More poverty and tuberculosis (TB) in indigenous peoples

"Where we have indigenous people, we have more poverty and more TB  incidence" said Mirtha del Granado, Regional Adviser on TB, WHO (in Americas) at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany. There are 63,432 missed cases of TB in Americas (North,...

Will access to essential asthma medicines be on NCD Summit agenda

Asthma is the most common chronic disease. Since 2000, some areas of public health, such as tuberculosis (TB), have gone from being deprived of resources for decades to having significant amounts of funding. While important gaps remain, this “dream come true” has also...

Simple, Safe And Effective Medication Is The Right Of TB Patients

A new report, presented at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health  held recently in Berlin, Germany, by a consortium of international TB organizations (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the Global Drug Facility (GDF),...

In The Year Of The Lung: Breathe, Live And Learn

The connection between breath and life is fundamental, yet lung health does not seem to be high on the public health agenda. Around 10 million people (especially the poor, old and the weak) die every year, due to lung diseases, including tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia,...

Diabetes And TB : Do Not Neglect One At Cost Of Other

The discussions at the recently concluded 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health,  in Berlin, brought forth several connections between diabetes and tuberculosis, clearly showing a link between non communicable and communicable diseases. According to Professor...

Strong TB control relevant when social determinant weak

One of the most adversely affected communities is at times least likely to seek care – as demanding care might have a price. "Relevance of strong tuberculosis (TB) control programmes is more when social determinants are weak" said Dr Ernesto Jaramillo from Stop TB...

The pharmacists are partners in TB control: Cambodia experience

The private pharmacists are real partners in TB control helping increase new TB case detection and treatment in Cambodia. Senior TB advocate Hara Mihalea from PATH presented the best practice example of Cambodia at the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin,...

Walk Your Way To Health And Happiness

Today is World Diabetes Day  and also Children’s Day in India. We are also in the middle of an international conference on Lung Health  in Berlin ( 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health, Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010). There can be better way to...

The Union advocates for integrated response to diabetes and TB

Swaziland: Fight against TB in troubled waters

Swaziland has the highest per capita TB burden in the world, and HIV incidence is 26% which is no less alarming. Not surprisingly TB-HIV co-infection rate amongst TB patients in Swaziland is 80%. "The government is creating genocide where we are infecting each other" said...

Door to door screening by TB patients help TB detection

Berlin, Germany: Civil society initiatives continue to play an important role in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), participants of the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health in Berlin, Germany (11-15 November 2010) heard on the first day. Door to door visits in...

Did isolating (jailing) TB patients in Kenya helped public health

When Kenyan activist Nelson Otwoma went to see the three TB patients who were put in isolation (in the prison) in August 2010 for forcible TB treatment – he was shocked. They weren’t isolated rather they were sharing the prison chamber with other inmates defeating the...

Call To Unite for Diabetes Awareness on World Diabetes Day:14 Nov

Starting from 12th November, people from all corners of the world are uniting together for three days of celebration to put diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. World Diabetes Day is the best opportunity there is to draw attention to the silent killer that is...