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Francis Okoye, CNS Correspondent, Nigeria In a webinar organised for the media by Citizen News Service, in the lead up to World Heart Day 2016, health experts spoke on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). They discussed ways and means to protect oneself from them, as they are the world’s leading cause of death, killing 17.5 million people every year. The experts included Rachael Shaw , project manager World Heart Federation, Prof Dr Rishi Sethi, Department of Cardiology, King George’s Medical University KGMU, and Alice Granger Gasser , programme development manager, World Heart Federation. Ashok Ramsarup, former senior programme  producer at South African  Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) moderated the programme. It has been a year since our governments committed to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) 2030, one of which is to reduce mortality from non communicable diseases (NCDs) by 1/3 by 2030. CVD is one of the 4 main NCDs—the other 3 being diabetes, cancer and chronic lung d

Josephine Chinele, CNS Correspondent, Malawi About 57% of persons who smoked smoking 30 cigarettes per day for 25 years died of some cardiovascular disease (CVD) as compared to only 36% of non-smokers, says the World Health Organisation (WHO). It further says that a long-term study of men aged 40–59 years found a significant connection between tobacco consumption and death by CVD. The WHO information also points out that tobacco use is a universal but avoidable risk factor for many diseases, including CVDs. Apart from tobacco consumption, raised blood pressure (hypertension), raised blood glucose level (diabetes), obesity and physically inactivity, are also high risk factors of developing CVDs. CVD is a term used to describe a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and includes coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, congenital heart disease and deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. 31% of all global deaths are attributed to CVDs – this equates to roughly 17.

[ Watch webinar recording ] [ Listen to audio podcast ] We welcome you to register for an exclusive media webinar on the critically important issue of: t obacco industry interference in the global tobacco treaty (formally called WHO Frame w ork Convention on Tobacco Control or FCTC).  [ Watch webinar recording ] [ Lis ten t o podcast ] S eventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC will be taking place in Gre ater Noida , India during 7-12 November 2016.  Tobac co industry interferen ce in health p olic y making is not new . Despite adoption of WHO FCTC Article 5. 3 G uidelines by our governments in November 2008 , the first Guid ing Principles of which is : " There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry ' s interests and public health policy interests", tobacco industry continues to find deceptive and insidious ways to water down or delay or jeopardize health policy making.  Panel of e xpe rts on this webinar w

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service) This is the message of the World Heart Federation for this year’s World Heart Day , which is observed on September 29 every year to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which include heart disease and stroke. The CVDs, along with cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, form the 4 major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and together account for 82% of the 38 million deaths caused by NCDs every year. Over 17.5 million deaths due to CVDs every year! CVDs are responsible for most NCD deaths, killing 17.5 million people (7.4 million from heart attacks and 6.7 million from strokes) every year, followed by cancers (8.2 million), respiratory diseases (4 million), and diabetes (1.5 million). Yet at least 80% of premature deaths from CVDs can be avoided by controlling tobacco consumption, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol. Hypertension is the biggest risk factor for CVD, followed by tobacco use, diabetes, p

Catherine Mwauyakufa, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe Like a yoyo statistics, new HIV infections show a decline while sexually transmitted infections show an upward trend. This is true of Zimbabwe where new HIV infections are on decline among the general populace, but not in the young females aged 15-24 years, in whom the rate of new infections is worryingly going up. Statistics show that new HIV infections for males of the same age-group stands at 3%. The age group  below 14 years also has a rate of infection of 3%. So there is a tap that is leaking there. Who is bedding the females of the 15-24 age group if their male counterparts remain stable at 3% while females climb to a dangerous 11%?  There is also trans-generational sex where the females aged 15-24 years are bedding older men over 40 years. SAfAIDS (Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service) communications manager, Tariro Makanga said in a television programme ‘Positive Talk’, that trans-generational sex is t

Josephine Chinele, CNS Correspondent, Malawi Each year, leaders from around the world descend on New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. Last year marked the historic adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, which replaced the Millennium Development Goals. The SDGs marked a turning point in the way broad, global issues are addressed. However, it remains to be seen what impact they will have. The SDGs cover a number of important social and developmental areas, including climate change and resilience, global health, and economic empowerment. In total, there are 17 goals and 169 targets. SDG Goal 3, with its 13 targets, focuses on global health. Even as all 17 goals are equally important, they cannot be achieved if the nationals of the member states are not healthy. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) almost all of the other 16 goals are directly related to health or will contribute to health indirectly. Malawi’s public health system is beset

Urvashi Prasad, CNS Correspondent, India According to the World Malaria Report 2015, malaria cases and deaths have declined over the last 15 years. However, the disease still claims 400,000 lives every year, primarily in Africa. Malaria control and elimination poses several challenges that need to be addressed in a comprehensive manner. Firstly, climate change has contributed to a spike in the number of malaria cases in several regions of the world that were previously not as badly affected. For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, including Uganda, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) teams have observed an increase in the number of malaria cases during the last few years. While several factors might be responsible for this, an increase in temperatures and rainfall caused by the El Niño has played an important role. Secondly, mosquitoes are becoming resistant to pyrethroids which is one of the most common insecticides used to tre

Chhatra Karki, CNS Correspondent, Nepal Malaria is still a major health problem in Nepal where more than 80% people are at risk, with 4% of them being at high risk. According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) of Health Ministry of Nepal, 1 million people (out of Nepal’s current population of 29,000,000) live in malaria high-risk areas with a reported incidence of more than 1 case per 1000 population per year. Dr. Dirgha Singh Bam , Senior Physician and former health secretary of Nepal government says, "Pregnant women and children under five years of age are especially at high risk and special preventive measures should be taken for them." Nepal has made remarkable progress towards controlling malaria spread, and malaria cases declined by 84% over the past decade. But, it has been a challenge for the National Malaria Control Programme to provide sufficient anti-malaria services such as early diagnosis and treatment, indoor residual spraying, distribution

Dr Richa Sharma, CNS Correspondent, India Kusum (name changed) shudders at the mere mention of malaria. Last year she was diagnosed with malaria and suffered from weakness, fever, nausea and constant body ache for days. The news of two malaria deaths in the National Capital Region of Delhi is enough to transport her back to the nightmare of enduring it all. Malaria, a life threatening disease, is transferred through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito, which releases Plasmodium parasite into the bloodstream. After an incubation period of 10-15 days, symptoms like fever, headache, chills, and vomiting occur in the infected individual. Multi organ involvement in adults and severe anaemia, respiratory distress or cerebral malaria in children often occur in later stages. The recent unprecedented victory of Sri Lanka’s long standing battle against malaria serves as a wake-up call to the other countries in the South East Asia region and puts malaria elimination back in the spotlight

Tuyeimo Haidula, CNS Correspondent, Namibia “Reducing and eliminating malaria is unequivocally one of the best buys in the global health”, said Dr Tim France , Team Leader for External Communications, Asia Pacific Leaders' Malaria Alliance (APLMA) and Managing Director, Inis Communication , while speaking during a webinar last month. The webinar was held on progress made (or lack of) towards ending TB, malaria and Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) by 2030 (or earlier) . Governments have adopted the Sustainable Development Goals one of which is to end TB and malaria by 2030. France said that malaria burden in the Asia Pacific region has been halved in the last 15 years. "So we are moving incredibly quickly. But it still imposes a huge drain on health resources; it also degrades productivity, undermines household income and keeps children out of school," he said. He pointed out that close to 50,000 people die from malaria annually in Asia Pacific with the potential for this

Shobha Shukla, CNS (Citizen News Service) As fertility rates decline and life expectancy increases, the proportion of people aged 60 and above is growing globally. Global average life expectancy has increased from 48 years in 1950 to 68 years in 2010 and is expected to become 81 years by the end of the century. Nearly 60% of the world’s over 60 population resides in the Asia Pacific region and this number is expected to more than quadruple by 2050. While people living longer is a cause for celebration, this demographic transition towards an ageing society in the Asia-Pacific region brings new challenges with deep social, economic and political ramifications. With increasing age, health and well-being take their toll. Non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes and dementia, are becoming more widespread. Yet, health and social security systems in the region are under-prepared to meet the needs of older persons. As countries age, they need to invest in supporting the cont

[ Watch webinar recording ] [ Listen / do wnload audi o podcast ] We welcome you to register for an exclusive media webinar in lead up to this year's World H eart Day . It is almost a year now since our governments committed to reduce mortality relate d to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third by 2030. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) - heart disease and stroke - are top killers - causing over 17 million deaths every year worldwide ! [ Watch webinar recording ]  [ Listen / do wnload audi o podcast ]  Experts from the World Hea rt Federation , De pa rtment of Cardiology, King Geor ge's Medical University (KGMU) and International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) will present and respond to questions live !   Date: Tuesday, 20th Septem ber 2016 Time: 1:00pm Geneva Time, 12 noon London Time, 1pm Durban Time, 7:00am New York/ Boston Time, 4:30pm Indian Standard Time, 6pm Thailand time (check www.timeanddate.com for your local time) Duration: 60 minut