Category: Berita Internasional

A 4-year-old Indonesian boy has died from bird flu, bringing the death toll to 160 in the country hardest-hit by the deadly virus, a health official said Tuesday.

While the H5N1 bird flu virus has killed relatively few people, scientists have been closely monitoring it for its potential to mutate and affect humans worldwide.

The boy died Dec. 6 in Tangerang city, just west of Jakarta, the capital, said Health Ministry official Rita Kusriastuti. He developed symptoms of a cold and fever on Nov. 30 and was treated at a public health centre before being hospitalized the same day he died.

Kusriastuti said the boy, from the West Java district of Bogor, was believed to have been infected with the H5N1 virus after having direct contact with dead fowl around his house.

Bird flu has killed at least 360 people worldwide since 2003. It remains hard for people to catch, but experts fear it could mutate into a more deadly form that spreads easily from person-to-person.

So far, most human cases have been linked to contact with infected poultry.

Last week, Kusriastuti said a form of the H5N1 virus not previously detected in Indonesia had killed hundreds of thousands of ducks on the main island of Java. The type of virus has been found circulating in a number of other countries and does not indicate any change that makes humans more susceptible.

The new form of the virus is believed to have entered Indonesia through imported ducks, but Kusriastuti said it’s also possible it may have evolved on its own from existing strains.

Bird flu remains entrenched in Indonesia and elsewhere. It typically flares up during the winter months in affected countries with increases in poultry outbreaks and human cases.

(source: www.cbc.ca)

During the last three decades, the World Health Assembly (WHA) agreed upon two interventions, which can have far reaching and lasting impacts on global health, if implemented (and not merely endorsed) in their true spirit and letter by the member states.

The first one is The International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes (The Code), which is an international public health recommendation to regulate the marketing of breast milk substitutes. The second is the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) which is the world’s first global corporate accountability and public health treaty to regulate the sale and consumption of tobacco products. While one aims to protect infant health and reduce mortality by promoting breastfeeding, the other safeguards adult health from the devastating effects of tobacco use.

The Code was adopted by the WHA in 1981 to be implemented ‘in its entirety’ as a ‘minimum requirement’ to protect infant health. It called for: all formula labels and information to state the benefits of breastfeeding and the health risks of substitutes; no promotion of breast-milk substitutes; no free samples of substitutes to be given to pregnant women, mothers or their families; and no distribution of free or subsidized substitutes to health workers or facilities.

It also covers ethical regulations for the marketing of feeding bottles and teats. In 2010, the WHA added two new resolutions to this Code. The first Resolution called for member states to implement a set of Recommendations on the Marketing of foods and Non-alcoholic Beverages to Children – which aim to reduce the impact of ‘junk’ foods on children by restricting its marketing including in ‘settings where children gather’ such as schools, and to avoid conflicts of interest. The second Resolution on Infant and Young Child Nutrition highlighted the damaging impact of commercial promotion of baby foods on the health and survival of children and envisaged that there should be an ‘end to all forms of inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children and that nutrition and health claims should not be permitted on these foods’.

Although less binding than a treaty or a convention, implementation of the International Code and Resolutions is recognised as one measure for countries to take to protect infant and child health and fulfil a country’s obligations under the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Although it has the support of every member state, yet as of December 2011, out of the 103 countries (including India where legislation requires that tins of infant formula carry a conspicuous warning about the potential harm caused by artificial feeding, placed on the central panel of the label) that had some legal regulatory measures in place, only 37 countries had made a serious enforcement of the Code’s provisions.

The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the world’s first global corporate accountability and public health treaty that was adopted by the WHA in 2003 (and came into force in 2005) under article 19 of the WHO constitution. The FCTC seeks “to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke” by enacting a set of universal standards stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in all forms worldwide. It calls upon the governments to: adopt tax and price measures to reduce tobacco consumption; ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; create smoke-free work and public spaces; put prominent health warnings on tobacco packages; and combat illicit trade in tobacco products. The treaty is legally binding in 176 ratifying/accessioned countries.

However, the lucratively profitable and powerful baby food and tobacco industries continue to use dubious methods to circumvent the Code and the FCTC, and peddle their poisonous goods. While one continues to endanger the health of infants and children by promoting the use of formula and growing milk, the other finds innovative marketing tactics to hook the youths for a lifelong addiction to nicotine worldwide.

According to The Tobacco Atlas, in 2011, the global tobacco industry made an estimated profit of US $35 billion and was also responsible for 6 million deaths with nearly 80% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Similarly the size of the Global Baby Food Market in 2010 was US$ 36.7 billion (of which formula milk contributed US$ 25.2 billion) which is forecast to reach US$55 billion by 2015.

Two conferences were held recently in different parts of the world, where Citizen News Service – CNS had on-site reporting teams, to discuss the obstacles and find solutions thereof in the path of enforcing the Code (the 1st World Breastfeeding Conference in India) and the FCTC (the 5th Conference of the Parties (COP 5) to WHO FCTC in South Korea), with a view to let the world’s babies and youths lead a healthy and productive life and save them from premature deaths.

At WHO FCTC COP-5 held in November 2012 in Seoul, despite continued pressure tactics from the industry, countries stood firm against Big Tobacco’s obstructionist tactics and adopted measures that, when fully implemented will save 200 million lives by 2050. These included:

– Adopting the world’s first public health and corporate accountability treaty– Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products to rein in illicit trade in tobacco products that undermines tobacco control and costs governments billions of dollars in lost tax revenue, law enforcement and health care expenditures

– Taking steps to hold the tobacco industry liable for its abuses and opening up the potential to generate revenue to treat tobacco-related disease

– Adopting a set of guiding principles/recommendations that provide a solid basis for better tobacco tax policies around the world

– Strengthening action to prioritize public health over trade and protect public health policies from Big Tobacco.

Likewise the 1st World Breastfeeding Conference 2012 held in December 2012 in New Delhi exhorted nations to protect every feeding mother by joining the fight against the devious and misleading tactics of baby food industry because Babies Need Mom-Made, And Not Man- Made. It called for reducing neonatal mortality by 20% by simply ensuring initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and then continuing it exclusively up to 6 months to avert at least 20% (1.5 million) of the 7 million deaths of children under five occurring globally every year. Mother’s milk gives infants all the nutrients they need for healthy development and contains antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses.

Optimal breastfeeding is not only a cost effective intervention to improve child survival, it also has enormous benefits for maternal health, and reduces the mother’s risk of post-partum haemorrhage and breast and ovarian cancer.

The conference draft declaration expressed concern at the continuing inequality in health and nutrition and the subjugation of these concerns to the business objectives of corporations. It called upon all concerned to adopt human rights based set of measures (which should be entrenched in the governments’ policies and programmes) that protect, promote and support breastfeeding and optimal infant/child feeding and protect it from the commercial sector.

Let us all be a part of these mega efforts to make our babies and youths lead a healthy and artificial milk/tobacco free life. Amen!

(source: asiantribune.com)

The UN’s adoption of a resolution on affordable universal healthcare (pdf) was momentous, according to its advocates.

The resolution, adopted by consensus in the general assembly on Wednesday, urged member states to develop health systems that avoid significant direct payments at the point of delivery and to have a mechanism for pooling risks to avoid catastrophic healthcare spending and impoverishment.

There was unusually wide support for the resolution. It came from the global north and south, including the US, the UK, South Africa and Thailand. By gaining support from every corner of the globe, the resolution recognised enthusiasm for universal healthcare from diverse countries and economies, said the Rockefeller Foundation, which has funded research on universal health systems.

According to the foundation, 150 million people worldwide face high healthcare costs, which push around 25m households into poverty each year. More than 3 billion people have to pay for healthcare themselves, forcing many – particularly women and children – to choose between healthcare and education.

Ceri Averill, Oxfam’s health policy adviser, said significant momentum around the vote had been building for the past two years, partly through the efforts of the World Health Organisation’s director, Margaret Chan, and showed real public commitment to universal healthcare. “We can hold member states to account because of the resolution,” she said.

For Averill and Jeanette Vega, managing director of Rockefeller, endorsement of the resolution means universal healthcare will now be on the agenda of the UN high-level panel – co-chaired by the UK prime minister, David Cameron, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia – discussing the post-2015 development goals.

“There have been lots of discussions of what health goals should be, for example on non-communicable diseases. This resolution gives weight to health systems as a whole and questions of equity. It ensures that universal healthcare stays on the agenda as one of the post-MDG goals,” said Averill.

Supporting universal healthcare is one thing, funding it is another. As the UN delegate from Singapore, Lee Boon Beng, said: “The path to achieving universal health coverage is complex and there is no universal formula. Instead, member states should adopt different solutions to their unique circumstances.”

Here the debate revolves on the use of highly contentious user fees, insurance or general taxation. For Averill the problem with user fees and insurance is that the poorest people will not be able to afford them. Citing Ghana, she said no matter how low the insurance premiums are set, these will be out of reach of the poorest people and contribute very little in terms of funding. Many Ghanaians work in the informal sector, for example as street vendors, which makes it difficult to collect premiums.

Thailand is held up as a pioneer in developing universal health coverage. The south-east Asian country introduced free universal healthcare at the point of delivery in 2002 and has shown the concept is not out of reach of middle-income countries. Around 99% of the Thai population is covered through a comprehensive healthcare package. It ranges from health prevention and primary care, to hospitalisation due to traffic accidents, to more expensive services such as radiotherapy and access to antiretroviral therapy treatment for people with HIV. Indonesia, the Philippines and China have rolled out insurance-based health coverage that includes almost their entire populations.

Poorer countries, however, will have to rely on external help to extend affordable healthcare. Zambia on Thursday said it has been steadily increasing spending on healthcare, which is treated as a fundamental human right, but will have to rely on foreign help. “External financing equally remains an important factor in Zambia’s resource mobilisation,” said the country’s delegate, Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota.

(source: guardian.co.uk)

JAKARTA: Global health workers are already concerned about recent findings in Indonesia that suggest they have discovered a new strain of the deadly H5N1 Avian Flu that is more dangerous and virulent than others.

The new strain killed hundreds of thousands of ducks in the past few weeks and there are concerns that the virus could spread to humans.

“We found a highly pathogenic avian influenza sub-type H5N1 (virus) with clade 2.3…” the agriculture ministry’s veterinary chief Syukur Iwantoro said in the letter obtained by AFP and quoted on Tuesday in a report.

“This clade is a new clade found for the first time in Indonesia, that is very different to the avian influenza found before, which is clade 2.1.”

A clade is a group of organisms, usually species, with a common ancestor, doctors said.

A poultry breeders’ association had reported the death of more than 300,000 ducks in several provinces on Java island since November to the ministry.

The veterinary office found the H5N1 virus involved was a different clade to that usually found in Indonesia, said Iwantoro’s letter to local government offices and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Avian Flu has killed scores of people and millions of birds over the past few years, but is not transmittable from human to human contact, but medical professionals fear that if the virus were to mutate and be communicable for humans, it could devastate populations.

(source: www.bikyamasr.com)

(6/15/2012) BIMC Hospital Group has formed a partnership with the Courtyard by Marriott Bali to pioneer Bali’s first-ever medical tourism packages and services to inbound travelers visiting Asia’s most popular island destination.

Inaugurated on May 5, 2012 by Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, along with officials from the Ministry of Health and the Balinese government, the internationally managed BIMC Hospital in addition to outpatient, inpatient and emergency medical care, offers the country’s most advanced dialysis treatments, surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures as well as dental care.

Its second hospital after the long established BIMC Hospital in Kuta, the BIMC Hospital in Nusa Dua, located along a palm-fringed boulevard in the integrated resort complex of Nusa Dua. Adjacent to the new hospital, the Courtyard by Marriott Bali is complementing the services provided by BIMC Hospital by with specific aftercare services to its guests seeking treatment from the neighboring medical facility.

“Ahead of BIMC Hospital opening, we began planning and training for the best of comfort and care the moment a guest returns to the resort from their medical procedure,” said Courtyard by Marriott general manager, Jeff Tyler. “We carefully looked at services that aid in recuperation such as special diets and nutrition, unique spa and wellness programs as well as ensuring wheel chair access to all areas of the property.”

The resort is the first property in Indonesia to coordinate specialized medical services such as aftercare visits by BIMC Hospital nurses.

“We value the partnership with the Courtyard by Marriott resort as care and safety should carry on after our clients complete their medical procedures,” said BIMC Hospital Group founder and CEO, Craig Beveridge. “The Courtyard resort is conveniently located nearby and offers complementing services and standards not to mention an ideal spot for pre –and-post procedure rest and relaxation.”

BIMC Hospital chief medical director, Dr. Donna Moniaga, presides over a team of medical professionals from Australia, Indonesia, USA, UK, Germany, Sweden and New Zealand.

“The hospital is equipped for complex surgeries with three operating theatres along with our CosMedic™, dialysis and dental facilities all of which could easily rival any hospital anywhere,” said BIMC chief marketing officer, Roland Staehler. “We refer to our elective programs as our three ‘centers of excellence’ and true to the nature of medical tourism, we are further distinguished by offering affordable healthcare.”

The 50-bed hospital is set in a lush, one-hectare site planned with a 24-hour medical emergency entrance and hotel-like foyer at the front of the building servicing the hospital’s medical, dialysis and dental centers. The facility is also boast a private entrance that leads to the CosMedic Centre with its contemporary interior and views onto a golf course.

“I can’t think of a better place in the sun to visit for medical reasons,” said Tyler. “With the convenience of BIMC’s location and professional services within what is a completely integrated resort experience, medical tourism in Bali will no doubt add to the long list of reasons to visit the island.”

(source: www.balidiscovery.com)

Nearly 80 percent of Indonesians aged 15 to 24 are at risk of being infected with sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, due to lack of knowledge.

“According to our rapid survey in 2011, only 20.6 percent of youths aged 15 to 24 have comprehensive knowledge [about sexually transmitted diseases],” Minister of Health Nafsiah Mboi told a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the annual National Condom Week.

The figure makes reaching this year’s target of 85 percent awareness about sexually transmitted disease among Indonesian youths seem far-fetched. For 2014, the ministry has set a seemingly unattainable goal of 95 percent awareness.

But Nafsiah said her office is not giving up on that dream yet, refusing to settle on a more realistic target highlighting a recent study that found that 42.3 percent of people with HIV/AIDS are between the ages of 20 and 29 while 33.1 percent are between 30 and 39.

“These people were infected years ago, which means that they were still teenagers [when they contracted HIV],” she said of the first age group. “Which is why we target teenagers.”

Nafsiah said that if low HIV/AIDS awareness continued, the rate of high-risk sexual activity would remain high.

“There are a lot of Indonesian youths committing high-risk activities, particularly in having sex. Abortion among youths is also on the rise,” she said.

The National AIDS Commission estimated in 2025 there would be 1.8 million people with HIV/AIDS in Indonesia but added that a proper prevention program would save around 1.1 million lives.

Data gathered in the January to September period by the West Java Health Agency showed 7,308 new HIV cases and 319 new AIDS cases in West Java.

The data also revealed a shift in the groups being infected, with 747 housewives infected with HIV over the past two years compared to only 464 cases reported from commercial sex workers.

The cumulative amount of HIV/AIDS cases in West Java since 1989 has reached 14,596, the fourth highest in the country after Jakarta, East Java and Papua.

Cianjur district head Tjetjep Muchtar Soleh said that the high number of housewives infected meant that many of their husbands visited prostitutes.

Several groups like the Indonesian Family Planning Association have called for a regulation penalizing those who visit prostitution dens. But the Indonesia AIDS Coalition executive director Aditya Wardhana said the move would be counterproductive.

“Criminalizing [those visiting prostitution dens] will not solve the root cause of the problem … which we all know stems from poverty, human trafficking and low access to education among women,” he said.

“Instead of providing protection, regulations [like this] will make the ‘key population’ more vulnerable to HIV infection. It is wrong for Indonesia to apply policies other countries have proven to be counterproductive in AIDS prevention.”

(source: www.thejakartaglobe.com)

At least 30% of casualties on road in the country take a toll on lives of those in the age group of 15 to 25 years, says the recent WHO (World Health Organization) report. Ironically, the worst indicator of the report on road fatalities is that more than half of the accidents claim the lives of young wage-earners.

The traffic police department, while probing the factors responsible behind 11 major road mishaps cases that occurred within fortnight including Soraon, Industrial Area, Kaudhiyara and Mauaima and claimed 23 lives and left 27 others injured, found that most of deaths were of those in the age group of 16 to 33 years and five of them were wage-earners groups.

WHO report too revealed that the age profile of accident victims other than drivers during 2011 in the country was 25 to 65 years accounting for the largest share of 51.9% of total road accidents and casualties, followed by the 15-24 years age group comprising 30.3%.

The fact is that it’s not HIV/AIDS or any other disease which is the major killer of productive youth across the globe but road accidents.

After witnessing road rage and casualties on city streets and highways, traffic police in the district have been monitoring road safety measures with a strict hand.

With intense checking, physical ability of drivers, including buses, tempos and auto underway, traffic police officials are also interacting with road users seeking their active cooperation to make roads more safe and sound.

Traffic inspector I P Singh said, “We have adapted strict implementation of traffic rules on city streets and measures for road safety have been taken in the same regard”. He added that officials are maintaining a database on road accidents, as well as accident prevention measures at ‘accident-prone areas’ on city streets and connecting highways.

Efforts are also underway to improve the traffic scenario and errant drivers are being punished on spot. However, drivers are being taught lessons in responsible driving to minimise accidents of fatal and non-fatal kinds.

The ministry of road transport and highways has observed that road accidents on national highways constitute 31% of the total figure in the country. About 36% of total road fatalities every year occur on national highways.

Traffic police officials are still aiming to provide road safety education among masses, especially youngsters, and reach it to every commuter. “If we go through the reasons behind road accidents in fatal and non-fatal category, negligence on the part of driver was seen as the major reason,” said a senior cop, adding “following traffic norms is the only solution to check accidents on roads. With over eight lakh vehicles running on streets, it is the responsibility of every driver to follow traffic rules and regulations in all circumstances” said the traffic inspector.

While the analysis of road accident data reveals that driver’s fault was the single most common factor (78%) in road accidents, stress is being laid on educating drivers and making them aware of road safety norms.

The loss of the sole earning member of a family can be disastrous and all drivers must remember that, the latest report of road accidents in India compiled by the road transport and highways ministry said.

With intense checking, physical ability of drivers, including buses, tempos and auto underway, traffic police officials are also interacting with road users seeking their active cooperation to make roads more safe and sound. Efforts are also underway to improve the traffic scenario and errant drivers are being punished on spot

(source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

On World AIDS Day, WHO draws attention to the alarming rise of new HIV infections among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia.

MANILA, 30 NOVEMBER 2012 – On World AIDS Day (1 December), the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Western Pacific calls on governments to do more to combat the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men and transgender people. Unless countries urgently expand access to health services for these key populations, the gains made against the epidemic over the last decade could be jeopardized.

“We need to strengthen our programmes to ensure that these key populations receive the support they need to protect themselves,” says Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “We need to scale up and improve sustained, comprehensive, effective and stigma-free HIV prevention efforts focusing on and working with men who have sex with men and transgender people.”

The theme for World AIDS Day 2012 is: “Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero Discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths”. The message relates to a world where people are protected from acquiring HIV and where people living with HIV are able to live long, healthy lives. All people in need should have access to:

– early diagnosis and life-saving antiretroviral treatment

– essential health commodities: male and female condoms, lubricants and clean needles and syringes for effective prevention of HIV transmission

– high-quality and stigma-free health-care and prevention services

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 2012 (UNAIDS) Global Report: UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2012, HIV epidemics in Asia and the Pacific remain largely concentrated among people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men and sex workers. Low-risk women are increasingly affected.

HIV prevention coverage remains inadequate for men who have sex with men. There is low coverage in the Philippines and Viet Nam at 25%. Although China reported more than 75% coverage of such programmes, and a survey of Singaporean and Vietnamese men who have sex with men revealed a high rate of condom use (75%), HIV infection among men who have sex with men across the region continues to grow. This requires governments to re-assess the effectiveness and quality of existing interventions.

In 2011, an estimated 1.3 million people were living with HIV in the 37 countries and areas of the WHO Western Pacific Region, with 80 000 deaths attributed to AIDS. However, the number of people newly infected with HIV declined from 150 000 per year in 2000 to 130 000 in 2011.

In Cambodia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, the rate of new HIV infections fell by more than 25% between 2001 and 2011. On the other hand, in the Philippines, the rate of new HIV infections increased by more than 25% per year during the same period. In China, new HIV infections increased among men who have sex with men, while declining among people who inject drugs and remaining low among sex workers.

Globally, 8 million people, or 54% of those in need, were receiving antiretroviral therapy in 2011. In the Western Pacific, only Cambodia reached more than 80% coverage of antiretroviral therapy. In Papua New Guinea, more than 60% of people who needed the therapy were receiving it in 2011. Effective implementation of programmes to halt mother-to-child transmission resulted in a 36% decrease in the number of children born with HIV in the Pacific between 2009 and 2011. In Asia, there was a 12% decrease in new HIV infections among children over the same period.

“This shows that the acceleration of our response is producing results for people,” says Dr Shin. “In particular, the early detection of HIV infections in pregnant women and the availability of antiretroviral medication to prevent mother-to-child transmission have significantly increased the number of children born free of HIV in the Region, and cleaner blood supplies and better hospital infection control have dramatically cut the number of people being infected through blood or unclean injecting equipment.”

To achieve and sustain access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for people in need in the Region by 2015, WHO in the Western Pacific has identified five critical issues and recommended actions:

– Increase coverage of effective, evidence- and rights-based prevention interventions, including HIV testing and counselling, among people who inject drugs, sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender people.

– Renew commitments to achieve and sustain universal access to early diagnosis and antiretroviral treatment. Early antiretroviral treatment administered to an HIV-infected person who is in a sexual partnership with an uninfected person can prevent HIV transmission by 96%. Harnessing the benefit will require concerted efforts for early diagnosis and treatment.

– Integrate HIV-related services, such as prevention of mother-to-child transmission and treatment of tuberculosis/HIV and hepatitis/HIV co-infections, into the broader health system.

– Strengthen systems for detection, management and surveillance of sexually transmitted infections and link these to comprehensive HIV prevention strategies.

– Use data from HIV surveillance systems more effectively to trigger programmatic actions that ensure service availability, accessibility, effectiveness, coverage and quality

In 2011, WHO Member States adopted the WHO global health sector strategy on HIV/AIDS 2011-2015, which promotes a long-term, sustainable HIV response by strengthening health and community systems, tackling the social determinants of health that both drive the epidemic and hinder response, protecting and promoting human rights and promoting gender equity.

(source: solomontimes.com)

Governments, civil society groups, and people with AIDS in Africa marked World AIDS Day on Saturday, with growing optimism for an AIDS-free generation as reports are showing the epidemic has stabilized.

Civilians gathered in public places to mark the day when the world remembers lives lost through the epidemic. From stadiums to small market centers and churches, hope registered as many who had gone public with their status gathered and proclaimed that the disease is no-longer a “death sentence.”

“As we remember those who have succumbed to this disease, we must resolve today that we must win this war about HIV/AIDS. If we lose it, humanity stands the risk of being wiped out,” said Kalonzo Musyoka, Kenya’s Vice President in Nakuru town, where he unveiled Kenya’s Equity Tribunal, an anti-discrimination panel for people living with HIV.

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Kenya is the first country in the world to launch such a tribunal that will enforce laws and regulations to eliminate discrimination against people living with HIV, according to Mr. Musyoka. It will address discrimination due to HIV such as dismissal from employment or denial of services.

“This is a bold step towards eliminating stigma and looking after the rights of the people,” said Musyoka.

The tribunal is one of the measures African countries are taking to end exclusion for people with HIV. In the continent, AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 32 percent in the last six years, according to the UNAIDS 2012 Global Epidemic Report. The report also noted that new infections are on the decline: In Sub-Saharan Africa, the most affected region, an estimated 1.8 million were infected in 2011 compared to 2.4-million in 2001.

“We have moved from despair to hope. Far fewer people are dying from AIDS. Twenty-five countries have reduced new infections by more than 50 percent. I want these results in every country,” said Michael Sibidé, UNAIDS executive director in a message for World AIDS Day.

Analysts say the gains are resulting from sustained investment around the epidemic and politicians who are also joining the fight and showing leadership, with presidents declaring it a national disaster in several countries.

Many more people are now using condoms and sterile needles. Governments have also put more people on antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) and taken services to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) in villages. In Kenya, PMTCT services have reduced infections in babies by 60 percent. Prevention groups are also putting more emphasis on prevention practices such a male circumcision.

“The efforts that have been put in place are bearing fruits, so if we put in more efforts, we can go to zero infections,” says Professor Mohammed Karama, an epidemiologist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute. “We believe the HIV/AIDS has stabilized epidemiologically. This is a result of multiple approaches. It is the people getting to know their status, the prevention of people who are positive to avoid the transmission to other people. The use of condoms had also helped among discordant couples.”

However, with the celebrations, some advocates are concerned the challenge ahead is being underestimated. Global advocacy group ONE, for example, said 6.6 million of the 15 million who need ARVs have no access, new infections every year stand at 2.5 million globally, and funding for ARVs has leveled off limiting the growth of prevention and treatment programs.

(source: www.csmonitor.com)

With 67 percent of Indonesian males over 15 years old smoking, and about a quarter of boys aged 13 to 15 hooked on cigarettes, officials and activists hope that a recent increase in the tobacco excise will be the first step toward rolling back the country’s nicotine addiction.

The government announced on Tuesday that it would increase the excise by an average of 8.5 percent next year to boost state revenue and also discourage people from taking up the unhealthy habit.

“We welcome the government’s plan,” said Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto, chief campaigner for the National Commission on Tobacco Control (Komnas PT).

“Our cigarette prices are so low that even children can afford to buy them. That’s why the smoking epidemic is so massive.”

Cigarettes sell for about $1 a pack in Indonesia, far less than in neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, where a pack goes for $3 to $4. In developed countries like the United States and Australia, cigarettes can cost upward of $10 per pack. Even the excise on cigarettes, which is currently less than 40 percent, is extremely low by regional standards.

Tubagus said that raising cigarette taxes was the fastest way to curb smoking, particularly among children and low-income families.

“Besides, the tax will not affect the cigarette companies, because they will pass on [the cost] to their customers,” he said.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey released this year ranked Indonesians as the heaviest smokers in the world, with 67 percent of all male citizens over 15 years old lighting up consistently. According to the WHO, about a quarter of Indonesian boys aged 13 to 15 also smoke.

Tubagus urged the government to amend the law on taxes and excises, which stipulates that the tobacco excises can be raised up to 57 percent, while that for alcoholic drinks can be set at 80 percent.

“Cigarettes should be treated the same as alcoholic beverages to get better results,” he said.

However, Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi argued that the 8.5 percent increase was initiated to avoid resistance from tobacco farmers and lobbyists.

“Don’t just look at the quantity. It’s better to do it gradually than face resistance,” she said.

The Indonesian tobacco industry employs millions and is one of world’s largest cigarette-producing markets, with about 6 percent of the government’s revenue coming from cigarette excise.

The powerful tobacco lobby has been actively campaigning to block regulations that would restrict sales.

Activists say that despite creating more state revenue, the industry absorbs money from families in lower income brackets, trapping them in a cycle of poverty.

A recent survey by the University of Indonesia’s Demographic Institute found that 57 percent of Indonesian households bought cigarettes, and that cigarettes were the country’s second-largest expense after rice. According to the survey, the average household spends Rp 36.5 million ($3,800) every 10 years on cigarettes.

Indonesia is among a handful of countries that has refused to sign an international tobacco control treaty.

Nafsiah said Jakarta would soon sign the UN Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, but did not give a time frame.

“We’ll keep pushing. I want it by the end of this year. But it’s hard because we should consider all stakeholders,” she said.

The convention calls for restrictions on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products and bans sales of cigarettes to minors.

(source: www.thejakartaglobe.com)