Snakebite cases on rise in Rajshahi
Snakebite cases are rising at an alarming rate in Rajshahi, with health officials warning of a growing public health threat linked to the spread of the highly venomous Russell鈥檚 viper...
Tags : public health
Green activists demand noise pollution law upgrade
Green activists and academics at a discussion on Wednesday urged the government to update the current noise pollution control law and strict enforcement to control the ever worsening impact of noise pollution on public health...
Less public financing, even lower use
PUBLIC health system stands at a crossroads. For a country that has made significant strides in maternal and child health and lowered infectious disease burdens, a deep contradiction now threatens to jeopardise further progress: the paradox of low public financing coupled with low budget utilisation. In plain terms, not only is Bangladesh spending too little on health...
Govt should act on commissions so far apparently left out
THE heads of five commissions on tasked with making recommendations for reforms in labour rights, women鈥檚 affairs, public health, local government and the media, set up on November 18, 2024, on August 3 urged the chief adviser to the interim government to take steps for the implementation of the recommendations of the commission and secure commitment from the...
Health sector reforms advice should not be left in lurch
PUBLIC health experts have put out a call in an open letter for the chief adviser to the interim government, seeking early action for the implementation of the recommendations of the reforms commission on the health sector. What is special about the event is that the experts who have put out the call were mostly members of the reforms commission, which the interim...
CA urged to take action to implement health sector reform proposals
Public health experts, mostly members of the health reform commission, in an open letter to the chief adviser on Saturday demanded immediate actions to implement reform proposals and to incorporate those into the 鈥楯uly Charter鈥�.
US health secy sued over Covid vaccine change
Several leading medical groups filed suit against US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr on Monday, accusing him of endangering public health with new Covid-19 vaccine recommendations...
Engagement of youths in policymaking underscored
Public health experts, development activists and journalists, among other speakers, at a roundtable on Tuesday emphasised youth engagement in policymaking to promote their effective empowerment and ensure the country鈥檚 sustainable development...
New public health emergency
CLIMATE change in Bangladesh is no longer a distant environmental threat; it is unfolding as a public health crisis. The signs are unmistakable. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, recurrent floods, saltwater intrusion and worsening air pollution are already placing considerable strain on an overburdened healthcare system. These environmental pressures are not...
Collective action sought to beat plastic pollution
Public health experts, academics and green activists at a discussion on Thursday stressed the need for expanding the role of plastic producers to beat environment pollution in the country...
Unregulated cattle fattening ahead of Eid threatens public health
With Eid-ul-Azha approaching, a disturbing trend of unregulated cattle fattening has emerged across the country, raising serious public health concerns...
Immunisation failures may weigh down public health
THE current state of immunisation in Bangladesh, which, introduced in 1979, has failed to achieve a full coverage as yet, is worrying. The UN Children鈥檚 Fund, the World Health Organisation, and the vaccine alliance Gavi have said that about half a million children continue to miss out on full immunisation; about 400,000 of them are under-immunised. At the same time, 70,000...
Combating disinformation
IN THE digital age, disinformation has emerged as a major challenge, affecting politics, public health, and social stability worldwide. Disinformation refers to deliberate falsehoods spread to mislead or manipulate people for political, economic, or ideological gain. Unlike misinformation, which is unintentionally incorrect, disinformation is crafted with intent and is often...
Indiscriminate dumping of medical waste must end
UNABATED medical waste dumping on roads, bins, drains, water bodies and open spaces in the capital and elsewhere has raised serious public health and environmental concern. The hazardous substances in medical waste include pathological and infectious materials, such as sharp needles and toxic chemicals. In hospitals, various therapeutic procedures, such as cobalt...
CPA calls for beating waterlogging, plastic pollution
The Chittagong Port Authority on Tuesday urged the city dwellers to beat waterlogging and plastic pollution for securing public health...
TOBACCO CONTROL REFORM: Legal challenges and progress
THE rate of tobacco use in Bangladesh is alarmingly high, posing significant challenges to public health, the economy and the environment. According to the World Health Organisation, tobacco-related diseases are responsible for eight million deaths annually, with 1.3 million of these attributed to passive smoking. In Bangladesh, 35.3 per cent of adults use tobacco, with...
AIUB holds educational field trip for MPH students
The American International University-Bangladesh has recently organised an interactive educational field visit for its master鈥檚 of public health students to enhance their practical understanding of occupational health practices, said a press release on Tuesday...
Stop misuse of allocations for water: discussion
Public health experts and rights activists at a discussion in Dhaka on Wednesday urged the authorities concern to stop misuse of public money allocated for water rights...
Campaigners seek free healthcare
The Health Sector Reform Commission in 50 days of its formation is still gathering information and opinions on several focal areas such as service improvement while public health campaigners and medical practitioners demand free healthcare at all public health facilities...
Tobacco tax increase demanded to protect public health
Public health campaigners, researchers and activists at a dialogue on Tuesday demanded increased taxes on tobacco to increase revenue and protect public health....
Public engagement stressed to prevent dengue
Entomologists and public health experts on Sunday said that there was no alternative to public engagement in preventing dengue which had been taking heavy toll on people...
Environmental approach to promoting health
I RECENTLY worked with some online interns who are studying public health at a Bangladeshi university. Many of them had taken a course on health promotion. When the topic of health promotion came up, they talked about different ways of educating people to lead healthier lives...
Integrated mosquito management stressed for containing dengue
An integrated mosquito management was emphasised to prevent dengue fever that has created a huge public health concern in Bangladesh over the years...
Govt urged to ensure vitamin fortified edible oil
Public health campaigners and researchers at a discussion on Wednesday urged the government to ensure fortification of vitamin A with the edible oil according to the law...
Role of youth in fight against air pollution
AMID the lingering haze over Bangladesh鈥檚 cities, air pollution has become an escalating public health crisis. From brick kilns to traffic congestion, harmful pollutants seep into every aspect of urban life, making this not just a climate issue but a matter of human survival. These fine particulate matters 鈥� dust, soot, and smoke 鈥� can penetrate the lungs...
Addiction crisis: saving the youth
DRUG addiction has emerged as one of the most critical public health and social issues in Bangladesh, particularly among the younger population. The increasing accessibility and use of harmful substances such as yaba, phenedyl and heroin have led to a widespread crisis, threatening not only individuals but the future of the entire nation. The youth, who...
Breaking the silence: Addressing mental health crisis
MENTAL health, often overlooked, is a serious public health concern in Bangladesh. Inadequate access to mental health care in the country, limited awareness and deep-rooted stigma hinder effective management and treatment. The Covid pandemic had a profound impact on mental health. Like many post-pandemic countries, mental health problems have increased in Bangladesh...
Sugar-sweetened beverage taxation
CONSUMPTION of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as regular soda, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, sweetened waters, pop, cola, tonic fruit punch, lemonade, sweetened powdered drinks, and coffee and tea beverages with added sugars, is a major public health problem globally...
Holidaymakers mustn鈥檛 ignore dengue menace
THE dengue menace is lurking around the corner. Since January, at least 39 people have died of dengue and 3,150 people have been affected by this dengue fever. During festivals, as the prices of all essentials increase, so does the suffering. The threat of infectious diseases to public health increases too...
Failure to keep unapproved drinks off market unacceptable
THIS is unacceptable that the authorities have not yet been able to make producers withdraw unauthorised electrolyte drinks even after a court order to this end. The authorities first failed to take action on their own against the unauthorised production, marketing and sales of electrolyte drinks...
