On July 1, the Egyptian government passed a new national tobacco tax that will increase the retail price of tobacco products. The Ministry of Finance, the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health worked together, under a Bloomberg Initiative grant managed by The Union, to build support for the tax, which is expected to reduce consumption of tobacco.

The Union’s Prof AD Harries reports on the highlights of the International AIDS Conference held on 18-23 July in Vienna. He describes two trials that excited considerable interest and the new concept of “Treatment 2.0”.

The Union is a partner in the NCD Alliance, which is working to put non-communicable diseases on the global agenda, including representation in the Millennium Development Goals for 2015. The other partners are the International Diabetes Federation, the World Heart Federation and the International Union Against Cancer. Read more. . .

The Union’s three-week intensive course in tuberculosis control was offered in South Africa for the first time this summer as part of a three-year contract with the University Research Co., LLC (URC) to provide technical assistance and training in TB, MDR-TB, TB-HIV and management.

In a conference room in Bangkok, public health professionals Rafizah, Kumar and Precious are earnestly debating who should be hired for a TB manager position. Which applicant’s mix of assets and shortcomings is the best fit for this job?

Each year The Union presents two awards recognising exceptional contributions to tuberculosis and lung disease at the World Conference. Individuals and organisations may nominate themselves for these awards. Read more...