Failure to find all TB cases defeats us in #endTB efforts

If we fail to find all cases of an infectious disease (and put them on care), then it will keep spreading. "We are not able to find all TB cases as of now. We had an estimated 1.1 million new TB cases in 2023 in Indonesia as per the latest WHO Global TB Report 2024. But the highest we could reach with TB services was around 804,800. So, we still missed a few hundred thousands. If we do not find these missing cases, and put them on treatment, they will remain there as a source of infection to the rest of the community," rightly said Dr Erlina Burhan, a widely acclaimed TB and lung disease medical expert.

[video] Gender equality, disability rights, and ending gender-based violence | SHE & Rights session-3

[video] Disability inclusion must be centred in efforts to end gender-based violence

Medicines save lives but not when they stop working

Watch the AMR Dialogues session featuring Gabriella Balasa at UNHLM on AMR 2024

Despite dealing with drug-resistant infections herself since birth and being fully aware of the looming danger of running out of options to treat the infections, it is indeed inspiring to see Gabriella Balasa (also known as Ella) devotedly raising awareness and doing all she can to stop misuse and overuse of medicines and help save lives.

SHE & Rights: Gender equality, disability rights, and ending gender-based violence

[register] Third session of SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights) will be held on the theme: "Gender equality, disability rights, and ending gender-based violence" to mark the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence and International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3rd December).

[video] Medicines save lives but not when they stop working

Antimicrobial resistance is not a silent pandemic

Antimicrobial Resistance directly kills more than 1 million people and is associated with almost 5 million deaths every year, that are expected to increase by 50% in the next 25 years. It also threatens our economies, with an estimated global annual cost of up to US$ 3.4 trillion by 2030 and 28 million people pushed to poverty by 2050. Every death and suffering due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is unacceptable and is essentially preventable.

Reaching the unreached to find missing TB cases

[watch the WCLH session recording] "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has,” had said the famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead. Imbibing these values, a small group of people in India and Philippines have changed the lives of many people affected by tuberculosis (TB) – especially those who were being missed or left behind by public services. TB, despite being preventable and curable, continues to be the deadliest of infectious diseases in high TB burden countries. In 2023 TB infected 10.8 million people and killed 1.25 million people worldwide.

Decades of failure to end TB and tobacco use

Despite strong scientific and community-based evidence to support tobacco and TB control, 1.1 million people died of TB in 2023 and over 8 million died of tobacco use in the same year. “Tobacco is an entirely preventable epidemic,” rightly said Dr Tara Singh Bam who is a force for change when it comes to stronger actions to prevent avoidable diseases and save lives in low- and middle-income countries.

Are we on the wrong side of the #endTB track?

"It is time to stop decades of failure. We have a lot to do to #EndTB by 2030," said Professor (Dr) Guy Marks, President of the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union), at the opening of the largest TB and lung health conference this year in Bali, Indonesia (Union World Lung Health Conference 2024).

Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) awarded at the 4th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR 2024

(Nepalese) Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) was among those who were awarded "AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award" at the Fourth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (14-16 November 2024). GAMA Scientific Committee member Dr Ranga Reddy Burri accepted the award. The World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force of AMR Survivors, and Quadripartite Working Group on Youth Engagement for AMR were also awarded for their stellar contribution to AMR, among others.

[video] Leadership in addressing TB-tobacco co-epidemic

[video] Community must drive #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB → #EndTB

Inconvenient question: Science is gifting us new HIV prevention tools but is it expanding choices for the people?

[watch the video interview] Any new HIV prevention method is not meant to sit on the shelf but to be used by the people who need it to protect themselves from HIV. We have to ensure that new HIV prevention technologies that are coming out of the scientific research pipelines, are accessible to people everywhere - especially those who are more at risk of HIV acquisition. Jim Pickett has passionately called for translating scientific gains into public health outcomes - not with delay, but with equity and justice.

Community leadership must drive #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB → #EndTB in high burden settings

Read session details on conference website

2024 World Conference on Lung Health in Bali, Indonesia, has a special Community Connect session on 15th November (9am, Singaraja) on the theme: "Community leadership is building power and driving #FindAllTB → #TreatAllTB → #PreventAllTB → #EndTB initiative in high TB burden countries." This is hosted together by TB People (India), TB People (Zimbabwe), Global Call to Find all TB, Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT), Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media), Vital Strategies and CNS.

Beyond Stigma partners with Elizabeth Gilbert’s Letters from Love

In a world yearning for compassion and healing, Beyond Stigma had the incredible privilege of joining Letters from Love, an inspiring initiative by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love. This global project creates space for heartfelt letters and stories that celebrate courage, healing, and love — values deeply aligned with our mission at Beyond Stigma.

Firewall gender equality from threats like anti-rights Geneva Consensus Declaration

[watch the recording] Trump's earlier tenure as President of the United States was marred by the infamous jolt to abortion rights and broader sexual and reproductive health and rights. Within days after the 2024 election results point towards his imminent return as the President, anti-abortion and anti-rights agenda is menacingly on the rise once again, as per the recent news.

Global AMR Media Awardees 2024

(watch the 4th Global Media Forum around World AMR Awareness Week 2024 - and Global AMR Media Awards Ceremony 2024)

Hospital-acquired infections are fuelling antimicrobial resistance

[watch the interview] When we go to seek healthcare in hospitals or other healthcare settings, getting infected with hospital-acquired infections instead, is not part of the deal. “Why are hospital-acquired infections so acceptable?” rightly questions Dr Nour Shamas, a Lebanese infectious disease clinical pharmacist, who is also part of the World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Survivors.

[video] When her mother's UTI caused by drug-resistant bacteria changed her life

[video] Young people do not want a future with looming threat of antimicrobial resistance

[video] Are we on track on the promises for gender equality and human rights?

[video] Antimicrobial resistance and animals: Misuse and overuse of medicines in veterinary and livestock must stop

4th Edition of the Annual Global Media Forum in lead up to World AMR Awareness Week

Register

The 4th Edition of the Annual Global Media Forum in lead up to World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW: 18-24 November 2024) will be organised by Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) on 7th November, Thursday, 11am CET.

Young people do not want a future with looming threat of antimicrobial resistance

Who would ever want to deal with infections that are difficult (or impossible) to treat! Young people are right when they call on world leaders to ensure a future where antimicrobial resistance is no longer a threat to global health security and food security.

SHE & Rights 2nd session: Reality check on promises for gender equality and human rights

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Our governments have promised to deliver on gender equality and human rights by endorsing a range of declarations, agreements and other commitments, including legally binding treaty CEDAW, 1994 ICPD and its platform of action, 1994 Beijing Declaration and its platform for action, UN Sustainable Development Goals, among others.

HIV response under lens of indigenous rights

It is alarming to note that as per UNAIDS data the annual number of new HIV infections in the Latin American countries increased by 9% between 2010 and 2023, despite the advent of powerful new prevention tools like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).

[video] At least a century of inequities and injustices plaguing the TB response

Are we delivering new HIV prevention tools with speed, scale and equity?

[watch the video] Imagine failing 1.3 million times in a year: Failure to ensure that everyone has access to prevention options to protect oneself from HIV acquisition, has resulted in at least 1.3 million new HIV infections in 2023. The pace of progress towards ending AIDS is out of step if we are to end AIDS by 2030.

[video] Are we delivering new HIV prevention tools with speed, scale and equity?

[video] New HIV prevention technologies must be accessible to people: Jim Pickett at #HIVR4P

Wakakosha: Restoring self-worth for young people living with HIV

A life-changing initiative is transforming the lives of young people living with HIV in the Global South by addressing a deeply rooted but often overlooked challenge: internal stigma. The Wakakosha programme, aptly named from the Shona language meaning "I am worth it," combines evidence-based practices and creative expression to help individuals reclaim their self-worth. This innovative, peer-led intervention is being championed by Beyond Stigma and Zvandiri in collaboration with UNAIDS, IAS, and other global partners.

Choices for women and girls for HIV prevention: So near and yet so far

Longstanding gender inequalities, discrimination and poverty deny many women and girls bodily and economic autonomy - which deprives them of control over their sexual health, and increase the risk of preventable infections like HIV. Women and girls are still disproportionately affected with HIV.