Latest news with #Boehme
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
WHO calls for research scale-up towards ending TB in South-East Asia region
The WHO on Tuesday called for urgent scale-up of research, innovation and collaboration to accelerate momentum towards ending tuberculosis in the South-East Asia region, which continues to bear nearly half of the global TB burden, accounting for the highest share of cases and deaths worldwide. Calling for urgent action Experts, national TB programme managers and researchers along with partners and members of civil society began a three-day virtual workshop organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for advancing research and innovation to accelerate momentum towards ending TB in the WHO South-East Asia region. "In our Region alone, nearly 5 million people developed TB and close to 600,000 died from the disease in 2023," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region. Calling for urgent action, she said that achieving the ambitious targets in the WHO End TB Strategy requires collaboration to accelerate research and innovation. It requires the adoption and use of new tools, technologies and drugs. Ensuring timely and equitable access to these innovations remains critical to achieving impacts at scale, leaving no one behind, Boehme said. While the region recorded a significant increase in TB case notifications in 2023, signalling recovery after COVID-19-related setbacks, progress remains insufficient to meet the End TB Strategy targets aligned with the sustainable development goals that call for a 90 per cent reduction in TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in incidence by 2030 compared to 2015 levels. Post-COVID-19 pandemic, TB once again reemerged as the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, the WHO said in a statement. It places a disproportionate burden on the poorest and most vulnerable, further exacerbating inequalities. In the South-East Asia region, 30 per cent to 80 per cent of the TB-affected households experience catastrophic costs, underscoring the need for equitable, people-centred approaches and strengthening social protection for the affected, the statement said. New approaches and progress Despite these challenges, the WHO South-East Asia region made notable progress. In 2023, 3.8 million new and relapse TB cases were notified, with an 89 per cent treatment success rate for those who began treatment in 2022. Missed cases dropped to 22 per cent in 2023, down from 44 per cent in 2020, the statement said. Backed by strong political commitment, countries in the region are increasingly leveraging new approaches such as artificial intelligence for case detection, computer-aided diagnostics, digital adherence tools and direct benefit transfers for patients, streamlining the social support process. At the same time, several countries are undertaking important research, including epidemiological research to assess the disease burden, the statement said. Bangladesh recently completed a patient cost survey, while findings from India's RATIONS study on the impact of nutrition on TB outcomes and incidence of the disease have contributed to the global guidance. Social and community-based innovations are also playing a vital role. Nepal's TB-Free Pallika initiative and multisectoral coordination mechanisms in Myanmar are helping reach vulnerable populations with person-centred care. A review by the WHO South-East Asia found that member states published over 3,000 TB-related research articles in the past six years, with 60 per cent being original research. However, uptake of research outcomes remains uneven due to knowledge gaps and limited platforms for knowledge exchange and collaborative use, the statement said. "Our progress is uneven. Research and innovation capacity is varied across the Region, and the results of these efforts are often siloed and unavailable for collaborative use. The rise in drug-resistant forms of TB remains very concerning," said Dr Boehme. Global efforts and vaccine preparedness The key areas of focus during the virtual consultation include strengthening of South-South collaboration, vaccine preparedness, digital tools for patient care and adherence and efforts to overcome vaccine hesitancy. Participants will also discuss aligning regulatory processes, promoting data sharing and improving platforms for knowledge exchange. A significant emphasis is being placed on identifying operational implementation research priorities, especially in relation to social determinants such as undernutrition and climate change, which influence TB incidence and outcomes. "Several ongoing innovations are attempting to reach out to marginalised and vulnerable groups through active case finding and providing affected families socio-economic support to mitigate catastrophic costs", said Dr Boehme. Highlighting the importance of equity, she added, "It is incumbent to ensure equitable access to the benefits of research and innovation, including vaccines, medicines and diagnostics."
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
WHO calls for research scale-up towards ending TB in South-East Asia region
New Delhi: The WHO on Tuesday called for urgent scale-up of research, innovation and collaboration to accelerate momentum towards ending tuberculosis in the South-East Asia region, which continues to bear nearly half of the global TB burden , accounting for the highest share of cases and deaths worldwide. Experts, national TB programme managers and researchers along with partners and members of civil society began a three-day virtual workshop organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for advancing research and innovation to accelerate momentum towards ending TB in the WHO South-East Asia region. "In our Region alone, nearly 5 million people developed TB and close to 600,000 died from the disease in 2023," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region. Calling for urgent action, she said that achieving the ambitious targets in the WHO End TB Strategy requires collaboration to accelerate research and innovation. It requires the adoption and use of new tools, technologies and drugs. Ensuring timely and equitable access to these innovations remains critical to achieving impacts at scale, leaving no one behind, Boehme said. While the region recorded a significant increase in TB case notifications in 2023, signalling recovery after COVID-19-related setbacks, progress remains insufficient to meet the End TB Strategy targets aligned with the sustainable development goals that call for a 90 per cent reduction in TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in incidence by 2030 compared to 2015 levels. Post-COVID-19 pandemic, TB once again reemerged as the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, the WHO said in a statement. It places a disproportionate burden on the poorest and most vulnerable, further exacerbating inequalities. In the South-East Asia region, 30 per cent to 80 per cent of the TB-affected households experience catastrophic costs, underscoring the need for equitable, people-centred approaches and strengthening social protection for the affected, the statement said. Despite these challenges, the WHO South-East Asia region made notable progress. In 2023, 3.8 million new and relapse TB cases were notified, with an 89 per cent treatment success rate for those who began treatment in 2022. Missed cases dropped to 22 per cent in 2023, down from 44 per cent in 2020, the statement said. Backed by strong political commitment, countries in the region are increasingly leveraging new approaches such as artificial intelligence for case detection, computer-aided diagnostics, digital adherence tools and direct benefit transfers for patients, streamlining the social support process. At the same time, several countries are undertaking important research, including epidemiological research to assess the disease burden, the statement said. Bangladesh recently completed a patient cost survey, while findings from India's RATIONS study on the impact of nutrition on TB outcomes and incidence of the disease have contributed to the global guidance. Social and community-based innovations are also playing a vital role. Nepal's TB-Free Pallika initiative and multisectoral coordination mechanisms in Myanmar are helping reach vulnerable populations with person-centred care. A review by the WHO South-East Asia found that member states published over 3,000 TB-related research articles in the past six years, with 60 per cent being original research. However, uptake of research outcomes remains uneven due to knowledge gaps and limited platforms for knowledge exchange and collaborative use, the statement said. "Our progress is uneven. Research and innovation capacity is varied across the Region, and the results of these efforts are often siloed and unavailable for collaborative use. The rise in drug-resistant forms of TB remains very concerning," said Dr Boehme. The key areas of focus during the virtual consultation include strengthening of South-South collaboration, vaccine preparedness, digital tools for patient care and adherence and efforts to overcome vaccine hesitancy. Participants will also discuss aligning regulatory processes, promoting data sharing and improving platforms for knowledge exchange. A significant emphasis is being placed on identifying operational implementation research priorities, especially in relation to social determinants such as undernutrition and climate change, which influence TB incidence and outcomes. "Several ongoing innovations are attempting to reach out to marginalized and vulnerable groups through active case finding and providing affected families socio-economic support to mitigate catastrophic costs", said Dr Boehme. Highlighting the importance of equity, she added, "It is incumbent to ensure equitable access to the benefits of research and innovation, including vaccines, medicines and diagnostics."
News18
6 days ago
- Health
- News18
WHO calls for research scale-up towards ending TB in South-East Asia region
New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) The WHO on Tuesday called for urgent scale-up of research, innovation and collaboration to accelerate momentum towards ending tuberculosis in the South-East Asia region, which continues to bear nearly half of the global TB burden, accounting for the highest share of cases and deaths worldwide. Experts, national TB programme managers and researchers along with partners and members of civil society began a three-day virtual workshop organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for advancing research and innovation to accelerate momentum towards ending TB in the WHO South-East Asia region. 'In our Region alone, nearly 5 million people developed TB and close to 600,000 died from the disease in 2023," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region. Calling for urgent action, she said that achieving the ambitious targets in the WHO End TB Strategy requires collaboration to accelerate research and innovation. It requires the adoption and use of new tools, technologies and drugs. Ensuring timely and equitable access to these innovations remains critical to achieving impacts at scale, leaving no one behind, Boehme said. While the region recorded a significant increase in TB case notifications in 2023, signalling recovery after COVID-19-related setbacks, progress remains insufficient to meet the End TB Strategy targets aligned with the sustainable development goals that call for a 90 per cent reduction in TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in incidence by 2030 compared to 2015 levels. Post-COVID-19 pandemic, TB once again reemerged as the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, the WHO said in a statement. It places a disproportionate burden on the poorest and most vulnerable, further exacerbating inequalities. In the South-East Asia region, 30 per cent to 80 per cent of the TB-affected households experience catastrophic costs, underscoring the need for equitable, people-centred approaches and strengthening social protection for the affected, the statement said. Despite these challenges, the WHO South-East Asia region made notable progress. In 2023, 3.8 million new and relapse TB cases were notified, with an 89 per cent treatment success rate for those who began treatment in 2022. Missed cases dropped to 22 per cent in 2023, down from 44 per cent in 2020, the statement said. Backed by strong political commitment, countries in the region are increasingly leveraging new approaches such as artificial intelligence for case detection, computer-aided diagnostics, digital adherence tools and direct benefit transfers for patients, streamlining the social support process. At the same time, several countries are undertaking important research, including epidemiological research to assess the disease burden, the statement said. Bangladesh recently completed a patient cost survey, while findings from India's RATIONS study on the impact of nutrition on TB outcomes and incidence of the disease have contributed to the global guidance. Social and community-based innovations are also playing a vital role. Nepal's TB-Free Pallika initiative and multisectoral coordination mechanisms in Myanmar are helping reach vulnerable populations with person-centred care. A review by the WHO South-East Asia found that member states published over 3,000 TB-related research articles in the past six years, with 60 per cent being original research. However, uptake of research outcomes remains uneven due to knowledge gaps and limited platforms for knowledge exchange and collaborative use, the statement said. 'Our progress is uneven. Research and innovation capacity is varied across the Region, and the results of these efforts are often siloed and unavailable for collaborative use. The rise in drug-resistant forms of TB remains very concerning," said Dr Boehme. The key areas of focus during the virtual consultation include strengthening of South-South collaboration, vaccine preparedness, digital tools for patient care and adherence and efforts to overcome vaccine hesitancy. Participants will also discuss aligning regulatory processes, promoting data sharing and improving platforms for knowledge exchange. A significant emphasis is being placed on identifying operational implementation research priorities, especially in relation to social determinants such as undernutrition and climate change, which influence TB incidence and outcomes. top videos View all 'Several ongoing innovations are attempting to reach out to marginalized and vulnerable groups through active case finding and providing affected families socio-economic support to mitigate catastrophic costs", said Dr Boehme. Highlighting the importance of equity, she added, 'It is incumbent to ensure equitable access to the benefits of research and innovation, including vaccines, medicines and diagnostics." PTI PLB KSS KSS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 05, 2025, 19:30 IST News agency-feeds WHO calls for research scale-up towards ending TB in South-East Asia region Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Hepatitis services must be scaled up, included in essential health packages: WHO official
New Delhi: Hepatitis testing and treatment services must be scaled up and decentralised to primary care, and services related to the infection should be embedded within essential health packages, Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge of WHO South-East Asia, said on Monday. Speaking on World Hepatitis Day , which is observed on July 28 every year, Boehme said hepatitis must prioritise responses with maternal and child health, among others, and work towards reducing the toll of liver cancer due to hepatitis B and hepatitis C . "We have the tools to prevent these infections: safe and effective hepatitis B vaccines, affordable diagnostics, highly effective hepatitis B medicines, and the game-changing hepatitis C direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medicines that cure the infection," she said. "However, problems persist with the complexity and fragmentation in service delivery, lack of services at primary healthcare clinics, poor uptake of services, out-of-pocket expenses, limited awareness, and stigma," Boehme added. World Hepatitis Day raises awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and liver cancer. It is observed on the birthday of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. This year, the theme 'Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down' calls for urgent action to dismantle the financial, social and systemic barriers, including the stigma attached to the infection, that stand in the way of hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention . Boehme said, "In our WHO South-East Asia region, viral hepatitis continues to cause needless suffering, silently leading to liver disease, cancer, and hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year." Across the region, an estimated 61 million people live with hepatitis B, and 9 million with hepatitis C. "Our region bears one of the highest burdens of chronic viral hepatitis globally, yet most people living with the disease remain undiagnosed and untreated," she said. She said every year, over 2,60,000 lives are lost, many due to preventable complications of hepatitis and one of the most devastating outcomes is liver cancer, because of untreated hepatitis B and C infections. "With limited access to early diagnosis and treatment, most liver cancer cases in our region are detected late, when curative options are no longer viable," Boehme said. She said hepatitis testing and treatment services must be "scaled up, decentralised to primary care", and guidelines simplified, to reduce the toll of liver cancer due to hepatitis B and C. "We must embed hepatitis services within essential health packages, leverage primary health care platforms, and align responses with maternal and child health, HIV, STIs, TB, non-communicable diseases, blood safety, infection prevention and control, occupational health and universal health coverage efforts. "We have to prioritise hepatitis B birth-dose and completion of the vaccination schedule, integrated safe motherhood services, harm reduction services, and community-based outreach to close the equity gap," she said. Boehme said progress was possible and countries across our region are innovating, including adopting simplified testing and treatment service models, integrating hepatitis as part of essential services and under social health insurance coverage. "These efforts need to be scaled and sustained with strong political will and investment. Together, let's break it down by removing the complexity, ending the silence, and delivering on our promise to eliminate hepatitis by 2030," she said.
The Journal
02-07-2025
- Climate
- The Journal
German rivers run low and roads buckle as European heatwave spreads eastward
THE EUROPEAN HEATWAVE that has already scorched the western and southern parts of the continent began spreading eastwards today, bringing extreme weather warnings to Germany and causing motorways to buckle. There is some level of reprieve in sight though. Colder weather is due to arrive from the Atlantic and spread across the continent tomorrow, but it also brings with it the chance of thunderstorms. Today, Germany's national weather service (DWD) warned of 'exceptionally high' temperatures reaching close to 40 degrees in places. The heat has caused disruptions to transport, with Germany's national rail operator Deutsche Bahn warning of impaired services in the west of the country, where temperatures are highest. In the north-west, close to the city of Bremen, the heat caused the surface of the motorway to buckle in places, creating a danger for drivers, local media reported. The acute high temperatures have added to an extended period of unusually hot and dry weather through the first half of the year. Firefighters gather to fight a fire at the edge of a grain field in Auras, Germany Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo As well as an increased risk of forest fires, Germany's rivers are also running low, causing problems for navigating the country's waterways. In the eastern city of Dresden, the level of the Elbe river has sunk to just 64 centimetres, compared with an average of around two metres. Holger Boehme, the owner of a floating theatre said it was 'strange' to see the usually wide river shrink to a fraction of its usual size. 'There has always been high water and low water, but this type of extreme high water and extreme low is truly new in recent years,' Boehme told AFP. The current levels of Germany's rivers are typically more likely to be seen at the end of the summer, Matthias Roeser from the Federal Association of German Inland Navigation said. In Berlin, 18-year-old Nora said her strawberry stand on the side of the road felt 'like a sauna' before temperatures had even reached their peak. Her boss had told her to close the stall if she felt unwell, as the German capital sweated under a hot sun, she told the AFP news agency. People get some relief from the high temperatures in Paris Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In France, temperatures cooled slightly overnight and into this morning but remain high. Advertisement Paris was expected to experience highs of around 35C after hitting 40C yesterday, according to weather service Meteo-France. French Health Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed it was 'too early to take stock' of the consequences of the heatwave. But for the Paris metro area there has been a 'serious' increase in emergency services' activity of around 15%. An official estimate of the excess mortality linked to the heatwave would take two weeks for French authorities to compile, the ministry indicated. Residents in Spain and Italy may have to wait until the weekend before they experience a drop in temperatures. In Madrid, care worker Grace Guerrero, 65, told AFP she could really 'feel the heat' but the air was cooler at her home outside the Spanish capital. A vendor sells hats during the heatwave in Madrid, Spain Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo A 75-year-old man died in the southern city of Cordoba today, bringing the total number of heat related deaths over the last 10 days in Spain to at least four. Barcelona adopted plans to extend protections for sanitation workers in heatwaves, including more water breaks, after a woman died on Saturday after her shift. In Italy, at Rome's ancient forum, archaeological excavation work stopped early at around 12:30 pm today as temperatures reached 35 degrees. Elena Civitelli, an archaeologist with two decades of experience, told AFP she could not remember 'suffering so much in the early hours of the morning' as she had in recent days. Belgium has continued to experience high temperatures, particularly in Brussels, but coastal areas are already experiencing lower temperatures, and cool winds blowing in from the Atlantic are expected to see highs in France drop to near 28 degrees tomorrow. The colder front would, however, bring with it the possibility of heavy thunderstorms, according to Meteo-France. The German weather service also warned of storms in eastern Germany and has already issued weather warnings for severe winds and rain in isolated areas in the western part of the country, with temperatures expected to drop to around 30 degrees or below over the next two days. - © AFP 2025 Unsure of what exactly is happening with the earth's climate? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank
