Wednesday 10 December 2008
Educational networking workshop at Antwerp
Dr.N.Devadasan and Dr.Upendra Bhojani attended the educational networking workshop organized by the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp to explore the possibility of establishing a network among organizations which have istitutional collaboration with ITM, Antwerp.The workshop was held from 3rd- 7th of November, 2008.
Monday 28 April 2008
Medical camp in support of Dr. Binayak Sen
Dr.N.Devadasan and Mr.S.J Chander from IPH organised a free medical camp for the poor to express their opposition against the imprisonment of human rights activist Dr.Binayak Sen.The camp was held at L.R Nagar on 25-04-08.
Click here to view a scanned copy of the newspaper article.
Click here to read an article on this issue that appeared in Indian Health Front.
Click here to view a scanned copy of the newspaper article.
Click here to read an article on this issue that appeared in Indian Health Front.
Thursday 6 March 2008
Public Health forum
Public Health Forum was held on 21-02-2008, at CMAI, Bangalore. Ms. Asha Goutham and Ms. Baneen Karachiwala from Belaku trust presented on "issues related to the quality of health care and it was followed by a brief discussion.
Thursday 24 January 2008
India Infoline News Article
Support towards pictorial tobacco warnings gains momentum
India Infoline News Service / Mumbai Dec 12, 2007 16:13
Walkathon & activities held in Shimla, Chennai & Bangalore – other cities to follow suit!
The much awaited implementation of the pictorial warnings law for all tobacco products has been postponed for the fourth time. Supporters of pictorial warnings that include YMCA, Shimla; Maharana Pratap Jan Kalyan Sansthan, Jubbal; Gramudyog Welfare Worker’s Association; and Mahila Vikas Sadan, and the Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control (AFTC) are actively demonstrating their support by means of different activities across cities.
The most recent was the Shimla Walkathon for Pictorial Warnings held on 11th December. Supporters from Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Himachal Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (HPVHA), and other local health organizations along with hundreds of students participated in a walkathon with the common objective of reiterating their solidarity towards the government’s decision.
The law which mandates all tobacco products to carry images of cancerous tumors supposed to be implemented from December 1 was postponed owing to various reasons cited by the tobacco manufacturers. Dr. P. C. Gupta, Director, “Tobacco manufactures do not want to tell the truth to people because it may affect their profits. The arguments of size are specious—they can increase the pack size. If they are concerned about the plight of the workers let them provide health insurance and other benefits to the workers that they are entitled to by law.”
Shriniwas Joshi, Retd. IAS Officer, said at the press conference held at Shimla after the Walkathon, “Today, 40% diseases are tobacco-related; 45000 crore rupees is being spent annually for the treatment of these diseases. Soft warnings do not help. Pictorial warnings will communicate these messages more effectively. Communities including the public health organizations and the common public have a major role in supporting such a cause and make a strong demand for its implementation.”
The social organizations actively propagating the law conducted similar events in cities like Chennai & Bangalore. In Chennai, in the spirit of Human rights day on 9th December, hundreds of children came together to demand their right to tobacco smoke-free environment and pictorial warnings on all tobacco products. A human chain demonstration with over three-hundred children and 100 adults was organized by Pasumai Thayagam a social organization in front of the State Guest House, Chapaulk, Chennai in order to communicate their support for immediate implementation of the current law. Similarly, a signature campaign was organized by S.J. Chander, of Institute of Public Health, Bangalore on 7th December. Students from various colleges signed the banners that read “Save lives now! A day’s delay is 2000 lives lost.” The banners, with more than 10000 signatures were presented before the Governor of Bangalore, Rameshwar Thakur, alongwith a memorandum appealing the Governor to support implementation, on 11th December by S.J. Chander and representatives of various colleges. The Governor expressed his support towards the cause by signing the banner.
The concentrated efforts of the multiple organizations conducting and participating in nationwide activities is to show the support for the government’s decision of implementing pictorial warnings that they believe would ultimately lead to better awareness regarding health hazards of tobacco and reduction in tobacco usage.
India Infoline News Service / Mumbai Dec 12, 2007 16:13
Walkathon & activities held in Shimla, Chennai & Bangalore – other cities to follow suit!
The much awaited implementation of the pictorial warnings law for all tobacco products has been postponed for the fourth time. Supporters of pictorial warnings that include YMCA, Shimla; Maharana Pratap Jan Kalyan Sansthan, Jubbal; Gramudyog Welfare Worker’s Association; and Mahila Vikas Sadan, and the Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control (AFTC) are actively demonstrating their support by means of different activities across cities.
The most recent was the Shimla Walkathon for Pictorial Warnings held on 11th December. Supporters from Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Himachal Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (HPVHA), and other local health organizations along with hundreds of students participated in a walkathon with the common objective of reiterating their solidarity towards the government’s decision.
The law which mandates all tobacco products to carry images of cancerous tumors supposed to be implemented from December 1 was postponed owing to various reasons cited by the tobacco manufacturers. Dr. P. C. Gupta, Director, “Tobacco manufactures do not want to tell the truth to people because it may affect their profits. The arguments of size are specious—they can increase the pack size. If they are concerned about the plight of the workers let them provide health insurance and other benefits to the workers that they are entitled to by law.”
Shriniwas Joshi, Retd. IAS Officer, said at the press conference held at Shimla after the Walkathon, “Today, 40% diseases are tobacco-related; 45000 crore rupees is being spent annually for the treatment of these diseases. Soft warnings do not help. Pictorial warnings will communicate these messages more effectively. Communities including the public health organizations and the common public have a major role in supporting such a cause and make a strong demand for its implementation.”
The social organizations actively propagating the law conducted similar events in cities like Chennai & Bangalore. In Chennai, in the spirit of Human rights day on 9th December, hundreds of children came together to demand their right to tobacco smoke-free environment and pictorial warnings on all tobacco products. A human chain demonstration with over three-hundred children and 100 adults was organized by Pasumai Thayagam a social organization in front of the State Guest House, Chapaulk, Chennai in order to communicate their support for immediate implementation of the current law. Similarly, a signature campaign was organized by S.J. Chander, of Institute of Public Health, Bangalore on 7th December. Students from various colleges signed the banners that read “Save lives now! A day’s delay is 2000 lives lost.” The banners, with more than 10000 signatures were presented before the Governor of Bangalore, Rameshwar Thakur, alongwith a memorandum appealing the Governor to support implementation, on 11th December by S.J. Chander and representatives of various colleges. The Governor expressed his support towards the cause by signing the banner.
The concentrated efforts of the multiple organizations conducting and participating in nationwide activities is to show the support for the government’s decision of implementing pictorial warnings that they believe would ultimately lead to better awareness regarding health hazards of tobacco and reduction in tobacco usage.
Deccan Herald Article
Make pictorial warnings must on tobacco products
Bangalore, DH News Service:
Hundreds of college students carried out a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Tuesday, demanding the government should make pictorial warnings mandatory on all the tobacco products and discourage tobacco usage among people. The protest was organised by a consortium consisting of 22 members, including hospitals and NGOs from Bangalore, who are fighting for a tobacco free Karnataka. The Indian government in 2003 had passed a law to carry pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products, to be implemented in February 2007. According to the law, the pictorial representations would contain graphics demonstrating various cancers and other diseases arising due to consuming tobacco products. But the implementation of this law has been delayed due to opposition by tobacco industries.
Says S J Chander faculty member of Institute of Public Health who led the protest, “Beedi smoking and other forms of tobacco use is highly concentrated among the illiterate and poor. These people cannot read the statutory warnings on tobacco products and don’t have access to any information on the harmful effects of tobacco. By seeing pictures they can understand that tobacco could lead them to health hazards”. In India 2,500 people die everyday due to tobacco usage. 16 percent of them die due to cigarette smoking, 44 percent die due to bidi smoking and 30 percent loose their life by chewing tobacco products
Bangalore, DH News Service:
Hundreds of college students carried out a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Tuesday, demanding the government should make pictorial warnings mandatory on all the tobacco products and discourage tobacco usage among people. The protest was organised by a consortium consisting of 22 members, including hospitals and NGOs from Bangalore, who are fighting for a tobacco free Karnataka. The Indian government in 2003 had passed a law to carry pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products, to be implemented in February 2007. According to the law, the pictorial representations would contain graphics demonstrating various cancers and other diseases arising due to consuming tobacco products. But the implementation of this law has been delayed due to opposition by tobacco industries.
Says S J Chander faculty member of Institute of Public Health who led the protest, “Beedi smoking and other forms of tobacco use is highly concentrated among the illiterate and poor. These people cannot read the statutory warnings on tobacco products and don’t have access to any information on the harmful effects of tobacco. By seeing pictures they can understand that tobacco could lead them to health hazards”. In India 2,500 people die everyday due to tobacco usage. 16 percent of them die due to cigarette smoking, 44 percent die due to bidi smoking and 30 percent loose their life by chewing tobacco products
Signature campaign organised by IPH in to support the implementation of pictorial warnings on tobacco products in India
On 9th December 2007 again the Institute of Public Health (IPH) mobilized signatures of over 5000 medical students and health professionals in the city in the support of implementing the pictorials warning without further delay and dilution. The various institutions participated in the campaign included Cardiological Association of India, Karnataka chapter, Bangalore institute of Oncology, R V Dental College, Padmashree College of Nursing, KLE dental, Christ College and St. Joseph’s College. A delegation headed Mr. Chander of IPH and Dr. I B Vijayalakshmi, president of Cardiological Association of India; Karnataka Chapter along with representatives of the institutions mentioned above met the governor of Karnataka, His Excellency Shri Rameswar Thakur and submitted a memorandum. They appealed to him to implement the pictorial warning and requested him to express his solidarity with the campaign on the signing the signature campaign banner. The governor not only signed, he also assured that he would write to the center in support of the initiative. Visit http://picasaweb.google.com/drupendrabhojani/InstituteOfPublicHealth to view some snaps from the campaign
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