The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières have modified their successful operational research course, combining its three modules into two, and have launched a plan to offer it regionally. The new version was held for the first time in Kathmandu in February.

Poor conditions in India's mines mean workers are regularly exposed to silica dust leading to silicosis, a chronic disease of the lungs. Unfortunately, for many poor migrant workers, it's a risk they are willing to take.

Dr Riitta Dlodlo of The Union Zimbabwe Office and Dr Lin Yan, Director of The Union China Office, shared The Union's experiences with TB-HIV collaborative activities at a seminar in Beijing last month. The goal of the seminar was to aid China in making their own plans for managing TB-HIV.

Abu Dhabi, the capital of United Arab Emirates, was selected to host the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) in 2015 at a recent meeting of the International Liaison Group on Tobacco of Health (ILGTH). The IGLTH is the steering committee for this largest international tobacco control conference, and The Union serves as the Permanent Secretariat.