From cigarettes to agri products

April 30 2007

News - From cigarettes to agri products

[ITC is committed to sustaining its position as one of India’s most valuable corporations].

When YC Deveshwar addressed his first annual general meeting of shareholders of ITC Ltd in 1996, his 3000-plus word speech dwelt solely on tobacco and cigarettes. In fact, the word tobacco appears around a 100 times and cigarettes around 50.Over the past six years, the company has forayed into several new areas. And, last year, when he addressed his 11th AGM, cigarettes and tobacco had vanished from his talk. The most frequently used word seemed to be “vision”.Well, ITC still makes cigarettes and exports tobacco, but these no longer play the dominant role of over 85% in revenues or profits as they used to do even a few years ago when segment reporting became mandatory. ITC is now playing out a vision that Deveshwar has developed over the years, implementing it steadily and methodically.

The vision is about empowering the Indian farmer by giving him the tools for a better life and linking him to world markets. Of making Indians proud of having an Indian company making world-class products. And of course, of making ITC’s shareholders proud to be part of a company that does things like growing forests and managing watersheds not to win awards for corporate social responsibility, but to mesh business and life in a socially responsible fabric.

As Deveshwar told FE, “ITC is committed to sustaining its position as one of India’s most valuable corporations through world-class performance and creation of growing value for its stakeholders and the Indian economy.”

Today, as ITC’s vast and deeply rooted network of over 6,500 e-choupals covering nearly 400,000 villages across nine states, begun way back in 2000, generates inward and outward business for ITC, every big company with extra cash is dreaming of food retail, of creating a farm-to-table chain. But as the likes of Reliance open their big stores with fanfare, ITC is not worried. It has been running some unique rural malls quite successfully for a few years now—and is ready to provide the backend supply chain to any new player in retail.

“ITC has facilitated agro extension services on a large scale, and this has led to better crops and better yields. With our experience in agro-procurement and the development of quality agro-products, ITC is open to providing back-end support to other non-competing retail units,” Deveshwar told FE.

Whether it is the main segments like hotels, paper & paperboard and agribusiness, ITC is creating businesses that, if treated as standalone companies, could equal or outrank industry peers.

Deveshwar is clear about this: “ITC’s performance has to be judged in the business segments we are engaged in - and in each, we are leaders either in top-line or in bottomline growth.”

Recently, ITC got talking about cigarettes again after a long gap, in the notes to its results for the quarter to December 31, 2006. (Of course, cigarettes find a mention in the annual report every year.) The trigger this time? The green signal for states to impose value added tax on cigarettes and tobacco products other than bidis, for which the hated foe so far had been excise.

For Deveshwar, the future is clear: “ITC would like to be the most trusted and the largest food company in the country today. In agri business and in each of the branded food segments that we are engaged in, ITC has achieved leadership positions within a very short time since we have launched these businesses.”

online available at- http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=162679

Indian Govt to set up tobacco regulatory body

Spiritindia.com
April 28 2007

News - Indian Govt to set up tobacco regulatory body


[Smokers across the country are expected to face curbs on their habits as the government is planning to set up a regulatory authority for effective implementation of anti-tobacco laws].

Despite a ban on smoking in public places, people are seen puffing away at restaurants, hotels and theatres raising serious health concerns. The Health Ministry is setting up a National Tobacco Regulatory Body under the 11th five year plan to enforce the anti-tobacco Act strictly."It will be an independent body and will coordinate between states and the industry," Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said.He said a stringent enforcement of the Act was necessary because 40 per cent of the country's health problem was due to tobacco.

"We want people to smoke in their homes and only when their spouses allow it," he said at the first-ever Journalist 'Boot Camp' on India's growing thr eat -- Cancer and Tobacco yesterday, organised by the American Cancer Society and the US Centres for Disease Control Foundation."Bhutan is the only nation where no tobacco products are found.

We want to make India tobacco free," Ramadoss said.He said a survey showed in the Bollywood movies of the 1950s, fifty per cent of heroes smoked, which grew to 71 per cent in the 1990s and 86 per cent currently."The heroes are smoking and not the villains," he said.

online available at- http://www.spiritindia.com/health-care-news-articles-8916.html

India's Delhi, Mumbai to become smoke free

Peopl's Daily online

27 April 2007

News - India's Delhi, Mumbai to become smoke free

In an attempt to protect the citizens from second-hand smoke, the Indian government has announced that New Delhi and Mumbai would go smoke free, New Delhi Television (NDTV) reported on Friday.
Both the cities are expected to prohibit smoking in public places by 2009, including workplaces, the report said.
The new measure means Mumbai should be smoke-free by 2009 and Delhi will be smoke free by the time when it's ready to host the Commonwealth Games.
The news channel also reported that every eight seconds, someone in the world dies of a smoking-related disease.
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco causes one in 10 deaths worldwide.
By 2010, it is estimated that the annual global cost of tobacco use will be half a trillion dollars. This is more money than the combined Gross Domestic Product of 174 of the 192 member countries of the United Nations, NDTV reported.

online available at- http://english.people.com.cn/200704/27/eng20070427_370412.html

‘Multiplex Mobile Medical Units’: Responding to diverse HIV healthcare needs

‘Multiplex Mobile Medical Units’: Responding to diverse HIV healthcare needs

Bobby Ramakant from Ahmedabad (Gujarat)


[E.X.C.E.R.P.T.S... Healthcare needs of underserved communities are diverse and manifold. With HIV pandemic ravaging through India, and appalling healthcare systems, the need is compelling to integrate different tenets of healthcare services to make effective comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support a reality. Bobby Ramakant writes on such a model intervention which brings together different healthcare services under one ‘Multiplex Mobile Medical Unit’ moving through Gujarat villages in India] .


Gujarat AIDS Prevention Unit (GAP) collaborated with The Brooklyn Hospital Center, USA and American Indian Association (AIA) to respond to these needs by coming up with a Multiplex Mobile Medical Unit, which is reasonably well-equipped bringing together medical, nursing, psychosocial counselling and pastoral care services for thousands of people from underserved communities in rural Gujarat (many of them living with HIV). The Brooklyn Hospital Center (USA) has sent a team of senior medical experts as well.

HIV gradually subdues the immune system of people living with the virus so that opportunistic infections (OIs) such as candidiasis, meningitis and tuberculosis can then exploit the body’s weakened defences. People living in poorer parts of India often have no access to clean water and sanitation, have bad nutrition and already weak health status, and are constantly challenged by a variety of infectious diseases. These factors place them at greater risk of HIV-associated OIs and are believed to significantly shorten the interval between initial HIV infection and the onset of AIDS-related conditions. As a result, HIV/AIDS is often called the ‘quintessential disease of poverty’.

Stigma associated with HIV prevailing in communities is enormous and has impeded the AIDS response of India considerably, said Dr Radium Bhattacharya, President of Indian Network of NGOs on HIV/AIDS (INN) and Chairperson of Gujarat AIDS Prevention Unit (GAP).

People with high-risk lifestyles or those living with HIV have to confront huge levels of stigma at every step – even within the healthcare settings. This makes it all the more difficult for them to have access to existing health services including HIV testing, detection of sexually transmitted infections (STI), STI treatment, regular screenings for opportunistic infections (OIs) and treatments (especially TB which continues to be the largest killer of people living with HIV despite of the fact that TB treatment is available free of cost and TB is curable!), nutritional counseling and food security, and not-to-forget other specialized medical care including antenatal care, paediatric care, and general medicine as well.

Quality counseling of people (with or without HIV) is very important. Most of the people with high risk behaviours in their lives have been craving for compassion and deprived of access to information and services as well. It is vital for counselors to establish a rapport with individuals before trying to redress their problems. Nothing is more therapeutic than compassionate shoulder, says Dr Radium.

Multiplex mobile medical unit is a response to the needs of the community in rural areas. The challenge was to provide high-quality medical care, which is free of cost (affordable), within the reach of people in their own communities (mobile clinics are accessible) and provide for an array of services from counseling, testing, medical care and provision of medicines as well. All the staff working in these mobile clinics demonstrated high sensitivity to issues around HIV, and people living with HIV have themselves taken leadership in putting up the camp as well.

India at least has more than 5 million people living with HIV. The incidence of HIV in rural India is rising. With gravely inadequate healthcare system to fall back upon, it is critically important to bolster our public education and health literacy programmes in rural India, said Dr Radium Bhattacharya, who also volunteers for AIDS CARE WATCH global campaign (www.aidscarewatch.org).

With inadequate treatment programmes especially those of anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy, the number of people requiring 2nd line drugs is alarming. GAP is providing 2nd line ARV therapy to 5 patients who had developed resistance against 1st line ARV therapy earlier.

Jogender Upadhyay, a force behind community mobilization at GAP, said that Multiplex Mobile Medical Unit is a resultant of a survey on the needs of medical services carried out in the last 3 years in 20 villages of Prantij Taluka in Sabarkantha district (Gujarat). Total population of these three villages is around 60,000. These mobile medical units are providing family health counseling, reproductive and sexual health counseling, free condom demonstration and distribution, pre-test voluntary counseling, check up for opportunistic infections, sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract infections and appropriate treatment, nutritional support, TB counseling, drug adherence counseling and treatment literacy, gender and foeticide awareness by multiple ways including poster exhibitions, street plays, games and inter-personal communication with the expert counselors.

There are some simple approaches to keep people with HIV alive. Many of them are already readily available, affordable and effective:

- Voluntary counselling and testing for HIV as the entry point for access to all health care services and self management
- Prevention and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in people living with HIV
- Drugs to treat/prevent other opportunistic infections (e.g., cotrimoxazole, fluconazole etc)
- Home- and community-based care approaches
- Tackling HIV-related stigma, especially in health care settings, which often keeps people away from health services
- Pharmacotherapy (e.g., methadone) for recovering injection drug users
- Traditional healing and treatment approaches
- Promoting food security and micronutrient provision.

People living with HIV often become entry points to communities in the provision of integrated AIDS-related services. This initiative is also effective in community education and delivery of a broad range of AIDS care services at the doorstep of the people in rural India. Community members are glad that quality healthcare services have been brought home for them.
‘HIV is not a death sentence’ said a person living with HIV who came to this mobile medical unit. He firmly believes that AIDS-related conditions can be prevented and treated with established forms of care, support and treatment.

Such initiatives bring hope to people living with HIV. With 70% of Indian population in rural areas, the massive challenge is to make such interventions sustainable and replicable across the country.

Bobby Ramakant

(The author is a health and development journalist writing for newspapers in Asia, Middle East and Africa. He is a Key Correspondent to HDN (www.TheCorrespondent.org). He can be contacted at: bobbyramakant@yahoo.com)

Two out of five cancer cases in India due to tobacco

India e-news
April 25 2007
New Delhi

News -Two out of five cancer cases in India due to tobacco

Claiming that nearly 2,000 Indians die due to cancer every day, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Tuesday said at least two out of every five cancer cases in the country were due to tobacco consumption.

'In India more than 40 percent of cancer cases are due to tobacco. The relationship between oral cancer and tobacco can be assessed from the WHO estimates according to which 91 percent of oral cancers in Southeast Asia are directly attributable to the use of tobacco,' Ramadoss said.
'India has been a forerunner in the fight against the tobacco epidemic which claims over 2,000 lives in my country every day,' the minister told reporters at a cancer awareness programme organised by the American Cancer Society here.

The minister said India would set up a national regulatory authority to oversee the effective implementation of the tobacco-related laws. It would be formed under the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12).

'A prohibition on sale of tobacco products through vending machines, ban on sale of tobacco products by minors and a ban on visible stacking of tobacco products at the point of sale have also been proposed through an amendment to the rules to restrict youth's access,' he added.

He said, tobacco control is a multi-sectoral issue and in order to ensure effective coordination among stakeholders, his ministry had constituted a multi-sectoral task force, which includes representatives from various government departments and civil society groups.

In recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of tobacco control, an award called 'Tumbakoo Virodh Puraskar' (anti-tobacco campaign award) will be conferred in four categories - individuals, institutions, civil society organisations and state governments on May 31, the World No Tobacco Day every year.

online available at - http://www.indiaenews.com/health/20070425/48820.htm

Dedicated programme for tobacco control under Eleventh Plan: Ramadoss

News -Dedicated programme for tobacco control under Eleventh Plan: Ramadoss

Apr 24 2007

New Delhi

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday said that a dedicated National Programme for Tobacco Control will be instituted under the Eleventh Five Year Plan.

Delivering the keynote address at the American Cancer Society's (ACS) 'Leadership Training Programme on Community based Cancer Control', Ramadoss said: "Under the programme, a National Regulatory Authority (NRA) to monitor and regulate the effective implementation of tobacco control laws will be set up".

The vital components of the programme include a State/District level programme and setting up of tobacco testing laboratories for content regulation.A public awareness campaign highlighting the ill-effects of tobacco will also be launched under this programme.

In India more than 40 per cent of cancer cases are caused due to tobacco. On an average, tobacco claims over 2000 lives in the country every day.To curb the epidemic, a comprehensive tobacco control legislation has been enacted, which include provisions like ban on smoking in public places, prohibition on sale to minors and ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

The Health Ministry has also instituted the "Tumbakoo Virodh Puraskar" to be conferred in four categories, namely individual, institutions, civil society organisations and State governments on the World No Tobacco Day every year.

online available at- http://www.dailyindia.com/show/136147.php/Dedicated-programme-for-tobacco-control-under-Eleventh-Plan:-Ramadoss

Enforce global tobacco treaty

Madhya Pradesh

April 24 2007

Personal Thought: Enforce global tobacco treaty

By - Bobby Ramakant

[ It is the first legal instrument designed to reduce tobacco-related deaths and disease around the world.] No More Tobacco please...... read more. thanks

Why do we need a global tobacco treaty to prevent needless diseases, disabilities and deaths attributed to tobacco use in India and national legislation wasn't enough?

India ratified the global tobacco treaty, better known as Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), on 5 February 2004. FCTC was developed as a global response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. Adopted in May 2003 by the 56th World Health Assembly, FCTC quickly became one of the most widely embraced treaties in history, becoming international binding law on 27 February 2005.

Increased trade, foreign investment, global marketing and other complex international phenomena have led to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. As the epidemic transcends national borders, its control requires international cooperation and multilateral regulation.

Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world, with an estimated 4.9 million deaths a year. If current smoking patterns continue, the toll will nearly double by 2020. A high percentage of deaths (70%) will occur in developing countries. Tobacco kills people at the height of their productivity, depriving families of breadwinners and nations of a healthy workforce.

There is no doubt that reducing the rates of uptake and consumption of tobacco will save lives and that the FCTC is the evidence-based tool with which to do it. It has been projected that with a progressive 50% reduction in uptake and consumption rates, as many as 200 million lives could be saved by the year 2050 AD and hundreds of millions more thereafter.

By becoming Parties (signing and ratifying FCTC by national parliaments) and implementing the provisions of the treaty where it counts most ¨C at country level ¨C countries are working towards a tobacco-free world and towards millions of lives saved. 146 countries have signed and ratified the treaty so far.

It is the first legal instrument designed to reduce tobacco-related deaths and disease around the world.

Among its many measures, the FCTC treaty requires countries to impose restrictions on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion; establish new packaging and labelling of tobacco products; establish clean indoor air controls; and strengthen legislation to clamp down on tobacco smuggling.

Tobacco products are advertised through sports events, music events, films, fashion - in fact, any place where the tobacco industry can target potential new smokers (young people). The treaty obliges Party States to undertake a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, as far as their constitutions permit.

online available at - http://www.centralchronicle.com/20070424/2404303.htm

Asia's Cancer Rate May Pose Threat to Economic Growth (Update1)

Bloomberg.com

23 April 2007

London

News - Asia's Cancer Rate May Pose Threat to Economic Growth (Update1)

April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Asia's cancer rate may jump by almost 60 percent to 7.1 million new cases a year by 2020, straining the region's ill-prepared health systems, said Richard Horton, editor of the British medical journal Lancet.
Aging populations, tobacco use and increasing rates of obesity are fueling the incidence of deadly tumors in Asian patients too poor to afford the most advanced treatments including Herceptin and Avastin, sold by Roche Holding AG, the drugmaker based in Basel, Switzerland, Horton said April 21 at an international cancer meeting in Singapore.
Asia's prevalence of cancer deaths may climb 45 percent to 163 per 100,000 people by 2030 from about 112 per 100,000 in 2005, according to the World Health Organization. At that rate it would overtake the Americas, where cancer-related mortalities are expected to rise to 156 per 100,000 from 136 over the same period. Europe, which has the highest prevalence at 215 per 100,000, may increase about 9 percent to 234 per 100,000.
``There really is going to be an incredible pandemic of cancer like we've not seen -- we couldn't have imagined it -- over the next 20 years,'' Horton said in an interview in Singapore, where he spoke at the Lancet Asia Medical Forum. ``We barely have the health systems to handle infectious diseases, so how on earth are we going to deal with this?''
Cancer already kills more people worldwide than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. Spending to prevent and treat chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes may slow the expansion of China and India, the world's two fastest-growing major economies, researchers said at the meeting in Singapore.
`A Fortune'
``It is going to cost them a fortune in terms of health care expenditure,'' Horton said, adding that it will ``eliminate a huge number of people from the labor market. We think AIDS is a disaster to the world now. You have seen nothing yet.''
It costs close to $50,000 in Great Britain to treat a breast cancer patient using Herceptin, which generated $3.2 billion in sales last year for Roche and its partner South San Francisco, California-based Genentech Inc. In comparison, per capita government expenditure on health was $4 in Bangladesh, $7 in India, $11 in Indonesia and $22 in China in 2003, according to data compiled by the WHO.
Asia accounted for about half the 7 million cancer deaths worldwide in 2002, with 23 percent in China alone, D. Maxwell Parkin, a visiting research fellow at the University of Oxford's clinical trial service unit, told the two-day forum.
Health Insurance
``Historically in developing countries, people died before they could get cancer,'' said You-Lin Qiao, a professor of cancer epidemiology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing. ``Now they are living longer, we're seeing more cancer'' and degenerative diseases of the brain, he said.
The majority of China's rural dwellers don't have health insurance, Qiao said in an interview. The cost of treatment, therefore, is borne by the entire family.
Attacks on China's medical personnel almost doubled last year to 9.83 million cases, with 5,519 staff injured, causing 200 million yuan ($26 million) in costs, the official Xinhua News Agency reported last week, citing Vice Minister of Health Chen Xiaohong.
The violence reflects the growing frustration in China over a health system struggling to provide affordable medical care, said Tony Mok, professor of clinical oncology in Hong Kong's Prince of Wales Hospital, who consults in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Doctor Shortage
``The doctor treats the patient,'' Mok said. ``The family thinks it is going to work. They get all their money, sell their cow, sell their house, and then the patient dies. They get very angry.''
About 1.1 million doctors and nurses are urgently needed in Southeast Asia alone, where shortages of health-care workers exist in six of the region's 11 countries, according to the WHO's 2006 World Health Report. Developing countries make up 85 percent of the world's population, but have a third of the world's radiotherapy machines, which are used to treat cancer.
``If nothing happens, there will be a disaster,'' said Franco Cavalli, president of the Geneva-based International Union Against Cancer. ``For the time being, governments don't realize, or do not want to realize, that this is a bomb which is going to explode.''
Developing nations in Asia have little access to anti- cancer drugs now, with the U.S., Europe and Japan absorbing 95 percent of the global supply, Cavalli said.
`Westernization' of Diets
Lung cancer, Asia's biggest cancer-killer and driven by tobacco-smoking, may increase 42 percent to almost 1 million deaths a year between 2005 and 2015, the Geneva-based agency reports. Stomach cancer, the second-biggest type of the disease in Asia, may grow 25 percent to 1.2 million deaths a year over the same period, the WHO says.
Still the ``Westernization'' of Asian diets, including rising consumption of alcohol and red meat, is causing higher rates of breast, colon and rectum cancer, Oxford's Parkin said.
Pursuing sophisticated drugs and technologies for treating cancer patients ``is incredibly high-cost and probably beyond the bounds of most countries'' in Asia, the Lancet's Horton said. Instead, priority should be given to a campaign to stop smoking, increase exercise and consumption of fruit and vegetables, prevent obesity and reduce salt.
``These seem simple things, but they would eradicate a vast proportion of the potential cancer burden,'' he said

online available at - http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=ajEasGsZx8R8&refer=japan

Amit Dwivedi's JANSATTA Editorial article on STAYING ALIVE WITH HIV

अमित द्विवेदी का जनसत्ता का लेख

एचआईवी के साथ जिंदगी

ITC to meet Kerala tobacco traders

News - ITC to meet Kerala tobacco traders

The Times of India
April 21 2007
New Delhi

KOZHIKODE: Representatives of the Indian Tobacco Company and traders in Kerala, who are at loggerheads over who should pay taxes on cigarettes, will meet in Kochi on April 22 in a final bid to resolve the crisis, a leading traders body said on Thursday.

"We are meeting company representatives as a last effort and hope ITC will meet our one-point demand by agreeing to pay the 12.5 per cent Value Added Tax before fixing the maximum retail price, thereby sparing retailers from incurring the loss', Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi President, T Naseeruddin said. Noting that retailers, who on an average sold cigarettes worth Rs 10 lakh annually, would have to pay Rs 50,000 as tax if the company refused to pay VAT before fixing the MRP, he said that the government, which has recently included cigarettes also under VAT, had left the option to the company.

If the talks failed, the Samithi would then demand action against a section of the distributors, who were now `illegally engaged' in distributing cigarettes directly to the retailers bypassing wholesale traders, he said. "Anyone involved in the trade will have to necessarily possess a VAT registration and salesman permit to sell the product. We will seek stern action against the offenders in case our talks fail and if sales still continue', he said.

on line available at - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India/ITC_to_meet_Kerala_tobacco_traders/articleshow/1924843.cms

Another Death of pregnant woman with HIV is Alarming

Online at: http://www.theseoultimes.com/ST/db/read.php?idx=5099




Another Death of pregnant woman with HIV is Alarming
Saturday 7 April 2007
The Seoul Times
South Korea

It is not only shocking that alarming levels of HIV associated stigma and discrimination runs high in MP but also that despite of repeated alerts sounded on rising maternal mortality in the state, nothing much has improved.

By Bobby Ramakant

On World Health Day 7 April 2007: A 30-year-old pregnant woman who was living with HIV died outside the hospital building in Indore (Madhya Pradesh state (MP), India) after the government healthcare staff denied to provide adequate medical care and hospital admission.
It is not only shocking that alarming levels of HIV associated stigma and discrimination runs high in MP but also that despite of repeated alerts sounded on rising maternal mortality in the state, nothing much has improved.

Madhya Pradesh figures among the list of those Indian states where maternal mortality is high, particularly in rural areas, where the healthcare system is virtually non-existent and awareness on the subject among the people extremely low.

According to UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh along with Assam and Uttar Pradesh, has a high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of 700 or more per 100,000 live births as against the national figure of 407 per 100,000 live births as per the 2001 Census figures. However, regional disparities in maternal mortality are wide with the death ratio being low in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Punjab and extremely high in most northern states in India.

President of Madhya Pradesh Network of People living with HIV (MPNP+) Manoj Verma said that on 3 April 2007, a 30-year-old pregnant woman who was living with HIV, died outside MY Hospital after the government healthcare staff refused to admit the patient. She was referred from Bhuranpur, Nehru Hospital, village Gambhirpura on 31 March 2007.

After the preliminary examination, she was referred and was taken to the ward for admission. But when the doctors came to know of her HIV positive status, they intentionally discharged the patient despite of the fact that she was in labor pains. But the doctors blatantly refused to admit her. While the patient came from the fifth floor of the hospital and reached the compound, she delivered the baby girl near the water tank of the MY Hospital. The relatives again tried to approach the healthcare staff to re-admit her but the security guards refused their entry into the hospital building.

As her condition was critical on 2 April 2007 she was brought to the MY Hospital at 9.30 am and fortunately got hospital admission, but was not fortunate enough to get proper medical attention. On 3 April 2007, her condition worsened, with no doctors to attend to her and she succumbed owing to severe medical negligence during and after child birth. She belonged to 'Banjaran' backward class and had five children.

MPNP+ President Manoj called the collector of Indore who asked him to register an FIR (first Information Report) at the nearest police station. However the nearest Sayogitha Gunj police station refused to lodge an FIR.

"I am shocked to hear of the blatant discrimination against a pregnant HIV+ woman in the hospital in Indore. This is even more so because right now there is a huge campaign by UNICEF and others to work on maternal health issues in MP" said India's noted women's health rights activist Jashodhara Dasgupta of SAHAYOG (www.sahayogindia.org).

Many reports reveal the extent to which people are stigmatised and discriminated against by health care systems in India. Many studies reveal the reality of withheld treatment, non-attendance of hospital staff to patients, HIV testing without consent, lack of confidentiality and denial of hospital facilities and medicines.

Fear of discrimination often prevents people living with HIV from seeking existing healthcare services. Perhaps the most conspicuous context for HIV/AIDS-related discrimination, stigmatization, and denial is the health care sector in India, whether public or private. Many infected people trace some of their AIDS-related fear, anxiety, and denial to their traumatic experiences in health care settings.

Health activists in India stress on the dire need to frame strategies to address women's health care, including HIV vulnerabilities, in the context of rights. The issues they seek to resolve include confidentiality, partner notification, and free and informed consent — all difficult issues for women who risk violence and neglect if their HIV status is disclosed. Without increasing gender sensitivity among health planners, healthcare workers, policymakers, judiciary, and other stakeholders, the high rates of maternal mortality fuelled with HIV associated stigma are unlikely to come down.

Bobby Ramakant, author is a senior health and development journalist, writing for newspapers in Asia and Africa.

Cancer Photos to Discourage Tobacco Users

The SEOUL TIMES
Seoul, South Korea
Friday 13 April 2007

Online at: http://www.theseoultimes.com/ST/db/read.php?idx=5128

Cancer Photos to Discourage Tobacco Users

By Bobby RamakantPublic Health Writer



X-Ray picture of lung cancer Health warning labels, both on cigarette packages and on all tobacco marketing materials, help create informed consent between tobacco companies and their customers and are an inexpensive and important first step in a national health education programme. On May 16, 2005, Republic of Korea had ratified the World's fist corporate accountability and public health treaty - FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control). Article 11 of the FCTC states that warning messages should cover at least 50% of the principal display areas of the package (i.e. both the front and back), but at a minimum must cover at least 30% of the principal display areas. It also requires that the messages be rotated and encourages the use of pictures and pictograms as well as the use of non-health messages ( e.g. "Quit smoking — Save money"). "We have tried everything but it has been of no use. So now we have decided to put scary photos of cancer patients on tobacco products to discourage consumers" said India's Union Health Minister Dr Ambumani Ramadoss on April 10, 2007 at the New Delhi summit of CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).

Dr Ramadoss further announced that "all tobacco products would from June 1, 2007, bear photographs of patients suffering from cancer caused by tobacco consumption as further warning." Tobacco product packaging should be designed to maximize informed consent on the part of the consumer, not to maximize the appeal of the product. Strong and prominent health warning labels, limits on labels such as "slim" and "light," package inserts containing detailed health and ingredient information, and standardized packaging formats are among the ways to accomplish this goal. Unfortunately, warning labels tend to be weak in all but a few countries. More than 40 developing countries do not require any warning labels at all. Of those that do, 73% require weakly worded warnings on the side of the package and many of those are in English rather than local languages. Numerous studies have been done to determine which elements are most important in creating effective labels. Findings include:* To command attention, warning labels should occupy a minimum of 25% of the top of the front and back of the package. They should be in black and white or other sharply contrasting colors. Type style and size also must be specified to avoid industry efforts to undermine the impact of the warning.

* Messages should be unequivocal, simple, and stark. They should convey both the nature and magnitude of the risks, since studies show smokers underestimate most risks associated with tobacco use. Pictorial warnings may also be appropriate, particularly in countries with low literacy rates or where research shows that smokers are ignoring standard warning labels. Several nations have implemented strong health warning label requirements. Examples include:
- Canada, whose health minister recently proposed enlarging the labels from 30% of the package face to 60%;
- Thailand, which has added the message "SMOKING CAUSES IMPOTENCE" to its list of required warnings; and
- Australia, which was the first nation to require that "how to quit" information be printed on every pack.
- South Africa, Singapore and Poland also require strong warning labels.Tobacco companies use words such as "light," "ultralight," "slim" and "superslim" in their brand names and in their marketing materials. Research suggests that these words are intended to make implicit health claims minimizing the harmfulness of the product, and may encourage smokers motivated to quit to switch to a "light" brand. These words also appeal to smokers, primarily women, who believe they can use cigarettes to lose weight. These pictorial warnings provide smokers with helpful information on the health effects. Most smokers want this information, and certainly want their children to have this information too. The tobacco industry is continuing its decades-long strategy of trying to minimize the effectiveness of package warnings. The tobacco industry is no friend of smokers — and ironically it's true that 'the tobacco industry kills its best customers.' Also package warnings are a good public health strategy because the cost of package warnings is paid for by tobacco companies, not government. Also this should not be looked upon as an isolated initiative rather has to be supported by comprehensive healthcare, legislations and education programmes to attain long-run public health gains.

Bobby Ramakant, who serves as The Seoul Times columnist, is a member of NATT, Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals, and edits Weekly MONiTOR series, reporting violations of tobacco control policies as a senior public health and development journalist. He writes for newspapers in 11 countries and can be reached at bobbyramakant@yahoo.com)
---------------
Keep-The-Promise Campaign is a 120 days (7 April – 4 August 2007) media advocacy and communications campaign dedicated to raise awareness about existing tobacco control legislations (including FCTC) in countries in Asia and Africa, bring out challenges in their enforcement and increase media coverage of the same. The campaign shall also remind of promises made on tobacco control by policy makers of different countries in Asia and Africa and strengthen advocacy to Keep The Promises! More details about the KTP Campaign are available online at:
http://mycitizennews.blogspot.com/2007/04/keep-promise-campaign.html

Is Tobacco Company Seriously Concerned About People's Lungs In Pakistan ?

Online at: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00265.htm

New Zealand
Scoop Independent News
17 April 2007

TIME-TO-PONDER: Is Tobacco Company Seriously Concerned About People's Lungs In Pakistan ?


By Bobby Ramakant

Will Pakistan Tobacco Company protect people's lungs by building environment parks alone? Nine out of ten lung cancers are attributed to tobacco use, says Pakistan's noted expert Prof Javaid Khan. Time to seriously ponder and act on to make effective tobacco control a reality.
A colour newspaper advertisement (see below) was published in Pakistan 's newspapers to announce the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Ghourghushti Environment Park in Attock district by collaborative efforts of Pakistan Tobacco Company and Government of Pakistan on 8 April 2007 . Prime Minister Mr Shaukat Aziz laid the stone.
Pakistan is one of the 146 countries that have ratified the global tobacco treaty and in doing so has taken a great step forward in protecting the health and lives of its citizens from the tobacco epidemic. Formally known as the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the treaty aims to reverse the tobacco epidemic by changing the way tobacco corporations operate around the world.

"On one hand the government of Pakistan ratified FCTC and committed itself to comprehensive tobacco control, yet they are accepting money from the tobacco industry to create a public park at Attock District (NWFP)" said Senior Chest Physician and noted tobacco control advocate Prof (Dr) Javaid Khan from Aga Khan University. He further said that "By such collaboration, tobacco industry is trying to tell the public that they are doing public welfare for the country. Previously they also claimed that they have made mobile dispensaries for poor patient and planted million of trees in the country to help the environment. Our government should not accept money from the tobacco industry as this money is tainted with the blood of those who have died from tobacco related diseases".

If tobacco industry is seriously interested in public welfare, the first step it can take on its own is to reduce the mountainous burden of diseases, disabilities and deaths attributed to tobacco use. By building environment parks for people's lungs and hoping people will believe that they are concerned about their lungs, tobacco industry must be kidding! People of Pakistan are smart enough to understand that the single largest preventable cause of lung cancer is tobacco.
"Unfortunately, tobacco corporations like British American Tobacco, Philip Morris/Altria and their subsidiaries (Pakistan Tobacco Company is the subsidiary of BAT) have attempted to interfere with the implementation and enforcement of the global tobacco treaty in countries around the world. These corporations use their tremendous political influence to weaken, delay and defeat tobacco control legislation around the world." said Kathryn Mulvey, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability International (www.stopcorporateabuse.org ).

Corporate Accountability International has been urging governments to be attentive to tobacco industry interference in public health policy, said Kathryn Mulvey. BAT and Philip Morris/Altria spend millions annually in an attempt to brand themselves as "socially responsible" corporations. This allows them to hide behind glossy image make-overs while continuing to promote tobacco addiction to children and adults around the world.

"Pakistan Tobacco Company sought to curry public favor through a public-private partnership to build the Ghourgushti Environment Park in Pakistan's Attock district. Pakistan's Prime Minister Mr. Shaukat Aziz accepted the tobacco corporation's invitation to lay the foundation stone at the Park's ground-breaking. This behavior is one clear example of tobacco corporations seeking to buy favor with the public and with elected officials" said Mulvey.

All around the world, people are rejecting Big Tobacco's attempts to interfere with health policy. And people of Pakistan are no exception. Let us hope that Government of Pakistan will dissociate itself from this 'environment park' venture with Pakistan Tobacco Company to begin with and further strengthen its commitment to global tobacco treaty.
*************
(The author is a senior health and development journalist writing for newspapers in Asia and Africa. He is a member of Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) and can be reached at: bobbyramakant@yahoo.com

Online at: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00325.htm

Avian Influenza in Egypt
Bobby Ramakant
Scoop Independent News
New Zealand
19 April 2007
***************

"What is avian influenza?" asks a senior lady doctor working in one of the leading hospitals in Cairo. It is not a surprise because in present times we all are so focused with our own respective professions and interests, that it becomes hard to know all about all.

The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population has announced two new human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection. The cases have been confirmed by the Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratory and by the US Naval Medical Research Unit No.3 (NAMRU-3).

The first case, a 2-year-old female from Menia Governorate, developed symptoms on 3 April 2007 and was admitted to hospital the following day. She is currently in a stable condition. Initial investigations into the source of her infection indicate recent contact with backyard poultry.

The second case is a 15-year-old female from Cairo Governorate. She developed symptoms on 30 March 2007 and was admitted to hospital on 5 April 2007 where she remains in a critical condition.

Of the 34 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 13 have been fatal.

Avian influenza, or "bird flu", is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans.

In domestic poultry, infection with avian influenza viruses causes two main forms of disease, distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence. The so-called "low pathogenic" form commonly causes only mild symptoms (ruffled feathers, a drop in egg production) and may easily go undetected. The highly pathogenic form is far more dramatic. It spreads very rapidly through poultry flocks, causes disease affecting multiple internal organs, and has a mortality that can approach 100%, often within 48 hours.

Influenza viruses are grouped into three types, designated A, B, and C. Influenza A and B viruses are of concern for human health. Only influenza A viruses can cause pandemics.

Influenza A viruses have 16 H subtypes and 9 N subtypes. Only viruses of the H5 and H7 subtypes are known to cause the highly pathogenic form of the disease. However, not all viruses of the H5 and H7 subtypes are highly pathogenic and not all will cause severe disease in poultry.

On present understanding, H5 and H7 viruses are introduced to poultry flocks in their low pathogenic form. When allowed to circulate in poultry populations, the viruses can mutate, usually within a few months, into the highly pathogenic form. This is why the presence of an H5 or H7 virus in poultry is always a cause for concern, even when the initial signs of infection are mild.

The current outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, which began in South-East Asia in mid-2003, are the largest and most severe on record. Never before in the history of this disease have so many countries been simultaneously affected, resulting in the loss of so many birds.

The widespread persistence of H5N1 in poultry populations poses two main risks for human health.

The first is the risk of direct infection when the virus passes from poultry to humans, resulting in very severe disease. Of the few avian influenza viruses that have crossed the species barrier to infect humans, H5N1 has caused the largest number of cases of severe disease and death in humans. Unlike normal seasonal influenza, where infection causes only mild respiratory symptoms in most people, the disease caused by H5N1 follows an unusually aggressive clinical course, with rapid deterioration and high fatality. Primary viral pneumonia and multi-organ failure are common. In the present outbreak, more than half of those infected with the virus have died. Most cases have occurred in previously healthy children and young adults.

A second risk, of even greater concern, is that the virus – if given enough opportunities – will change into a form that is highly infectious for humans and spreads easily from person to person. Such a change could mark the start of a global outbreak (a pandemic).

Direct contact with infected poultry, or surfaces and objects contaminated by their faeces, is presently considered the main route of human infection. To date, most human cases have occurred in rural or periurban areas where many households keep small poultry flocks, which often roam freely, sometimes entering homes or sharing outdoor areas where children play. As infected birds shed large quantities of virus in their faeces, opportunities for exposure to infected droppings or to environments contaminated by the virus are abundant under such conditions. Exposure is considered most likely during slaughter, defeathering, butchering, and preparation of poultry for cooking.

In areas experiencing outbreaks, poultry and poultry products can also be safely consumed provided these items are properly cooked and properly handled during food preparation. The H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat. Normal temperatures used for cooking (70oC in all parts of the food) will kill the virus. Consumers need to be sure that all parts of the poultry are fully cooked (no "pink" parts) and that eggs, too, are properly cooked (no "runny" yolks).

World Health Organization says that avian influenza is not transmitted through cooked food. To date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even when these foods were contaminated with the H5N1 virus.


*************
(The author is a senior health and development journalist writing for newspapers in Asia, Middle East and Africa. He can be contacted at: bobbyramakant@yahoo.com)

Cubernoon.com
April 20 2007


News- Are Indian youth turning towards violence too?

The recent shooting at America’s esteemed Virginia Tech campus has raised concern about our youth

The Virginia Tech shootout is the worst of a long line of American campus firings. Though other options have opened up, America still remains one of the top countries for higher studies.

However, this incident where two Indians have lost their lives might change the attitudes of many. Moreover, some fear that the Indian youth might be treading the same path right now. Sukaina Esmail, an independent psychologist who works with a juvenile home did not have a very positive response to give when asked if it is possible that in a few years’ time India will experience such incidents on campuses.“Unfortunately, yes,” she said. “Since I work with a juvenile centre, I know what I am talking about, when I say that today’s teenagers are increasingly moving towards violence.”

She gave us a profile of the shooter, or rather, of anyone who gets so hot under the collar that picking up a gun and shooting people around him is the only option left in his mind. “Such a person most definitely comes from a very unstable home,” she said. “It is a process of dulling the mind about right and wrong which arises from a combination of factors, the leading one being inadequate parental morals. This person has probably been exposed to a lot of violence, either at home or through television, and has an inability to delay his gratification. Usually an incident that is perceived to be a personal failure triggers the violence.”

One of the theories is that Cho Seung-Hui, the shooter, started shooting after his alleged girlfriend, Emily Jane Hilscher, broke up with him. His dormitory mates said that nobody knew much about him as he was always a bonafide loner. Cho Seung-Hui suspected Emily Jane Hilscher of having an affair with twenty two-year-old Ryan Clark, her neighbour on the fourth floor of the West Ambler Johnston Hall dormitory. At 7:15am Cho shot his ex-girlfriend and Clark. However, no immediate action was taken. The reason for this lapse is relatively unknown. Shooting resumed two hours later.

The Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, Steven Flaherty, is known to have stated that the police are looking into the possibility of two different shooters. Cho shot himself upon being surrounded by the police. When we contacted Dr. Kirti Narain, Principal of Jai Hind College, she stated that such a situation cannot arise in India but stressed on the words ‘as of now’.“It is very difficult to predict at this juncture, but as of now looking at the current scenario, I do not think such shootouts can happen in Indian colleges with such regularity,” she said. Dr. Narain attributes this thought to the family support systems and early inculcation of values available to young Indians even in this era of fast drugs and a fast lifestyle.“There will be stray incidents of course, but such incidents are very common in the US,” she continued. “Such kind of deep-seated anger that would lead to picking up a gun and shooting your peers, colleagues and friends is not something we are likely to witness at this point. Of course, one never knows what the future might hold.”Jai Hind takes care of its students by not only providing formal counselling to them but also making the faculty members as available to their needs as possible.“I have always maintained this and I say it again,” said Dr. Narain. “Bringing up a responsible and secure generation of young adults requires the efforts of a three-tiered system: parents, society and educational institutes.

Jai Hind by its very nature chooses to be compassionate to the students. Formal counselling is not the only option available to our children.”Nineteen-year-old Sarnath Pawar is a student at IIT, Powai. He admits to getting stressed more than his peers as he stays away from his family, based in Calcutta.“I have been in Bombay for the last year and half now, and I have made friends,” he said. “Whenever I am stressed I only have to call up my parents. My mother is always there to talk to me about my problems.”Pawar admits to having been very shy when he had first made the shift.“I used to do nothing but study,” he said. “I had no social life and barely spoke to anyone for long. Even today I am not as social as others around me but I do have a good set of friends, most of whom are from out-of-town as well. Good friends ease stressful moments, just like family.”When asked about America, Pawar said that he cannot blame the youth as their parents have clearly done a ‘not-so-great job’ of bringing them up.“Out there they have no sense of the word family,” he said. “Most of the times parents don’t know what their children are doing. It is not about controlling them; it is about caring enough to know what’s going on in your child’s life. And also American parents have strange lifestyles. Even celebrities do whatever they want, no matter what they are famous for. Children don’t have good role models there. So they don’t know how to be role models themselves.”While school and college shootings in America are common, many expressed shock that such an incident had occurred on the Virginia Tech campus. It was regarded as one of America’s safest campuses. But this is not the first time it was the scene of a shootout. In August 2006, the opening day of classes was cancelled and the campus closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off campus and fled to the Tech area. A sheriff’s deputy involved in the manhunt was killed on a trail around the campus. The accused gunman, William Morva was ultimately caught.
History of shootings in the past The most horrific of all American campus shootings occurred in 1966 at the University of Texas. He climbed up on the campus tower – 307 feet tall – and shot for 96 uninterrupted minutes before the police could bring him down. Having trained in the military, he excelled at hitting moving targets.The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado. Two teenage students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, carried out a shooting rampage, killing twelve students and a teacher, as well as wounding twenty-four others, before committing suicide. After the 2007 Virginia Tech and the Texas University massacres, this is the most horrific.In November 2005, Tennessee, the Principal and Acting Administrator John Klang has lost his life. John was a true hero who was shot 3 times while trying to protect his students and staff from a 15-year-old student who was armed with a shotgun, and a .9mm handgun. March 2007. A sixteen-year-old male killed himself while in the band hallway area of the school around 7:15 a.m. No other students were injured. January 2007. An 18-year-old was arrested for shooting and killing a 17-year-old at their school.

The suspect allegedly shot the victim in the face and then stood over him, firing twice more.December 2006. A 16-year-old shot and killed himself with an AK-47 assault rifle in the hallway of his high school. September 2006. Five Duquesne University basketball players were wounded after a shooting on campus after a dance. One of the two shooters was allegedly upset that his date had talked to one of the athletes.August 2006. After shooting his father, a student opened fire at his high school, injuring two students. Deputies found guns, ammunition, and homemade pipe bombs in the student’s car. August 2006. A gunman shoots five people, killing two of them, in a rampage through two houses and an elementary school, before wounding himself.March 2005. Ten killed (shooter killed nine and then himself) and seven injured in rampage by high school student.March 2005. A school bus driver was shot and killed on duty by a 14-year-old who had been reported to administrators by the driver for chewing tobacco on the bus.

online available at -http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=fromthepress&subsection=inbombay&xfile=April2007_inbombay_standard12680

Companies are stressing on health’

News : - ‘Companies are stressing on health’

DNA
18 April 2007
New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: Healthcare benefits, work-life balance and perks are increasingly becoming important to companies in India which want to keep employees happy and attract new talent, says a report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

With office work getting sedentary, the global workforce is increasingly becoming obese, sicker and less productive due to chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

The Indian companies are developing comprehensive wellness programmes for their employees. The programmes are being developed in recognition of the fact that employees need to be mentally resilient to cope with work-related stress.

In its report, Working Towards Wellness: An Indian Perspective, PwC has identified chronic diseases among workers as a growing and costly threat to companies as a result of which approximately two per cent of capital spent on workforce is lost to disability, absenteeism and presenteeism (diminished productivity from ill employees who go to work but work below par). These indirect costs are more than the additional direct medical claim costs that some employers incur.

Among the main causes for chronic diseases are unhealthy diet and excessive energy intake, physical inactivity and tobacco use which lead to raised blood pressure, cholesterol levels and obesity. These risks are especially significant in the Indian scenario since it is the world’s second largest consumer of tobacco.

on line available at - http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1091534

India seeks market access for farm products in China

Zee News

April 18 2007
New Delhi

News - India seeks market access for farm products in China

Beijing, April 17: India has sought increased market access for its agricultural products in China, as a way to address the growing trade surplus that Beijing has started accumulating in bilateral trade.

Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath told reporters here that he took up the matter of access to farm products during his talks with the Chinese side, besides the issue of early approvals for export of Indian tobacco.

Nath also raised the issue of the pending protocols on phyto-sanitary requirements for the export of 14 Indian fruits and vegetables to China. "The (Chinese) response was very good," he said at a briefing on separate bilateral meetings he had with his Chinese counterpart Bo Xilai and Chinese Agricultural Minister, Sun Zhengcai.

"The Chinese side assured that India's concerns on tobacco, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products would be given full attention," he said. Earlier, Nath told the Chinese leaders that as trade between the two nations grows from 25 billion USD to 40 billion USD, the deficit will start striking out at some time. "You got to keep some semblance of the gap and one of the way to make this up is adding new products into the trade basket and (market) access," the visiting minister said.

China enjoyed an impressive trade surplus of 4.11 billion USD with India in 2006, compared to just 843 million USD in 2005. Indian exports to China grew 7.05 per cent to 10.46 billion USD. However, Chinese exports to India shot up by 63.23 per cent to 14.58 billion USD, Chinese customs statistics show. During the meeting, China expressed its positive interest to the Indian proposal to extend the trading period at Nathu a border trade point from the present five to seven months in a year.

The Chinese side, referring to New Delhi's recent decision to levy an export tax of Rs 300 a tonne on iron Beijing -- the biggest buyer of Indian Ironina also raised the issue of India granting 'market economy' status to Beijing. "As a result of my meeting, we will review how we can expedite the process. Granting the market economy status is not a political decision. It is a decision that should flow out of a process," Nath said. Nath was accompanied by the Commerce Secretary, G.K. Pillai and the Indian Ambassador to WTO, U S Bhatia. The visit was to exchange views and review progress of negotiations on the Doha development agenda of the WTO.

online available at- http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=366360&ssid=50&sid=BUS

जनसत्ता JANSATTA Amit Dwivedi's article

JANSATTA
Hindi national newspaper
Amit Dwivedi's editorial article
14 April 2007
जनसत्ता
अमित द्विवेदी का सम्पादिकिये लेख

Jansatta (national newspaper)

News- Rural to royal, ITC's on fire without smoke

News- Rural to royal, ITC's on fire without smoke


THE ECONOMIC TIMES
16 APRIL 2007
New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: For six years there have been no fullstops in ITC. Now, fresh from upgrading a 30-year relationship with Starwood Hotels & Resorts from the Sheraton badge to the top-of-the-line Luxury Collection tag for his seven biggest metro hotels, ITC chairman YC Deveshwar can add another line to his three mantras “From seed to stomach”, “From fibre to fashion” and “From tree to text”. Dare we suggest, “From rural to royal?” or “ From livelihood to luxury”? Why not, since Mr Deveshwar is way down the road to transforming the tobacco-to-hotels major ITC into the country’s largest FMCG company.

From the cane-field to the catwalk, Mr Deveshwar’s strategy is to capture value across the entire spectrum of ITC’s businesses — tobacco, food, apparel, retail, hospitality, and perhaps even personal care in the future — and play across the income pyramid. “We want to be the champions of rural India. The future of the Indian markets is in its villages,” says Mr Deveshwar. So, even as ITC becomes a major player in the food business, it is following a strategy which is different from its competitors. “We want to have a potato chain, a wheat chain, and a corn chain. And we want to capture value throughout the chain,” he says.

While these are early days yet, the ITC chairman fresh into another 5-year term, appears satisfied with the progress that the company has made in the food business. “If we annualise last month’s sales of Sunfeast and Aashirvaad, each has already become a Rs 500-crore brand in a three-year period. The confectionary business, with Candyman and Minto, is also worth around Rs 200 crore, on this basis.” And then there’s the Rs 5,000 crore that ITC plans to pour into hotels, from budget Fortune Lodges in mofussil areas to the last word in luxury for its top metro properties.

Notwithstanding his enthusiasm for the non-cigarette FMCG business, when it comes to plans about entering the personal care segment, which ITC is said to be eyeing, Mr Deveshwar chooses to remain silent.

“I am not saying that we are entering the personal care segment, in addition to the premium range that we already have,” he says, but agrees that ITC’s goal of becoming India’s top FMCG company would probably not be realised until it enters this segment. Of course, it’s important not to be carried away with all the excitement around the non-cigarette FMCG business. While it’s true that the share of cigarettes in ITC’s total revenue has declined to less than 50%, cigarettes still account for 75-80% of the company’s pre-tax profits

online available at -

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Hotels__Restaurants/Rural_to_royal_ITCs_on_fire_without_smoke/articleshow/1912880.cms

News - Shopkeepers in Indian state to stop selling cigarettes

Daily Times
15 Aprir 2007
Pakistan

News - Shopkeepers in Indian state to stop selling cigarettes.

[ Kerala's traders union has taken a decision that from April 16 onwards, no shops will sell cigarettes in the state but for how long this decision will be continue...]

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A tax row between cigarette companies and vendors in southern India may force smokers to go cold turkey with shopkeepers planning to halt cigarette sales from Monday.

Shopkeepers want cigarette manufacturers to absorb a 12.5 percent value-added-tax imposed by the Communist-led government in the southern state of Kerala from April 1. But the companies have refused to do so.

“From April 16 onwards, no shops will sell cigarettes in the state. We have taken the decision to register our protest,” said T. Naseeruddin, head of the United Business and Traders Association, representing shops in the state of around 30 million people.A packet of 10 cigarettes of popular brand Wills sells for 34 rupees (80 cents) here.

The head of the state traders association said profit margins will drop drastically if the vendors bear the costs of the new tax, which will leave them only a 10-paise profit on each pack of cigarettes sold, he said. “The majority of the shopkeepers are poor and if the profit margin is very low, why should we sell it?” asked Naseerudin.

The decision, to take effect from Monday, has already resulted in the shortage of popular brands with smokers stockpiling their favourite cigarettes. “I have stocked my brand for 10 days. I don’t think that the traders will continue their protest indefinitely,” said Thomas John. afp

online available at- http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C04%5C14%5Cstory_14-4-2007_pg4_19

Pic and choose: Statutory warnings go up in smoke?

News :- Pic and choose: Statutory warnings go up in smoke?

Times of India

April 15 2007

Kanpur.

" [But would pictures serve as a viable method in India which is home to 200 million tobacco users?] "

The Health Minister wants tobacco products to carry pictorial warnings to discourage consumers. Will pictures speak louder than words? In an attempt to promote healthy living and dissuade people from smoking, the Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss recently announced that it would be mandatory for tobacco companies to carry pictorial warnings including photographs of corpses, disfigurements caused due to cancer and smoking induced impotency on cigarette and pan masala packets.

While written statutory warnings have not been able to discourage people from smoking, we find out whether picture support would prove helpful for the anti-tobacco cause or if there's a need for a stronger campaign to cut down on tobacco consumption in the country.

According to Ramadoss, no matter what the size of the packet, tobacco companies will not be able to sell their products sans pictorial warnings. But would pictures serve as a viable method in India which is home to 200 million tobacco users? "Any kind of effort to discourage people from smoking is worth applauding. What needs to be done is to make continuous efforts, lest the issue lose its seriousness," opines adman Prasoon Joshi, who had worked on a lot of anti-smoking campaigns, the latest being with Viveik Oberoi and Urmila Matondkar.

Reacting to the announcement of the Ministry, actor Suresh Oberoi, who was a chain smoker earlier, says, "When my own son stood up for this cause, I decided to kick the habit. As for the pictorial warnings, well, they would indeed catch the attention of the people, but I think those who've remained unperturbed by written statutory warnings will not be affected by pictures either." "I believe a sound campaign against tobacco consumption is required to spread awareness about the ill-effects of the same," adds Oberoi.

Interestingly, Ramadoss' proposal is not novel and pictoral warnings on tobacco products are already in place in Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Singapore. The European Union too has been pushing for pictorial warnings on cigarette packets, with Belgium already bringing in legislation to this effect.

online availabe at - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City_Supplements/Kanpur_Times/Pic_and_choose_Statutory_warnings_go_up_in_smoke/articleshow/1907330.cms

Is tobacco company seriously concerned about people's lungs in Pakistan?

Published in:
Asian Tribune: 15 April 2007: http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/5330
-----------------------------
Is tobacco company seriously concerned about people's lungs in Pakistan?

Bobby Ramakant

Will Pakistan Tobacco Company protect people's lungs by building environment parks alone? Nine out of ten lung cancers are attributed to tobacco use, says Pakistan's noted expert Prof Javaid Khan. Time to seriously ponder and act on to make effective tobacco control a reality.

A said Senior Chest Physician and noted tobacco control advocate Prof (Dr) Javaid Khan from Aga Khan University. He further said that by such collaboration, tobacco industry is trying to tell the public that they are doing public welfare for the country. Previously they also claimed that they have made mobile dispensaries for poor patient and planted million of trees in the country to help the environment. Our government should not accept money from the tobacco industry as this money is tainted with the blood of those who have died from tobacco related diseases.

If tobacco industry is seriously interested in public welfare, the first step it can take on its own is to reduce the mountainous burden of diseases, disabilities and deaths attributed to tobacco use. By building environment parks for people's lungs and hoping people will believe that they are concerned about their lungs, tobacco industry must be kidding! People of Pakistan are smart enough to understand that the single largest preventable cause of lung cancer is tobacco.

"Unfortunately, tobacco corporations like British American Tobacco, Philip Morris/Altria and their subsidiaries (Pakistan Tobacco Company is the subsidiary of BAT) have attempted to interfere with the implementation and enforcement of the global tobacco treaty in countries around the world. These corporations use their tremendous political influence to weaken, delay and defeat tobacco control legislation around the world." said Kathryn Mulvey, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability International (www.stopcorporateabuse.org ).

Corporate Accountability International has been urging governments to be attentive to tobacco industry interference in public health policy, said Kathryn Mulvey. BAT and Philip Morris/Altria spend millions annually in an attempt to brand themselves as "socially responsible" corporations. This allows them to hide behind glossy image make-overs while continuing to promote tobacco addiction to children and adults around the world.

"Pakistan Tobacco Company sought to curry public favor through a public-private partnership to build the Ghourgushti Environment Park in Pakistan's Attock district. Pakistan's Prime Minister Mr. Shaukat Aziz accepted the tobacco corporation's invitation to lay the foundation stone at the Park's ground-breaking. This behavior is one clear example of tobacco corporations seeking to buy favor with the public and with elected officials" said Mulvey.

All around the world, people are rejecting Big Tobacco's attempts to interfere with health policy. And people of Pakistan are no exception. Let us hope that Government of Pakistan will dissociate itself from this 'environment park' venture with Pakistan Tobacco Company to begin with and further strengthen its commitment to global tobacco treaty.

Bobby Ramakant

(The author is a senior health and development journalist writing for newspapers in Asia and Africa. He is a member of Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnational (NATT). He can be contacted at: bobbyramakant@yahoo.com)
-----------------------------

Keep-The-Promise Campaign is a 120 days (7 April – 4 August 2007) media advocacy and communications campaign dedicated to raise awareness about existing tobacco control legislations (including FCTC) in countries in Asia and Africa, bring out challenges in their enforcement and increase media coverage of the same. The campaign shall also remind of promises made on tobacco control by policy makers of different countries in Asia and Africa and strengthen advocacy to Keep The Promises! More details about the KTP Campaign are available online at: http://mycitizennews.blogspot.com/2007/04/keep-promise-campaign.html

Pic and choose: Statutory warnings go up in smoke?

Pic and choose: Statutory warnings go up in smoke?
Priyanka Tiwari
14 April 2007
The Times of India
---------------------------

The Health Minister wants tobacco products to carry pictorial warnings to discourage consumers. Will pictures speak louder than words?

In an attempt to promote healthy living and dissuade people from smoking, the Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss recently announced that it would be mandatory for tobacco companies to carry pictorial warnings including photographs of corpses, disfigurements caused due to cancer and smoking induced impotency on cigarette and pan masala packets.

While written statutory warnings have not been able to discourage people from smoking, we find out whether picture support would prove helpful for the anti-tobacco cause or if there's a need for a stronger campaign to cut down on tobacco consumption in the country.

According to Ramadoss, no matter what the size of the packet, tobacco companies will not be able to sell their products sans pictorial warnings. But would pictures serve as a viable method in India which is home to 200 million tobacco users?

"Any kind of effort to discourage people from smoking is worth applauding. What needs to be done is to make continuous efforts, lest the issue lose its seriousness," opines adman Prasoon Joshi, who had worked on a lot of anti-smoking campaigns, the latest being with Viveik Oberoi and Urmila Matondkar.

Reacting to the announcement of the Ministry, actor Suresh Oberoi, who was a chain smoker earlier, says, "When my own son stood up for this cause, I decided to kick the habit. As for the pictorial warnings, well, they would indeed catch the attention of the people, but I think those who've remained unperturbed by written statutory warnings will not be affected by pictures either."

"I believe a sound campaign against tobacco consumption is required to spread awareness about the ill-effects of the same," adds Oberoi.

Interestingly, Ramadoss' proposal is not novel and pictoral warnings on tobacco products are already in place in Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Singapore. The European Union too has been pushing for pictorial warnings on cigarette packets, with Belgium already bringing in legislation to this effect.

Naturally then, the medical fraternity is quite pleased with the government's proposal but at the same time, seems apprehensive too. As Dr Prakash Kumar Tripathi, consultant, respiratory medicine in Kanpur points out, "I appreciate the concern shown by the Health Ministry to discourage smoking, but I also think that people who've already been ignoring statutory warnings wouldn't take interest in looking at pictures.

Warnings alone don't help, what we need is to make people understand the adverse effects of smoking on their own health as well as that of people around them. It could be done through campaigns, advertisements on TV and radio, small documentary films andhoardings at public places."

However, Anita Peter, director of Cancer Patients Aids Association (CPAA) feels that pictures are going to have a better impact than words. She says, "In Canada, a survey conducted after implementing pictorial warnings on cigarette packs found that the number of smokers had gone down considerably.

This proves the impact of pictures on people." But she also believes that a lot more needs to be done, especially keeping in mind the youth. "Making youngsters understand the detrimental effects of smoking early on will help. It is difficult to quit smoking once you are addicted to it," she adds.

The Indian Tobacco Company has already been issuing warnings on cigarette packs. Is the idea of pictorial w-arnings supported by the company? To this PN Shangari, Branch Manager, ITC, Lucknow asserts, "Pictures aren't going to make much of a difference.

If they do help people to limit tobacco consumption, it would be good. After all, our warnings also aim at making people understand that excess of cigarette smoking is harmful."

Email: kanpur.times@timesgroup.com

Online at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City_Supplements/Kanpur_Times/Pic_and_choose_Statutory_warnings_go_up_in_smoke/articleshow/msid-1907330,curpg-1.cms

The next big healthcare question: Tobacco cessation

Online at: http://in.rediff.com/news/2007/apr/14tobacco.htm


The next big healthcare question: Tobacco cessation
Bobby Ramakant
April 14, 2007
Rediff News

“The World Health Organisation had taken a leadership with Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare to establish state-of-the-art Tobacco Cessation Clinics in
mainstream hospitals across India about 5 years back. But the number of these
clinics is far too low …Effective tobacco control doesn't seem to be a reality
unless public health and corporate accountability initiatives unite in tandem.
As we control tobacco corporations and enforce legislations to regulate tobacco
and its promotion, we also must not neglect a vital key to the whole puzzle --
tobacco cessation”

NEW DELHI: The decision of Kerala's leading traders' association not to sell cigarettes from April 16 has opened the debate about an important smoking related issue -- tobacco cessation.
There is already a ban on smoking in public places in India, but it has not been strictly enforced.

Even otherwise, the main issue in combating smoking is quality tobacco cessation and counseling services. Without these, there is no way to effectively enforce these bans.

These tobacco control policies came into being after mountainous healthcare and non-smokers' rights' advocacy initiatives and are indeed vital. If this is to be of any relevance at all, we also have to develop a fairly strong understanding of how tobacco corporations have duped young people with deceptive advertising and tobacco promotion and initiated them into tobacco use. So the 'blame' is not entirely on the tobacco users.

Tobacco cessation has emerged as a specialty of its own, and various disciplines from clinical management of nicotine dependence to faith based healings have conclusively proven to be effective in different settings.

Experts say that there is a complex and circular relationship between depression, smoking and medical illness that complicates smoking cessation in those who have a history of depression.

Depression-history smokers require a multimodal approach to assist with mood regulation and nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine dependence is associated with increased rates of depression prior to and after taking up smoking as well as increased rates of suicidal ideation.

While nicotine replacement and counselling are effective for smoking cessation, standard smoking cessation strategies may not pay sufficient attention to the needs of smokers with a depression history. Psychological and lifestyle strategies, such as motivational interviewing, relaxation exercises and mood charts, assist in mood regulation over and above the standard smoking cessation treatments for smokers with a depression history, who require more attention to relapse of depression and smoking after quitting.

The World Health Organisation had taken a leadership with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to establish state-of-the-art Tobacco Cessation Clinics in mainstream hospitals across India about 5 years back. But the number of these clinics is far too low for a population of more than a billion people. Moreover, documented studies showing higher tobacco use incidence in medical students than in general population.

Effective tobacco control doesn't seem to be a reality unless public health and corporate accountability initiatives unite in tandem. As we control tobacco corporations and enforce legislations to regulate tobacco and its promotion, we also must not neglect a vital key to the whole puzzle -- tobacco cessation.

With India struggling to even deliver basic healthcare services to a majority of underserved communities, in terms of affordability, accessibility and availability -- it is not going to be easy to integrate tobacco cessation services in existing healthcare service network.

It is clear that there is a lot to learn from other healthcare service-delivery initiatives before we go forward rapidly expanding tobacco cessation services in India.

And there is no place for complacency. Rather a sense of urgency has to drive us further.

The author is a senior health and development journalist. He is a member of the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals. He can be reached at: bobbyramakant@yahoo.com

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Keep-The-Promise Campaign is a 120 days (7 April – 4 August 2007) media advocacy and communications campaign dedicated to raise awareness about existing tobacco control legislations (including FCTC) in countries in Asia and Africa, bring out challenges in their enforcement and increase media coverage of the same. The campaign shall also remind of promises made on tobacco control by policy makers of different countries in Asia and Africa and strengthen advocacy to Keep The Promises! More details about the KTP Campaign are available online at:
http://mycitizennews.blogspot.com/2007/04/keep-promise-campaign.html