The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the World’s first ever global treaty on health. Several countries have ratified the treaty that aims to reduce tobacco use and the related health burden globally. India was among the earlier countries to sign and ratify the treaty. The treaty negotiation happens through a conference of parties that meet periodically. The last (8th) session of the conference of parties happened in Geneva. Upendra Bhojani of the Institute of Public Health (IPH) participated in the session as a civil society observer. He represented the Framework Convention Alliance, a global alliance of civil society organizations interested in ensuring better implementation of the WHO FCTC. Upendra worked as part of a team from the Department of Anthropology, Durham University doing event ethnography of the session of the Conference of the Parties.
Dr.Vijayashree Yellappa,Faculty at IPH attended meeting for WHO-TDR at Accra Ghana, from 12-16 October 2015
WHO’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) is co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bankand WHO. Its main objective is to “strengthen capacity for health research in the control of neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis and malaria and result in tangible health impact“.
IPH was one among the 26 IMPACT Grants awardees from among 23 low- and middle-income countries. IPH Research Project aims to “optimise the involvement of private sector in National TB Programme, in Tumkur district, India.
The IMPACT grants scheme is designed to optimize Interventions, Methods, Policies, Actions, Campaigns or Tools for improved health and well-being of those burdened by malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The goal is to promote a research culture within disease control programmes, stimulate demand for research, improve ability to conduct high quality research and use results effectively.
IPH has been working with Tumkur district in trying to strengthen various components of the district health system. One of the key interventions here has been to work with private practitioners in the district to better understand their integration into the National Tuberculosis control programme.This project being led by our Faculty and PhD Fellow, Vijayashree Yellappa. Earlier this month, her proposal was one of 26 proposals selected (from 460 submissions!) for the WHO-TDR IMPACT grants, a global grant-making mechanism to support innovative research on neglected priority needs for disease control. WHO-TDR is a special Programme of the WHO for research and training in Tropical Diseases and sponsored by UNICEF, the UNDP, the World Bank and WHO.
