hope depends upon, and is generated from faith- faith in oneself, faith in the fellow beings and, above all, faith in God. Faith is a principle of action and power. Whenever we work for a worthy goal, we exercise faith.All over the world, efforts are being made to combat TB— an infectious disease that kills 2 persons every 3 minutes.

[Call to register] Webinar in lead up to World TB Day 2017: Unite to #endTB

[Watch webinar recording] [Listen or download podcast]

Welcome to this special webinar in lead up to 2017 World TB Day. Governments of more than 190 countries globally have committed to end TB by 2030 by adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at UN General Assembly in September 2015. This commitment to end TB is in line with the WHO End TB Strategy which was adopted by World Health Assembly in 2014.

India to involve faith leaders in TB programme

Aarti Dhar, CNS Correspondent, India

(First published in theindiasaga.com)
Inspired by the role of faith-based leaders in eliminating polio, the Indian government is now all set to involve religious institutions in reaching out to people for TB services. Beginning this month, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union) will start training the trainers from the Muslim community who, along with volunteers, will help in identifying cases and disseminating information about the disease.

[International Women's Day special] Emotional support is crucial for TB patients

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

(To mark International Women's Day 2017, CNS presents an exclusive story of courage and inspirtion, based upon an interview with TB survivor and activist Prabha Mahesh)
"I can never forget that day. It is etched in my mind forever. I came back from the laboratory, totally devastated and in tears. I had never ever thought even in the wildest of my dreams that a person like me could contract TB. But that was what my reports confirmed.

[Listen or download the audio podcast] [Watch the video interview] Having invested over 30 years in fight against TB, Dr KK Chopra who is the present Director of New Delhi TB Centre in India's capital, shares key insights on how to accelerate the battle to #endTB by 2030. Reflecting on the past decades, he shares key game-changing pivots that propelled the fight against TB and some things that could have done better. [Listen or download the audio podcast] [Watch the video interview]

[Focus] No excuse not to accelerate the pace to #endTB by 2030

[Podcast] Role of faith in helping accelerate pace to #endTB by 2030

[Listen or download this audio podcast] This is the recording of a special webinar in lead up to World TB Day 2017 where experts shared experiences on the role of faith in the fight against TB, and explored opportunities of how faith can help to expedite efforts to #endTB by 2030. [Listen or download this audio podcast]

[Webinar] Does faith help in fighting TB?

[Podcast] Faith has a pivotal role in road to recovery, but blind faith doesn't work! cautions Catherine Mwauyakufa

[Listen or download this podcast]
Catherine Mwauyakufa is an award-winning journalist and CNS Correspondent from Zimbabwe as well. She is among CNS Fellow awardees too. She shared her personal experience of role of faith in caring for the HIV affected communities and cautions against blind faith while acknowledging the pivotal role faith can play in "road to recovery" as well. Listen to her experience here (or download the podcast). This audio podcast was broadcasted on a webinar on 28th February 2017 on "Does faith help in fighting TB?"
[Listen or download this podcast]

Quit tobacco, control cancer

Chhatra Karki, CNS Correspondent, Nepal

It has been seen that most of the cancer patients in Nepal visit the hospital only when complexities increase and the disease enters into its final stage. According to the Department of Health of Nepal, about 80% of cancer patients consult a doctor for treatment when the disease is in an advanced stage. Getting regular health checkups and consulting the physician early on, is not usual for the Nepalese. This ensuing delay in diagnosis and treatment results in high treatment costs and low chances of recovery.

[Click here to apply] CNS is pleased to announce that it is currently accepting applications for new Fellows for its Bimla Misra Memorial Health Fellowship Programme 2017-2018. This programme offers mentorship, peer support, networking opportunities and technical assistance on global health reporting. Last date to apply is extended till Sunday, 30th April 2017 (5pm Geneva time). To learn more about Bimla Misra Memorial (BMM) Health Fellows of previous years, click here.

[Watch webinar recording] [Listen or download audio podcast] Be welcome to register for this exclusive webinar in lead up to World TB Day 2017 where experts will share experiences on the role of faith in the fight against TB, and explore opportunities of how faith can help to expedite efforts to #endTB by 2030.

[हिंदी] Before Supreme Court order to the Election Commission of India to include NOTA (None Of The Above) button on electronic voting machines (EVMs) citizens who did not want to vote for any candidate had hardly any choice. Using NOTA was not an easy or hassle-free option earlier.

Renewing the fight against cancer

Josephine Chinele, CNS Correspondent, Malawi

For many February is a month of love, as Valentine’s Day is celebrated. But 27 year old Elisa, based in Lilongwe, remembers this month because of her father who died of cancer. “Of course, World Cancer Day is commemorated on 4th of February every year. But I feel that the disease should be remembered all the time and efforts to control it intensified and renewed every year,” she says.

[Listen or dowload this audio podcast] Dr Chitra Chandrashekar, recipient of prestigious Professor OA Sarma Oration Award 2016 spoke with Shobha Shukla, Managing Editor of CNS (Citizen News Service). She shared her study findings that got her the coveted recognition. Preventing TB from spreading any further is indeed a compelling public health imperative. TB hotspots cannot be on blindspots. [Listen or dowload this audio podcast] [Watch video]

[Focus] "We must bequeath good air to our next generation..."

We cannot run away from cancer, we have to fight it

Alice Sagwidza-Tembe, CNS Correspondent, Swaziland

On September 25th 2015, countries adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all, as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years. For the goals to be reached, everyone needs to do their part: governments, the private sector, civil society and ordinary people.

Smoking?? Think many times!

Clarity Sibanda, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe

The International Cancer Day 2017 (4th February) comes at a time when the death rate due to the disease is increasing, notwithstanding the research going on to diagnose and cure more people. Several progressive governments are calling for nicotine tar lovers to quit smoking, which accounts for more than 20% of all cancer deaths worldwide.

WHO’s new guide for cancer focuses on early detection and treatment

Aarti Dhar, CNS Correspondent, India
(First published in theIndiasaga.com)

Latest cancer data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) says that 8.8 million people died from cancer in 2015, with about 70% of deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries. One thing common in these deaths is that the disease was diagnosed too late, making the chances of survival slim. Even in countries with optimal health systems and services, many cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when they are harder to treat successfully.

We must bequeath good air to our next generation...

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service)

Shobha Shukla, CNS (L), Dr Chitra Chandrashekar (R)

[audio podcast] [video] So said award-winning Dr Chitra Chandrashekar, Director of Dr Iravatham’s Clinical Laboratory, Hyderabad. I met her in Mumbai during NAPCON 2016 and was struck by her modesty and her passion for working in the field of TB. Chitra spoke with CNS (Citizen News Service) about her study titled 'Host susceptibility to Mycobacteria and Transmission dynamics', related to the transmission dynamics of TB, which won her the prestigious Professor OA Sarma Oration Award at NAPCON 2016.

Towards getting rid of cancer

Francis Okoye, CNS Correspondent, Nigeria

Taking place under the slogan ‘We can. I can’, World Cancer Day 2017 explores how we can all work together—collectively and as individuals— to reduce the global burden of cancer. Just as cancer affects everyone in different ways, all people have the power to take action to reduce the devastating impact that cancer has on individuals, families, communities and the country as a whole.

In a webinar (recording, podcast) experts raised key concerns around cancer deaths not declining fast enough in order to keep the governments' commitments of reducing cancer deaths (and of other non-communicable diseases or NCDs) by one-third by 2030.

[Podcast] World Cancer Day 2017

[Listen or download the audio podcast] This is a recording of the webinar in lead up to 2017 World Cancer Day (watch its recording). Panel of experts included:

Anne Jones OAM, senior tobacco control expert with the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union); former CEO of ASH Australia; and Medal of the order of Australia (OAM) awardee
Dr Navneet Singh, Lung cancer expert; Associate Professor, Pulmonary Medicine Department, PGIMER; Secretary of Indian Society for Study of Lung Cancer;
Nita Mullick, cancer survivor and senior educationist
Moderators: Ashok Ramsarup, award-winning senior journalist from Durban, South Africa and former Senior Producer at SABC; and
Shobha Shukla, CNS Managing Editor

[Listen or download the audio podcast]

[Webinar] World Cancer Day 2017

How cancer lost the battle against Michelle

Catherine Mwauyakufa, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe
(First published in Manica Post)

Michelle Wadzanayi Maiseni is currently awaiting her O-Level test results, and I bet she will do well. 5 years ago she had obtained 5 units in Grade 7, and that too after having spent the whole year in hospital. This interview with Michelle bears testimony to her battle against cancer, in which she emerged victorious and became the driver of her destiny by sheer will power.

[Listen or download this audio podcast] World Cancer Day 2017 is on 4th February 2017. CNS presents an exclusive and very interesting panel discussion moderated by CNS Managing Editor, Shobha Shukla. Two noted experts on the panel: Dr Navneet Singh from Department of Pulmonary Medicine, PGIMER (Secretary of Indian Society for the Study of Lung Cancer); and Dr Marzi Mehta, senior surgical oncologist from Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai [Listen or download this audio podcast].

[World Cancer Day Exclusive] Lung cancer cure: Hope, not hype!

World Cancer Day: Ensure the right treatment at the right time to every patient

Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS

Dr Navneet Singh, PGIMER (L), Shobha Shukla, CNS (C)
and Dr Marzi Mehta, surgical oncologist (R)

[Watch this video] [Listen or download audio podcast] Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. In 2012, there were an estimated 1.8 million new lung cancer cases (13% of all cancers diagnosed), and 1.59 million deaths (19.4% of the total cancer deaths). According to the latest cancer registry data released by the Indian Council of Medical Research, 0.114 million new lung cancer cases (83,000 in males and 31,000 in females) are estimated during 2016 in India.