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.

A humanitarian worker has been admitted to a specialist infectious disease unit in London after being potentially exposed to the Ebola virus while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

UK health officials have stressed that there are no confirmed Ebola cases in the United Kingdom and that the risk to the public remains very low.

The individual, a UK resident involved in treating Ebola patients in eastern DRC, was medically evacuated to London as a precaution and is being monitored in a high-level isolation unit. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the worker is not showing symptoms of Ebola but is under observation because the virus has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days.

Why The Humanitarian Worker Is Being Monitored In The UK?

The evacuation follows established international protocols for healthcare and humanitarian workers who may have been exposed to highly infectious diseases. Health authorities emphasized that:

• The patient is in isolation purely as a precaution.
• There are no confirmed Ebola infections in the UK.
• The public is not at increased risk.
• Ebola spreads only through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of someone who is symptomatic, not through the air.

Officials are also conducting routine contact assessments where necessary, although no wider public health concerns have been identified.

Also read: Ebola Outbreak: Confirmed Cases Hit 2,344, Deaths Rise To 930

DRC Faces Its Worst Ebola Outbreak In Years

The admission comes as the Democratic Republic of the Congo is battling one of its most severe Ebola outbreaks in recent history.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, 2026, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a less common species for which there are currently no licensed vaccines or proven antiviral treatments.

This has made containment significantly more challenging than previous Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain. According to the latest reports from Congolese health authorities and international agencies:

• 2,473 reported Ebola cases
• More than 1,000 deaths
• 737 patients currently hospitalized or in isolation

WHO believes the true number of infections could be two to four times higher because many cases remain undetected in conflict-affected areas.

Also read: Ebola Outbreak In Congo: UN Warns Frontline Responders As Cases Surface In New Areas

WHO Declared An International Health Emergency

Recognizing the growing threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 16, 2026, just one day after the outbreak was officially announced.

WHO warned that the outbreak poses a significant regional and international public health risk due to rapid transmission, cross-border spread, limited access to affected communities, lack of approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo virus and ongoing armed conflict disrupting healthcare operations.

Should The UK Be Concerned?

Experts say the current situation should not cause public alarm. The UK's specialist infectious disease units are designed to safely manage suspected cases of high-consequence infectious diseases, and precautionary evacuations of healthcare workers have occurred during previous Ebola outbreaks.

Public health officials stress that:

• There is no evidence of community transmission in the UK.
• The hospitalized worker has not been diagnosed with Ebola.
• Isolation and monitoring are standard procedures designed to protect both the patient and the public. =

US Humanitarian Worker In DRC Tested Positive For Ebola

A U.S. humanitarian worker in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had tested positive for Ebola a few days ago.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed, saying it is working closely with the individual's employer, U.S. government health agencies, and Congolese health authorities to prevent further transmission by tracing contacts to identify people who may have been exposed.

According to reports, the infected individual was working for a humanitarian organization in eastern Congo, where the outbreak has continued to spread despite ongoing response efforts.

The CDC has not released details about the patient's identity or condition but emphasized that contact tracing and public health measures are underway.

Research suggests that disruptions in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, during which we dream, consolidate memory, and process emotions, could be among the earliest biological signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists now believe that changes in sleep are not just a consequence of Alzheimer's, but may actually appear years before primary cognitive symptoms emerge.

What The Study Found?

Also read: Scientists Discover Brain Protein That Could Slow Alzheimer's Disease Progression

The study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, studied 128 older adults, including people with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and cognitively healthy individuals.

Participants underwent overnight polysomnography, the gold standard sleep test that records brain activity, breathing, heart rate, eye movements, and muscle activity during sleep.

Researchers discovered that participants who took significantly longer to enter REM sleep, known as REM sleep latency, were more likely to have Alzheimer's disease.

These individuals also showed:

• Higher levels of amyloid-beta, the protein that forms plaques in Alzheimer's disease.
• Increased tau protein, another hallmark of the disease that damages brain cells.
• Lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for learning, memory, and maintaining healthy neurons.

Importance Of REM Sleep

Also read: Can One Partner's Dementia Raise the Other's Risk? New Study Suggests An Interesting Link

Scientists believe REM sleep also supports the brain's "cleaning system," helping remove waste products that accumulate during the day.

When REM sleep is delayed or disrupted, this process may become less efficient, allowing toxic proteins like amyloid-beta to build up over time.

According to Dr. Yue Leng, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco and one of the study's authors: "Delayed REM sleep may disrupt the brain's ability to consolidate memories by interfering with the process that converts recent experiences into long-term memories. If this is insufficient because REM sleep is delayed or shortened, it could increase the stress hormone cortisol. This may impair the brain's hippocampus, a critical structure for memory consolidation."

Commenting on the findings, Dr. Jocelyn Cheng, neurologist and Senior Director of Neuroscience Clinical Research at Eisai U.S., said:

"The relationship may be bidirectional. Delayed REM may contribute to Alzheimer's-type changes, and/or Alzheimer's itself may result in prolonged REM latency."

Sleep Problems Appear Early

The new findings offer a possible biological explanation. Researchers suggest that the accumulation of amyloid may interfere with the brain's internal clock and its ability to regulate normal sleep cycles, creating a vicious cycle where poor sleep accelerates brain changes linked to Alzheimer's.

Researchers say future studies should examine whether improving REM sleep through better sleep hygiene or treatment of conditions such as sleep apnea could help slow or delay Alzheimer's-related brain changes.

Experts recommend maintaining a regular sleep schedule, limiting alcohol before bedtime, reducing evening screen exposure, and seeking medical evaluation for persistent sleep disorders.

While the US is seeing one of its largest-ever Cyclospora outbreaks, with Michigan reporting more than 6,500 cases and several hospitalizations, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak is "under control."

"We do have the outbreak under control," Kennedy told ABC News. "We have an extensive forensics, epidemiological forensics, and we've identified the source of the outbreak. We and the companies that are involved have implemented a recall."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have linked the outbreak, which has sickened at least 1,600 people across five states, to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations. The lettuce was supplied by Taylor Farms and sourced from central Mexico.

Michigan Cases Continue To Rise

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 6,571 cases in the state as of July 21, up by 423 from the 6,148 cases reported a day earlier. The state's patients include a woman who said she remained ill for several days after becoming infected.

As of July 16, 102 people had been hospitalized, more than double the 44 hospitalizations reported the previous week.

Lettuce Recall

Taylor Farms has voluntarily recalled dozens of lettuce products across 27 states and said it will not source iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for "the rest of the growing season."

Health officials are continuing to investigate additional cases and any other potential sources of infection. So far, no other sources have been identified for the domestically acquired infections reported in 29 other states.

Taylor Farms also said on social media that none of its Taylor Farms-branded salad kits are linked to 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.

Media reports also said several companies have begun removing affected products from stores and supply chains, including:

• Walmart
• Sysco
• US Foods
• Jack in the Box
• Taco Bell

What Is Cyclospora cayetanensis?

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, a foodborne intestinal illness. People become infected by consuming contaminated food or water.

The infection typically causes watery diarrhea and other digestive symptoms. While many cases are mild, the illness can last for weeks or even months if left untreated. Doctors usually treat the infection with antibiotics.

People with weakened immune systems, including those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or other conditions that affect immunity, are at greater risk of developing severe illness.

Symptoms Of Cyclospora Infection

Symptoms usually appear about one week after consuming contaminated food or water and may include:

• Watery or explosive diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Bloating and gas
• Fatigue
• Low-grade fever
• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting

How To Reduce Your Risk

Health officials recommend:

• Avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce linked to the recall.
• Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under clean running water, even if they are labeled pre-washed.
• Follow safe food-handling practices.
• Stay updated on food recalls and outbreak alerts.
• Contact a healthcare provider if symptoms develop.

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.