Every year, World Toilet Day is observed to raise awareness about the global sanitation crisis and encourage action to solve it. The goal set by the United Nation is to achieve safe toilets for all by 2023, as a part of their Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN also states that 3.5 billion people live without proper sanitation and many children also lose their lives due to poor sanitation and unsafe water. This is why World Toilet Day is observed to raise awareness on this issue.

Theme

This year, the theme for World Toilet Day 2024 is "Toilets - A Place for Peace'. This focuses on the growing threat to sanitation that is caused by conflict, climate change, disaster and neglect. When there is a threat to using toilets, it can lead to many health risks.

Not using toilets for too long may lead to Urinary Tract Infection or UTI. For many who do not have access to clean toilets do not drink enough liquid or hold pee for too long. Doctors suggest that holding in pee for too long can cause bacteria to multiply and lead to UTI. By not drinking enough water, your bladder fails to tell the body to pee often, and can cause the bacteria to spread through the urinary tract, which can lead to infection.

Symptoms of UTI:

• Burning or stinging feeling while urinating
• Pain in pelvis or lower abdomen
• Constant urge to empty the bladder
• Strong or foul smelling urine
• Consistently dark urine
• Blood in urine

Holding in pee for too long can also cause your bladder to stretch, making it difficult or even impossible for the bladder to contract and release pee normally. It can also damage your pelvic floor muscles or could lead to kidney stones.

World Toilet Day History And Significance

To prevent such conditions, it is important that everyone has access to clean and safe toilets. In terms of history, the day was established in 2001, by the World Toilet Organization (WTO), which was founded by Jack Sim. However, it was officially recognised by the UN in 2013. The Government of Singapore worked with WTO to create the first UN resolution called Sanitation for All.

India too promotes safe and hygiene toilet through its Swachh Bharat Yojna.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to Replimune's Tudriqev for the treatment of advanced refractory melanoma—a deadly form of skin cancer that continues to grow or spread despite treatment with standard immunotherapy drugs such as PD-1 inhibitors.

The approval comes after the FDA rejected the therapy twice over concerns related to the quality of clinical data.

The latest decision was supported by clinical trial results showing that 24% of patients responded to treatment, with responses lasting a median of 14.1 months. The FDA also considered input from clinical experts and patient advocates, who highlighted the urgent need for new treatment options for patients with refractory melanoma.

What Is Tudriqev?

Tudriqev is an oncolytic viral immunotherapy based on a genetically modified herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The virus is engineered to selectively infect and destroy cancer cells while stimulating the body's immune system to recognize and attack the tumour.

The therapy is approved in combination with nivolumab for adults with unresectable melanoma that:

• Has spread or cannot be safely removed through surgery.
• Has progressed after treatment with a PD-1-blocking antibody-based regimen.

"For patients with advanced melanoma that has stopped responding to PD-1 blocking therapy, the prognosis is often devastating, and options have been far too limited. Clinicians managing these patients know this urgency firsthand," said Karim Mikhail, Acting Director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).

Also read: Narcolepsy: US FDA Approves First-Ever Pill That Targets Root Cause of Rare Sleep Disorder

How Does Tudriqev Work?

Tudriqev is injected directly into tumours, where the modified virus replicates inside cancer cells, causing them to rupture. At the same time, it activates the immune system to identify and attack cancer cells throughout the body.

When combined with nivolumab, an anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, Tudriqev may help restore an anti-tumour immune response in patients whose melanoma no longer responds to checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

How Is The Treatment Given?

Tudriqev is administered once every two weeks for eight consecutive doses.

• The dose is determined by tumour size.
• A lower concentration is used for the first injection, followed by a higher concentration for the remaining doses.
• Nivolumab is administered intravenously starting in week three of treatment.

Replimune has announced a list price of $450,000 per course of therapy, before rebates and discounts.

Clinical trial results

The FDA based its approval on an open-label, multiregional, single-arm trial involving 140 adults with Stage IIIB, IIIC, or IV unresectable melanoma whose disease progressed after at least eight consecutive weeks of prior anti-PD-1 therapy.

Among the 91 evaluable patients:

• 24% achieved an objective response.
• The median duration of response was 14.1 months.

A confirmatory Phase III study is currently underway to verify the drug's clinical benefit. Replimune expects results in 2030.

Safety and Side Effects

The most common side effects reported in more than 10% of patients included:

• Fatigue
• Fever (pyrexia)
• Infections
• Chills
• Musculoskeletal pain
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Injection-site reactions
• Headache
• Cough
• Influenza-like illness
• Rash
• Shortness of breath (dyspnoea)
• Bleeding (haemorrhage)
• Oedema
• Abdominal pain

The FDA also warned of:

• The risk of accidental transmission of herpes infection to close contacts.
• Development or reactivation of herpes infection in treated patients.
• Injection-related complications.

About melanoma

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and the fifth most common cancer in the United States. An estimated 105,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in the US in 2025, with the disease causing nearly 8,500 deaths each year.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are the current standard treatment for advanced melanoma, but about half of patients either do not respond or eventually develop resistance, underscoring the need for new treatment options such as Tudriqev.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Orzeyful (oveporexton), the first oral treatment for adults with narcolepsy type 1 that targets the underlying cause of the disorder rather than just managing its symptoms.

Developed by Takeda, Orzeyful is the first approved therapy to act on the orexin system, restoring the signaling lost in people with narcolepsy type 1. Existing treatments primarily help control symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness or cataplexy but do not address the disease mechanism.

What Is Narcolepsy Type 1?

Narcolepsy type 1 is a rare, lifelong neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to regulate sleep and wakefulness. It impacts about 1 in 2,000 people in the United States.

The condition occurs when brain cells that produce orexin—a neurotransmitter essential for maintaining wakefulness, regulating sleep, and controlling muscle tone—are lost.

Common symptoms include:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness triggered by strong emotions)
• Sleep paralysis
• Hallucinations during the transition between sleep and wakefulness
• Disrupted nighttime sleep

Also read: FDA Approves Moderna's First mRNA Flu Vaccine, Marking A Milestone In Influenza Prevention

How Does Orzeyful Work?

Orzeyful is a twice-daily oral tablet that activates the orexin receptor, helping restore the missing orexin signaling in patients with narcolepsy type 1.

Unlike stimulants or sedatives that only relieve symptoms, the drug targets the biological cause of the disorder.

Clinical Trial Findings

The FDA approval was supported by two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III studies involving 273 adults with narcolepsy type 1 over 12 weeks.

Patients treated with Orzeyful 2 mg experienced:

• Improved ability to stay awake during the day
• Reduced excessive daytime sleepiness
• Fewer cataplexy episodes
• Improvements in sleep paralysis
• Reduced hallucinations during sleep-wake transitions
• Better nighttime sleep quality

Safety And Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects were:

• Insomnia
• Increased urinary frequency
• Urinary urgency
• Increased saliva production

Read More: Ebola Outbreak: Moderna Begins First Human Trial Of Bundibugyo Vaccine As Cases Rise to 3,748

Few participants discontinued treatment because of side effects.

Orzeyful should not be taken with strong CYP3A inhibitors, and its safety and effectiveness have not been established in patients under 18 years of age.

The FDA has recommended scheduling the drug under the Controlled Substances Act. It can be commercially launched once the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) completes the scheduling process.

Narcolepsy Treatment Landscape

According to an analysis by marketing firm Global Data:

• An estimated 735,082 people were living with diagnosed narcolepsy worldwide in 2024, with cases projected to rise to 761,297 by 2029.
• Generic medicines, with limited innovative therapies available, dominate the current narcolepsy treatment market.
• The development pipeline includes 28 drug candidates, comprising five Phase III and four Phase II assets, with no therapies currently in the pre-registration stage.
• More than 115 clinical trials have been conducted in narcolepsy over the past decade.

Public health officials in Los Angeles have issued a measles exposure alert after an infected visitor spent about 11 hours inside Universal Studios Hollywood, potentially exposing thousands of other parkgoers.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said anyone who visited the theme park on July 26 between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. may have been exposed to the highly contagious viral disease.

“With summer travel underway, the risk of exposure to infectious diseases may increase,” said Muntu Davis, the county’s public health officer.

“We urge everyone to confirm their immunity and get the MMR vaccine if needed, especially before traveling and attending crowded events,” Davis added.

Measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. Public health officials say the virus can remain in the air and on surfaces for many hours, even after an infected person has left.

Officials noted that those exposed could develop measles 7 to 21 days after exposure.

“Those who have had measles in the past or received the recommended measles vaccine are likely protected but should still monitor for symptoms,” the department said.

Who Should Monitor for Symptoms?

Anyone who remains symptom-free for more than 21 days after exposure is no longer considered at risk. For those exposed on July 26, the last day to monitor for symptoms is August 16.

People at higher risk of severe illness—including pregnant women, infants younger than 12 months, people with weakened immune systems, and those who are not vaccinated—should contact their healthcare provider if they were at the park during the exposure period.

If symptoms develop, health officials advise people to:

Stay home and avoid school, work, and public gatherings.

Call a healthcare provider before visiting a clinic or hospital.

Inform the provider about the possible measles exposure and describe symptoms.

Measles Cases Rising in California

The latest exposure comes amid a rise in measles cases across California. As of July, the number of reported cases had doubled compared with the same period last year.

State health officials said California has recorded three localized measles outbreaks in 2026, all of which have since ended.

Measles Situation in the US

In just over six months of 2026, the United States has reported 2,260 confirmed measles cases, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

2,245 cases were reported across 44 jurisdictions.

15 cases were identified among international visitors.

The CDC has recorded 34 measles outbreaks so far this year.

93% of all cases (2,108 of 2,260) have been linked to outbreaks.

The US achieved measles elimination status in 2000, but health experts have warned the country could lose that designation if sustained transmission continues.

What Is Measles?

Measles is an extremely contagious viral disease caused by the measles virus, a member of the Morbillivirus genus.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus first infects the respiratory tract before spreading throughout the body. It primarily affects children but can infect people of any age who lack immunity.

Symptoms of Measles

Symptoms usually appear 10 to 14 days after exposure and commonly include:

High fever

Cough

Runny nose

A widespread rash

Why Vaccination Matters

The WHO says vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles and notes that disruptions to immunisation programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to setbacks in measles control worldwide.

The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, given in two doses, remains the most effective protection against measles and its complications.