Since 2020, World Chagas Disease Day is celebrated every 14 April, after the approval and endorsement received by the World Health Assembly at WHO, in May 2019. One of the objectives of this event is give visibility and attention to the importance that this disease has in the public and individual health of the countries affected by it, and at the same time, give the opportunity to people who have Chagas disease to express their voice and needs, in addition to raising awareness to society about the disease and describe the resources needed to prevent, control and eliminate it when possible.
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, has been classified as a "silent and silenced disease", not only because of its slow and frequently asymptomatic clinical course, but also because it mainly affects disadvantaged populations with restricted access to health care and other basic services. It is estimated that, in the Americas, there are about 6 to 8 million people infected with the parasite that causes the disease, most of whom are unaware of their condition. It is also estimated that in the Americas there are more than one million women of childbearing age who could be infected and who run the risk of perpetuating the annual occurrence of thousands of newborns who arrive in the world already infected by congenital transmission.
The media can be great allies in the dissemination of truthful information to different groups of the population, including people at risk of infection. Chagas is a neglected disease, and therefore goes even more unnoticed than other diseases that are on the agenda of the media, either due to the political, economic and social situation, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. .
That is why PAHO, with the support of allies such as the Chagas Coalition, Florida International University, University of Chile, the What are we talking about when we talk about Chagas group? and the Medicines for Neglected Diseases Initiative, considered it necessary to carry out specific activities aimed at exchanging information, opinions and experience with journalists, so that they, in turn, can better recognize and disseminate the importance of covering this disease as a problem. of public health in our Region.
Key messages / call to action
• The general public: young people, patients, etc .:
Sensitization:
1) 2021: focus attention on Chagas disease, the suffering it causes, and advocate for comprehensive and universal care for all those affected by the disease.
2) The prevalence of Chagas disease mainly among the poor populations of continental Latin America; it is being detected more frequently in other countries and continents. It is estimated that worldwide between 10,000 and 12,000 people die a year.
3) Chagas disease is often called "a silent and silenced disease" since most of those infected are asymptomatic (or have mild symptoms). Furthermore, it mainly affects the poor who have no political voice and no access to health care. Currently, 67 million people in the Americas are at risk of infection.
4) It is time to end the stigmatization and discrimination of people affected by Chagas disease.
Call to action:
5) Chagas disease is often undiagnosed or diagnosed at an advanced stage. If you live or have traveled to an area with risk of transmission of Chagas disease, or if you have any symptoms, consult your doctor.
6) To prevent infection, protect yourself and your home from insects known as vinchucas, bed bugs, chirimachas, or Triatominae.
7) Please show affection and love towards infected people. Do not discriminate!
• Health workers and health collaborators
Sensitization:
1) Chagas disease patients need equitable access to safe treatment and care.
2) Joint efforts should be made globally to raise awareness of the extent of disease, suffering, disability and death associated with Chagas disease.
Call to action:
3) Early diagnosis and effective life-saving treatment.
4) Chagas disease patients should be prioritized for vaccination against COVID-19.
5) The implementation of control measures can eliminate domiciliary, transfusion, organ transplant and congenital vector transmission.
• Decision makers
Sensitization:
1) It is estimated that more than 10,000 people die each year due to the clinical manifestations of Chagas disease, and about 75 million people in the world are at risk of contracting the disease. In the fight against Chagas disease, achieving universal health coverage is essential.
Call to action:
2) Countries should increase capacity and resources to invest in diagnosis, control, prevention, surveillance, treatment, and clinical care.
3) Patients with Chagas disease should be prioritized for vaccination against COVID-19.
1. Chagas: there are many more stories to tell Dialogue with journalists
Informative meeting and dialogue with selected journalists on Chagas disease in its different aspects (epidemiology, impact on health, multidimensionality, affected countries, etc.). The objective is to present to the participating media and journalists the challenge of visibility that Chagas disease faces in the current situation to increase the knowledge and visibility of this disease from updated and multidimensional approaches that do not deepen the stigmatization of people and contexts mainly affected. Update and generate spaces and resources to optimize the work of communication in the media on issues such as Chagas, through a call for journalists
Participants:
Selected journalists from Latin American media specialists in Chagas disease, Florida International University, Chagas Coalition, What are we talking about when we talk about Chagas group? University of Chile, DNDi and the Pan American Health Organization.
Virtual meeting, to be held on April 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) and aims to generate ideas that help better coverage of the subject as a priority of international public health, so that the population in general and health providers, obtain more accurate and quality information to participate more actively in advocacy and communication on Chagas. To register for the meeting access:
2. Educational Video on Chagas: launched April 14 on the web and social networks
World Hearing Day is an annual advocacy event held on 3 March. It aims to raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care across the world. The theme for World Hearing Day 2016 is Childhood hearing loss; act now, here’s how!
Childhood hearing loss - act now, here's how.
The way humans perceive their world is mediated through sensory experiences. Of all the senses, it is hearing which fundamentally facilitates communication and fosters social interaction, allowing people to forge relationships, participate in daily activities, be alerted to danger, and experience life events. Around 360 million people – 5% of the world’s population – live with hearing loss which is considered disabling; of these, nearly 32 million are children. The vast majority live in the world’s low-income and middle-income countries.
For children hearing is key to learning spoken language, performing academically, and engaging socially. Hearing loss poses a barrier to education and social integration. As such children with hearing loss can benefit greatly from being identified early in life and offered appropriate interventions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 60% of childhood hearing loss could be avoided through prevention measures. When unavoidable, interventions are needed to ensure that children reach their full potential through rehabilitation, education and empowerment. Action is needed on both
fronts.
What is the impact of hearing loss if not addressed?
While the most obvious impact of childhood hearing loss is on language acquisition, the condition also has consequences for overall literacy, the development of social skills and attitudes, including self-esteem. Untreated hearing loss is often associated with academic underachievement which can lead to lower job performance and fewer employment opportunities later in life. For a child, difficulties in communication may result in feelings of anger, stress, loneliness and emotional or psychological consequences which may have a profound effect on the family as a whole. In low-resource settings in which a child would already be at higher risk of injury, hearing loss can place a child in unsafe situations due to decreased alertness.
In a broader context, untreated hearing loss affects the social and economic development of communities and countries.
A number of factors determine what the impact of hearing loss is on an individual. These include:
• Age of onset: The initial years of life are the optimal period for speech and language development. The impact of hearing loss is greatest in those who are born with or develop hearing loss soon after birth.
• Degree of hearing loss: This may range from mild to profound. The higher the severity, the greater the impact.
• Age of identification and intervention: The sooner a child is identified with hearing loss, and the earlier he/she receives support services, the greater the opportunity for learning spoken language. The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recommends that all children with hearing loss should receive intervention by six months of age. Early identification and intervention are also credited with significantly reducing the increased education costs associated with hearing loss, and improving earning capacity, in later life.
• Environment: The overall living environment, including access to services, significantly influences the development of a child with hearing loss. Children with hearing loss who have access to hearing technology such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, sign language and special education are often able to participate on an equal basis with their peers who hear normally. Parent and family support groups facilitate social inclusion of children
with hearing loss.
What causes hearing loss in children?
Hearing loss in children has many causes, including congenital causes, meaning those which are present at birth or soon thereafter, and acquired causes, those which occur as a child ages. Hearing loss may be the result of several of these factors combined.
However, it is not always possible to determine the exact cause. Causes of hearing loss in children may include:
• Genetic factors:Such factors cause nearly 40% of childhood hearing loss. It has been shown that hearing loss is much more frequent in children born of consanguineous marriages or those unions between two individuals who are closely related. Congenital malformations of the ear and the hearing nerve, which may be the result of genetic factors or environmental influences, can be associated with hearing loss.
• Conditions at the time of birth:These may include prematurity, low birth weight, lack of oxygen known as birth asphyxiaand neonatal jaundice.
• Infections:During pregnancy the mother may acquire certain infections such as rubella and cytomegalovirus which lead to hearing loss in the child. In addition meningitis, mumps and measles in childhood can also result in hearing loss. Infections of the ear are quite common in children in low-resource settings. These often present with discharging ears (chronic suppurative otitis media). Beyond hearing loss, ear infections can lead to life-threatening complications.
• Diseases of the ear:Common ear problems may cause hearing loss in children. These include too much ear wax (impacted cerumen) and glue ear (non-suppurative otitis media) which is caused by accumulation of fluid inside the ear.
• Noise: Loud sounds, including those from personal audio devices such as smartphones and MP3 players which are used at loud volume for prolonged periods, may cause hearing loss. Even short high intensity sounds such as those from fireworks may cause permanent hearing loss. The noisy machinery in a neonatal intensive care unit can also contribute to hearing loss.
• Medicines: Medicines, such as those used in the treatment of neonatal infections, malaria, drugresistant tuberculosis and cancers, can lead to permanent hearing loss. These medicines are ototoxic. In many parts of the world, especially where their use is unregulated, children commonly receive ototoxic antibiotics for treatment of common infections.
How much of childhood hearing loss could be prevented?
WHO estimates that about 60% of hearing loss in children under 15 years of age is preventable. This figure is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (75%) as compared to high-income countries of the world (49%). The difference could be due to the overall higher occurrence of hearing loss which results from infections in low-resource settings as well as stronger maternal and child health services in high-income countries.
Over 30% of childhood hearing loss is caused by diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella meningitis and ear infections. These can be prevented through immunization and good hygiene practices. Another 17% of childhood hearing loss results from complications at birth, including prematurity, low birth weight, birth asphyxia and neonatal jaundice. Improved maternal and child health practices would help to prevent these complications. The use of ototoxic medicines in expectant mothers and newborns, which is responsible for 4% of childhood hearing loss, could potentially be avoided.
Estimates of causes of preventable hearing loss
Why is early identification so important?
Early identification of hearing loss in children when followed by timely and appropriate interventions can minimize developmental delays and facilitate communication, education and social development. Hearing screening programmes for infants and young children can identify hearing loss at very young ages. For children with congenital hearing loss, this condition can be detected within the first few days after birth.
Research suggests that children who are born deaf or acquire hearing loss very early in life and who receive appropriate interventions within six months of age are at par with their hearing peers in terms of language development by the time they are five years old (in the absence of other impairments). For those children who develop hearing loss at a later age, regular pre-school and school-based hearing screening can effectively identify hearing loss soon after its onset, thereby limiting its adverse impact
What are the strategies for prevention and care?
Action is required to reduce hearing loss and improve outcomes for children with hearing loss. Governments, public health agencies, social service organizations, educational institutions and civil society groups all need to collaborate in this endeavour. In order to achieve the desired results, there is a need to:
Strengthen maternal and chihealthcare programmes, including immunization and organizations of people with hearing loss.
A. Strengthen:
• immunization programmes: to prevent many of the infections which lead to hearing loss, such as congenital rubella, meningitis, mumps and measles. Potentially, over 19% of childhood hearing loss could be avoided through immunization against rubella and meningitis alone.
ACTION: Include these vaccines in the national immunization programmes and ensure their widespread coverage.
• maternal and child health programmes to prevent prematurity, low birth weight, birth asphyxia, neonatal jaundice.
Implement infant and school-based hearing screening
B. Implement :
• newborn and infant hearing screening and initiate appropriate interventions to identify and habilitate children with congenital or earlyonset hearing loss. A newborn hearing screening programme should follow a family-centred approach. ACTION: Put early intervention programmes in place, which focus on:
a. appropriate interventions, ideally initiated before six months of age;
b. family support, including guidance and counselling of parents;
c. hearing rehabilitation through hearing aids and cochlear implants;
d. suitable therapy and communication options.
• school-based hearing screening with the aim to identify, refer and manage common ear diseases and hearing loss.
ACTION: Integrate hearing screening into school health programmes and develop linkages
Train Healthcare professionals in hearing care
C. Train:
• primary level physicians and health workers about the relevance of ear diseases and the need for early intervention for hearing loss and its treatment options. This would enable provision of accessible services and facilitate referral for their management. The WHO documents Primary ear and hearingcare training resource, a set of four trainingmanuals, and Community-based rehabilitation:promoting ear and hearing care through CBR are useful resources for this.
ACTION: Establish training programmes inprimary ear and hearing care for primary level health providers.
• otologists, audiology professionals, other medical professionals (such as nurses), therapists and teachers to provide the required care and services. This is an important step for addressing ear and hearing problems.
ACTION: Set up professional trainingprogrammes to develop human resources in the field of hearing health and education for people with hearing loss
Make accessible hearing devices and communication
D. Make accessible:
• hearing devices: advances in the field of hearing aids and cochlear implants have considerably improved available options for people with hearing loss. Despite this, only a fraction of those who need these devices can access them, due to a lack of availability and high cost.
ACTION: Develop sustainable initiatives for affordable fitting and maintenance of hearing devices, which can also provide ongoing support for people using these devices.
• communication: a deaf child benefits greatly from early introduction to language. This may be in the form of rehabilitation for verbal communication, such as auditory-verbal and auditory-oral therapy. Policy-makers should also promote alternative communication means including sign language, total communication2, bilingual/bicultural (bi-bi), cued speechand lip-reading approaches. Use of loop and FMsystems in classrooms and public places as well as provision of captioning on audio-visual media are important for improving accessibility of communication for people with hearing loss.
ACTION: Ensure access to communication through all available means, in consultation with stakeholders, including people with
hearing loss.
Regulate and monitor use of ototoxic medicines and environmental noise
E. Regulate and monitor:
• the use of ototoxic medicines to minimize the dangers posed by their indiscriminate use. Where such use is unavoidable, regular audiological monitoring helps to identify hearing loss at an early stage.
ACTION: Develop and implement legislation to restrict the sale and use of ototoxic medicines; and sensitize health care providers regarding hearing conservation during their use.
• noise levels in the environment, especially at recreational venues and sports arenas. High-quality personal audio devices, earphones and headphones with safety features can help to reduce the risk of
hearing loss due to their use.
ACTION: Develop and implement regulation regarding environmental noise, including at recreational venues; implement standards for
listening safely to personal audio devices.
Raise awareness to promote hearing care and reduce stigma
F. Raise public awareness: • about healthy ear care practices which can reduce ear infections. For instance, avoiding insertion of any substance into the ear can help to decrease ear problems. Ensuring that children with ear pain avoid the use of home remedies and are treated by a medical practitioner can prevent chronic ear infections and associated hearing loss.
ACTION: Establish awareness programmes for promoting earand hearing care within the community.
• about the dangers of loud sounds by educating children at an early age about the risks associated with damaging levels of sound from personal audio devices such as smartphones and noisy entertainment venues including sporting events.
This can help to modify behaviour patterns and promote safe listening, which in turn can prevent the development of noiseinduced hearing loss during childhood and adolescence.
ACTION: Develop and implement awareness programmestargeting young children with the aim to promote safe listening habits.
• in order to reduce the stigma associated with hearing loss in communities. Highlighting and sharing success stories from people with hearing loss can be effective in reducing stigma associated with hearing loss, hearing devices and alternate communication methods.
ACTION: Engage role models to raise awareness about hearingloss prevention and care.
In implementing the above, strategic planning can help to reduce hearing loss and diminish its adverse impact on those who live with it. In line with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, improved hearing and access to communication facilitate education and employment and foster social inclusion and psychological well-being among people with hearing loss. Many countries have already initiated strategies in line with the Convention and have established models for prevention, identification and intervention.
Today, the causes of hearing loss are known and preventive strategies identified; technology is available to detect hearing loss at the earliest stage of life; and intervention techniques are well established. Thousands of children with hearing loss are gaining communication and other skills they will need to carry them through life, and many have the same opportunities in life as their peers who hear normally. On the other hand, millions of children are still facing the undesirable consequences of hearing loss.
60% of childhood hearing loss is preventable; when unavoidable, appropriate interventions help to
ensure that children with hearing loss reach their full potential. Act now, here’s how!
° Strengthen maternal and child Health care programmes, including immunization and organizations of people with hearing loss.
° Train Healthcare professionals in hearing care
° Regulate and monitor use of Ototoxic medicines and Environmental noise
° Implement infant and school-based hearing screening
° Make accessible ecouteur hearing devices and communication therapies
° Raise awareness to promote hearing care and reduce stigma
Global efforts to control and eliminate malaria have saved an
estimated 3.3 million lives since 2000, reducing malaria mortality rates
by 42% globally and 49% in Africa. Increased political commitment and
expanded funding have helped to reduce malaria incidence by 25%
globally, and 31% in Africa.
But we are not there yet. Malaria still kills an estimated 627
000 people every year, mainly children under 5 years of age in
sub-Saharan Africa. In 2013, 97 countries had on-going malaria transmission.
Every year, more than 200 million cases occur; most of these
cases are never tested or registered. Emerging drug and insecticide
resistance threaten to reverse recent gains.
If the world is to maintain and accelerate progress against
malaria, in line with Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, and to ensure
attainment of MDGs 4 and 5, more funds are urgently required.
The theme for 2014 and 2015 is: Invest in the future. Defeat malaria
Goal: energize commitment to fight malaria
World Malaria Day was instituted by WHO Member States during
the World Health Assembly of 2007. It is an occasion to highlight the
need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for
malaria prevention and control. It is also an opportunity:
for countries in affected regions to learn from each other's experiences and support each other's efforts;
for new donors to join a global partnership against malaria;
for research and academic institutions to flag scientific advances to both experts and the general public; and
for international partners, companies and foundations to showcase
their efforts and reflect on how to further scale up interventions.
World Malaria Day is a chance to shine a spotlight on the global effort to control malaria. Each year, Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partner organisations unite around a common World Malaria Day theme. Invest in the future: defeat malaria is a three-year theme partners chose for the period of 2013-2015 to call attention to the need to reach the 2015 Millennium Development Goals and defeat malaria in the future.
On the occasion of World Malaria Day 2014, we spoke with the Right Honourable Stephen O'Brien, MP, global advocate for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, about his time in the Sahel collecting mosquitoes, the role of parliamentarians in this fight, the post 2015 agenda, and the importance of continuing to invest in the fight against malaria.
Objetivo: potenciar el compromiso para luchar contra el paludismo
El Día Mundial del Paludismo se instituyó a instancias de los
Estados Miembros de la OMS durante la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de
2007. Es una ocasión para poner de relieve la necesidad de inversiones
continuas y de un compromiso político duradero para la prevención y el
control del paludismo. Es también una oportunidad para que:
los países de las regiones afectadas aprovechen las experiencias de los demás y se presten apoyo mutuo;
los nuevos donantes se adhieran a una alianza mundial contra el paludismo;
las instituciones de investigación y académicas expongan sus adelantos científicos a los expertos y el público en general: y
los asociados internacionales, las empresas y las fundaciones den
a conocer sus actividades y reflexionen sobre el modo de intensificar
las intervenciones.
Цель: усилить приверженность делу борьбы против малярии
Всемирный день борьбы против малярии был учрежден
государствами-членами ВОЗ на сессии Всемирной ассамблеи здравоохранения в
2007 году. В этот день предоставляется возможность подчеркнуть
необходимость постоянных инвестиций и устойчивой политической
приверженности для профилактики малярии и борьбы с ней, в том числе:
для стран в охваченных малярией регионах изучить опыт работы и оказать взаимную поддержку;
для новых доноров присоединиться к глобальному партнерству в области борьбы против малярии;
для научно-исследовательских и учебных институтов ознакомить с научными достижениями экспертов и широкую общественность; и
для международных партнеров, компаний и фондов продемонстрировать
свою деятельность и задуматься о том, как расширить масштабы проводимых
мероприятий.
Objectif: dynamiser l’engagement à combattre le paludisme
La Journée mondiale de lutte contre le paludisme a été
instituée par les États Membres de l’OMS lors l’Assemblée mondiale de la
Santé de 2007. Elle est l’occasion de souligner la nécessité de
poursuivre les investissements et de maintenir l’engagement politique en
faveur de la lutte antipaludique. C’est également l’occasion:
pour les pays des régions touchées, d’apprendre de l’expérience des autres et de soutenir mutuellement leurs efforts;
pour de nouveaux donateurs, de rejoindre le partenariat mondial contre le paludisme;
pour les établissements universitaires et de recherche, de faire
connaître les progrès scientifiques aussi bien aux experts qu’au grand
public;
pour les partenaires internationaux, les entreprises et les
fondations, de mettre en exergue leurs efforts et de réfléchir à la
façon de développer encore les interventions.
أنشأت الدول الأعضاء في المنظمة خلال جمعية الصحة العالمية
المعقودة في عام 2007 يوم الملاريا العالمي الذي يتيح فرصة لتسليط الأضواء
على ضرورة استمرار الاستثمار وتواصل الالتزام السياسي للوقاية من الملاريا
ومكافحتها فضلاً عن فرصة لتحقيق ما يلي:
أن تستخلص البلدان في الأقاليم المتضررة الدروس بعضها من تجارب بعض ويدعم بعضها بعضاً؛
أن تنضم الجهات المانحة الجديدة إلى شراكة عالمية لمكافحة الملاريا؛
أن تُطلع مؤسسات البحث والمؤسسات الأكاديمية الخبراء وعامة الجمهور على التطورات العلمية؛
أن تعرض الجهات الشريكة والشركات والمؤسسات الدولية جهودها وتفكر في سبل مواصلة تكثيف التدخلات.
This year’s World Autism Awareness Day is a chance to celebrate the
creative minds of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and to renew
our pledge to help them realize their great potential.
I treasure my meetings with individuals affected by autism –
parents, children, teachers and friends. Their strength is inspiring.
They deserve all possible opportunities for education, employment and
integration.
To measure the success of our societies, we should examine how well
those with different abilities, including persons with autism, are
integrated as full and valued members.
Education and employment are key. Schools connect children to their
communities. Jobs connect adults to their societies. Persons with
autism deserve to walk the same path. By including children with
different learning abilities in mainstream and specialized schools, we
can change attitudes and promote respect. By creating suitable jobs
for adults with autism, we integrate them into society.
At this time of economic constraint, governments should continue to
invest in services that benefit persons with autism. When we empower
them, we benefit current and future generations.
Tragically, in many parts of the world, these individuals are denied
their fundamental human rights. They battle discrimination and
exclusion. Even in places where their rights are secured, too often
they still have to fight for basic services.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities provides a strong framework for action to create a better
world for all.
World Autism Awareness Day is about more than generating
understanding; it is a call to action. I urge all concerned to take
part in fostering progress by supporting education programmes,
employment opportunities and other measures that help realize our shared
vision of a more inclusive world.
TB is curable, but current efforts to find, treat and cure everyone who
gets ill with the disease are not sufficient. Of the 9 million people a
year who get sick with TB, 3 million of them are "missed" by health
systems. World TB Day provides the opportunity to call for further
action to reach the 3 million. All partners can help take forward
innovative approaches to ensure that everyone suffering from TB has
access to TB diagnosis, treatment and cure.
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Message for World Tuberculosis Day on 24 March:
Tuberculosis is the
world’s second most deadly infectious diseases among adults, after
HIV/AIDS. Every year, TB kills 1.3 million people and causes nearly 9
million to fall ill.
The tragedy is that TB is
curable, yet one third of those who have it — some 3 million people — do
not get the treatment they need. Most are poor. Many are from
marginalized populations such as migrant workers, refugees and
internally displaced persons, prisoners, indigenous peoples and ethnic
minorities.
Progress in recent years
has proven that we can tackle this threat with concerted efforts.
Between 1995 and 2012, global health interventions saved 22 million
lives and successfully treated 56 million people suffering from TB.
To accelerate results, we
need to increase access to health services and mobilize communities,
hospitals and private providers to reach more people and treat them
faster. We must also invest more in research to find diagnostic tools,
drugs and vaccines.
Everyone with TB should
have access to the services they need for rapid diagnosis, treatment and
cure. This is a matter of social justice. It is also an issue of
global health security, given the rapidly emerging problem of patients
with deadly, extensively drug-resistant TB going undetected. Even when
they are diagnosed, many lack access to effective treatment.
On World Tuberculosis Day,
I call for intensified global solidarity to eradicate this preventable
disease. By caring for the 3 million people who do not have the
treatment they need, we will foster a better future for all humankind.
One third of the estimated 9 million people who get sick with
tuberculosis each year do not receive care, according to the World
Health Organization. WHO says those who are "missed"
by health systems often live in the world's poorest, most vulnerable
communities or are among marginalized populations such as migrants,
refugees, prisoners, indigenous populations or drug users.
Tuberculosis or TB is curable, but current efforts to find, treat and cure everyone who gets the disease are falling short.
Patrick Maigua spoke to Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of the Global TB programme at WHO for World Tuberculosis Day, observed 24 March.
World COPD Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) to improve awareness and care of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) around the world. World COPD Day 2013 will take place on November 20 around the theme “It’s Not Too Late.”
GOLD's mobile app for physicians is now available in the iTunes App Store.
Doctot GOLD COPD Strategy provides the GOLD strategy for assessing and
treating COPD in a user-friendly and easily navigable format with
interactive tables and charts. Physicians can easily record patient
answers to questions about symptoms and functional status, and the app
automatically generates and categorizes the patient's score on the
Combined Assessment of COPD Scale. Visit the Doctot GOLD COPD Strategy page in the iTunes App Store for more information. Online CME module about GOLD from the European Respiratory Society: Click here to find out more
The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by PMNCH member the International Diabetes Federation and its member associations. It
engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness.
World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes
Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing
concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses.
World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2007 with
the passage of United Nations Resolution 61/225. The campaign draws
attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and
keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.
World Diabetes Day is a campaign that features a new theme
chosen by the International Diabetes Federation each year to address
issues facing the global diabetes community. While the themed campaigns
last the whole year, the day itself is celebrated on November 14, to
mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best,
first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1922.
Diabetes Education and Prevention is the World Diabetes Day theme for the period 2009-2013.
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