WHO
Colon Cancer: Everything You Need to Know
Colorectal cancer, or colon cancer as it is commonly known, is a type of cancer that develops at the rectum or colon of the human body. WHO reports that colon cancer is the third leading type of cancer globally with 10% of all reported cases. It is also the third highest reason for cancer-related deaths. Let’s take a detailed look into the fatal disease, what causes it, and how people can potentially save themselves from colon cancer.
How Does Colon Cancer Develop?
The colon or the rectum is the terminal point of the digestive system. It is essentially a sac that houses the bowel and aids in the bowel movement process. The lining of the colon can develop precancerous polyps which can become cancerous over time.
It is important to note that all polyps are not cancerous. However, it is needed to medically treat them at the earliest as there is always the chance of it developing into cancer cells.
The exact cause of polyp development is unknown. However, scientists have often pointed out that genes and age play a crucial role in their development. Other factors like diets, obesity, smoking, and inflammation of the colon lining have been identified as leading causes thus far.
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What are the Symptoms and Causes of Colon Cancer?
Symptoms of colon cancer include:
Change in Bowel Movement
As a precursor to colon cancer, a patient often notices a significant shift in bowel movement. For example, the frequency of diarrhea, constipation, or a change in stool consistency is noticed.
Blood Discharge
A common symptom of colon cancer is the presence of blood in the stool. Patients may not feel any apparent discomfort but dark tarry stools may be noticed during bowel movement.
Pain in the Abdomen
Another common symptom of colon cancer is severe and lasting pain in the abdomen. It generally starts as mild discomfort and gradually moves to severe cramps.
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Anemia
The blood discharge with stool may trigger anemia or loss of red corpuscles in the blood. Anemia also triggers weakness and fatigue which is a secondary symptom of colon cancer.
Unexpected Weight Loss
Another sign of any cancer in general is the unexpected loss of weight. Cancer patients including colon cancer ones tend to rapidly lose weight which may lead to secondary complications.
There are several known causes of colon cancer. These include:
Age
Age is one of the commonly identified factors behind colon cancer. Anyone over the age of 50 is at risk of contracting colon cancer though it might occur at any age.
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Family History
Genetics are also thought to be a reason behind colon cancer. Families with a history of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis or FAP and Lynch Syndrome tend to compound the chances of contracting colon cancer.
Personal Medical History
Colon cancers are often recurring, meaning they can come back even if it is treated completely. A personal medical history of colon cancer or repeated polyp formation may trigger renewed cancer cell generation in the colon linings.
Additionally, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases or IBDs like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease increase the risk of contracting colon cancer. Patients with Type 2 diabetes also run the risk of developing colon cancer.
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Breathing in world’s worst air in Dhaka today
Dhaka has topped the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 269 at 8:55 am this morning (January 30, 2024).
Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', posing serious health risks to residents, according to the air quality index.
Ghana’s Accra, Uganda’s Kampala and India’s Mumbai occupied the second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 209, 189 and 188 respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
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The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
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JN.1 Covid variant: WHO charts its rapid global spread
A sub-variant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus has been classified as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organization, because of "its rapidly increasing spread".
JN.1 has been found in many countries around the world, including India, China, UK and the United States, reports BBC.
The risk to the public is currently low and current vaccines continue to offer protection, the WHO says.
But it warns Covid and other infections could rise this winter.
Respiratory viruses such as flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and childhood pneumonia are also on the rise in the northern hemisphere.
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The virus which causes Covid is constantly changing over time and sometimes this leads to new variants developing.
Omicron has been the globally dominant variant for some time.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently tracking a number of variants of interest linked to Omicron - including JN.1 - although none of them are deemed to be concerning.
But JN.1 is spreading quickly in many corners of the world.
It is currently the fastest-growing variant in the United States, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, accounting for 15-29% of infections.
Bangladesh among 5 countries selected for project to strengthen preparedness to COVID-19, other infectious diseases
The UK Health Security Agency says JN.1 currently makes up around 7% of positive Covid tests analysed in a lab. It said it would continue to monitor all available data on this and other variants.
Winter surge
JN.1 is spreading fast in all regions, probably because it has an additional mutation in the spike protein compared to the BA.2.86 variant from which it's descended.
"It is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in Sars-Cov-2 [coronavirus] cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season," the WHO's risk assessment says.
There is still limited evidence on how capable JN.1 is of getting round the immunity offered by vaccines, the WHO says.
Bangladesh registers 5 new Covid-19 cases in 24hrs
There are no reports of people becoming more ill with this variant than previous ones.
But more studies are needed to work out the health impact, the WHO says, as the number of countries reporting data on people admitted to hospital with Covid has dramatically reduced.
To prevent infections and severe disease, the WHO advises:
• wear a mask in crowded, enclosed areas• cover up coughs and sneezes• clean your hands regularly• stay up to date with Covid and flu vaccinations, especially if vulnerable• stay home if ill• get tested if you have symptoms
ADB to lend $336.5 million to Bangladesh to help develop vaccine production
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Bangladesh on Tuesday (November 28, 2023) signed a loan agreement for $336.5 million to establish domestic vaccine, therapeutics, and diagnostics manufacturing capacity and strengthen the national regulator to ensure vaccine supply security in Bangladesh.
Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary, Economic Relations Division, and Edimon Ginting, ADB country director for Bangladesh signed the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB, respectively.
The vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics manufacturing and regulatory strengthening project will establish a vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostics manufacturing facility and warehousing unit in Essential Drugs Company Limited's (EDCL) existing location at Gopalganj, with a capacity to manufacture 58 million vials of vaccines per year, said the regional development bank.
An in-house research and development center will be established to support the production of diagnostic kits and packaging of biosimilar therapeutics.
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It will also support the manufacture of at least two full-cycle vaccines by developing a seed bank, master cell bank, and working cell bank, in addition to at least five fill-and-finish vaccines.
“Bangladesh has attained remarkable success in implementing its vaccination programs supported by subsidized vaccines supplied through the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI). As Bangladesh graduates from the Least Developed Country status, the supply of vaccine from GAVI will gradually be phased out,” said Country Director Edimon Ginting.
“This project will help create vibrant ecosystem for vaccine production in the country, ensuring sustainable supply in the medium-term, and at the same time, building Bangladesh’s capacity to manage future pandemics better,” he added.
The manufacturing facility will incorporate features to promote gender equality and social inclusion as well as green and resilient production using less energy and materials while reducing waste and carbon missions.
The facility will seek certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for good manufacturing practices (GMPs).
The ADB loan will support the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) to upgrade its regulatory capacity to WHO maturity level 3 and beyond. ADB will help strengthen laboratory quality management and regulatory inspection systems while improving testing capacity modalities in compliance with WHO's Global Benchmarking Tool.
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It will create a stable, well-functioning, and integrated regulatory system; help foster international collaboration and trade; and improve private sector participation in Bangladesh's pharmaceutical industry.
The project will help EDCL and DGDA train their staff in essential GMPs, quality assurance, quality control, validation, and calibration programs in compliance with the biosafety levels, according to ADB.
The project is financed through ADB’s $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility, launched in December 2020 to provide rapid and equitable vaccine-related support to ADB developing member countries.
It builds on ADB’s $940 million support to Bangladesh to purchase safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 in June 2021.
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WHO SEARO Director election: Momen thanks India, other countries for supporting Saima Wazed
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday (November 01, 2023) thanked the countries, especially neighbouring India, noting that they actively supported Bangladesh’s campaign for Saima Wazed’s win in the WHO South East Asia Regional Director election.
“I must thank all the countries, especially India. They helped in our campaign. They actively supported our candidature,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Saima Wazed has been nominated, through an election, as the Regional Director (RD) of the South East Asia Regional Organization (SEARO) of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the term 2024-2028.
Bangladesh candidate Saima Wazed wins WHO SEARO Director election
The election took place during the 76th session of the Regional Committee for SEARO, the annual governing body meeting of WHO at the regional level, in New Delhi today (November 01, 2023).
The election was held by secret ballot with the participation of the 10 member states of the SEARO which were eligible for voting.
Saima Wazed bagged eight votes in the bid while the other candidate Dr Shambhu Prasad Acharya, nominated by the Government of Nepal, secured two votes.
“I expected 9 votes. Thank God. It was a big challenge. All of us worked very hard. We maintained a very decent campaign,” the foreign minister said.
Momen, however, expressed displeasure over mudslinging by a certain group against the Bangladesh candidate.
“I found her excellent in technical knowledge and she is also a good organiser,” said the foreign minister.
Nomination for WHO Regional Director: Top health experts of the country laud Saima Wazed’s leadership abilities
This election with overwhelming support reflects the recognition of Saima’s passion and relentless work in public health and demonstrates the confidence and trust of the region in her leadership skills, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi said.
“Thank you to WHO SEARO Member States for choosing me to be their next Regional Director,” Saima Wazed said in reaction.
She paid tribute to the outgoing Regional Director Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, for her decade of service to the public health of the region.
“A special tribute as well for my fellow nominee in this race, Dr. Acharya. In his long and distinguished career, he has been an invaluable asset to WHO - and I hope our region will continue to benefit from his knowledge and experience,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“I look forward to building a healthier South-East Asia,” she added.
The nomination will be submitted for appointment by the 154th session of the WHO Executive Board, which takes place from January 22 to 27, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The newly appointed regional director will take office on February 1, 2024 for a five-year term and be eligible for reappointment once.
WHO regional director election: Momen conveys Bangladesh’s gratitude to Thailand for support to Saima Wazed
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, conducted an effective campaign in favour of the Bangladesh candidature since the very beginning of the election process.
The SEARO is one of the six regions of WHO with its headquarters in New Delhi, India.
It comprises 11 countries, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste.
The SEARO is headed by the RD who is nominated by the members of the SEARO countries.
Saima Wazed presents souvenir to PM Modi in presence of PM Hasina
‘I’ve always known who I am, but I was also raised by a mother who had lost everything overnight’
Saima Wazed, one of the candidates for the post of World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director for South-east Asia, has expressed optimism about her chances, referring to a lot of “positive feedback.”
Saima Wazed, who has worked in the field of autism, speaking to Indian English language news channel WION’s diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, said, “If elected, my real goal is to ensure that mental health, which has been sorely neglected and is a huge challenge, is incorporated within the entire health system.”
WHO's South-east Asia office is one of the six key regional units and works with 11 member states.
Asked about her political links, given she is the daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Saima Wazed said, “I have always known who I am, and I know that there will always be a reminder of that, but I was also raised as a refugee, I was also raised by a mother who had lost everything overnight.”
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“When you're the daughter of somebody very, very important and very successful, everybody assumes that things are much easier for you, but you don't get to be successful unless you work hard,” Saima Wazed said.
The names of the candidates for the election of the next regional director for WHO SEARO were sent by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the relevant member states on August 18, 2023.
The candidates are Saima Wazed Putul, nominated by Bangladesh, and Dr Shambhu Prasad Acharya, nominated by Nepal.
The Regional Committee of WHO South-east Asia
will vote to nominate the next regional director in a closed meeting during its seventy-sixth session from October 30 to November 2, in New Delhi, India.
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The nomination will then be submitted for appointment by the 154th session of the WHO Executive Board, which takes place from January 22 to 27, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The newly appointed regional director will take office on February 1, 2024 for a five-year term and be eligible for reappointment once.
Saima Wazed nominated for WHO Regional Director
Saima Wazed has been nominated by the Government of Bangladesh for the post of Regional Director of World Health Organization’s (WHO) South-East Asia Region (SEARO).
WHO SEARO is one of the six regional offices of the WHO, composed of representatives of the member states.
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“I am deeply honoured to be nominated by the Government of Bangladesh for WHO SEARO Regional Director,” Saima Wazed said.
“If elected, I plan on working in close collaboration with the Member States to realise my vision for the public health policies and practices of our region. I believe in working in partnerships, and hearing from communities themselves to create lasting solutions that work from the ground up. This has characterised my work till date, and this is what I hope to bring to this role.”
Saima Wazed’s significant achievements include drafting three international resolutions that were subsequently adopted by member countries of the UN and WHO:
— In 2014 at WHO 67.8
Comprehensive and Coordinated Efforts for the Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
— In 2012 WHO-RC: SEA/RC65/ R8
Comprehensive and Coordinated Efforts for the Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities.
— In 2012 UNGA: 67/82
Addressing the Socioeconomic Needs of Individuals, Families and Societies Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Disorders and Associated Disabilities.
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Saima Wazed is currently completing her doctoral studies at Barry University (USA) in Organisational Leadership. She has been an Advisor to the Director General of WHO on Mental Health and Autism since 2019, and is a member of WHO’s Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health since 2014.
In August 2023 she was appointed as an Associate Fellow at the Global Health Program at Chatham House, where she has also been serving since 2022 as a Commissioner at the Commission for Universal Health.
Since 2020, she has served as Thematic Ambassador for Vulnerability for the Climate Vulnerable Forum, and from 2017 to 2019 was appointed as WHO SEARO’s Goodwill Ambassador for Autism.
In Bangladesh, she is the Chief Advisor for the National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2020-2025, and since 2012 has been Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism and NDDs.
Her current academic and training work includes being Adjunct Faculty at Barry University in the USA, Visiting Faculty at Dhaka University, Visiting Specialist at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital, and Visiting Faculty at the National Institute of Mental Health in Dhaka.
She has been invited to speak at several high-level conferences and events around the world, including side events at the UN General Assembly in the USA, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda, the World Assembly of Women in Japan, COP26 and 27 in Scotland and Egypt respectively, UNESCO’s High Level Roundtable in Sri Lanka, the Global Child Nutrition Forum in Cambodia, the World Economic Forum in India, the World Congress of Psychiatry in Portugal, and others.
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She is a licensed school psychologist, having worked in the public school system of Orange County and Duval County, in Florida (USA) for over three years.
Over her years of service, she has received a number of international awards, including a citation for Excellence in Public Health by WHO SEARO, the Distinguished Alumni Award by Barry University in the USA, International Champion Award by Shema Kolainu in the USA, and was listed by Columbia University as an Innovative (Women) Leader in Global Mental Health.
The Government of Nepal has nominated its candidate alongside Bangladesh for the post.
The Regional Director will be voted on by the eleven WHO SEARO member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
More on Saima Wazed:
https://saimawazed.info/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/saimawazed/
https://twitter.com/drSaimaWazed/
Accelerate efforts to ensure safe roads for all: WHO
Highlighting growing road traffic deaths globally, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Bangladesh Dr Bardan Jung Rana has said two deaths per hour in Bangladesh, taking away young lives due to road accidents needs urgent attention.
WHO has called for all partners to accelerate efforts to ensure people’s rights to move safely, noting that it is time to rethink mobility and put the safety of the people at the core to ensure roads are safe for all who use them.
“Road traffic deaths continue to rise, with around 1.3 million deaths per year globally and as many as 50 million injuries,” Dr Bardan mentioned in his recent Op-Ed.
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Marking the 7th UN Road Safety Week (15-21 May), he said Bangladesh is a densely populated country, and day by day the incidence of road traffic crashes is increasing.
The country enacted Road Transport Act 2018, replacing the Motor Vehicle Ordinance of 1983, and updated its National Road Safety Strategic Action Plan in 2020, showing commitment to establish a reliable and sustainable road transportation system.
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The Directorate General of Health Service under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently developed a strategy and action plan to address post-crash response since two-thirds of all road traffic fatalities occur on the way to the hospital and three-fourth do not receive any form of pre-hospital care.
“In this matter different donor agencies and organizations are working together to improve the overall road safety situation,” said Dr Bardan.
He said ensuring road safety needs multisectoral coordination, providing safer vehicles and roads, improving how people behave on the roads, and ensuring access to quality, life-saving emergency care in case of a crash.
The law should be further strengthened to meet global standards, and effective enforcement strategies should be adopted, said the WHO Representative.
Road safety is a human right that must not be compromised as they reimagine how they move, he said.
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As per the WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, an estimated 25,000 people lost their lives in 2016 due to road traffic injuries in Bangladesh, making it the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5-29 years.
The UN General Assembly endorsed the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 with the explicit target to reduce road deaths and injuries by at least half.
The Global Plan highlights that a shift towards people-centered roads and road networks that are planned, designed, built, and operated to eliminate risks – would save lives.
Such roads consider first and foremost those most at risk of injury, like children, adolescents, people with disabilities, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users.
“Making way for walking and cycling can favourably impact health and the environment, allowing people to be physically active and breathe clean air,” said the WHO Representative.
Dhaka’s air ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ this morning
Dhaka’s air ranked 6th most polluted among cities around the world Tuesday (May 23, 2023) morning, as per Air Quality Index (AQI).
The air in Dhaka city was categorised as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, with an AQI score of 137 at 8:30am.
Indonesia’s Jakarta, Pakistan’s Lahore and China’s Shanghai occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 168, 162, and 153 respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
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In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
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Safe drinking water: Bangladesh 5th in South Asia, 128th in the world
In Bangladesh, we may expect that whatever comes out of the tap will be drinkable. The data, however, suggests a very grim reality.
Bangladesh scored 26.90 out of 100 in the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), meaning the local tap water is one of the most dangerous in the world.
Bangladesh ranked fifth in terms of access to safe drinking water in South Asia and 128th overall.
In South Asia, Bangladesh is only ahead of Nepal (25.90), India (18.30), and Pakistan (15.30).
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Meanwhile, Sri Lanka ranked first in the region with a score of 46.70, followed by the Maldives (41.2), Bhutan (31.5), and Afghanistan (27.80).
The Yale University’s EPI index looks at the quality of drinking water in 180 countries around the world based on the number of age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years lost per 100,000 persons (DALY rate) due to exposure to unsafe drinking water. All of the countries on the list are ranked by a score from 0 to 100, with a score of 100 indicating very safe drinking water and a score of 0 indicating the most unsafe.
QS Supplies, one of the UK's largest independent bathroom wholesalers and retailers, has used EPI and CDC data to create a new set of data visualizations to illustrate the severity of the situation and to flag the countries where it is and is not safe to consume the tap water.
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The data from the CDC suggests that the water coming out of the tap in Bangladesh is “not safe to drink.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a quarter of the world's population lives in water-stressed countries, and a similar number uses a drinking water source contaminated with feces.
These conditions cause diarrheal diseases including cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio to spread through drinking water each year. Common chemical contaminants include lead, mercury, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics.
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While the large cluster of 100-rated nations in the centre of the data visualization consists entirely of European nations, the 24 countries with the lowest rating are all in Africa.
Among the 180 countries, there are only 50 that the CDC lists as having drinkable tap water. The US disease control agency discourages drinking tap water in much of Asia and Latin America and in every country in Africa.
According to the CDC's safety advisory on tap water, no country in South Asia has access to drinkable tap water.
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