Travelling is an exciting adventure that exposes us to new cultures, cuisines, and experiences. However, amidst the excitement, one must be vigilant about food safety to ensure a healthy trip. Food poisoning can quickly turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. In this article, we will delve into useful tips to safeguard the tourists against food borne illnesses while on the move. Practical Ways to Prevent Food Borne Illness While Travelling Research Local Cuisine Before journey, travellers need to delve into the local culinary scene and customary food safety protocols of their destination. This preliminary research equips them to make the right decisions about dining options. Understanding the local food landscape helps to anticipate what is in store and make choices that align with your own preferences and safety. It ensures a more enjoyable and worry-free gastronomic experience. Choose Reputable Restaurants It is better to select well-established, reputable restaurants renowned for their commitment to hygiene and patron safety. These dining venues adhere to rigorous cleanliness standards. This certifies a secure and pleasant dining environment. By choosing such establishments, a traveller not only guarantees a delightful culinary experience but also prioritises his or her health and well-being. In this case, the traveller knows that the food served is prepared and handled with the highest regard for safety and quality. Read more: 7 Comforting Soups for Upset Stomach Avoid Street Vendors with Poor Hygiene Indulging in street food is tempting, but be discerning—steer clear of vendors with questionable hygiene. Instead, one may opt for those who maintain visible cleanliness and serve a steady stream of customers. Prioritising hygiene in street food adventures makes sure a safer culinary experience. It allows one to relish local flavours without compromising well-being during travels. Drink Bottled Water In certain regions, it is always suggested to opt for bottled water to guarantee safe consumption. It is safe to prioritise bottles with an unbroken seal, verifying their authenticity. This cautious approach ensures traveller’s hydration is clean and secure. It safeguards their health during travels. They should always try to make an informed choice to keep themselves refreshed and well, no matter where they go. Wash Fruits and Vegetables Thoroughly Before consuming raw fruits and vegetables, it is essential to wash them meticulously with clean water. This process helps eliminate any potential contaminants, including dirt, pesticides, or bacteria. It guarantees that what one eats is fresh, safe, and free of harmful substances. Taking this simple precaution significantly contributes to a healthy and enjoyable dining experience. Read more: Upset Stomach Remedies: What to eat, drink and avoid

Celine Dion has put a halt on all performing after being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder. In an emotional video messages posted in French and English on Thursday on Instagram, Dion said stiff person syndrome was causing spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing. “Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” she said. Dion said she had no choice but to postpone her “Courage” tour, which was to restart in February after several delays. Her spring 2023 shows have been moved to 2024 and her summer 2023 concerts have been canceled. “I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you. I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now,” she said. Read: Celine Dion announces Courage World Tour, new album in 2019 Stiff person syndrome causes rigid muscles and painful muscle spasms, which can be triggered by such things as loud noises or light touch. The cause isn’t known but it is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. Severe cases can cause difficulty walking and hunched posture. Dion, who has five Grammy Awards and two Academy Awards, is the best-selling female artist of all time with hits like “I’m Alive” and “My Heart Will Go On.”

Nearly 23 percent of the urbanites in four city corporations of Bangladesh have hypertension, a common risk among city dwellers that leads to several life-threatening complications, according to a study. Also, 14 percent of the people are at higher risk of being hypertensive. The findings of the study "Hypertension and Obesity Load in Bangladesh: How Large is the Iceberg?" were unveiled in Dhaka Thursday. A total of 48,644 participants were screened in Narayanganj, Cumilla, Mymensingh and Rangpur to measure their blood pressure, height and weight to calculate hypertension status and the body mass index. The study was conducted under the Strengthening Urban Public Health System Project co-implemented by Save the Children Bangladesh and South Asia Field Epidemiology and Technology Network Bangladesh. Read: Experts for strengthening primary care services to control hypertension, save lives According to the study, the prevalence of hypertension is higher among men (24 percent) than women (22 percent). Among the participants, the prevalence of obesity is 8 percent, while almost 28 percent of participants are overweight. The prevalence of obesity was higher for female participants (10 percent) compared to male ones (7 percent).

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is going to return home this (Wednesday) evening from the capital’s Evercare Hospital after staying there for three days  for various medical tests. “The medical board has decided to discharge Madam (Khaleda) from the hospital,” said BNP’s media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. He said the medical board will hold a meeting in the afternoon to review all the test reports of the BNP chairperson and her health condition before discharging her from the hospital. Sayrul said Khaleda is likely to leave the hospital for her Gulshan residence around 5pm. Earlier on Sunday night, Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital for some more medical tests, six days after she had several required tests in the same hospital. Earlier on August 22, Khaleda underwent Echo, ECG, USG, X-ray and blood tests, as a follow-up after coronary angioplasty. Reviewing the reports of those tests, the medical board recommended admitting the BNP chief to the hospital for some more tests. Read: Khaleda Zia to be taken to hospital again Sunday Khaleda, a 77-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis. On June 10, the BNP chief suffered a heart attack due to a 95 per cent block in her left artery and a stent was placed there by removing the blockage at the same hospital the following day. Khaleda spent some time in Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, on conditions that she would stay at her Gulshan house, and would not leave the country. The BNP chief was admitted to Evercare Hospital six times since she was infected with Covid-19 in April 2021.   Khaleda’s family submitted several applications to the government seeking permission to send her to an advanced centre abroad for the treatment of her multiple health complications, but the government has rejected it every time as she was convicted of corruption by the court in two cases.

Nearly one billion people, including around one in seven teenagers, worldwide suffer from some form of mental disorder, according to the UN. To make matters worse, in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, rates of common conditions such as depression and anxiety went up by more than 25 percent, the UN health agency said Friday. In its largest review of mental health since the turn of the century, the World Health Organization urged more countries to get to grips with worsening conditions. It offered examples of good practices that should be implemented as quickly as possible, in recognition of the important role that mental health plays in positive and sustainable development, at all levels. Even before Covid hit, only a small fraction of people in need of help had access to effective, affordable and quality mental health treatment, the WHO said, citing the latest available global data from 2019. More than 70 percent of those suffering from psychosis worldwide do not get the help they need, the UN agency said. Read: Mental Health: Types of Mental Illness and supporting someone with a mental health problem The gap between rich and poor nations highlights unequal access to healthcare, as seven in 10 people with psychosis receive treatment in high-income countries, compared to only 12 percent in low-income countries. The situation is more dramatic for cases of depression, the WHO said, pointing to gaps in assistance across all countries – including high-income ones – where only one-third of people who suffer from depression receive formal mental health care. And although high-income countries offer "minimally adequate" treatment for depression in 23 percent of cases, this drops to just three percent in low and lower-middle-income countries.