Dental services, including regular check-ups, were among the most disrupted essential health services during the COVID-19 lockdowns. People´s reticence to visit a dentist during normal times was exacerbated by fear of venturing into an open clinic or simply not being able to, due to restrictions.  Dental hesitancy has always been around but over two years […] Continue reading ->
The high rate of smokeless tobacco consumption especially in low-and middle income countries is a looming global public health challenge. The unregulated sale of these products especially in South and South-East Asia has underscored the need to revamp the national regulations, according to the Seventh Edition of the Tobacco Atlas published Wednesday.  The report  by […] Continue reading ->
While it pales in comparison to tobacco industry marketing, two new capital investment funds worth some $75 million to support low- and middle-income countries in their fight against tobacco are being created by signatories to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and a related Protocol on illegal sales.  Together, the funds would yield an estimated […] Continue reading ->
Indian lockdowns, telehealth in California, a “sin tax” on alcohol and cigarettes in the Philippines – three public health advocates reflect on how these and other events have shaped the narrative around non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  The three included Apoorva Gomber, a medical doctor; Gina Agiostratidou, a philanthropic donor; and civil society leader Katie Dain, found […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization recommended postponing routine dental visits in areas with community transmission of COVID-19 in new guidelines released last week.  Many dental procedures can generate aerosols, or tiny solid or liquid particles that contain disease-causing pathogens. If dentists were unknowningly treating coronavirus infected patients, aerosols laden with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, […] Continue reading ->