A report by Swachh Bharat Mission says that 74.5 per cent of public places are equipped with toilets. Another report by the Ministry of Jal Shakti states that there are 2.23 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes built across all States and UTs under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) since October 2014. Over 92 lakh toilets have been constructed since the launch of SBM Gramin (SBM (G)) in April 2020.

While toilets are there, are they accessible? This is the question one should ask. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) focuses on 131 health indicators, but not until the NFHS 5 survey did they include the question of accessibility of toilets in the survey. This happened after the inputs from the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare questioned the accessibility.

One might ask, why is the question of accessibility so important? The answer is quite simple. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is the most basic human need and is also included under the Sustainable Development Goals by the UN.

Are These Numbers Real?

This thought crossed my mind because back in 2021, I went on a solo trip, on a bus to Udaipur from Delhi. There, the bus made two stoppages. This was done so people could get a quick dinner and freshen up, relieve themselves and be prepared for the rest of the journey. This was a nightmare. The bus only stopped for 10 minutes. While some men used the washroom, others went to the bushes.

For the women, there were three cubicles. One of them was broken, and the other one did not have a light bulb, which meant only one was usable. There was a long queue for that cubicle, and time was short. There was no point in trying to find an isolated corner, because it was past midnight, in an unknown area.

I waited anxiously. When finally, my turn came, I saw an overused, dirty washroom. The toilet seat is in a horrible condition. I wanted to touch nothing there. But I had to pee. So, I used my mask to cover my nose from the odour, folded my pants so they did not touch the floor and squatted. It was quite a task to balance.

On my way back to Delhi, I made sure to not drink any water for over a 13-hour bus journey. I dehydrated myself so I did not have to use the washroom. When I did reach, I was severely dehydrated and was sick for three days.

I shared my experience with my friends only to realise that many women have faced the same. There are no washrooms for women.

A friend of mine told me that it is because these roads and dhabas are mainly designed to serve men. They are the ones who travel at night or are on the roads most of the time. As a result, the few women who do travel or are on the road suffer.

Health Risks Women Are Prone To

Well, it is true, but partially. While holding your pee for too long can lead to health risks, peeing on a dirty toilet seat cannot lead to infections unless your urethra is in contact with the bacteria present on that toilet seat. However, nobody wants to sit on a dirty toilet seat, even if you do not get an infection. A safe and hygienic toilet is a basic need.

One of the regular saleswomen, Usha, who visits my house shared her experience with me. “Being on the road constantly means I must use the dirty public washrooms. But I do not want to use them. So, sometimes I ask my regular customers to let me use their washrooms. Some say yes, and some say no. I understand they are also concerned about their safety and privacy,” she says. As a result, Usha spends most of her day not drinking enough water and holding her pee when she is at work. Due to this, she also suffered from a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).

Her friend, Halima too faced similar problems and due to increased levels of uric acid in her body, she suffered from Hyperuricemia.

Other health risks are kidney stones and other kidney problems, headaches, dull skin, xerostomia or dry mouth, fatigue, and urinary incontinence, which means losing control over your pelvic floor muscles leading to uncontrolled leakage of urine, seizures and weakness.

What Can You Do?

Wear comfortable clothes and capris. Capri pants are comfortable and are short in length, which means this won’t touch the toilet floor when you squat or sit.

Carry Essentials

Even though you cannot get a UTI alone from sitting on a toilet seat, it is always safe to carry a toilet seat sanitiser. If nothing, it can help you get rid of the bad odour so you can use your stand and pee device inside the toilet. You can also use disposable toilet seat covers if your knees are weak, and you cannot squat. Always flush with your seat down.

Always keep disposable gloves, a portable bidet (fill it with water before use), a pocket liquid handwash, wet wipes, tissues and sanitiser handy. Do not forget to keep extra sanitary pads. It might sound a lot, but I promise that it all fits in one pouch. Use this travel-friendly pouch every time you are on the road, or using a public washroom.

What Can We Learn From Others?

However, in case we do not get these technologically advanced toilets here, you can always pack a travel-friendly toilet kit!

Weight-loss jabs, or GLP-1 receptor agonists, have provided many people with results that diets alone could not achieve. For those struggling with constant cravings, these medications have quieted the persistent “food noise” that often drives overeating. They have transformed not only body shapes but also self-confidence and daily habits.

Yet questions remain: can people safely stop taking these drugs, and what happens to the body when they do? These are still largely unknown, as the drugs are relatively new. GLP-1s mimic a natural hormone that controls hunger, but the long-term effects are only beginning to be understood. Additionally, for the estimated 1.5 million people in the UK paying privately for these injections, maintaining treatment can be costly.

Two women, Tanya and Ellen, share their personal experiences with the BBC on weight-loss jabs and what life was like when they attempted to stop.

Weight Loss Jabs: Tanya Hall’s Experience

Tanya, a sales manager in the fitness industry, initially started taking Wegovy to challenge her own perceptions about weight and authority. She often felt overlooked or undervalued because of her size, and hoped that losing weight would change how others treated her, as per BBC.

Early in treatment, Tanya experienced side effects including nausea, headaches, sleep issues, and hair loss, which she describes as clumps coming out. Despite this, she steadily lost weight—six stone (38 kg) over 18 months—and the injections quieted the relentless urge to eat.

However, every time she tried to stop, her appetite surged within days, leaving her horrified at her own eating. Now, Tanya continues the medication, feeling it has become essential to maintaining her weight and the confidence it brings.

Weight Loss Jabs: What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Taking Them?

Wegovy’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, stresses that treatment decisions should be made with medical guidance and that side effects must be considered. Lifestyle GP Dr. Hussain Al-Zubaidi likens stopping GLP-1s abruptly to being hit by a “tsunami” of hunger.

Research shows that within one to three years of stopping these medications, people can regain 60–80% of the weight they lost. This highlights how these drugs work not just by reducing appetite temporarily but by fundamentally altering hunger cues.

Weight Loss Jabs: Ellen Ogley’s Journey

Ellen turned to Mounjaro after reaching a critical point in her life. Her weight had put her at risk during surgery, and emotional binge eating dominated her daily habits. Once on the medication, Ellen noticed her compulsive eating completely stopped.

Over 16 weeks, she lost 3 st 7 lb (22 kg) and began tapering off the injections over six weeks. She focused on developing a healthier relationship with food, creating balanced meals, and incorporating exercise into her routine. Despite some weight creep after stopping, she has since lost a total of 51 kg and now feels confident her habits are sustainable.

Weight Loss Jabs: The Importance of Support

Dr. Al-Zubaidi emphasizes that exiting GLP-1 treatment safely requires guidance and long-term support. NICE recommends at least a year of tailored advice after stopping injections to help individuals maintain their weight and prevent relapse, as per BBC.

For patients paying privately, such structured support may not always be available, increasing the risk of regaining weight. Lifestyle, mindset, and environmental factors play a significant role in long-term outcomes.

Tanya has chosen to continue with her medication, aware of the pros and cons, while Ellen has closed that chapter and built a sustainable routine for life after Mounjaro.

Weight-loss jabs can dramatically change appetite and body weight, but stopping them can be challenging. The transition off these drugs requires careful planning, support, and lifestyle adjustments. As Tanya and Ellen’s experiences show, the journey varies by individual, and long-term strategies are essential to maintaining health and weight loss results.

Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, states that patient safety is its top priority and that it continually monitors and reports information on treatment outcomes to regulators and prescribers.

Flu Symptoms: Seasonal infections are spreading across the United States just as the holiday travel rush gets underway, worrying health officials about fresh spikes during family get-togethers. Flu and norovirus cases are rising in several states, while COVID-19 continues to circulate at lower but consistent levels. Together, these illnesses are adding strain on hospitals as millions of people plan to travel in the days ahead.

Flu: What Is Super Flu?

“Super flu” is not a clinical term, but it is often used to describe a flu season that feels more aggressive or spreads faster than usual. This is typically linked to a dominant strain of influenza A. The current surge is being driven by a mutated influenza A strain known as H3N2 subclade K. Health officials say this strain has become the leading flu variant in the US, accounting for roughly 89 percent of H3N2 samples analysed since late September, according to genetic sequencing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This variant emerged after the 2025–26 flu vaccine was formulated, meaning the vaccine may not be as closely matched as in earlier seasons. While the shot still offers protection against severe disease, experts note that the mismatch could allow the virus to spread more easily.

Flu Symptoms 2025: What Symptoms Should People Watch For?

The symptoms seen in the current flu wave are largely familiar. People may develop fever, chills, extreme tiredness, cough, and body aches. Doctors, however, caution that the wider spread could result in more serious cases, particularly among people who are at higher risk.

CDC estimates indicate that the US has already seen about 4.6 million flu cases this season, along with nearly 49,000 hospital admissions and around 1,900 deaths. Flu activity increased sharply in mid-December, with test positivity jumping from 8.1 percent to 14.3 percent within a single week.

Flu Symptoms 2025: How To Reduce The Risk

Doctors recommend staying home when feeling unwell, washing hands often, especially to limit norovirus spread, and considering vaccination against flu and COVID-19. Even when the strain match is not ideal, experts stress that vaccines remain crucial in reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalisation, and death.

Flu Cases In The US: How Contagious Is Superflu?

In terms of how easily it spreads, it behaves much like regular flu, which is known to be highly contagious.

Someone with flu can pass on the virus from around one day before symptoms appear and continue to be contagious for five to seven days after becoming sick. Children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems may remain infectious for a longer period.

The virus mainly spreads through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, or breathes near others. It can also spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, followed by touching the mouth, nose, or eyes. Crowded indoor settings, poor airflow, and close contact make transmission far more likely, which explains why flu spreads quickly during peak season.

What makes a so-called “super flu” seem more contagious is not a new way of spreading, but higher case numbers, quicker community transmission, and stronger symptoms, all of which increase coughing, fever, and the amount of virus released.

Raised cholesterol levels do more than strain the heart. They can sharply limit blood circulation to the arms and legs, increasing the risk of serious health problems. High cholesterol is already known to raise the chances of heart attacks and strokes, which makes recognising early warning signs especially important.

Low-density lipoprotein, commonly known as LDL or “bad” cholesterol, builds up along artery walls. Over time, this build-up narrows the blood vessels and increases the likelihood of blockages that can lead to cardiac arrest. According to the NHS, diets high in fatty foods, frequent alcohol intake, and a lack of physical activity are among the main reasons cholesterol levels rise.

Why Symptoms May Appear in the Feet

Although cholesterol is often detected through medical tests, warning signs can sometimes surface in unexpected parts of the body, including the feet. Paying attention to these changes can help doctors identify peripheral artery disease, or PAD, which develops when fatty deposits restrict blood flow. This has been reported by Surrey Live.

The British Heart Foundation explains that as circulation worsens, the body struggles to supply enough oxygen, nutrients, and blood to the skin and surrounding tissues. This problem is most noticeable in the feet, as they are the farthest point from the heart.

Three Serious Foot Symptoms Linked to High Cholesterol

There are three major signs of high cholesterol that may show up in the feet:

• Pain
• Ulcers
• Gangrene

Other PAD Symptoms to Look Out For

People with peripheral artery disease may also notice additional changes, such as:

* Loss of hair on the legs or feet

* Weakness or numbness in the legs

* Toenails that grow slowly or become brittle

* Open sores on the feet or legs that take a long time to heal

* Changes in skin colour, including pale or bluish tones

* Skin that looks shiny

* Erectile dysfunction in men

* Loss of muscle mass in the legs

Lowering cholesterol levels is essential to reduce the risk of PAD and other complications associated with high cholesterol.

It is important to confirm high cholesterol with a healthcare professional, as many people experience few or no symptoms.

A blood test remains the most reliable way to detect high cholesterol, which often goes unnoticed without screening.

When Symptoms Become an Emergency

Symptoms such as foot pain, ulcers, and gangrene may signal a severe form of PAD known as critical limb ischaemia. The British Heart Foundation warns that this condition needs urgent medical treatment to help prevent limb loss.

If a doctor suspects high cholesterol, the NHS advises that a blood test will usually be recommended.

How Cholesterol Is Tested

There are two main ways cholesterol levels can be checked:

* A blood sample taken from the arm

* A finger-prick test

If results confirm high cholesterol, a GP will talk through ways to bring levels down, which may include changes to diet or prescribed medication.

Diet Changes That Can Help

Adjusting what you eat is often one of the most effective ways to reduce cholesterol, as diet is a common cause of high levels. One practical step is to cut back on saturated fats and replace them with unsaturated fats.

Saturated fats are commonly found in foods such as fatty cuts of meat, butter, cheese, and lard. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, are present in vegetables, nuts, seeds, and plant-based oils.

Apart from that, increasing physical activity can also help manage cholesterol and support overall heart health.

UK health guidelines recommend that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. Doing more activity, or increasing intensity, can reduce the total time needed. Moderate exercise means your heart rate rises and breathing becomes heavier, but you should still be able to talk without struggling for breath.

One practical way to reach the 150-minute target is to stay active for 30 minutes a day, on at least five days each week.