Asthma control is appalling in most countries

World Asthma Day (5 May 2009)
Asthma control is appalling in most countries

More than 300 million people around the world have asthma, and the disease imposes a heavy burden on individuals, families, and societies.

The Global Burden of Asthma Report, indicates that asthma control often falls short and there are many barriers to asthma control around the world. Proper long-term management of asthma will permit most patients to achieve good control of their disease. Yet in many regions around the world, this goal is often not met.

Poor asthma control is also seen in the lifestyle limitations experienced by some people with asthma. For example, in some regions, up to one in four children with asthma is unable to attend school regularly because of poor asthma control. Asthma deaths are the ultimate, tragic evidence of uncontrolled asthma.

According to the Global Burden of Asthma Report, the majority of asthma deaths in some regions of the world are preventable. The theme of World Asthma Day 2009, an awareness-raising event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), is "You Can Control Your Asthma."

This theme emphasizes that effective asthma treatments exist and, with proper diagnosis, education, and treatment, the great majority of asthma patients can achieve and maintain good control of their disease. When asthma is under control, patients can live full and active lives.

According to the GINA Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (2007), asthma control means that a person with asthma has:

- No (or minimal) asthma symptoms - No waking at night due to asthma

- No (or minimal) need to use "reliever" medication

- The ability to do normal physical activity and exercise

- Normal (or near-normal) lung function test results

- No (or very infrequent) asthma attacks

Some people with asthma symptoms may never receive a diagnosis of asthma, and thus do not have the opportunity for good asthma treatment and control. Various factors such as poor access to medical care, under-recognition by health professionals, lack of awareness among patients, and overlap of asthma symptoms with those of other diseases contribute to under-diagnosis of asthma.

One of the major barriers to asthma control is the high cost of medicines. For example, the cost of medicines is often higher than average monthly salary of a nurse in developing countries.

Also the Asthma medications are not available in some areas with alarming levels of asthma, such as parts of the Middle East, Southern Asia, Central America, and North, West, and East Africa.

Treatment that is not consistent with evidence-based guidelines may hamper asthma control. There are wide variations in clinical management of asthma in different parts of the world, and even when cost is not a barrier under-treatment may still occur.

The under-use of inhaled gluco-corticosteroids for long-term management of asthma is a common problem. These medications diminish chronic inflammation in the lungs of asthma patients, and are a key to controlling the disease.

In many regions of the world, people with asthma may be exposed to conditions such as outdoor or indoor air pollution, cigarette smoke, or chemicals on the job that make their asthma worse. Avoiding risk factors that cause asthma symptoms is an important strategy for improving control.

- Bobby Ramakant

Published in
The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
Arab News, UAE
The Colombo Times, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Thai Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
Assam Times, Guwahati, Assam
Citizen News Service (CNS)
Bihar Times, Patna, Bihar
Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
My News, Delhi
Topix
News Trust, USA
American Chronicle, USA
Indian Medicos
Northern Voices, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh
Talk Medical News, Australia
Twitter
Two Circles.net
Arusha Times, Tanzania
The Standard Times, Seirra Leone
Pakistan Christian Post, Pakistan
Tambakoo Kills
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Web News Wire

Asthma control is appalling in most countries

World Asthma Day (5 May 2009)
Asthma control is appalling in most countries

More than 300 million people around the world have asthma, and the disease imposes a heavy burden on individuals, families, and societies.

The Global Burden of Asthma Report, indicates that asthma control often falls short and there are many barriers to asthma control around the world. Proper long-term management of asthma will permit most patients to achieve good control of their disease. Yet in many regions around the world, this goal is often not met.

Poor asthma control is also seen in the lifestyle limitations experienced by some people with asthma. For example, in some regions, up to one in four children with asthma is unable to attend school regularly because of poor asthma control. Asthma deaths are the ultimate, tragic evidence of uncontrolled asthma.

According to the Global Burden of Asthma Report, the majority of asthma deaths in some regions of the world are preventable. The theme of World Asthma Day 2009, an awareness-raising event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), is "You Can Control Your Asthma."

This theme emphasizes that effective asthma treatments exist and, with proper diagnosis, education, and treatment, the great majority of asthma patients can achieve and maintain good control of their disease. When asthma is under control, patients can live full and active lives.

According to the GINA Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (2007), asthma control means that a person with asthma has:

- No (or minimal) asthma symptoms - No waking at night due to asthma

- No (or minimal) need to use "reliever" medication

- The ability to do normal physical activity and exercise

- Normal (or near-normal) lung function test results

- No (or very infrequent) asthma attacks

Some people with asthma symptoms may never receive a diagnosis of asthma, and thus do not have the opportunity for good asthma treatment and control. Various factors such as poor access to medical care, under-recognition by health professionals, lack of awareness among patients, and overlap of asthma symptoms with those of other diseases contribute to under-diagnosis of asthma.

One of the major barriers to asthma control is the high cost of medicines. For example, the cost of medicines is often higher than average monthly salary of a nurse in developing countries.

Also the Asthma medications are not available in some areas with alarming levels of asthma, such as parts of the Middle East, Southern Asia, Central America, and North, West, and East Africa.

Treatment that is not consistent with evidence-based guidelines may hamper asthma control. There are wide variations in clinical management of asthma in different parts of the world, and even when cost is not a barrier under-treatment may still occur.

The under-use of inhaled gluco-corticosteroids for long-term management of asthma is a common problem. These medications diminish chronic inflammation in the lungs of asthma patients, and are a key to controlling the disease.

In many regions of the world, people with asthma may be exposed to conditions such as outdoor or indoor air pollution, cigarette smoke, or chemicals on the job that make their asthma worse. Avoiding risk factors that cause asthma symptoms is an important strategy for improving control.

- Bobby Ramakant

Published in
The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
Arab News, UAE
The Colombo Times, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Thai Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
Assam Times, Guwahati, Assam
Citizen News Service (CNS)
Bihar Times, Patna, Bihar
Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
My News, Delhi
Topix
News Trust, USA
American Chronicle, USA
Indian Medicos
Northern Voices, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh
Talk Medical News, Australia
Twitter
Two Circles.net
Arusha Times, Tanzania
The Standard Times, Seirra Leone
Pakistan Christian Post, Pakistan
Tambakoo Kills
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Web News Wire

Save human lives in Sri Lanka

Save human lives in Sri Lanka

SAVE HUMAN LIVES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN SRI LANKA! SUPPORT TAMIL'S STRUGGLE FOR SELF DETERMINATION!

STOP WAR AND WAR CRIMES!

The situation in Sri Lanka is alarming. Despite a two days ceasefire on the occasion of the Tamil New Year, and despite innumerable appeals to the Sri Lankan government, President Mahinda Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar on 17th April 09 that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The Tamil civil population in the Vanni is in an absolutely desperate situation without food, water and medical supplies and under frequent attack in the so-called safe zone. Those who manage to leave (many don't want to, for complex reasons), encounter extremely discouraging conditions in the transit camps. Families are separated, disappearances of males of a certain age group are rampant, women face violations and informers try to track down political affiliations, which lead to further disappearances, while food, water and medical supplies leave a lot to be desired. Those who stay in the Vanni do so under manifold compulsions and there are daily deaths in large numbers due to lack of food, water, medical supplies and violent interference. Since 20th April, more people have come out of the so called safe zone, so that more ferocious massacres can be expected in the Vanni Region.

The argument that the LTTE has a vested interest in the presence of the civil population cannot be used as an excuse for the ongoing human rights violations by the State. The war has to end in order to end war crimes and enable a sustainable democratic process.

It is known that the Indian economic and military aid to the Sri Lankan government has been of a high order, presumably "to keep the Chinese at bay". We also remember from the over quarter of a century of armed conflict that the fratricidal tendencies among Tamil groups have been encouraged and enhanced by material aid and training through the RAW and other Indian intelligence outfits over the years. So the injury inflicted from the Indian side is much larger than only the involvement of the IPKF. Actually Priyanka Gandhi has a point when she says to the press that the murder of her father was caused by people's unbearable suffering.

We appreciate that the tone of the Indian Government has changed over recent weeks due to vast protest in India and abroad. However this is not enough. We have reasons to believe that words and deeds often do not tally. Political parties are using the issue to garner votes. There have been numerous protests by democratic organisations over the past three months, demanding to stop the war. People have had demonstrations, hunger fasts, appeals, conferences, road blocks, human chains, petitions galore. In Tamil Nadu, there have been several self immolations. Over the past one week (since 13th April 09), a group of twenty women in Chennai belonging to different organisations have been on an indefinite fast for PEACE in Sri Lanka, which has ended now in response to the appeal of many organizations not to add to the ongoing death toll but to decentralize the struggle an spread it, as the response from the Sri Lankan government is extremely cynical and shelling is going on in the “safe zone” according to UN sources.

On behalf of NAPM and PPF we wholeheartedly support this struggle. We have raised the issue extensively in our pre-election manifesto and campaign in Tamil Nadu from 23 to 31st March .National Conveners of NAPM have endorsed the demands for Peace, democracy and sovereignty of Tamils in Sri Lanka in their national Conveners meeting in Nagpur on March 1st, 09. NAPM Tamil Nadu has had rasta roko, arrest and fast on February 21 and a massive human chain on March 19th, 09. We also participated in the International Working Class Protest on April 8th, 09. We will not cease to raise the issue at national and international level. We will integrate the issue in all our campaign during pre-election time and also in the long term.

However, we appeal to our sisters to end their fast, as the conflict of decades cannot be solved over night and the aim is to save human lives and end the death toll, not to add to it. Let us abide by the slogan of the Tamil women from Batikaloa:

WE WILL END THE WAR

WE WILL PROTECT LIVES

BY THIS, WE WILL MAKE THE VICTORY OURS.

- We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations.

-We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the Vanni to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth.

-We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented.

We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender.

-The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented.

-Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood.

Yours sincerely,

Medha Patkar- NBA and National Alliance of People’ Movements, Gabriele D- National Alliance of People’s Movements, P. Chennaya- APVVU, National Alliance of People’s Movements , Aruna Roy- MKSS, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Sandeep Panday – National Alliance of People’s Movements , Anand Mazgaonkar- National Alliance of People’s Movements, Ulka Mahajan- Sarvhara Jan Andolan, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Ajit Jha – People’s Political Front, Surekha Dalvi- People’s Political Front, Yogender Yadav, Mukta Srivastava, Dr. Sunilam- Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Rajendra Ravi- National Alliance of People’s Movements , Gita Ramakrishnan- Campaign for Unorganized sector workers , NAPM , Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Vimal Bhai, Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Shaktiman Ghosh, Sudipto Moitra, National Hawkers Federation, Ram Narayan Kumar, Onil Kshetriymayum, Jagmohan Singh, World Sikh News, Harsh Mander, Kiran Shaheen, Shashwati Goswami IIMC Delhi, Bipin Rai Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Rita Manchanda, Babu Sundra, Rabin Chakraborty, Amit Bhaduri, JNU Delhi, R.N. Nayak, Gilbert Rodrigo, G.Vasantha (Guides), Selvin Mary Hyderabad, Rifat Mumtaz, Sukla Sen, Ekta, Mumba, S.P.Udayakumar Nagarkoil, Nalini Nayak , Sewa Trivandrum, Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhattisgarh, S. P. Udayakumar, MONLAR, Srilanka

Save human lives in Sri Lanka

Save human lives in Sri Lanka

SAVE HUMAN LIVES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN SRI LANKA! SUPPORT TAMIL'S STRUGGLE FOR SELF DETERMINATION!

STOP WAR AND WAR CRIMES!

The situation in Sri Lanka is alarming. Despite a two days ceasefire on the occasion of the Tamil New Year, and despite innumerable appeals to the Sri Lankan government, President Mahinda Rajapaksha has made it clear during the recent visit of UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar on 17th April 09 that he is not ready to abandon his line of "war to the finish".

The Tamil civil population in the Vanni is in an absolutely desperate situation without food, water and medical supplies and under frequent attack in the so-called safe zone. Those who manage to leave (many don't want to, for complex reasons), encounter extremely discouraging conditions in the transit camps. Families are separated, disappearances of males of a certain age group are rampant, women face violations and informers try to track down political affiliations, which lead to further disappearances, while food, water and medical supplies leave a lot to be desired. Those who stay in the Vanni do so under manifold compulsions and there are daily deaths in large numbers due to lack of food, water, medical supplies and violent interference. Since 20th April, more people have come out of the so called safe zone, so that more ferocious massacres can be expected in the Vanni Region.

The argument that the LTTE has a vested interest in the presence of the civil population cannot be used as an excuse for the ongoing human rights violations by the State. The war has to end in order to end war crimes and enable a sustainable democratic process.

It is known that the Indian economic and military aid to the Sri Lankan government has been of a high order, presumably "to keep the Chinese at bay". We also remember from the over quarter of a century of armed conflict that the fratricidal tendencies among Tamil groups have been encouraged and enhanced by material aid and training through the RAW and other Indian intelligence outfits over the years. So the injury inflicted from the Indian side is much larger than only the involvement of the IPKF. Actually Priyanka Gandhi has a point when she says to the press that the murder of her father was caused by people's unbearable suffering.

We appreciate that the tone of the Indian Government has changed over recent weeks due to vast protest in India and abroad. However this is not enough. We have reasons to believe that words and deeds often do not tally. Political parties are using the issue to garner votes. There have been numerous protests by democratic organisations over the past three months, demanding to stop the war. People have had demonstrations, hunger fasts, appeals, conferences, road blocks, human chains, petitions galore. In Tamil Nadu, there have been several self immolations. Over the past one week (since 13th April 09), a group of twenty women in Chennai belonging to different organisations have been on an indefinite fast for PEACE in Sri Lanka, which has ended now in response to the appeal of many organizations not to add to the ongoing death toll but to decentralize the struggle an spread it, as the response from the Sri Lankan government is extremely cynical and shelling is going on in the “safe zone” according to UN sources.

On behalf of NAPM and PPF we wholeheartedly support this struggle. We have raised the issue extensively in our pre-election manifesto and campaign in Tamil Nadu from 23 to 31st March .National Conveners of NAPM have endorsed the demands for Peace, democracy and sovereignty of Tamils in Sri Lanka in their national Conveners meeting in Nagpur on March 1st, 09. NAPM Tamil Nadu has had rasta roko, arrest and fast on February 21 and a massive human chain on March 19th, 09. We also participated in the International Working Class Protest on April 8th, 09. We will not cease to raise the issue at national and international level. We will integrate the issue in all our campaign during pre-election time and also in the long term.

However, we appeal to our sisters to end their fast, as the conflict of decades cannot be solved over night and the aim is to save human lives and end the death toll, not to add to it. Let us abide by the slogan of the Tamil women from Batikaloa:

WE WILL END THE WAR

WE WILL PROTECT LIVES

BY THIS, WE WILL MAKE THE VICTORY OURS.

- We demand an immediate durable and unconditional ceasefire to enable peace negotiations.

-We demand formation of credible teams of international human rights activists, medical personnel and social workers to be present in the process of helping the civil population in the Vanni to get access to food, water and medical supplies and to safeguard their human rights, sanity and dignity in the transition. Special care needs to be taken to protect, women, children and youth.

-We demand de-mining and restoration of villages so that peoples right to return to their homes can be safeguarded and implemented.

We demand a political process in which all communities will be able to participate with confidence and equal rights, irrespective of ethnicity, language, caste, creed and gender.

-The Tamil people's right to self-determination must be respected and implemented.

-Disappearances and other violence must end and freedom of the press must be guaranteed. The working classes must be able to form organisations and struggle for people's rights to Life and Livelihood.

Yours sincerely,

Medha Patkar- NBA and National Alliance of People’ Movements, Gabriele D- National Alliance of People’s Movements, P. Chennaya- APVVU, National Alliance of People’s Movements , Aruna Roy- MKSS, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Sandeep Panday – National Alliance of People’s Movements , Anand Mazgaonkar- National Alliance of People’s Movements, Ulka Mahajan- Sarvhara Jan Andolan, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Ajit Jha – People’s Political Front, Surekha Dalvi- People’s Political Front, Yogender Yadav, Mukta Srivastava, Dr. Sunilam- Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Rajendra Ravi- National Alliance of People’s Movements , Gita Ramakrishnan- Campaign for Unorganized sector workers , NAPM , Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Vimal Bhai, Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Shaktiman Ghosh, Sudipto Moitra, National Hawkers Federation, Ram Narayan Kumar, Onil Kshetriymayum, Jagmohan Singh, World Sikh News, Harsh Mander, Kiran Shaheen, Shashwati Goswami IIMC Delhi, Bipin Rai Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Rita Manchanda, Babu Sundra, Rabin Chakraborty, Amit Bhaduri, JNU Delhi, R.N. Nayak, Gilbert Rodrigo, G.Vasantha (Guides), Selvin Mary Hyderabad, Rifat Mumtaz, Sukla Sen, Ekta, Mumba, S.P.Udayakumar Nagarkoil, Nalini Nayak , Sewa Trivandrum, Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhattisgarh, S. P. Udayakumar, MONLAR, Srilanka

Any Question- Same answer

Any Question- Same answer
Dr Nutan Thakur

The Right to Information (RTI) Act was formulated with much fanfare and with great hopes that it will bring some kind of transparency and a related sense of responsibility in the government servants who would be feeling the heat of the people’s power because of their power to seek information at will. It would be too ungrateful to say that the promulgation of the Act has not helped the common people. On the contrary this Act is certainly among the most powerful and potent tools in the hands of the people of this country and can easily be regarded as one of the most memorable and laudable gifts of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Yet, there are departments and people in these establishments who are still not over with their colonial hangover. The result is that these people are not only making an open fun of the provisions of this Act but are also defeating completely the very purpose of the Act.

I shall present before you one such department where a few examples would suffice to let you understand how such people are treating this Act. The department is the Home department in the Uttar Pradesh which is generally held to be responsible for keeping the law and order in the State as also to see to it that there is a the proper implementation of various laws and people don’t go breaking laws, rules and regulations. Yet, the department itself seems to notoriously believe in the dictum- “rules are there to be broken.” This holds true particularly with regards to the RTI Act.

Information was sought from the Department as regards the details of the Indian Police Service (IPS) and State Police Service (PPS) officers placed under suspension during a given period. The information dealt with issues like the date of suspension, the date of reinstatement, the grounds for suspension, the time required in conducting the enquiry and the result of the enquiry etc. One section of the Home Department which deals with the PPS officers provided the details, though a bit delayed. But another section, dealing with the IPS officers refused to give the information saying that that this information cannot be given without the prior written permission of the concerned IPS officers because it comes under section 8(j) of the RTI Act. Section 8(j), as we all know, deals with information of personal nature which have a tendency of infringing the privacy of a person. Can anyone explain that the information sought can be termed private in nature? or one that is infringing upon someone’s privacy?

The second example is that of asking some details from two departments of the UP Government as regards the Study leave of the IAS and IPS officers. While the Appointments department dealing with the IAS officers gave the requisite information, the same section of the Home department again said this information cannot be given without the prior written permission of the concerned IPS officers under section 8(j) of the RTI Act as being of personal nature and having a tendency of infringing the privacy of a person. Isn’t it a deliberate and blatant flouting of the provisions of the Act?

In two other cases where the information as regards the selection criteria for promotion to the rank of DIG by the UP government for some given period and information as regards the decision by the government in the departmental cases in the month of May 2007 were sought, the sane section again came up with Section 8(j).

Now it seems that the Home department of UP government has got the section 8(j) under its name and any information sought from it would be abjectly rejected taking the plea of this section alone.

I would request the friends here to help me proceed with this matter by suggesting me the future course of action, other than making a request to the First Appellate authority in each of these cases.

Dr Nutan Thakur
IRDS, Lucknow

Any Question- Same answer

Any Question- Same answer
Dr Nutan Thakur

The Right to Information (RTI) Act was formulated with much fanfare and with great hopes that it will bring some kind of transparency and a related sense of responsibility in the government servants who would be feeling the heat of the people’s power because of their power to seek information at will. It would be too ungrateful to say that the promulgation of the Act has not helped the common people. On the contrary this Act is certainly among the most powerful and potent tools in the hands of the people of this country and can easily be regarded as one of the most memorable and laudable gifts of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Yet, there are departments and people in these establishments who are still not over with their colonial hangover. The result is that these people are not only making an open fun of the provisions of this Act but are also defeating completely the very purpose of the Act.

I shall present before you one such department where a few examples would suffice to let you understand how such people are treating this Act. The department is the Home department in the Uttar Pradesh which is generally held to be responsible for keeping the law and order in the State as also to see to it that there is a the proper implementation of various laws and people don’t go breaking laws, rules and regulations. Yet, the department itself seems to notoriously believe in the dictum- “rules are there to be broken.” This holds true particularly with regards to the RTI Act.

Information was sought from the Department as regards the details of the Indian Police Service (IPS) and State Police Service (PPS) officers placed under suspension during a given period. The information dealt with issues like the date of suspension, the date of reinstatement, the grounds for suspension, the time required in conducting the enquiry and the result of the enquiry etc. One section of the Home Department which deals with the PPS officers provided the details, though a bit delayed. But another section, dealing with the IPS officers refused to give the information saying that that this information cannot be given without the prior written permission of the concerned IPS officers because it comes under section 8(j) of the RTI Act. Section 8(j), as we all know, deals with information of personal nature which have a tendency of infringing the privacy of a person. Can anyone explain that the information sought can be termed private in nature? or one that is infringing upon someone’s privacy?

The second example is that of asking some details from two departments of the UP Government as regards the Study leave of the IAS and IPS officers. While the Appointments department dealing with the IAS officers gave the requisite information, the same section of the Home department again said this information cannot be given without the prior written permission of the concerned IPS officers under section 8(j) of the RTI Act as being of personal nature and having a tendency of infringing the privacy of a person. Isn’t it a deliberate and blatant flouting of the provisions of the Act?

In two other cases where the information as regards the selection criteria for promotion to the rank of DIG by the UP government for some given period and information as regards the decision by the government in the departmental cases in the month of May 2007 were sought, the sane section again came up with Section 8(j).

Now it seems that the Home department of UP government has got the section 8(j) under its name and any information sought from it would be abjectly rejected taking the plea of this section alone.

I would request the friends here to help me proceed with this matter by suggesting me the future course of action, other than making a request to the First Appellate authority in each of these cases.

Dr Nutan Thakur
IRDS, Lucknow

A month more for Pictorial warnings on tobacco products

A month more for Pictorial warnings on tobacco products

The long pending pictorial or graphic health warnings on all tobacco products in India shall finally be impelmented from 30 May 2009. This is in line with the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act and the global tobacco treaty which India has ratified (World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control).

Earlier this month in April 2009, the Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium had assured a bench headed by Justice BN Aggarwal in the Court after senior counsel Indira Jaisingh, appearing for NGO Health for Millions, alleged the Centre was dragging its feet on the issue.

Also earlier this month, the Group of Ministers (GoM) on tobacco warnings were supposed to meet on 8 April 2009 and further dilution or delay to pictorial health warnings on tobacco products was apprehended by many health activists. However the meeting didn't take place.

Also, a survey conducted in four Indian States by Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health and Voluntary Healh Association of India (VHAI) reports 98% of public supporting the pack warnings and 99% supporting government action to strengthen health warnings requiring them to be large and including pictures of all tobacco products.

Pictorial warnings on tobacco products are intended to increase consumer knowledge of the deadly health effects of tobacco consumption, to encourage cessation and to discourage uptake. In India they also break the linguistic and cultural barrier, in addition to informing the illiterate population (a large proportion of this segment smokes bidis) about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

Before going to the 3rd Conference of Parties (COP3) to the FCTC, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had revealed before the Central Information Commission that tobacco industry is putting "pressure" to relax the tobacco control policies (source: The Hindu, 14 November 2008). The Preamble of the global tobacco treaty, indicates that Parties “need to be alert to any efforts by the tobacco industry to undermine or subvert tobacco control efforts and the need to be informed of activities of the tobacco industry that have a negative impact on tobacco control efforts”. Further, Article 5.3 of the FCTC requires that “in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties should act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with the national law.”

Hope the authorities will not dilute or delay the implementation of this health policy any further, and stick to their commitment to enforce the pictorial health warnings on tobacco products by 30th May 2009.

- Bobby Ramakant