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.
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.
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.
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.
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Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India today announced that QDENGA (TAK-003) has become the first dengue vaccine to receive approval in India, marking a major milestone in the country's fight against the mosquito-borne disease.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted market authorization for QDENGA to prevent dengue in individuals aged 4-60 years. According to Takeda, it is India's first approved dengue vaccine and can be administered regardless of previous dengue infection, without requiring pre-vaccination testing.
"Since its launch in 2022, QDENGA has been approved in 43 countries, with more than 32 million doses distributed globally. This approval marks an important step forward in strengthening dengue prevention in India," said Dr. Mahender Nayak, Head of Intercontinental Markets.
The approval comes at a critical time as dengue cases in India have risen sharply over the past two decades.
India accounts for nearly one-third of the global dengue burden. In 2025, more than 113,000 dengue cases were officially reported, although modelling studies suggest the true number of infections may run into tens of millions annually due to underreporting.
Rapid urbanization, climate change and widespread mosquito breeding have made dengue a year-round public health concern. Since there is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue, prevention remains the most effective strategy.
"India carries a substantial dengue burden, and all four dengue virus serotypes co-circulate in several regions. QDENGA is designed to protect against all four serotypes regardless of prior exposure," said Dr. Goh Choo Beng, Medical Affairs Head, Southeast Asia & India Cluster.
The DCGI approval is supported by Takeda's global clinical development programme comprising 19 Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials involving more than 28,000 participants in dengue-endemic and non-endemic regions.
The pivotal Phase III TIDES (DEN-301) study enrolled more than 20,000 participants across eight countries and evaluated the vaccine's long-term safety and effectiveness.
Key findings include:
The approval is also supported by an Indian Phase III (DEN-302) trial involving participants aged 4-60 years, which found QDENGA to be safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic in children, adolescents and adults.
QDENGA (TAK-003) is a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine designed to protect against all four dengue virus serotypes.
It is administered as two 0.5 mL subcutaneous doses, given three months apart.
The vaccine is built on a DENV-2 backbone, incorporating structural proteins from DENV-1, DENV-3 and DENV-4 to provide broad immune protection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends QDENGA for use in dengue-endemic settings without the need for pre-vaccination screening. The vaccine is also included in the WHO List of Prequalified Vaccines, allowing procurement through agencies such as UNICEF and PAHO.
The vaccine has been approved in 43 countries across Asia, Latin America and Europe. It is already part of Brazil's National Immunization Program and is available through public immunization programmes in Argentina, Colombia and Indonesia.
The vaccine is approved in India for people aged 4-60 years to help prevent dengue disease.
Takeda had partnered with Indian vaccine manufacturer Biological E in 2024 to expand production of QDENGA.
Under the agreement, Biological E plans to manufacture 50 million doses annually, supporting Takeda's goal of producing 100 million doses globally each year by the end of the decade.
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COVID-19 is seeing a renewed uptick in India, with 339 infections reported between July 1 and July 16, according to the Andhra Pradesh Health Department.
Andhra Pradesh has reported four COVID-related deaths and 19 active cases, prompting heightened surveillance after officials identified the Omicron RF.5 sublineage in infected patients in the state.
The presence of RF.5 sublineage in Andhra was confirmed through genome sequencing of patient samples from YSR Kadapa district at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
According to the Andhra Pradesh Health Department states that reported COVID infections fromJuly 1-16 include:
RF.5 is an Omicron sublineage identified through genome sequencing. The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring the variant after it was reported in higher numbers in Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia, prompting Indian health authorities to closely track its spread.
According to the Andhra Pradesh government, RF.5 evolved naturally from the Omicron JN.1 lineage through the LF.7 and PY.1.1.1 sublineages.
Officials said it is not a recombinant variant, meaning it evolved within a single genetic lineage rather than through the combination of two different variants.
Based on current evidence, Dr. Vishnuvardhan said there is no indication that RF.5 causes more severe disease than other Omicron subvariants currently in circulation, although continued surveillance remains important.
The symptoms of RF.5 are similar to those seen with other Omicron variants and include:
In a post on X, Dr. Vipin M. Vashishtha, Member of the WHO Vaccine Safety Net (VSN), said RF.5 carries several spike mutations that may influence how the virus behaves:
However, Dr. Vashishtha said these mutations alone should not be considered reliable predictors of disease severity. RF.5 continues to be monitored through WHO genomic surveillance.
According to health officials, there is currently no cause for alarm.
Health officials advise people to:
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Amid the ongoing Cyclospora parasite outbreak linked to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, the produce company has recalled shredded iceberg lettuce distributed across 27 US states over possible contamination concerns.
The outbreak, which has been under investigation for more than a month, has sickened over 5,000 people across at least 34 states, causing widespread cases of diarrhea.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initially linked the outbreak to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms to Taco Bell restaurants in five states earlier this week. However, a recall notice issued by the company late last week indicated that the potentially contaminated lettuce had a much wider distribution.
Taylor Farms said it is "actively removing" the affected products, has suspended distribution of iceberg lettuce imported from Central Mexico to the United States, and is no longer receiving products from the implicated lot.
"Consumers who have purchased the recalled iceberg lettuce should discard it immediately and not consume it," the company said.
Also read: Cyclospora Parasite Outbreak: Why You Should Avoid Packaged Salads and Go For Loose Greens
According to Taylor Farms, the recalled shredded iceberg lettuce was distributed between June 29 and July 16 in:
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The recall notice includes product descriptions, brand abbreviations and use-by dates but does not identify specific retailers, restaurants or product names.
"At this time, Taylor Fresh Foods has not publicly provided distribution information or a list of customers who received the product that was voluntarily removed from the market," the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
The FDA also noted that an earlier lettuce sample from Taylor Farms initially tested positive for Cyclospora but later determined the result "should be considered a false positive."
"FDA and state partners continue to collect and analyze product samples," the agency said, adding that no confirmed positive samples have been identified so far.
Taylor Farms also said on social media that none of its Taylor Farms-branded salad kits are associated with the outbreak. Most of the recalled lettuce was sold in large bags to food-service operations, including restaurants, with many products blended with romaine lettuce.
Further, media reports stated that several companies have begun removing affected products from stores and supply chains.
The list includes
Food safety experts said that additional distributors and restaurants may also have received the recalled lettuce, even if they have not publicly disclosed it.
The FDA said Taylor Farms "has not publicly provided distribution information or a list of customers who received the product that was voluntarily removed from the market." Current FDA regulations do not require companies to disclose that information.
Sandra B. Eskin, chief executive of Stop Foodborne Illness, said the lack of transparency can limit the effectiveness of recalls. She added, "The whole point is to quickly identify the product and make sure no one else eats it."
Health officials recommend:
Experts also recommend choosing whole heads of lettuce instead of bagged greens. Remove the outer leaves, wash the inner leaves thoroughly under running water, and cook produce whenever possible, as heat is the most effective way to kill Cyclospora.
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