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.

Gone are the days when teeth brushing involved just a toothbrush and toothpaste. It seems that the future of ultimate oral health is here as a newly developed AI toothbrush lets you see parts of your mouth to see parts that you may miss.

The electric toothbrush with a built-in camera and machine-learning technology that watches the mouth while you brush. The device is designed to identify gaps between teeth in real time and direct a targeted stream of mouth rinse into those areas.

The technology is aimed at the spaces between teeth, one of the most easily missed parts of daily oral hygiene.

How Does The Camera Toothbrush Work?

The toothbrush has a 100,000-pixel macro-lens camera built into the brush head. Its Gap Optical Targeting system analyses 28 images every second, using machine learning to detect, track and predict the position of gaps between teeth.

When it identifies a gap, the toothbrush can automatically trigger a precision conical jet of mouth rinse, directing up to 0.15ml of liquid between the teeth.

In other words, instead of simply brushing over the surfaces of the teeth, the device attempts to identify where cleaning is being missed and target those areas while you continue brushing.

The camera also streams live footage to a specifically designed app, allowing users to see their brushing technique and coverage.

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The Gaps Between Teeth Are Important

Brushing alone cannot adequately reach every tight space between teeth. Food particles and plaque can become trapped there, allowing bacteria to accumulate.

If plaque remains undisturbed, it can harden into tartar and contribute to gum irritation, bleeding gums, bad breath, and gum disease. Interdental cleaning, therefore, is an important part of oral hygiene alongside brushing. Rather than relying on people remembering to floss separately, the device combines brushing and targeted cleaning with a jet.

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Could It Actually Improve Oral Health?

Dyson says its toothbrush, named Camerajet, has been clinically shown to improve gum health in two weeks when used with its low-foaming mouth rinse compared with a manual toothbrush.

It says its brushing system can remove up to 69% more plaque than leading electric toothbrushes. However, evidence is limited, so they should not be interpreted as proof that the device is superior to every existing electric toothbrush or professional dental care.

According to the The Guardian, the British Dental Association cautioned that expensive technology is not a replacement for maintaining consistent oral hygiene.

The Future Of Brushing?

The more interesting feature of the toothbrush is that it can respond to what it sees. Most toothbrushes provide instructions about where and how long to brush.

The AI brush attempts to take that a step further by detecting areas that need attention and directing cleaning there in real time.

Additionally, unlike traditional water flossers that typically use a needle-shaped stream, this brush uses a broader, cone-shaped jet that sprays mouth rinse across a wider area between the teeth.

But even the smartest toothbrush cannot replace regular dental check-ups, professional cleaning when needed, or a consistent oral-care routine.

A type of common diabetes drugs prescribed to millions of diabetics has hidden, life-threatening complications, especially among those with certain risk factors.

The findings are based on a new study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. It studied nearly 280,000 people with type 2 diabetes treated with SGLT2 inhibitors, a class of drugs that includes dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, canagliflozin and ertugliflozin.

A research team from Karolinska Institute found that some patients were more likely to develop diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) while taking these drugs.

The research comes after a study showed deaths from ketoacidosis are on the rise in the UK. Last year researchers from Imperial College London found ketoacidosis cases increased by a massive percentage of 81 per cent between 2015 and 2023.

What Is Diabetic Ketoacidosis And What Are Its Warning Signs?

Its symptoms can include excessive thirst, urinating frequently, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and blurred vision. More serious warning signs include deep or unusual breathing, fruity breath, extreme tiredness, sleepiness, or confusion.

Researchers said that developing an infection was the most common trigger of ketoacidosis. They also said that kidney problems, stroke and major surgery were also seen as triggers in patients who developed it.

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What Are The Study's Findings?

SGLT2 inhibitors reduce blood sugar by helping the kidneys remove excess glucose through urine. They are widely used in type 2 diabetes treatment as their benefits extend to the heart and kidneys as well. Some studies have also linked them to weight loss.

However, these medicines can encourage the body to rely more heavily on fat for energy. This process can increase ketone production, increasing the risk of ketoacidosis in susceptible patients.

The study found that the risk was particularly high among people who had previously experienced ketoacidosis, had high blood sugar, were underweight, or showed signs of malnutrition.

Patients with a history of dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) were also at increased risk.

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Greater Risk At The Beginning Of The Treatment

While patients faced their greatest risk during the first few months after starting an SGLT2 inhibitor, researchers found that the risk persisted for as long as they continued taking the medicine.

This finding is contradictory to previous research that has largely focused on ketoacidosis occurring soon after treatment begins.

Peter Ueda, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine at the Karolinska Institute, said the findings should not be interpreted as a reason for patients to stop their medication.

“SGLT2 inhibitors provide medical benefits for many patients,” Ueda said.“Our findings are not primarily about avoiding treatment, but about improving our ability to identify high-risk patients and use these medicines more safely,” he added.

The findings can help doctors identify people who may need closer monitoring before and during treatment, particularly if they have previous ketoacidosis, are underweight or malnourished, or develop an infection.

Thailand has recorded 557,993 cumulative HIV cases in 2026, according to health authorities, who said the number of new infections has fallen by 12,000 over the past three years.

Thirteen of Thailand’s 77 provinces now record more than 10,000 cases each, Bangkok Post reported.

Regions Affected

The Central region bears the highest HIV burden, with several provinces reporting more than 10,000 cumulative cases:

• Bangkok: 88,535 cumulative HIV cases — the highest in Thailand.
• Chonburi: 31,072 cases.
• Chiang Mai: 23,949 cases.
• Chiang Rai: 17,524 cases.
• Other provinces with over 10,000 cases: Nakhon Ratchasima, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Khon Kaen, Pathum Thani, Udon Thani, Rayong, Songkhla and Ubon Ratchathani.
• Songkhla: 10,644 cumulative cases, the highest in Health Region 12, according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 12.

Youths at High Risk

Young people aged 15 to 24 are a particular concern, accounting for more than 25,000 cumulative cases, the report said.

Officials said infections in the region were concentrated among young people and the working-age population, with unprotected sex remaining a major factor.

HIV Treatment

More than 83% of people receiving HIV care are on continuous antiretroviral treatment in the country, and have achieved effective viral suppression, reducing the risk of serious illness and onward transmission, the report said.

Why New Infections Remain a Concern

Speaking to local media, Associate Professor Dr. Opas Putcharoen, Deputy Director of the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Research Center at the Thai Red Cross, said new cases will continue to rise in the country due to increased testing, which identifies nearly 60,000 people who are unaware they are infected, combined with an estimated 8,000–9,000 new cases annually.

The most concerning and critical group is youth aged 15–24. The reason new infections have not decreased is insufficient knowledge about HIV and AIDS, Thairath Online reported.

He noted that many people underestimate their risk and therefore do not protect themselves. He stressed the urgency of campaigns encouraging people to know their HIV status so those who test positive can start treatment and reduce transmission.

Health officials said more efforts were needed to expand access to testing, encourage consistent condom use and ensure people living with HIV remain on antiretroviral treatment.

They said early diagnosis and continued treatment reduce infections and improve the long-term health of people living with HIV.

What Is HIV?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the body's immune system, increasing the chances of developing serious infections or cancer.

The virus specifically targets CD4 cells, which are crucial for the body’s defence against infections. As HIV progresses, it destroys these cells, weakening the immune system over time. If left untreated, this continuous damage can lead to AIDS.

There is no cure for HIV, but prevention and treatment options are available.

For HIV, the primary treatment goal is to suppress the virus to undetectable levels, thus maintaining a strong immune system and preventing further transmission of the virus. People living with HIV can often live long, healthy lives if they adhere to ART.

How To Stay Safe?

According to UNAIDS, HIV risk can be effectively prevented by combining barrier methods, antiretroviral medications, and harm reduction strategies. Key prevention methods include:

• Use Condoms
• Using Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
• Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP): Emergency antiretroviral medication must be started within 72 hours of a possible HIV exposure to stop the infection.
• Avoid sharing needles, syringes, or other injection and sharp equipment, and use sterile instruments for any medical or body-modification procedures.