Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, faces urgent challenges in urban development and public health that must be addressed to restore its livability, according to several research studies. The research articles mention that Dhaka struggles with issues ranging from congested transportation to inadequate healthcare access with a population density of 30,093 people per square kilometre in 2022. This confluence of problems significantly impacts the daily lives of its residents, making both urban regeneration and public health essential priorities for the city's future. Poor respiratory health is one of the most serious consequences of Dhaka’s contaminated air. A study published in US-based Science Advances earlier this year revealed a staggering toll: between 2005 and 2018, Dhaka saw 24,000 premature deaths attributed to air pollution, the highest among 46 global cities studied. These findings underscore the dire need for a comprehensive approach to urban development, where health concerns and environmental risks are addressed alongside infrastructure upgrades. The rapid urbanisation of Dhaka has further compounded these problems. Insufficient infrastructure, poor sanitation, unplanned settlements, and environmental degradation have made the city increasingly difficult to navigate and live in. The research article highlights the necessity of merging urban regeneration with public health initiatives, and two key studies from 2023 and 2024 offer insight into Dhaka's ongoing challenges while proposing innovative solutions. In March 2024, a team from the University of Asia Pacific, led by Nawrose Fatemi, Zareen Habiba Islam, and Tahmina Rahman, examined the conditions in Old Dhaka—a historic area deeply entrenched in cultural significance but plagued by failing infrastructure. The researchers emphasised the importance of reframing the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) to both improve liveability and preserve the socio-cultural identity of the community. Their participatory approach, involving focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and urban design workshops, demonstrated that residents sought not only infrastructural improvements but also stronger community cohesion. Dhaka’s air quality ‘unhealthy’ this morning The study called for a balanced strategy, integrating top-down initiatives with grassroots efforts. Physical improvements like better drainage, enhanced road networks, and upgraded public amenities must be paired with efforts to preserve the community's unique cultural fabric. Addressing these urban challenges requires balancing top-down planning with community-driven solutions, the researchers noted, reinforcing the importance of inclusivity in the regeneration process. Similarly, another study published in Frontiers in Public Health in October 2023, by Mohammad Anisur Rahaman, Abul Kalam, and Md. Al-Mamun, focused on the public health crises arising from unplanned urbanisation in Dhaka. Poor infrastructure in informal settlements, particularly slums, has led to severe public health risks, including outbreaks of waterborne diseases like cholera and diarrhoea, as well as respiratory issues linked to air pollution. Beyond physical health, the study also highlighted the psychological toll on residents, with overcrowding and environmental stressors severely affecting mental well-being. The researchers called for holistic interventions, such as upgrading sanitation systems, improving waste management, and increasing access to healthcare, to alleviate the public health burden. These measures, they argue, could dramatically improve both physical and mental health outcomes in Dhaka's most vulnerable communities. Both research efforts point to the need for a multifaceted approach to urban regeneration—one that considers the physical, social, and environmental determinants of health. Policymakers and urban planners are encouraged to adopt a collaborative strategy, engaging government bodies, community leaders, and local residents in a shared vision for the city's future. The Bangladesh Country Environmental Analysis (CEA), published in 2020, adds to the urgency, revealing that environmental factors such as air pollution, unsafe water, and poor sanitation are responsible for more than 272,000 premature deaths annually in the country. These environmental challenges cost Bangladesh the equivalent of 17.6% of its GDP in 2019, with air pollution alone contributing to over half of these deaths. To move forward, Dhaka’s urban regeneration must focus on improving physical infrastructure, addressing public health concerns, mitigating environmental risks, and fostering strong community engagement. As Dhaka continues to expand, its challenge lies in becoming a city that is not only modern and functional but also liveable and healthy for generations to come. According to Our World magazine, Bangladesh can also learn from China’s approach by creating decentralised economic opportunities in smaller cities and district towns, thereby reducing the pressure on Dhaka’s overburdened infrastructure.

The United States has said it looks forward to working with Bangladesh to "enhance economic investment" over the next 50 years and beyond. The visiting US delegation met Salman F Rahman, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to PM Sheikh Hasina, to hear how government and private companies are collaborating. Eileen Laubacher, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia, US National Security Council (NSC); Michael Schiffer, USAID Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia; and Afreen Akhter, US Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, are on a three-day visit to Bangladesh. For over 50 years, the US has partnered with the government and the people of Bangladesh, providing over $8 billion to tackle issues like public health, education, energy, environment, food security, natural disasters, and more. Read: Want to create a new chapter in our relations: Foreign Minister says after meeting with US delegation The United States is one of the largest investors in Bangladesh and its largest single country export market, said the US Embassy in Dhaka. "Our leadership from Washington D.C. joined local economic experts to discuss a range of issues impacting the bilateral trade relationship," said the US Embassy. The United States "stands ready" to help Bangladesh create a business climate that attracts more investment from the US. The delegation discussed ways to improve the business environment, making investment in Bangladesh more attractive to American companies. Read: Bangladesh-US relations will be stronger based on environment, climate actions: Environment Minister The three officials, according to the US side, are visiting Bangladesh to discuss with the government of Bangladesh ways to "strengthen diplomatic ties, address challenges, and promote a shared vision for the advancement of mutual interests in the Indo-Pacific region." They also met Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, civil society representatives, labour leaders, youth activists and those engaged in developing a free and uncensored media. "We discussed with the Foreign Minister how our two countries can work on mutual interests, including economic development, security, refugees, climate, labor, and trade," said the US Embassy in a separate message after the meeting. Bangladesh is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Read more: US Deputy Assistant Secretary meets Bangladeshi civil society members including Zillur and Adilur

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman has said he will play an active role in favour of the revised draft law of the Tobacco Control Act when it will be placed before the cabinet. "All parties will benefit if the law is passed quickly. The revised draft law will play an effective role in reducing tobacco use. This act needs to be passed quickly to make the initiative taken by the prime minister to protect public health a success," he added. The state minister was speaking at the seminar "Expectations to policymakers to achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh before the year 2040" organised by Development Organization of the Rural Poor (DORP) in the capital Wednesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made a commitment to making Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040. She has also pledged to amend the Tobacco Control Act in line with the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The draft Tobacco Control Law Amendment Committee has been formed to further strengthen the Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act 2005 (amended in 2013). The final draft is now being reviewed by the cabinet. The six proposals to strengthen tobacco control laws put forward by DORP are the abolition of designated smoking areas in all public spaces and public transport; ban on tobacco companies' corporate social responsibility activities, display of tobacco products at sales points; ban on the import, production, consumption, and marketing of e-cigarettes or emerging heated tobacco products and increasing the size of pictorial health warnings on bidi and cigarette packs from 50 percent to 90 percent. Read more: Tobacco Control Act: BSOA wants quick approval of proposed amendment Enamur said that the six proposals attached in the revised draft are very timely and effective.  He said there will be a detailed discussion on the amended law in the cabinet. He hoped that everyone would give their opinion in favour of it. Also, founder and Chief Executive Officer of DORP AHM Noman said the government has taken some effective steps to prevent the spread of tobacco products. He hoped that the revised draft tobacco control law would be passed soon in line with the trend. Gaibandha-1 MP Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari, Health Services Division Additional Secretary Kazi Zebunnessa Begum, National Tobacco Control Cell Coordinator Hossain Ali Khondoker, and DORP Executive Advisor Md Azhar Ali Talukder also spoke at the event. Read more: Campaigners demand quick amendment to tobacco control law

Like many developing countries across the world, Bangladesh has been hit hard by the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Compared to many of its neighbours however, the South Asian nation was able to handle the first, and still ongoing, public health crisis quite well. So far, the country has fully vaccinated more than 120 million people. It also managed to secure 3.45% economic growth during the peak of the pandemic while many others experienced negative growth. The fact that recovery was well underway was clear when Bangladesh secured 6.94% growth and received US$ 3.44 billion foreign direct investment in 2021-22 fiscal year. The FDI received represented a 37% year-on-year growth. A number of social security schemes were launched to protect the most marginalised of society, while businesses (both small and large) received various economic stimulus packages. In total, 28 financial and incentive packages were implemented with a budget of more than US$18 billion. The packages benefited 73 million people and 172,000 organisations. But the consequences of the second crisis, the Russia-Ukraine conflict hit Bangladesh harder, and led to sharp widening of the country's current account deficit, a decline in its foreign exchange reserves, among others. However, if Bangladesh is one thing, its resilient. The economic indicators have started to look up in recent weeks. The main sources of Bangladesh’s foreign earnings are its garments exports and earnings sent home by migrant workers. In November, Bangladesh exported goods worth more than US$5 billion, a monthly record, and earned US$ 1.59 billion from remittances, up by 4.5% from October. The first quarter of 2022-23 FY also saw FDI inflow increase to $1.16 billion, a 28% Y-o-Y rise. According to the Boston Consulting Group, despite the gloomy global economic climate, the demonstrated resilience of Bangladesh and the measures it is taking should allow it to remain on course to become a trillion dollar economy by 2040, and the ninth largest consumer market globally by 2030. However, given the uncertainty surrounding global developments, the pressure on the balance of payment is likely to continue. As a result, Bangladesh preemptively approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and has since reached a preliminary agreement for a US$ 4.5 billion financing. The preemptive nature of the loan distinguishes it somewhat from both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Read more: Experts at CPD dialogue want long-term measures to avoid macroeconomic crisis Rather than assist the government with constructive criticisms and suggestions, as is expected of responsible opposition parties during a crisis, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main rival of the ruling Awami League, chose this issue to launch their electoral push. And that too, using despicable means.  At the height of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, BNP, and their key ally, the Islamist Jamaat-E-Islami, launched a coordinated online disinformation campaign that Bangladesh would be the next Sri Lanka by failing on its debt repayment obligations. This was echoed by their senior leaders too. Suffice it to say, no respectable economist and/or analyst supported that conclusion. In fact, the chatter became so loud that the IMF itself had to clarify that Bangladesh is not in a Sri Lanka-like situation. They noted that while Bangladesh's reserves have declined, they were still high enough to cover 4-5 months of prospective imports. They also pointed out that the debt outlook is expected to remain sustainable as the country has a low risk of debt distress. The public sector debt to GDP ratio stands around 6%, with the external debt to GDP ratio being 14%, well within the safe thresholds. In the last few months, BNP and their allies have orchestrated at least two other coordinated online disinformation campaigns. One involved spreading misinformation that banks are facing a liquidity crisis, and the other involved lying to expatriate workers that their hard earned incomes would be lost if they used official banking channels to send home remittances. The fact that these campaigns were not fringe, and did cause panic among expatriates and bank depositors, was demonstrated when the central bank had to issue separate back-to-back statements giving assurances about the safety of both remitted incomes and consumer deposits. Like its economy, Bangladesh’s politics too, has been making international headlines recently. In particular, much has been said and written about the BNP's December 10 rally in Dhaka, where they presented certain demands in the run up to the next national elections.  Read more: Economy has unease, but no crisis: Shamsul Alam Looking solely at the international media coverage, one could be forgiven to think that a massive Iran-like anti-government protest just took place at Dhaka. In reality, Dhaka is no Tehran, and the rally was not a spontaneous outburst by the people. The rally was the tenth such one by BNP in a span of a couple of months, as part of its push in the run up to the next election. Not an uncommon, let alone unique, phenomenon in Bangladesh. As far as crowd sizes go, in Bangladesh's context, the few thousands who attended did not even constitute anything numerically special, let alone spectacular. In the last few weeks, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's own party, the Awami League, organised several mass political events. At least two of these saw a turnout of a million each. While the international coverage did mention the clashes which took place between police and activists on December 7, arrests of BNP leaders, and the large security presence on December 10, they did not even fleetingly refer to the reasons or context. On December 7, the police recovered 15 crude bombs from the central office of BNP in Naya Paltan. The clashes, the resulting raid at the BNP office, and arrests only took place after party activists tried to block a busy city street without prior authorisation, and threw handmade bombs on the police from their office rooftop. The global media also failed to mention that BNP’s central leaders like Amanullah Aman and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Any had been announcing, completely illegally and unconstitutionally, that from December 10 onwards, Bangladesh would be run upon the diktats of Tarique Rahman and Khaleda Zia, thereby further increasing the heightened security sensitivity regarding BNP’s Dhaka rally.  Read more: IMF loan would help economy gain stability in reserves, dollar market: Experts Since December 10, it has been made clear that BNP’s principal demand (also also that of Jamaat) is the reinstatement of the caretaker government system, which was abolished in 2011 after the Supreme Court ruled that the system is “void and ultra vires the constitution”. The Awami League also objects to the system in principle given its abuse by BNP in 2006 and by the military from 2007-08.       Despite the seemingly irreconcilable differences on the caretaker government issue, the people of Bangladesh are hoping that both political camps can find the heart to resolve the outstanding issues without any violent confrontation. In the coming months, BNP has signaled to intensify their movement to realise their demands. While the government has a legal duty to respect the opposition's freedoms of assembly and speech, the opposition also has a duty to keep their activities peaceful. This is important given the terrible human and economic costs suffered by Bangladesh the last time BNP and their allies went for an all-out oust-government movement in late 2013 and early 2014. Hundreds were killed, and thousands were burnt, during BNP-Jamaat’s indiscriminate firebombing campaigns.  While the government alone shoulders the positive responsibility of managing the economy, the opposition, at the very least, has a negative duty not to disrupt the wheels of the economy (for instance by intentionally spreading misinformation). Moreover, both the government and the opposition must share the burden of maintaining political stability in Bangladesh. Otherwise, the country may not be able to hold on to its hard-earned gains, and navigate the current murky global economic waters successfully.  The author is a lawyer, researcher, and political activist. He is currently working as a senior political associate at the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), a Dhaka-based think-tank. Previously, he served as a special aide to the Bangladesh Prime Minister.       

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday stressed the need for taking urgent steps collectively to address the Covid-19 challenges and its impacts on public health and nutrition. “The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has created a significant setback in our nutrition initiatives. Urgent actions and united efforts are needed to address the challenges of Covid-19,” she said. The Prime Minister said this while addressing the Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G), Japan virtually. Read: Bangladesh-India ties: Hasina says now focus should be on trade, connectivity Prime Minister of Japan Kishoda Fumio also spoke at the Summit. Its theme is Food, Health and Prosperity for All. Sheikh Hasina placed five proposals before the world for ensuring healthy and nutritious diets for this growing population. The international community needs to work together to address the challenges of Covid-19, including its impact on nutrition programs, the PM said in her first proposal. In her second proposal, Hasina called for enhancing collaboration to advance research for growing high-yielding nutritious food. The PM, in her third proposal, said for building food banks at regional and global levels to stay safe and secure during disasters. In her fourth proposal, Hasina stressed the importance of exchange of best practices and expertise for increasing nutrient contents in food Finally, she asked the developed nations to disburse the committed climate adaptation fund to adapt to the climate-led extreme events that hamper food production in the developing world. Hasina said ensuring nutrition for all citizens is a daunting task. But, she said, investment in nutrition security generates high socio-economic returns leading the way to sustainable growth and development. Talking about Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said the country has made immense achievements and substantial progress in the economy, food security, health and nutrition during the last one decade.  “We’ve taken a slew of initiatives to enhance the nutritional status of disadvantaged people,” she said. In this regard, Hasina mentioned that allowances have been introduced for vulnerable groups under social safety-net programmes. Insolvent pregnant and lactating mothers were given cash allowances.  Read: Focus on quality products to boost exports: Hasina  She also said midday meals were introduced for school students. “We’re diversifying production of grains, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, and fruits with the goal of increased food security and improved nutrition. Our actions have started giving dividends.” Hasina said the poverty rate in Bangladesh came down to 20.5 percent from 31.5 percent during the past one decade. The country is on track for achieving its child nutrition status as malnutrition rates have also declined, she added.  The PM said stunting of children decreased from 43 percent in 2007 to 31 percent in 2017 which is now below WHO critical threshold. Overweight among under-5 children is 2.4 percent whereas regional rate is 5 percent and global 6 percent, she added. The Pm went on saying, “We aim to strengthen our commitments made at earlier nutrition Summits to achieve the SDGs and improve nutrition outcomes in line with our Five-Year Plan.” The Prime Minister pledged to address the double burden of malnutrition through 12 commitments which are aligning with SDGs.  “These will be achieved through a multi-sectoral approach, leveraging both domestic and development finances,” she added. The N4G Summit is being held in Tokyo under the auspices of the Japanese government. The Summit is bringing together stakeholders across sectors to generate financial and political commitments to nutrition, focusing on the critical roles of food, health and social protection systems in delivering good nutrition for all. The Summit comes at a critical time, midway through the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action on Nutrition, with only five years left to achieve the World Health Assembly (WHA) targets on maternal, infant and young child nutrition, and 10 years to reach the SDGs.

The right people are not being placed in the right place at the right time while formulating public health policies and the grassroots voices are also missing in the process, a study revealed Monday. The Bangladesh Health Watch (BHW), a multi-stakeholder civil society platform, conducted the research in association with the James P Grant School of Public Health of Brac University. Dr Md Atiqul Haque of the public health and informatics department of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and his team carried out the study on the inventory of health policy and policy forums. READ: Ophthalmologists’ national workshop: ROP emerges as a growing public health concern This study aimed to explore the participation of citizens and policy forums in health policy processes. The findings were disclosed at a roundtable in the capital.The session was chaired by Dr Zakir Hossain, former director of primary health care and disease control at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and working group member of the BHW. READ: Hasina cancels PMO’s vehicle procurement plan, diverts fund to public healthcare BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed attended the programme as chief guest. Dr Yasmin H Ahmed, an advisor to the BHW, moderated it.

The incessant interference from tobacco industry has put the public health of Bangladesh under a greater risk as the country's score in the 2021 Tobacco Industry Interference Index stands at 72 which was 68 last year, as per a study. PROGGA, a research and advocacy organization conducted the study on ‘Tobacco Industry Interference Index: The FCTC Article 5.3 Implementation’. The study report was revealed at an event jointly arranged by PROGGA and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) in the city’s CIRDAP Auditorium, said a press release. Read: Speakers for amending Smoking and Tobacco Usage (Control) Act As per the report, the implementation of World Health Organization (WHO)'s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and also the realization of Bangladesh's vision for becoming a tobacco-free country by 2040 are hindered due to aggressive activities of tobacco companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Forestry and Climate Changes Saber Hossain Chowdhury said tobacco claimed more lives than Covid-19. “Tobacco is killing more people than COVID-19. Nonetheless, the government is yet to take effective tobacco control measures. The question arises whether the government bodies really hold the spirit of FCTC and the PM's vision of a tobacco-free country,” he said. Convener of the National Anti-Tobacco Platform and also eminent economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said Bangladesh has made very poor performance in the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index. “We also scored the poorest among our South Asian peers. Why did we perform so poorly?" he said. To improve the situation, he demanded divestment of the government's share in BATB and reinstatement of 25% export duty on tobacco.  Read: Raise tobacco prices, taxes: Activists Noted journalist Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul said the government bodies need to be sensitized for not receiving any aid from tobacco industry. “Receiving donations from the tobacco industry is a clear violation of FCTC as well as in conflict with the declaration of the Prime Minister,” he said. The study findings show that interference from tobacco companies has increased during January 2020-March 2021 and there has been no progress in the implementation of FCTC Article 5.3 Guidelines. The tobacco industry's attempts were seen to interfere and exert influence in policy-making via diplomatic channels during the period , as per the report.

Ophthalmologists have identified Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of blindness among children in the developed world, as a growing public health concern for Bangladesh. Speaking at a national workshop on ROP in the capital on Saturday (20 Nov), they said approximately 3.8 million babies are born in Bangladesh each year of whom, 438,000 are born pre-term. According to them, a large portion of the pre-term babies face the risk of blindness due to ROP. Also read: KOICA provides online training on eye disease prevention for Ophthalmologists in Bangladesh Directorate General of Health Services’ (DGHS) Director General Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid Alam was present at the workshop as the chief guest while Directorate General of Medical Education’s (DGME) Director General Prof AHM Enayet Hussain, also the Chair of IAPB Bangladesh Chapter, presented the keynote paper. DGHS Director Dr Md Shamsul Haque presided over the session while UNICEF Bangladesh Chief Health Dr Sanjana Bhardwaj, Orbis International Bangladesh Country Director Dr Munir Ahmed, and IRD Global Bangladesh Country Director Dr Tapash Roy joined it as the special guests. Prof Md Saifullah from National Eye Care/NIOH and Prof Nazmun Nahar from Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital also joined the workshop. The NNHP & IMCI Program of DGHS, with support from DGME, IRD Global, Orbis International and UNICEF, organised the workshop to foster multi-sectorial response and create an enabling coordination platform for the prevention of avoidable childhood blindness due to ROP in Bangladesh. The DGHS director general, in his speech said “ROP is one of the severe problems among premature babies. We’ll try to include ROP in the revised version of Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Plan operation and in the National Eye Care plan in the near future.” “I believe that the guideline that will be formulated today will prove to be a milestone,” he added. He advised formulation of the guideline considering the fact that some things might be included and some excluded from it. He thanked the obstetrics and gynaecology society for being directly involved in the government’s achievement in the health sector. Also read: icddr,b launches artificial intelligence based diabetic retinopathy detection The keynote presenter while reflecting on IAPB and WHO’s journey of 20 years said, “It was a race against time. We started working on childhood blindness in an organized manner in 2000 by launching Paediatric Ophthalmology Department at the National Institute of Ophthalmology. We started working with two programmes- crash programme and system strengthening.” He further mentioned, “In 2003 we started a programme where we identified children with childhood blindness at the field level and conducted eye surgery on 25,000 children till 2010. So far we have established 22 paediatric ophthalmology centres across the country. Although we could not reach the 0.5 benchmark set by WHO, childhood blindness in the country came down to 0.6 in 2017 from 0.8 in 2003.” He emphasized on strengthening the primary health care services, preventing preterm delivery and ensuring labour room protocol to prevent ROP. Dr Munir Ahmed in his speech as the special guest said, “ROP is a life threatening condition that can be prevented if timely screened and treated. We need to ensure eye screening of children within 20/30 days after their birth. We need to work together in an organized manner to prevent ROP. This workshop aims at validating the collaborative efforts of ROP guidelines.” According to papers presented at the workshop, in 2020 an estimated 1.1 billion people had vision impairment globally, of whom 43.3 million are blind. Referring to global estimates, speakers said one out of every five children has some sort of vision problems globally and that ROP is responsible for some of the problems that occur during childhood and can lead to blindness if untreated. According to the speakers, visual loss not only affects individuals and their families but also the community and country at large, resulting in a greater loss of productivity and taking its toll on the economy.

The United States is in an “unnecessary predicament” of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said Sunday. “We’re going in the wrong direction,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, describing himself as “very frustrated.” Read:Natural origins theory of Covid-19 still the most likely: Fauci He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is “under active consideration” by the government’s leading public health officials. Also, booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated, Fauci said. Fauci, who also serves as President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that he has taken part in conversations about altering the mask guidelines. He noted that some local jurisdictions where infection rates are surging, such as Los Angeles County, are already calling on individuals to wear masks in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status. Fauci said those local rules are compatible with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that the vaccinated do not need to wear masks in public. Read:Little new evidence emerges in US probe of Covid-19 origins More than 163 million people, or 49% of the total U.S. population, are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data. Of those eligible for the vaccine, aged 12 and over, the figure rises to 57%. “This is an issue predominantly among the unvaccinated, which is the reason why we’re out there, practically pleading with the unvaccinated people to go out and get vaccinated,” Fauci said. Fauci said government experts are reviewing early data as they consider whether to recommend that vaccinated individuals to get booster shots. He suggested that some of the most vulnerable, such as organ transplant and cancer patients, are “likely” to be recommended for booster shots. Read: China rebuffs WHO’s terms for further COVID-19 origins study He also praised Republicans, including Govs. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Ron DeSantis of Florida, and the second-ranking House leader, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, for encouraging their constituents to get vaccinated. Their states have among the lowest vaccination rates in the country. “What I would really like to see is more and more of the leaders in those areas that are not vaccinating to get out and speak out and encourage people to get vaccinated,” Fauci said.

President Joe Biden expressed pointed frustration Wednesday over the slowing COVID-19 vaccination rate in the U.S. and pleaded that it’s “gigantically important” for Americans to step up and get inoculated against the virus as it surges once again. Biden, speaking at a televised town hall in Cincinnati, said the public health crisis has turned largely into a plight of the unvaccinated as the spread of the delta variant has led to a surge in infections around the country. “We have a pandemic for those who haven’t gotten the vaccination — it’s that basic, that simple,” he said on the CNN town hall. The president also expressed optimism that children under 12 will be approved for vaccination in the coming months. But he displayed exasperation that so many eligible Americans are still reluctant to get a shot. Read: Biden backs Trump rejection of China’s South China Sea claim “If you’re vaccinated, you’re not going to be hospitalized, you’re not going to be in the IC unit, and you’re not going to die,” Biden said at the forum at Mount St. Joseph University. “So it’s gigantically important that ... we all act like Americans who care about our fellow Americans.” Over 80 minutes, Biden fielded questions on many of the pressing issues of the day, including his infrastructure package, voting rights and the makeup of the congressional commission that will investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. He also reflected on what it’s like to be president, saying he’s sometimes taken aback by the pomp that comes with the job and the weight of being “the last guy in the room” left to make the call on daunting decisions. Six months into his presidency, taming the coronavirus remains his most pressing problem. U.S. hospitalizations and deaths are nearly all among the unvaccinated. But COVID-19 cases nearly tripled in the U.S. over two weeks amid an onslaught of vaccine misinformation that is straining hospitals, exhausting doctors and pushing clergy into the fray. Across the U.S., the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases rose over the past two weeks to more than 37,000 on Tuesday, up from less than 13,700 on July 6, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Just 56.2% of Americans have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The president noted that the rise has become so concerning that even his critics are pushing back against vaccine disinformation. Biden made an indirect reference to high-profile conservative personalities at Fox News who have “had an altar call” and are now more openly speaking to their skeptical guests about the benefits of getting vaccinated. Sean Hannity recently told viewers, ”I believe in the science of vaccination” and urged them to take the disease seriously. Steve Doocy, who cohosts “Fox & Friends,” this week told viewers the vaccination “will save your life.” Before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington, Biden told reporters he was “glad they had the courage to say what they’ve said.” Asked about rising prices, Biden acknowledged “there will be near-term inflation” as the economy rebounds from the pandemic but said it was “highly unlikely long-term inflation will get out of hand.” Read:Vaccination 'most patriotic thing', COVID not yet finished: Biden Biden, who traveled to Ohio as he’s trying to rev up support for his economic agenda, visited a union training center ahead of the town hall. The trip comes as the fate of his infrastructure proposal remains unclear after Senate Republicans rejected a $1 trillion blueprint i n a key test vote Wednesday. A bipartisan group of 22 senators said in a joint statement after the vote that they were close to coming to terms on a deal and requested a delay until Monday. Biden expressed confidence in the outcome, saying, “It’s a good thing and I think we’re going to get it done.” While lawmakers wrangle over the details of that proposal on Capitol Hill, Biden made the case that his nearly $4 trillion package is needed to rebuild the middle class and sustain the economic growth the country has seen during the first six months of his presidency. The president’s visit took him near the dangerously outdated Brent Spence Bridge — a chokepoint for trucks and emergency vehicles between Ohio and Kentucky that the past two presidents promised without success to replace. Biden made a passing reference to the structure, telling town hall attendees it’s time to “fix that damn bridge of yours.” He delved into the personal when he faced a question about the scourge of drug addiction, noting he’s “so damn proud” of his son Hunter Biden, who has published a memoir about his struggles with substance abuse. The president also noted he feels a bit self-conscious about some of the fringe benefits that come with the office. He elicited laughter when he said he told some of the White House staff not to come in to serve breakfast. The real reason: The president likes to eat breakfast in his robe. Biden defended the filibuster against repeated questions from CNN moderator Don Lemon about why he feels the need to protect what some critics argue is a legislative tactic once used to protect racist policies. He said he’s trying to bring the country together around the need to protect voting rights, and he doesn’t want “the debate to only be about whether or not we have a filibuster.” Biden said if Democrats removed the filibuster “you’re going to throw the entire Congress into chaos and nothing will get done.” Read:Biden: Infrastructure vow was not intended to be veto threat Back in Washington, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday rejected two Republicans selected by House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy to sit on a committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. McCarthy said the GOP won’t participate in the investigation if Democrats won’t accept the members he appointed. Lemon asked how Biden could have confidence that Republicans and Democrats can get together on anything when they can’t even come to agreement on investigating the most brazen attack on the U.S. Capitol in 200 years. Biden simply replied, “These people,” a nod to forum’s spectators and his faith in Americans writ large. But Biden seemed to also acknowledge the partisan rift in Washington had become maddening. “I don’t care if you think I’m Satan reincarnated,” Biden said. “The fact is you can’t look at that television and say nothing happened on the 6th and listen to people who say this was a peaceful march.”