pandemic
Youth commits suicide as lockdown leaves him jobless, says family
A 26-year-old man, who lost his job at a factory in capital Dhaka due to Covid-induced lockdown, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room early hours of Sunday with family members and police suspecting he committed suicide.
Khokon Hossain returned a dejected man at his Bashbari village of Rajshahi's Puthia upazila, after he lost his job during the ongoing lockdown.
On Sunday morning family members found Khokon's door shut and there was no response from inside to their calls. His father found him hanging as he looked through a window. Later the family members broke into his room and recovered the body.
Also read: Covid patient ‘commits suicide’ in Satkhira
It was learned that Khokon worked for a factory in Dhaka and returned home after losing his job during the lockdown. After he lost his job, his wife left him over a family dispute.Khokon's father said he was frustrated for these all and might have committed suicide for the situation.
The couple has a child too, he said.
Also read: Chuadanga cattle trader 'commits suicide' over Covid stigma
Officer-in-charge Sohorawardy Hossain said it was suspected to be a case of suicide but the body was not sent for autopsy as per wishes of the family.However, an unnatural death case was filed, he said.
Over 61 percent of 18-25s suffering from depression during pandemic
Some 61.2 percent of young people, aged 18-25, have been suffering from depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, and among them 3.7 percent have attempted suicide.
It was revealed in a survey conducted by Aachol Foundation, a student oriented non-profit social organization. The foundation's aim is to create awareness among students about taking care of their mental health. It works primarily to make students aware of mental health and to build them into a skilled, efficient workforce.
The survey report was formally disclosed at a virtual press conference on Saturday. Among others, Tansen Rose, founder and president of the Aachol Foundation, Mental health specialist and play therapist Mushtaq Ahmed Imran and officials of the Foundation attended the virtual press conference.
Last March, the Aachol Foundation conducted a survey on Suicidal rate during corona situation, which found that about 49% of those who committed suicide were young girls and boys, ages between 18- 35.
Also read: Covid patient ‘commits suicide’ in Satkhira
To find out the reasons for the rising suicide rate among the young people, the Aachol Foundation conducted a survey titled " thoughts of young people on Suicide and Mental Health" from June 1 to 15, this year. The aim of the survey was to identify reasons behind of committing suicide and finding a way out and finally, it is important to emphasize that everyone take initiative for mental health.
A total of 2,026 youths, both girls and boys, took part in the survey. The largest group of participants in the survey was 1,720 young people aged 18-25 or 84.9 percent.
A total of 243 people aged 26-30 took part in the survey which is 12 percent of the survey. In addition, 63 people aged 31-35 occupied 3.1 percent of the survey. Among them, the number of women was 1293 or 63.8 percent, while the number of male was 731 or 37.1 per cent and the third sex was 0.10 per cent.
Of the 2,026 young people participated surveyed, only 787 (38.6) percent said they did not suffer from depression. However, 1,239 young boys and girls ( 61.2 percent) said they were suffering from depression. Among the participants, 55.7 percent said they don’t get anyone beside them to share their depression or emotional turmoil.
Also read: Bangladeshi brothers who killed family in Texas were suffering from ‘depression’
According to the survey, 49.9 percent of young people did not think of suicide but the remaining 50.1 percent thought of committing suicide. Among them, 21.3 percent thought of committing suicide during the corona period. Some 38.1 percent of people thought of suicide but did not attempt suicide. But 8.3 percent thought of suicide, they prepared suicide materials but came back and 3.7 percent of young people tried to commit suicide but they failed.
Commenting on the survey, Tansen Rose, founder and president of the Aachol Foundation, said: "young people are the Craftsman to build the country of the future. When young people are suicidal tendency or mentally depressed, it is definitely a bad signal for the country,” he said.
Rather, the problem must be solved by finding out the reasons why a young person has suicidal tendency or is emotionally disturbed, he added.
Vulnerable economies call on rich nations to avert global climate-Covid economic threat
Vulnerable economies on Thursday called upon the rich nations to avert global climate-Covid economic threat.
The 48 most vulnerable economies demand “2020-2024 delivery plan” for the missing $100 billion annual Paris Agreement climate assistance.
Led by Bangladesh as chair of the V20, the world’s most climate vulnerable economies met virtually as heads of state and government, ministers of finance and economy, together with leaders of the United Nations, partner economies and the global financial system to address the compound, destabilizing effect of climate disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic on low- and middle-income economies.
The ‘Vulnerable Twenty’ (V20) Group of Finance Ministers released a Communique that called for leadership by industrialized nations and cooperation to urgently transform and align the global economic system with the goals of the Paris Climate treaty for a more robust, greener, and equitable recovery.
The first ‘Climate Vulnerables Finance Summit’ was opened by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
She said every country must pursue an ambitious target to curb Greenhouse gas emissions to keep global temperatures from rising to 1.5ºC.
"This target has been approved through a global consensus, but we have not observed any visible action”, said the Prime Minister adding that “I urge all, particularly the G20 nations to show their actions.”
She indicated that the tragedies faced by the most vulnerable will haunt the world economy if urgent action is not taken and the economic and financial support needs of the V20 are not met, stating that “Developed nations need to articulate a concrete delivery plan on how the shortfall of annual climate finance will be met between 2020 and 2024.
They should facilitate the green recovery of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF)-V20 by providing monetary assistance, transferring technology, and building capacity.
Covid refuses to slow down in Bangladesh; 199 more die
As the Coronavirus is spreading in Bangladesh faster than ever, the country logged record-high 11,651 cases and 199 deaths in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
This grim number of cases came after the test of 36,850 samples during the period, which puts the country’s case positivity rate at peak 31.62%, according to a handout provided by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The new numbers took the country’s death toll to 15,792 while the caseload stood at 989, 219.
Just a day before, the country counted the highest-ever 201 deaths from Covid-19 and record-high 11,525 cases on Tuesday.
During the period, the country’s fatality rate remained static at 1.60% as of Wednesday's, said the DGHS.
So far, 856, 346 people have recovered from the disease putting the recovery rate at 86.57%, which is declining unlike other indicators.
Of the deceased, 107 were above the age of 60, 47 between 51 and 60, 28 between 41 and 50, six between 31 and 40, nine between 21 and 30, and two between 11 and 20.
Also read: Covid nightmare in Bangladesh: Daily-death toll crosses 200
Sixty-five of the 199 deaths were reported today in Dhaka division while Khulna division saw 55 deaths and Chattogram 37. Besides, 15 people died in Rajshahi division, 10 in Mymensingh, nine in Rangpur, five in Sylhet and three in Rangpur divisions.
South Asia agriculture and food systems show resilience amid pandemic, says a global report
The severe health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted food systems and upended livelihoods in South Asia, but it has also led to policies aimed at building resilient food systems, according to the 2021 Global Food Policy Report.
“The pandemic responses have demonstrated the power of well-crafted policies to blunt the impact of major shocks while laying the groundwork for stronger, more resilient food systems,” said the report released on Thursday.
The highlights of the report were presented at a virtual event, co-organized by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) South Asia, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) n Thursday.
Also read: Sources: Agriculture to get increased subsidy in the upcoming national budget
Policy makers and thought leaders shared their perspectives on COVID-19’s impacts on food systems and discussed the lessons the report draws from the current crisis, an IFPRI press release said.
“We have known for a while now that there are major problems with our food systems, that they are unequal and unsustainable,” said Johan Swinnen, director general of IFPRI. “This crisis has revealed these problems in a way that none of us can ignore, but it has also demonstrated that we have effective ways to address these problems”.
On the Covid-induced lockdown, the report said ,“Although the lockdowns helped in containing the infection rates, they created bigger shocks to national economies than the pandemic itself.”
Also read: Country has no shortage of food, says Food Minister
It added that “To mitigate the impacts on the economy governments enacted a wide range of policies aimed at saving lives, protecting livelihoods and stimulating economies.”
The report highlighted that the countries in the South Asian region did much better than the expert predictions in terms of economic performance, food price stabilization, and protecting livelihoods.
“However, the report also cautioned that there’s no room for complacency, which unfortunately turned out to be true during the second wave that overwhelmed health systems and significantly disrupted livelihoods”, said Shahidur Rashid, Director- IFPRI, South Asia.
Rashid cautioned that the region is still reeling under the devastating impact of the second wave, “While vaccinations have been ramped up and the caseloads have slowly declined, there are uncertainties as to how things will play out in the region for agriculture and food systems”.
The report underscores that the pandemic has revealed both resilience and vulnerabilities in South Asian food systems. Across the region, the agriculture sector grew, food prices remained relatively stable, and no food security crisis was reported during the first wave.
Also read: Govt to reach food to one crore families before Eid: Quader
This resilience can largely be attributed to the region’s decades of investments in infrastructure and institutions for social transfers and safety nets programs, as well as the expansion of many of these programs. Surveys conducted by IFPRI found that public transfer systems for food, security, health, and nutrition have largely performed well in the region.
Giving examples the report said Bangladesh government increased the social protection budget from 2.9 per cent of national GDP in 2019-20 to 3.01 per cent in response to the pandemic.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.
WHO chief describes current stage of pandemic 'very dangerous'
The novel coronavirus pandemic is at a very dangerous stage at the moment, despite the global community’s successes in fighting it, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday.
"While we have progress in controlling the pandemic, it remains in a very dangerous phase," the WHO chief said at a meeting of the ACT Accelerator Facilitation Council.
In the current situation, "the only way out is to support countries in the equitable distribution of PPE [personal protective equipment], tests, treatments and vaccines," he continued.
Ghebreyesus added that states with sufficient instruments to fight the novel coronavirus have already started to ease pandemic-related restrictions. "Meanwhile, countries without access to sufficient supplies are facing waves of hospitalizations and death," he added.
Also read: Global Covid-19 incidence rises 3% over week: WHO
The WHO director general also raised the issue during another event on Tuesday, while attending the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Political Forum. In his address, Ghebreyesus noted "steep epidemic" in African, Asian and American countries.
"In fact, these cases and deaths are largely avoidable," he said, calling upon the global community to "use all the tools at our disposal to prevent transmission." According to Ghebreyesus, the pandemic demonstrated that "relying on a few companies to supply global public goods is limiting and risky."
"We have to learn the lessons of COVID-19," he said, calling upon the global community "to prepare for the next one."
In late December 2019, Chinese officials informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
Also read: 'Dangerous period' with delta variant: WHO
Since the start of pandemic, 183,934,913 cases have been reported worldwide, while the death toll stands at 3,985,022. The number of cases grew by 326,231 in the past 24 hours, while the number of deaths increased by 6,347.
The international partnership named the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, or ACT-Accelerator, was officially launched on April 24 by the WHO, the EU, France, and philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates. As the WHO explained, the new initiative "is a unique partnership of many of the world’s international health organizations who have come together to share, and build on, individual expertise to create a powerful global solution that will ensure equity in access to tests, vaccines, treatments across the world with one goal: to reduce the burden of the COVID-19.".
HungryNaki continues service amid strict lockdown
App-based food delivery service company Hungrynaki has continued serving its customers amid the pandemic.
HungryNaki, a concern of Daraz Bangladesh, making every effort to maintain coordination between restaurants, riders, and consumers.
To serve the customers better in this lockdown, HungryNaki has come up with offers, vouchers, restaurant deals, and prepayment offers.
READ: HungryNaki expands service to 5 more zones
HungryNaki is charging Tk19 for its service and food lovers can also avail meals with different vouchers, which will remain valid till July 31.
The company is also offering prepayment discounts. Customers paying with bKash, Brac Bank, City Bank, HSBC, UCB and Nagad can avail of cashback offers and discounts.
READ: Daraz acquires food delivery Start-up HungryNaki
Atiqul warns of legal action if shops are kept open
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Monday warned that legal action including revoking of liscence will be taken if anyone keeps shop open violating the government directives.
“The shopping mall and shop owners should abide by the government instructions,” said the DNCC mayor while visiting Bijoy Sarani area of the capital.
The DNCC has taken various welfare activities during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.
Also read: ‘All-out’ lockdown extended by another week
The emergency food service of the government is active and destitute people can seek food assistance by making a call @ 333, said the mayor.
“We have to follow the health guidelines to make our family, city and country safe,” said Atikul.
Besides, he also assured of taking necessary steps to activate the fountains under DNCC in the city.
Also read: Lockdown: 496 vehicles fined Tk 12.8 lakh in Dhaka; 618 arrested
Moreover, DNCC dwellers can log complaints or provide their opinions about roads, mosquitoes, street lamp, dumping station, waterlogging, public toilet and illegal establishment by an app named ‘Shobar Dhaka’ to get quick solution to the problems, he said.
Bangladesh hits new grim record with 164 single-day Covid deaths
Bangladesh, currently passing through the most frightful stage of Covid-19 second wave, reported another record-high 164 deaths in 24 hours until Monday morning.
During the period, Bangladesh also broke its all-time record of cases with 9,964 fresh infections, according to a handout provided by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
This was reported just after seeing the highest 153 deaths on Sunday and highest 8,822 cases back on June 30.
Also read: Covid-19: Countries racing to vaccinate before Delta takes hold
The new cases were detected after testing 34,002 samples, said the DGHS.
This puts the country's case positivity rate at peak 29.30 %.
Covid Resilience Ranking: Which are the Best and Worst Countries to Visit as the World Reopens?
We are standing at one and a half years since the pandemic started. While the developed countries are running fast to reopen, the developing countries are still struggling to negotiate about buying vaccines. Therefore, normalization is the only thing to define the best and worst places to be in the era of Covid-19.
Currently, the world is seeing the largest vaccination movement in history. Vaccines are a major prevention to fight the pandemic. It can relax the quarantine or lockdown restriction, eliminate the mask mandate and boost the border reopening process. Throughout the last one and half years, we have seen taming cases and millions of deaths, even the robust health care system bumped into it. Now, getting back to the pre-pandemic world is the only thing we can wish for.
Read:Post pandemic wanderlust list: Best international destinations to travel
Reopening and getting back to the pre-pandemic phase is not an easy task either. Data and media company Bloomberg looked at the factors to reopen and ranked the countries accordingly through their Covid Resilience Ranking. Since the beginning, this data-driven company has been tracking the pandemic situation. Now, they have included new metrics such as “how much air travel has recovered?” to identify the reopening progress.
Top Countries in the Reopen List
As per Bloomberg, the USA is now No.1 in the race to reopen. Thanks to their expensive and fast vaccine rollout. Americans are getting the highly effective Messenger RNA shots to fight against the world’s worst outbreak.