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When Josef Woodman's shoulder gave out in 2012 — strained from chopping firewood on his farm outside Chapel Hill, North Carolina — he said he was quoted between $2,400 and $3,200 for an MRI at Duke University Hospital.He didn't want to shell out the cost of a nice vacation just to find out he didn't need surgery, so he decided to wait, even as his mobility decreased to the point where he had to severely limit his farm work and could hold only one-third of the weight he normally could. Two years later, his patience was rewarded: While on a work trip to Bangkok, he got an MRI for just $460, landing an appointment two days after his consultation at a hospital."The results came back and they said, 'You don't need surgery. You've got a separated rotator cuff,'" Woodman said. The surgeon prescribed physical therapy, which he completed in the US. "The shoulder got way better," he told me. He was glad he waited.Like Woodman, millions of Americans travel abroad for medical procedures each year, saving anywhere from 40% to 90% on the services they receive. Many <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(18)30620-X/fulltext">don't have health insurance</a> or don't get coverage for the procedures they seek out — dental work and cosmetic procedures like breast implants and liposuction are by far the most popular. There's also a small but growing market for people seeking thorough checkups and testing abroad. An ascendant medical-tourism industry is offering these types of screenings, including MRIs and electrocardiograms, in beautiful locations around the world and packaging them with transportation, accommodations, food, shopping, and sightseeing. And with an increasing obsession with "wellness" and celebrities like Kim Kardashian promoting full-body imaging, it's easy to see why more and more Americans are looking to pair cabanas with CAT scans."If you've got some kind of joint pain, or if you have some kind of condition that isn't progressing, incorporate that into your normal travel plans," Woodman, now 72, said. In 2007, he founded Patients Beyond Borders, a healthcare-consulting company that helps Americans plan medical vacations, after growing up taking trips to Mexico for dental work with his dad. "In any kind of industrialized nation, you'd be able to get access to good-quality screening and people who can interpret the results," he said.Medical tourism comes with risks; the American Medical Association recommends going only to medical facilities recognized by international accrediting bodies and following up testing with care at home. But a growing number of Americans are willing to take those risks, as suites of tests abroad are often cheaper and faster than just a single test in the US."We just don't have a preventative-oriented society here in the United States," Woodman said. "Our approach is reactive."In a July <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bryn.elise/video/7386406512593325355?lang=en">TikTok</a> that's amassed over 17 million views, Bryn Elise documented her experience at a Turkish hospital where she received over 30 scans and tests, including an EKG, chest X-ray, and abdominal and thyroid ultrasounds, in a single day. The bill? $830. Without insurance, the cost of an EKG alone in the US <a target="_blank" href="https://enhancehealth.com/blog/how-much-does-an-ekg-cost-at-urgent-care-without-insurance/#:~:text=The%20total%20cost%20of%20an,where%20you%20get%20the%20service.">can vary from $100 to $5,000</a>."Personally, I'd rather spend $700 on a flight to Turkey, get dozens of tests there, and take a whole vacation than spend the thousands that this would have cost in the United States," Elise said in the video, which also featured clips of her on a beach, poolside, and eating a spread of delicious-looking Turkish veggie bowls. The 29-year-old health- and beauty-tourism influencer said she booked the trip because she wanted to investigate some "mysterious ailments," including brain fog, vision problems, and heart palpitations, without paying America's sky-high healthcare costs. She told her followers she had struggled with an eating disorder for 10 years and that "since our US checkups are only a tap on the knee and a blood-pressure check, I've been low-key terrified that I've caused permanent damage to my body but would never find out until it's too late."Her tests unearthed an astigmatism, early signs of osteoporosis, and "critically low" levels of vitamin B12. "The feeling of impending doom I've had due to health concerns is gone," Elise said.She chose a hospital that had been accredited by the Joint Commission International, an Illinois-based organization that has accredited over 1,000 health facilities in more than 70 countries. Dr. Paulo Neno, an international-accreditation surveyor at the commission, told Business Insider the accreditation process takes up to two years to complete and is renewed every three years. It includes a 12-part evaluation, during which a team of doctors and nurses visit the medical facility and assess everything from its operating theaters and intensive-care units to its power and water systems."We are focused on understanding how they are providing safe care for high-risk patients," Neno said.It's unclear, though, how many medical tourists visit accredited facilities, and there's still the question of whether all these tests are useful for someone who is seemingly in good health. Woodman knew he had an issue that needed to be examined, but Elise was more interested in a holistic screening regimen. One person commented on Elise's TikTok, "The hypochondriac in me thinks this is the perfect vacation. I'd go every year."Since COVID-19 came into the picture, health screenings and extensive physicals have received some buzz. Last year, Kardashian got a full-body MRI done by Prenuvo, a US chain of diagnostic clinics that offers the service for $2,500. In an Instagram post promoting it, Kardashian described it as a "life saving machine" that could detect cancer or conditions like aneurysms in their earliest stages. Especially given the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colon-cancer-cases-doubled-young-people-2024-5">rise in colon cancer</a> among young people — a disease that can spread with no or minimal symptoms — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/get-colonoscopy-colon-cancer-symptoms-colorectal-oncologist-2024-4">early screenings</a> are on more people's minds.But Arturo Vargas Bustamante, an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of California, Los Angeles, said these kinds of rigorous tests can often do more harm than good."You may get a lot of things that you may not need based on your age profile, or you may get screenings that ultimately would find something that could lead to treatment that may harm you," he said. US guidelines on which demographics should get tested are based on scientific evidence, he added, while clinics abroad may be more motivated by profit.If a test finds cancer at a very early stage when it's very slow-moving, Vargas Bustamante said, the patient may feel compelled to treat it immediately, subjecting themself to chemotherapy and radiation. But in reality, it's possible they could have gone years without needing to start treatment. "Sometimes knowing too much may not be that good for you," he said.Others, however, think that America's lack of access to robust preventive screening is a critical failure.Dr. Misael Uribe Ramos is the director of international medicine at Médica Sur in Mexico City, a Joint Commission International-accredited hospital that offers checkups with eight different specialists for $1,600. Uribe Ramos has seen interest in rigorous physicals boom since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic — and he thinks it's a good thing.Often when you go to the doctor, it's to treat a specific issue or disease, he said. "But why is that? Because you don't have prevention," he said. "Prevention is the best way to be healthy."In America, chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are leading causes of death and disability, driving the majority of the US's $4.5 trillion in yearly healthcare expenses, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html">according to</a> the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These illnesses are largely preventable. The CDC also says that between 30% and 50% of cancers diagnosed today could be prevented by reducing risk factors (like not smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight) and getting recommended screenings and vaccinations. However, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://health.gov/news/202401/prevention-still-best-medicine">US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion</a>, only 5.3% of Americans 35 and older received all recommended clinical prevention services in 2020 — a number that dropped from 8.5% in 2015. Why? Simply put, many Americans aren't regular healthcare users. They often don't have a family doctor, they live too far from one, they don't have a way to get there, or they simply can't afford it, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion says. Meanwhile, preventive-care services aren't prioritized because healthcare providers are paid to treat diseases — not to prevent them by keeping people healthy. A 2020 study said the National Academy of Medicine <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7309216/">estimated</a> that missed prevention opportunities cost the US $55 billion annually.Other countries take a different approach. In Japan, for instance, the most basic annual checkups include EKGs, chest X-rays, blood tests, eye and hearing tests, and stool and urine tests. And some residents require a more comprehensive version that includes cancer screening. Japanese employers are required to provide them for all of their employees. In 2019, about 74% of men and 66% of women in Japan completed some type of medical checkup, according to the country's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.South Korea's regimen is similar to Japan's. On a work trip there in 2010, Woodman had extensive testing done, including an MRI and CT scan, as part of a "wellness preventative program" he tried out for work, he said. He was offered an endoscopy and colonoscopy as part of the package but declined."Testing in the United States is really kind of pathetic," Woodman said. "They weigh you. They take your blood test. 'How tall are you?' And that's pretty much it."Americans seeking better preventive screening tend to visit South Korea, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, while Mexico, Barbados, and Thailand are popular for genetic and fertility testing, as well as testing related to gender-affirming care, medical-tourism advocates told BI.Many of these countries have hospitals that cater to foreigners. In Mexico, Médica Sur's checkups take about five hours, with screenings across disciplines such as internal medicine, cardiology, gynecology, and ophthalmology. (In the US, a typical physical takes less than an hour.) Packages include breakfast, transportation, accommodation, menus catering to dietary restrictions, discounted sightseeing for an extra cost, and concierge staff who help patients coordinate their stay and remain by their side for the duration. The hospital is also connected to a Holiday Inn if visitors want to stay on-site.Results are available within two weeks, at which point the patient can discuss the findings with a doctor in person or remotely; a checkup three months later is also included in the price. If, for example, the screenings indicate a malignant tumor, Uribe Ramos said, doctors will explain to a patient which follow-up tests they need, either in their home country or at Médica Sur. He recommends getting a thorough exam once a year.Since opening its international-medicine wing in 2019, the hospital has seen 5,000 foreign patients, most of them American and Canadian, Uribe Ramos said.Imani Bashir was living in Cancún three years ago when she felt what she thought was a lump in her breast. At the time she was 34 — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/screening/screening-recommendations-by-age.html#:~:text=Women%20ages%2040%20to%2044,should%20get%20mammograms%20every%20year.">young</a> to be receiving a mammogram — but her family had a history of the disease, so she booked an appointment anyway. In the US, the median <a target="_blank" href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.e18917">cost</a> of a mammogram ranges from $140 to $360 for women who aren't insured. In Mexico, it was under $50. As a Black woman who grew up in the US without health insurance, the 37-year-old communications director found the experience especially validating."When we go to the doctor and say that we're in pain, it's kind of just shooed away, like it's not a big deal," Bashir said. In Mexico, the medical center didn't question her. Now that she's living in Washington, DC, she continues to travel to Mexico for both her and her son's dental appointments and other medical issues because it's cheaper and easier to get appointments. "It always feels good when you feel like you can take care of yourself, and financially, it's not going to be a detriment to your life and your health," she says.Given how many people experience difficulty navigating the American healthcare system, it's no surprise that the medical-tourism market is growing rapidly. Patients Beyond Borders estimates the industry is growing between 15% and 25% each year. And 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9104082/#:~:text=The%20increase%20in%20medical%20tourism,other%20time%20in%20the%20past.">research</a> found that the increase in international tourism had helped fuel the trend. As <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-agents-back-gen-z-millennials-vacation-planning-overseas-resorts-2024-6">more people spend time abroad</a>, it becomes easier to tack a few small medical tests onto your trip.Vargas Bustamante thinks traveling internationally for rigorous testing probably most benefits healthy people who just want "peace of mind." Despite the risk factors, the industry's growing appeal illustrates the limitations of American healthcare."Why would someone have to buy a plane ticket to go all the way on the other side of the world just for an adequate amount of healthcare? It's nuts," Bashir said. "But if people have the privilege, if people have the money to be able to do so, then I say, yeah."<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/manisha-krishnan">Manisha Krishnan</a> is an Emmy award-winning journalist who covers healthcare. She is based in Brooklyn.

Mojitos and an MRI: Meet the Americans who are getting health screenings on vacation 

The number of <keyword id="19933600" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="prostate-cancer" source="keywords">prostate cancer</keyword> cases is rising among men aged below 50 years in India, with a more aggressive form of the disease, experts have said, underscoring that it can be managed effectively if identified early as it often grows slowly. September is recognised as Prostate <keyword id="23363213" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancer-awareness-month" source="keywords">Cancer Awareness Month</keyword> for raising awareness about one of the most common cancers affecting men worldwide. Prostate cancer, which develops in the prostate gland, primarily affects older men, but it is on the rise in younger men in India, with a more aggressive form of the disease, according to the experts. The incidence of prostate cancer in the under-50 age group has increased significantly, they have pointed out. According to the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Health Organization" meta.hostid="266" meta.entityid="World Health Organization">World Health Organization</keyword>'s (WHO) figures, prostate cancer affected 37,948 Indian men -- accounting for roughly 3% of the 14 lakh new cancer cases registered in the country -- in 2022. Dr Ashish Gupta, a medical oncologist certified by the American board and the chief of the medical oncology department at the Unique Hospital Cancer Centre in Delhi, said, "<keyword id="20123436" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="early-detection" source="keywords">Early detection</keyword> significantly increases the survival rates as prostate cancer is often slow-growing and can be managed effectively if identified in the initial stages." "The biggest issue in India is late diagnosis," he added. In the United States, 80% of prostate cancer patients are diagnosed early and 20% report it late, Gupta said, adding that the statistics are reversed in India. Through regular PSA tests and check-ups, men can take control of their health and reduce the chances of the disease advancing, he said. Although symptoms are often absent in the early stages, men should be aware of the potential warning signs, including difficulty in urinating, frequent urination (especially at night), blood in the urine or semen and pain in the hips, back or pelvis, he said. The experts have warned against a delay in diagnosis and treatment, given that it can prove to be fatal. Most often, the symptoms of prostate cancer are either ignored or neglected, leading to advanced stages of the disease. "We are observing a rise in prostate cancer cases in young adults, which was earlier associated with adults aged above 50 years. Cancer reports among younger males aged 35 to 44 residing in metropolitan regions have recently increased," Gupta said. Advances in medical technology, including robotic surgeries and precision radiation, have significantly improved the prognosis for prostate cancer patients. However, the fear of being diagnosed, combined with societal pressures on men to stay silent about health issues, prevents many from seeking timely medical advice. Modern treatment methods like immunotherapy, targeted therapy and a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy are proving to be an effective treatment option and giving a new lease of life to prostate cancer patients, Gupta said. Dr Tanvi Sood, a medical oncologist at the Paras Hospital in Gurugram, said, "Prostate cancer is increasing in young men around the globe. It is known to be more aggressive in nature and usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Increased screening may have contributed to increased diagnosis in younger men. However, there could also be a hereditary genetic syndrome causing prostate cancer in the men in a family." Timely diagnosis can help start the right treatment like surgery, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. It is very important to check for hereditary genetic mutations in all prostate cancer patients, especially young patients, Sood underlined. Gupta concluded that men with a family history of prostate cancer are at a higher risk, especially if someone's father, brother or uncle was diagnosed with the disease. Genetic factors play a role, so those with a family history should consider earlier and more frequent screenings, he added. Healthy lifestyle habits can help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with regular physical activity, can support prostate health. Reducing red meat and fat intake, along with avoiding smoking, can also help lower the risk, Gupta said. By staying informed, opting for regular screenings and following healthy lifestyle choices, men can significantly reduce the risks associated with prostate cancer, he added.

Prostate cancer cases rising among men aged below 50 in India, note experts

<ul class="summary-list"><li>On a trip to Melbourne, Adrian Chia envisioned a holiday home to unplug from the world.</li><li>He sold his IT business and partnered with two friends to build Big Tiny, a tiny house startup.</li></ul>How nice would it be to leave everything behind, unplug from the world, and relax abroad?This thought lingered in Adrian Chia's mind after a two-week family vacation exploring the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne in 2016.Shortly after returning home to Singapore, he floated the concept of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-city-life-quits-job-build-tiny-house-wood-denmark-2024-9">living an unplugged life</a> by his friend Dave Ng, whom he'd met in his 20s during mandatory national service."We were just chitchatting, but Dave started thinking about it seriously," Chia, now 43, told Business Insider. Ng came up with the idea of creating a tiny house on wheels — a mobile house that could be easily relocated if a particular location did not attract guests.In 2017, the pair decided to sell their businesses — Chia had been working in IT and Ng in waste management — and start a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-build-own-tiny-home-company-plans-2023-4">tiny house business</a> called Big Tiny. They invested 100,000 Singapore dollars, or around $77k, each, and dove into brainstorming their first prototype."I knew I was venturing into uncharted territory," said Chia, who was married with two young kids and had a newborn at the time.<h2 id="b90f8f35-563a-4d9d-9797-e15f7148fc10">An early obstacle</h2>With no experience in architecture or building, their first roadblock was figuring out how to build a tiny house."I can't even change the door knob at home," said Chia, adding that the thought of having to fit a kitchenette, a bedroom, and a living room into a 20-foot space was daunting.They hired an architect to help with the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/couple-lives-in-tiny-home-on-wheels-with-office-bedroom-2023-6">design of the house</a> and agreed on a few essentials. First, the house had to be on wheels. Next, they had to ensure that the house did not feel claustrophobic.Six months of trial and error later, Chia and Ng assembled the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/built-tiny-house-parents-backyard-rent-free-saved-money-2024-3">first prototype home in Chia's garden in Singapore</a>.<div type="image" title="A tiny home" height="3024" width="4032" msid="113509611" hostid="261" sizebytes="1381548"></div>They began scaling the business by sending tiny houses overseas. The first two were sent to Australia, one to Victoria and the other to New South Wales.In 2018, Chia convinced a friend from elementary school, Jeff Yeo, to join the team of founders and help with branding. Yeo had worked as an account director and manager at several marketing agencies.Together, they raised around SG$4.2 million over two funding rounds, Chia said. That includes SG$3.8 million in the second round, which took place in 2021.<h2 id="2f26daf1-a207-42de-80b6-4a8c216f56ad">Developing their tiny houses into a profit-sharing business</h2>After garnering attention from local media, the team started to receive inquiries on how to purchase tiny houses, Chia said.So, in 2017, the team started a program that allowed people to buy a tiny house for around SG$90,000. In return, they managed the hotel side of the business by renting the unit back from the buyer. They either rented the tiny house for two years and paid 8% a year or five years and paid 10% a year. Big Tiny then earns from the profit of nightly stays, Chia said.Although the headquarters is in Singapore, Big Tiny's first move was to send <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-in-a-tiny-mansion-home-so-could-afford-california-2023-10">tiny houses</a> out to the rest of the world. The homes had a modular design — flat packed "like Ikea furniture," as Chia describes.<h2 id="86541299-29a2-4f07-931a-d1593e686640">In 2023, they set up tiny houses in Singapore</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiny-home-village-atlanta-south-park-cottages-photos-booker-washington-2024-3">The tiny house movement</a> encourages <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiny-house-new-yorker-first-time-experience-2022-7">minimalistic and sustainable living</a>. Although the movement has taken off in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiny-house-movement-future-2021-1">countries like the US</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiny-home-tube-shape-surprising-things-europe-slube-photos-2023-2">Germany</a>, it has been less popular in Singapore.In 2021, an opportunity arose for Big Tiny to set up houses in Singapore under a government initiative promoting innovative business ideas.The government awarded Big Tiny state land, for which the company pays rent, to build their <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stay-tiny-home-remote-lazarus-island-singapore-2024-8">tiny houses on Lazarus Island</a> — one of the eight Southern Islands in Singapore."We jumped on it," Chia said.In an email response to BI, a representative from the Sentosa Development Corporation, an organization under Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry, said the initiative aimed to complement the existing environment of Lazarus Island by introducing "light-touch" recreational uses.Additionally, the response noted that Big Tiny's houses were equipped with sustainable features, which were in line with their goal of reducing vacationers' carbon footprint on the island.The government also awarded another company a chance to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/luxury-tent-glamping-into-the-woods-lazarus-island-singapore-2024-9">build nine tents nearby.</a>Since opening the tiny house resort in April 2023, Chia said, it has been running on an average of about 90% occupancy. Guests have to book a few months in advance to secure their stay. He added that they have been cash-flow positive since their inception.In August, BI was able to book a stay for SG$380 a night, less than three weeks in advance, although only a few tiny houses remained available at the time. All of the houses were full during BI's stay.<h2 id="4f271ca1-9272-4f7b-83ed-2c77ec2a4d51">Each tiny house is placed in nature</h2><div type="image" title="An accommodation in Lake Stella, New Zealand" height="3459" width="5189" msid="113509618" hostid="261" sizebytes="2539654"></div>Seven years on, Big Tiny has placed more than 400 tiny houses in more than 10 countries worldwide, from Taiwan to Europe and Australia.On Singapore's Lazarus Island, guests are surrounded by lush greenery and can swim in the sea. At Lake Stella in New Zealand, two hours north of central Christchurch, guests can hike the surrounding mountains or take a dip in the lake. In Yilan, Taiwan, guests can sleep in a tiny forest cottage and gaze at the stars when night falls.<div type="image" title="The cofounders of Big Tiny take a selfie" height="2736" width="3648" msid="113509620" hostid="261" sizebytes="240580"></div><h2 id="a0ebf152-35eb-4037-bc31-9862591a586e">Working with friends can be challenging</h2>Looking back on the journey, Chia said he learned that ideas never come fully formed. "When I was speaking with Dave, it was just an idea of putting tiny houses in rural areas so that people can recharge themselves in nature," he said.He said they never thought they could build tiny houses in his own garden — let alone transport them worldwide.And although <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/business-partnership-ended-friendship-partners-friends-2024-1">working with close friends</a> can be tricky, Chia credits their successful collaboration to clearly defining their roles.While Chia oversees revenue and strategic development, Ng heads operations and production, and Yeo focuses on branding."Whenever we face problems, we will call for a discussion. Everyone will have ideas on how to get things resolved," he said."But at the end of the day, the person leading the aspect of the business will take ownership and decide on what is the best course ahead."

How 3 friends without any hospitality experience started renting out over 400 tiny homes in remote locations around the world

Sixty-six percent of <keyword id="23012810" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="road-traffic-deaths" source="keywords">road traffic deaths</keyword> in <keyword id="19952305" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Southeast-Asia" source="keywords">Southeast Asia</keyword> are of <keyword id="20239488" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pedestrians" source="keywords">pedestrians</keyword>, motorized <keyword id="20937113" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="two-wheeler-riders" source="keywords">two-wheeler riders</keyword>, and <keyword id="20007750" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyclists" source="keywords">cyclists</keyword>, while the highest traffic fatalities in India are among two- and three-wheeler riders, according to the latest <keyword id="20738786" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO-report" source="keywords">WHO report</keyword>. The "WHO South-East Asia Regional Status Report on <keyword id="20187029" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="road-safety" source="keywords">Road Safety</keyword>" was launched during "Safety 2024", the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, 2024. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, 30% of reported road traffic deaths involved users of powered two- and three-wheelers. Occupants of four-wheeled vehicles make up 25% of the deaths and pedestrians account for 21 %. Cyclists represent 5% of the deaths. The remaining 20% include occupants of large vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, and other or unknown user types. "In the WHO Southeast Asia Region, the share of reported road traffic deaths is 46% for users of powered two- and three-wheelers, 12 for occupants of four-wheeled vehicles, 17% for pedestrians, 3% for cyclists and 22% for others. In all these countries, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, motorised two-wheeler users and bicyclists) constitute 66% of the total reported road traffic deaths," the report said. "Drivers or riders of two and three-wheelers constitute the highest proportion among all road user categories in India (45.1%), Maldives (100 %), Myanmar (47%) and Thailand (51.4%)," it added. The WHO noted that no country in the South Asian region had achieved the target of reducing its estimated road traffic deaths by 50 %. However, considerable reduction in the WHO's estimated road traffic deaths occurred in the Maldives and Thailand, where estimated road traffic deaths decreased by 46.2% and 41.7 %, respectively. On the contrary, reported road traffic deaths in the region increased by 15 % in the 2010-2021 period. At the country level, no member state of the Southeast Asia Region with more than 10 million population has reported a decrease in road traffic deaths during this period. "However, it should be noted that the reported number of road traffic deaths in Thailand reduced by 22.9% between 2016 and 2021. The estimated road traffic deaths too increased in Bangladesh, India and Nepal during the period 2010-2021 by 23 %, 2% and 25%, respectively," the report said. Etienne Krug, director of the WHO's Department for Social Determinants of Health, said road traffic crashes were a major crisis of the 21st century. "...a large proportion of people who die in road crashes are those who cannot afford to buy a car. This is urgent time to take action. The report reveals that the crisis is huge but we need to understand and act with determination that prevention is possible and needs strict enforcement," he said. The three-day conference is being hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi; George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and co-sponsored by WHO. "To reduce inequities, we must acknowledge that injuries disproportionately impact vulnerable communities -- because we are far behind in addressing real problems with real solutions. Lived experience shows how policy shapes differential exposure, risk, and outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for change," said Jagnoor Jagnoor, head of injury division at George Institute for Global Health. During the conference, the international experts are uniting with a shared goal of "building a safer future for all: Equitable and sustainable strategies for injury and violence prevention". The conference will focus on five key themes -- improving coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, strengthening capacity for research and practice, integrating injury prevention with global health agendas such as sustainability and equity, empowering communities, and promoting informed policymaking.

Pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheeler riders constitute 66% of road fatalities in Southeast Asia, says a WHO report

Washington [US], December 18 (ANI): Two of the most common allergens in the contiguous United States are oak and ragweed pollens. Researchers at the Rutgers <keyword id="15818527" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="environmental-and-occupational-health" source="Orion">Environmental and Occupational Health</keyword> Sciences Institute have modelled how <keyword id="6361617" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword> may alter these two <keyword id="818846" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="pollen" source="Orion">pollen</keyword> distribution patterns. Your eyes may water reading the results, which were published in the journal Frontiers in Allergy. By 2050, airborne pollen loads will significantly increase as a result of climate change, according to a team led by <keyword id="15818525" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="panos-georgopoulos" source="Orion">Panos Georgopoulos</keyword>, professor of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice at the <keyword id="15818528" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rutgers-school-of-public-health" source="Orion">Rutgers School of Public Health</keyword>. Some of the biggest increases will occur in regions where pollen has historically been scarce. "Pollen is an excellent sentinel for the impacts of climate change because shifts in variables like carbon dioxide and temperature affect the way plants behave," said Georgopoulos, who also is director of the Computational Chemodynamics Laboratory at Rutgers and faculty at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "At the same time, the production of pollen and pollen's influence on allergic disease has been increasing due to climate change, and this is one of few studies to forecast this trend into the future." Previous efforts to connect pollen indices with climate change have been limited by a scarcity of data. For instance, there are about 80 pollen sampling stations in the U.S., operated by a variety of private and public agencies using different sampling methods. To overcome this challenge, the researchers adapted the Community Multiscale Air Quality modelling system, an open-source tool managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to simulate distributions of allergenic oak and ragweed pollen for historical (2004) and future (2047) conditions. Results showed that even under moderate warming conditions, pollen season will start earlier and last longer throughout the U.S., with increasing average pollen concentrations in most parts of the nation. Mean concentrations of oak pollen could climb by more than 40 per cent in the Northeast and Southwest and mean concentrations of ragweed could jump by more than 20 per cent in these areas. Regional pollen shifts were observed, too. In parts of Nevada and northern Texas, oak pollen levels could double by mid-century, while Massachusetts and Virginia could see an 80 per cent increase in ragweed pollen by 2050. The pollen research was part of an ongoing project by the <keyword id="15818526" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rutgers-ozone-research-center" source="Orion">Rutgers Ozone Research Center</keyword>, which is funded by the EPA and New Jersey to study how climate change will influence air quality in the state. The bulk of that work examines the state's struggles with ground-level ozone, a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion that can damage the lungs. "New Jersey's air quality is going to be adversely impacted by climate change, both in terms of anthropogenic pollution and increased levels of pollen," Georgopoulos said. "For people with asthma, exposure to pollen and irritants like ozone increases the odds of respiratory illness. To protect the most vulnerable, we need to understand how these irritants will behave in a warming world." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/i-am-glad-i-fd-up-so-much-in-life-that-it-is-content-now-says-ankur-warikoo/articleshow/96282722.cms">I am glad I F**%*D up so much in life that it is content now says Ankur Warikoo</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/tech-layoffs-surpass-great-recession-levels-set-to-get-worse-in-early-2023/articleshow/96314678.cms">Tech layoffs surpass Great Recession levels, set to get worse in early 2023</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/govt-to-amend-insolvency-law-to-reduce-time-taken-for-resolution-process/articleshow/96318850.cms">Govt to amend insolvency law to reduce time taken for resolution process</a>

Climate change resulting in itchy eyes and runny nose, says research by Rutgers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A missile struck a children's hospital. Ukraine says it was a Russian strike, but Moscow denies it.</li><li>War experts dispute Russian claims it was a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile, arguing it was a Russian cruise missile.</li></ul>War and weapons experts are disputing the Russian Ministry of Defense's claims that it did not strike a children's hospital in Kyiv on Monday, an attack that has stirred outrage in Ukraine and internationally.The Security Service of Ukraine identified the missile that struck the medical facility as a Russian Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile. The hospital was struck amid a large barrage.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in response to the attack that "we must hold Russia accountable for its acts of terror and Putin for ordering the strikes." The Kremlin was quick to argue it was not to blame for this. "Statements by representatives of the Kyiv regime about an allegedly intentional missile strike by Russia on civilian targets are absolutely untrue," Moscow's Ministry of Defense posted a <a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/mod_russia/40826">statement to Telegram</a> after imagery began to come out.The Russian Ministry of Defense said that photos and videos taken of the strike show that a fallen Ukrainian air defense missile, fired from an anti-aircraft missile system, caused the destruction at the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital.War analysts took to social media, citing the available visual evidence, to argue against Russia's claims."MOD is gaslighting," Dara Massicot, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/MassDara/status/1810313152027845025">said in a post on X</a> with an accompanying video of the attack from United24 Media. "No, it was not 'Ukrainian air defense' that caused a children's hospital to be struck."Massicot added that other Russian missiles had struck a nearby military plant. The Russian attack struck targets spanning Kyiv and several cities. Analysts assessed that the weapon was not an air-defense missile, nor was it a damaged Russian missile that had been knocked off course. There was no noticeable damage caused to the Russian missile or any indication of distress.Fabian Hoffman, a doctoral research fellow with the Oslo Nuclear Project, determined from the photos and videos of the attack that the missile was intact, the exhaust normal, and the weapon was coming in at a steep angle."The flight looks fully controlled," he said <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/FRHoffmann1/status/1810310374048108986">on X</a>.Additionally, he challenged assessments that it was a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile, noting the visible turbofan engine, long wings in the midsection, and blunted nose, all of which would point to a cruise missile as opposed to an interceptor.The Kremlin has made numerous claims that it does not intentionally target civilian infrastructure; however, the Associated Press has recorded <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-missile-strike-85dea3d9af59589d372333a23de9130a">many instances</a> in which Russia has attacked civilian-occupied entities.Ukraine says at least 36 people have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-war-kyiv-childrens-hospital-missile-attack-deaths/">been killed</a> in the missile attack during which the children's hospital was struck.

Videos show what hit a Ukrainian children's hospital, and Russia is 'gaslighting,' war and weapons experts say

Exactly a week after <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-bombshells-revealed-prince-harry-meghan-markle-oprah-interview-2021-3">Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey</a> catapulted the royal family into crisis in March 2021, Prince William and Kate Middleton released a photo on Mother's Day in the UK.The picture, posted to their joint <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMZ0j2gF1x0/">Instagram</a> on March 14, 2021, was of a cake they said their three children made to remember Princess Diana. It was endearing and casual, far from Kate and William's typical social-media content.Fast-forward three years, and the royal family has found themselves surrounded by controversy yet again. But this time, Kate and William are at the center of it, igniting weeks of speculation with a match in the shape of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middleton-photo-editor-reacts-digital-manipulation-wire-removal-astonishing-2024-3">digitally altered Mother's Day photo</a>. The scandal has been breathtakingly swift, turning the once-golden Prince and Princess of Wales into joke fodder for American late-night hosts — not to mention <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middleton-photo-drama-spurs-twitter-social-media-meme-frenzy-2024-3">all of social media</a>. The publicity has been so bad that even the British tabloids' loyalty is starting to crack.Where did it all go wrong? When Kate and William stopped acting like a united front.<h2>A comeback for the ages</h2><div type="image" title="prince william kate middleton" height="2000" width="3000" msid="108532017" hostid="261"></div>The royal family went on the charm offensive after Harry and Meghan's interview with Winfrey, and they knew Kate and William had to be on the starting lineup.As the world slowly emerged from lockdown, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middleton-prince-williams-new-strategy-after-oprah-interview-photos-2021-6">William and Kate were suddenly everywhere</a>. They visited Westminster Abbey to mark their 10th wedding anniversary, hung out with children on a farm, launched a joint YouTube channel, played soccer with more kids, and hosted a drive-in movie night — all before June.The ensuing photos were a PR dream for the royal family: Kate with a goat! Kate laughing with a golf club! Kate holding a tarantula! Kate in sneakers!There were also plenty of snaps of the couple together, and many noticed that William and Kate were suddenly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/public-affection-kate-middleton-prince-william-pda-photos-2019-2">more affectionate in public</a>. That May, they visited the University of St Andrews — where they first met — and an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.accessonline.com/videos/prince-william-kate-middleton-show-affection-while-returning-to-college-town-where-their-love-story-began">Access Hollywood</a> story noted that William "even affectionately put his hand on Kate's back in a tender moment we don't often see from the perfectly poised heir."It came just a month after the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prince-william-kate-middleton-anniversary-photos-resemble-harry-meghan-markle-2021-4">couple released an anniversary portrait</a>, accompanied by a playful <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/COQNwtPlLvH/">Instagram video</a> far more relaxed than their previous pictures. <h2>Taking a page from Meghan and Harry's playbook</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prince-william-kate-middleton-changed-image-after-harry-meghan-interview-2021-6">William and Kate's public appearances in 2021 were a huge PR shift</a> for the royal couple, celebrity brand management expert Eric Shiffer previously told Business Insider."They were manicured to the nth degree," he said, adding that they "played their public persona with a Buckingham Palace excellence, out of the playbook that's been mastered for centuries."Kate and William's formal and polished persona was opposite to Meghan and Harry's easygoing and affectionate demeanor, which didn't go unnoticed by the public or press. By <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meghan-markle-reveals-suicidal-thoughts-oprah-interview-2021-3">sharing their mental health struggles</a> during the Oprah interview, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex positioned themselves as the antithesis of the royal family's tight-lipped and stone-faced "never complain, never explain" mantra.<div type="image" title="Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry visiting Sandringham in 2018." height="2269" width="3000" msid="108532019" hostid="261"></div>"Harry and Meghan successfully came off as more human, more approachable, and more affectionate with their subjects," royal commentator Kristen Meinzer recently told BI. "Meghan was doing these things that came off as her own heart's desires, rather than 'I am doing this because I have to cut another ribbon.'"Royal historian Clare McHugh previously told BI that Kate and William "really adjusted their style" after the Oprah interview."They realized if they don't, they'll be overshadowed by this couple living in California, so they have to show themselves," she said. "They have to reveal who they are more because that's the currency now. So they let the anniversary film out, and they have YouTube, and they make jokes. It's a new world."Until it wasn't.<h2>A shroud of secrecy</h2><div type="image" title="Kate Middleton at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral" height="1333" width="2000" msid="108532022" hostid="261"></div>In the weeks leading up to the Mother's Day photo fiasco, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middleton-surgery-public-absence-what-to-know-2024-2">rumors swelled around the royal family,</a> who are underwritten by UK taxpayers and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/true-cost-british-royal-family-2023-5"> cost about $300 million annually</a>. Kate's most recent royal appearance was on Christmas, and there have been minimal updates since Kensington Palace's announcement in January that she'd be undergoing a "planned abdominal surgery" and wouldn't resume her public duties "until after Easter."Eyebrows were raised when William released a rare solo statement in February regarding the conflict in Gaza and when he pulled out of his godfather King Constantine's memorial service "due to a personal matter" a week later.As speculation over Kate's whereabouts grew, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middleton-absence-royal-family-what-we-know-2024-3">Kensington Palace told BI</a> on February 29 that she was "doing well" and that "we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates.""With Kate, there's been a shroud of secrecy," Meinzer told BI. "The vague language around Kate's health, William's absence from the funeral, and an update from Kensington Palace that sounds exasperated and very defensive.""It's so glaringly different from the messaging coming from Charles' office," she added. "Charles seems more human these days than William and Kate."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/king-charles-diagnosed-with-cancer-buckingham-palace-confirms-2024-2">King Charles' cancer diagnosis</a> was announced on February 5, a few weeks after Kate's hospitalization. And while the public still doesn't know exactly what type of cancer he has, nor how severe, Charles has been photographed multiple times since resuming public duties.<div type="image" title="King Charles reads get well cards following cancer diagnosis" height="1333" width="2000" msid="108532024" hostid="261"></div>"The Buckingham Palace team has been far more transparent than the Kensington Palace team," Meinzer said. "When we look at Charles' case, they were forthright about him having cancer, they did tell us he'd be having outpatient treatment, and they gave us photographic updates.""Less than a week after the announcement of his cancer, he was attending church with Camilla and waving at the camera people and his subjects," she added. "There are hundreds of witnesses to see that this is actually happening in real time while these photos are being taken."<h2>The (altered) photo seen around the world</h2>Unlike Charles, only three photos of Kate have been released since the January announcement from Kensington Palace.The first, a grainy paparazzi photo published by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/03/04/kate-middleton-seen-spotted-public-first-time-mystery-hospitalization/">TMZ</a> on March 4, showed Kate's face obscured by big sunglasses as she sat in the car with her mother, Carole Middleton. The third, published by the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13183233/Kate-leaving-Windsor-Castle-Prince-William-Westminster-Abbey.html?ico=topics_pagination_desktop">Daily Mail</a> on March 11, showed Kate in the car with William — but her face was turned away from the camera.The only recent clear photo of Kate's face was the picture she and William released on Mother's Day on March 10. The snap shows Kate smiling with the couple's three children, and the caption credits William with taking the picture this year. Within hours, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kate-middleton-photo-fake-photo-agencies-kill-notification-2024-3">announced they would no longer distribute the image</a> due to concerns it had been digitally altered. They sent kill notifications to media outlets worldwide with instructions to remove the picture from all platforms, including social media.According to <a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/kate-middleton-photo-controversy-new-details-show-photo/story?id=108123599">ABC News</a>, the Mother's Day photo was edited twice with Adobe Photoshop — once on the night of March 8 and once on the morning of March 9 — before it was released. During an appearance on <a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/jp/podcast/is-seeing-still-believing/id292525828?i=1000649087388&amp;l=en-US">BBC Radio 4's "The Media Show,"</a> Phil Chetwynd, the global news director at Agence France-Presse, said Kensington Palace is no longer a trusted source."'Photogate' is a PR disaster, no matter how you look at it," royal historian Marlene Koenig told BI. "It's a major, major story, whether the fangirls like it or not. It's not about Kate being sick. It's not about Kate being a member of the royal family. It's about someone who manipulated a photograph to make it look better. Now there's definitely a lack of trust."Kate took responsibility for the photo on Monday, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1767135566645092616">writing on X</a>: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."It was a move that only heightened confusion — and fuelled more rumors.<h2>Blame the princess</h2>Royal fans and pundits alike were shocked to see an explanation come from Kate rather than a joint statement by Kensington Palace."An organization of this size and this international level would normally put out a statement that does not throw one of its most esteemed members under the bus," Meinzer told BI. "I'm kind of surprised that they specifically chose to essentially hang Kate out to dry."Kate's post on X went against the PR strategy helping her and William for years. Where was the royal family's united front?But the Prince and Princess of Wales have been diverging from the tactics of their successful 2021 comeback tour for a while now. There's only a handful of photos and videos of the couple together in the past six months on their Instagram page, the most recent being <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-family-holiday-cards-through-the-years">the official Christmas card</a>.<div type="image" title="The Prince and Princess of Wales 2023 family Christmas card." height="1707" width="1280" msid="108532026" hostid="261"></div>With the black-and-white color, matching outfits, and plain backdrop, it starkly contrasts the sunny, laid-back, and cheerful picture they had shared the year before. There's no denying Kate and William have reverted to the royal family's former strategy of stiff formality. It's led to increased speculation surrounding the stability of their marriage and a lack of connection to the public that's crucial to the monarchy's popularity and, in turn, its survival."I would have focused more on the realness of what Kate's going through. Not everything has to be elevated," Schiffer recently told BI. "People understand that when you're coming back from surgery, it can be difficult, and that's OK too. Part of Kate's charm has always been her ability to be fairly approachable and down to earth, so why move away dramatically from that strategy?""One thing that Kate and William should have learned from Harry and Meghan is to come across as more human," Meinzer added.It remains to be seen if the royal rota — the British tabloids that Harry said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-family-complicated-relationship-british-tabloids-2021-3#:~:text=%22There's%20what's%20termed%20or%20referred,better%20press%2C%22%20Harry%20said.">have an "invisible contract" with the royal family</a> — will continue to support Kate and William. While stories with sympathetic spins have continued to run on the likes of the Daily Mail, The Mirror, and The Sun, there have also been several negative takes calling <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13191311/Kate-Middleton-Prince-William-Kensington-photo.html">Prince William "ungentlemanly"</a> or saying that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/article-13182845/LIZ-JONES-Palace-no-longer-trusted-think-stupid-thinking-did-Kate-write-message-ill.html">"the palace can no longer be trusted."</a>"We're starting to see some very, very loyal members of the royal rota who have always been in William and Kate's corner suddenly not 100% in their corner," Meinzer said."I'm surprised any of them are asking any questions right now," she added. "I usually expect them to be firmly in the pocket of the palace."While it's rare for the royal rota to go against the heir, or the crown for that matter, it's not unprecedented. One only needs to look at how the tabloids covered the <a target="_blank" href="https://hanfordsentinel.com/photos-looking-back-at-the-funeral-and-mourning-of-princess-diana-20-years-later/collection_a581dfc1-6958-5170-ab2c-501e5afa5216.html">Queen's response to Princess Diana's death</a>."Show us you care," one headline screamed."SPEAK TO US," another shouted.When it comes to being royal, that stiff upper-lipped silence can be your downfall.

Kate Middleton and Prince William's united front fell apart

It is not possible to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 soon, as the <keyword id="1279559" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="RNA-virus">RNA virus</keyword> changes very quickly and this makes it difficult to create a good vaccine, says Claudio Colosio Unimi Professor, <keyword id="9343585" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="department-of-health-sciences-university-of-milan">Department of Health Sciences University of Milan</keyword>, Italy. Claudio as the Director, <keyword id="9343583" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="occupational-health-unit-of-the-hospitals">Occupational Health Unit of the Hospitals</keyword> Saints Paolo and Carlo of Milano, has been extensively handling the Covid-19 pandemic. When queried about a vaccine still not appearing on the horizon, Claudio said there is no vaccine for HIV infection yet (and people still survive). And is there a possibility to develop a vaccine for Covid-19, and how soon is it possible? Claudio replied "Not very soon. RNA viruses change very quickly and this makes it difficult to create a good vaccine." Elaborating on the Italian experience of Covid-19, -- a possibility the population has developed herd immunity after experiencing the viral infection attack for close to 6 months -- Claudio said "No. Today the rate of immunization is in the order, depending on the areas, of 2-15 per cent. Very far from herd immunity." Italy was worst hit by coronavirus, currently the number of cases have reduced drastically from 5,000 to less than 300 cases a day. Comparatively, India is just where Italy was months back. More than 9,000 cases were reported on Thursday. It also posted over 5,000 for over two weeks, before crossing 6,000, then 7,000 and 8,000 in rapid succession. On suggestions for India from his experience in Italy, Claudio said: "Doing the big sacrifice of locking down if possible. "Otherwise mandatory mask: surgical mask is ok for most situations. However, I understand how difficult this is in India. "Finally, social distancing. Otherwise it would be very difficult to stop the chain of infection. You should be satisfied when the number of subjects infected by a single coronavirus subject will be under 1." Citing the Covid-19 study at <keyword id="9343584" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-university-of-milan">the University of Milan</keyword>, Claudio said: "We are studying the trends of infection among healthcare workers and whether the approaches are adequate to avoid the spreading of the disease ("<keyword id="7313056" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Contact-tracing">contact tracing</keyword>")." Queried on the increasing levels of pollution, especially in Indian context which has many polluted cities, aiding the spread of coronavirus, Claudio said "There is not any evidence of this. Just only a hypothesis. I don't trust it." When asked, if the current trend of number cases would lead India in the US, UK direction, where the viral infection ran havoc claiming thousands of lives, Claudio said "This is something we cannot anticipate from here. For sure the risk is highest in the most populated regions, and in any place where social distancing is difficult. And India suffers both these risk determinants!" Responding to a query on Italy's efforts in bringing down deaths due to Covid-19, (according to WHO since May 25 Italy has reported less than 100 deaths a day), Claudio said "With social distancing and removing these people (vulnerable group) from the more risky jobs, for example some departments in the hospitals for health care workers. "A good solution requires smart job done." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/data-of-coronavirus-patients-state-wise-in-india/articleshow/74669748.cms">Coronavirus cases in India state wise</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/topic/coronavirus">Coronavirus News and Updates</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coranavirus-cases-in-delhi-news-and-updates/articleshow/74773842.cms">Coronavirus cases in Delhi </a>

Covid-19 vaccine is not coming anytime soon, says health professor from Italy

Pune, <keyword id="19897354" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bajaj-auto" source="keywords">Bajaj Auto</keyword> is developing a portfolio of clean fuel CNG motorcycles, and the first such bike will hit the market in June, Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said here on Friday. The bike will run on CNG and would hit the roads in June, he said while announcing <keyword id="20201280" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bajaj-group" source="keywords">Bajaj Group</keyword>'s commitment of Rs 5,000 crore towards <keyword id="19916939" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="corporate-social-responsibility" source="keywords">Corporate Social Responsibility</keyword> (CSR) spent over the next 5 years. The new bike would target mileage-conscious consumers and is expected to launch under a different brand. It is expected that CNG bikes will be priced higher than their petrol counterparts due to the higher cost of manufacturing besides having a special tank to offer petrol and CNG fuel options to offer convenience to customers. Bjaja also said that <keyword id="20050188" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pulsar" source="keywords">Pulsar</keyword> launched 20 years ago will hit 2 million units soon. Meanwhile, the Bajaj Group committed Rs 5,000 crore to social impact initiatives over 5 years, with a focus on skill development, under 'Bajaj Beyond'' the Group's new identity for all its CSR and charitable programmes. This will benefit over 2 crore of tomorrow's youth and enable them to take advantage of the employment and entrepreneurial opportunities offered by India's growing economy. "Social responsibility is deeply entwined in the <keyword id="21052740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bajaj-family" source="keywords">Bajaj Family</keyword>'s businesses and its philanthropic endeavours through generations. In the last 10 years alone, the Bajaj Group has contributed close to Rs 4,000 crore towards CSR initiatives largely focused on skilling and education, health, livelihood, water conservation, and several other areas of development," Bajaj Auto Chairman Niraj Bajaj said. The Bajaj Group's humanitarian efforts are channeled through several institutions. The <keyword id="21051165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jamnalal-bajaj-foundation" source="keywords">Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation</keyword>, Jankidevi Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha, and the <keyword id="21052739" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kamalnayan-bajaj-hospital" source="keywords">Kamalnayan Bajaj Hospital</keyword>, among others, have worked unceasingly to uplift and empower communities, he said. The Group stays firmly committed to co-creating a thriving and inclusive future for all Indians, he added. Bajaj Group companies include Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Electricals, and Mukand Ltd. "Launching the Bajaj Engineering Skills Training (<keyword id="19925221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="best" source="keywords">BEST</keyword>) last year has been a valuable learning experience for us. It gave us a very clear picture of the critical gap between theoretical education and practical skills needed in the manufacturing industry. The insights gained through BEST acted as a cornerstone in laying down the groundwork. With Bajaj Beyond, we will expand our skilling efforts across the group," Rajiv Bajaj said. "You do not change the world by sloganeering. Saying Make in India does not change the world; saying Aatmanirbhar does not change the world; saying vocal for local does not change the world; saying Viksit bharat does not change the world. "Words would not change the world, unless you have the skills to put those words into action. It would certainly not change the world by saying I will spend tens of thousand of crores of rupees on CSR or that I want to touch billions of lives," he added. Speaking at the event Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman &amp; Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv, said, "Skilling has been at the heart of our social impact initiatives and we have seen the positive multiplier effect it has on the well-being of youth and their families. Our Certificate Programme in Banking, Finance and Insurance (CPBFI) prepares youth for employment in the fast-expanding financial services sector which is currently seeing a shortage of talent." With Bajaj Beyond, Bjajaj Finserv commits to strengthening India's skilling ecosystem, especially in the hinterland, enabling greater access to economic prosperity, he added.

Bajaj Auto working on CNG bike, to hit road in June: MD

<keyword id="19895045" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Singapore" source="keywords">Singapore</keyword> is seeing a new <keyword id="21710881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Covid-19-wave" source="keywords">COVID-19 wave</keyword> as the authorities recorded more than 25,900 cases from May 5 to 11 even as <keyword id="19962428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Health-Minister" source="keywords">Health Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19895083" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ong-Ye-Kung" source="keywords">Ong Ye Kung</keyword> on Saturday advised the wearing of masks again. "We are at the beginning part of the wave where it is steadily rising," said Ong. "So, I would say the wave should peak in the next two to four weeks, which means between mid- and end of June," The Straits Times newspaper quoted the minister as saying. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said the estimated number of COVID-19 cases in the week of May 5 to 11 rose to 25,900 cases, compared with 13,700 cases in the previous week. The average daily COVID-19 hospitalisations rose to about 250 from 181 the week before. The average daily intensive care unit (ICU) cases remained low at three cases, compared with two cases in the previous week. The MOH said that to protect hospital bed capacity, public hospitals have been asked to reduce their non-urgent elective surgery cases and move suitable patients to transitional care facilities or back home through Mobile Inpatient Care@Home, an alternative inpatient care delivery model that offers clinically suitable patients the option of being hospitalised in their own homes instead of a hospital ward. Ong urged those who are at greatest risk of severe disease, including individuals aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable individuals and residents of aged care facilities, to receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they have not done so in the last 12 months. Ong said that if the number of COVID-19 cases doubles one time, Singapore will have 500 patients in its healthcare system, which is what Singapore can handle. However, if the number of cases doubles a second time, there will be 1,000 patients, and "that will be a considerable burden on the hospital system", he pointed out. "One thousand beds is equivalent to one regional hospital," Ong said. "So, I think the healthcare system has to brace ourselves for what is to come." There are no plans for any form of social restrictions or any other mandatory kind of measures for now, as COVID-19 is treated as an endemic disease in Singapore, he said, adding that imposing additional measures would be a last resort. Ong said that with Singapore being a transport and communications hub, it will be one of the cities to get a wave of COVID-19 earlier than others. "So, COVID-19 is just something that we have to live with. Every year, we should expect one or two waves," he said. Globally, the predominant COVID-19 variants are still JN.1 and its sub-lineages, including KP.1 and KP.2. Currently, KP.1 and KP.2 account for over two-thirds of cases in Singapore. As of May 3, the World Health Organisation has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring. There are currently no indications, globally or locally, that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants, the MOH said. However, members of the public are urged to stay updated with vaccinations to protect themselves against current and emerging virus strains. The MOH said that to date, about 80 per cent of the local population have completed their initial or additional dose, but have not received a dose within the last year. The ministry added that since COVID-19 vaccination started in 2020 to 2021, the vaccines have consistently been proven to be safe and effective in protecting individuals from severe illness. Billions of doses have been administered globally, and safety monitoring internationally has shown that the vaccine is safe, it said. There have also been no long-term safety concerns with COVID-19 vaccination, and adverse effects from vaccines, including the mRNA vaccines, have all been observed to occur shortly after vaccination, the ministry added. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-fusion-vs-oneplus-nord-ce-4-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/110197390.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-fusion-vs-oneplus-nord-ce-4-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/110197390.cms" target="_blank">Motorola Edge 50 Fusion vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 – price, specs and features compared</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/iqoo-z9x-5g-with-120hz-display-6000mah-launched-starting-at-12999/slidelist/110176453.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/iqoo-z9x-5g-with-120hz-display-6000mah-launched-starting-at-12999/slidelist/110176453.cms" target="_blank">iQOO Z9x 5G with 120Hz display, 6000mAh launched starting at ₹12,999</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/woman-loses-54-lakh-in-work-from-home-scam-heres-what-it-is-and-how-to-protect-yourself/articleshow/110166963.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/woman-loses-54-lakh-in-work-from-home-scam-heres-what-it-is-and-how-to-protect-yourself/articleshow/110166963.cms" target="_blank">Woman loses ₹54 lakh in work-from-home scam! 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Singapore seeing new COVID-19 wave, minister advises wearing of masks

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New research out of the UK has illustrated the severe toll COVID-19 has taken on frontline workers.</li><li>A study finds that British intensive care workers experienced rampant post-traumatic stress.</li></ul>New research by medical experts in the United Kingdom adds credence to the idea that embattled frontline <keyword id="6358650" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hospital" source="Orion">hospital</keyword> workers had stress levels akin to those in a war zone as the COVID-19 <keyword id="11896136" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pandemic" source="Orion">pandemic</keyword> raged.<keyword id="11897506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare" source="Orion">Healthcare</keyword> workers in intensive care units throughout the UK experienced levels of post-traumatic stress brought on by the pandemic likely tantamount to those endured by soldiers who fought in the war in Afghanistan, according to <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.13.22269151v1.full.pdf">results of a new survey</a> released this month, in which researchers warned that severe stress could undermine the quality of patient care.Nurses early on in their careers were among the groups whose mental well-being was found to have been hit the hardest. The survey's findings, which have not yet been peer reviewed, are based on responses from English intensive care staff before, during, and after the first winter wave of the pandemic, which erupted in late 2020 and persisted into early 2021.Its conclusions suggest a link between poorer <keyword id="11902572" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mental-health" source="Orion">mental health</keyword> among hospital workers and increased "functional impairment" while on the job."These effects are likely to impact on patient care outcomes and the longer-term resilience of the healthcare workforce," the researchers said.<h2>A relentless health crisis</h2>On numerous occasions throughout the multi-year public health crisis, first responders and hospital workers have had to sprint into action as case counts have ballooned and hospital beds have filled up.More than two years since the emergence of the novel <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> in China, the world continues to be battered by repeated waves of infections, with the most staggering case counts being recorded during the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-variant-makes-95-percent-recent-coronavirus-cases-us-cdc-2022-1">Omicron surge</a> beginning last month.This latest research, which was posted to the preprint medRxiv server in mid-January, provides another look at the damage done to healthcare workers. It comes as they face dueling challenges: a growing mental health crisis, coupled with bottlenecks in lining up reinforcements as the global labor shortage hits the medical field. In October, The Guardian newspaper <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/oct/09/nursing-crisis-sweeps-wards-as-nhs-battles-to-find-recruits">reported</a> that the UK's National Health Service had counted nearly 40,000 vacancies for registered nurses in England. For the better part of a year, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nurses-are-considering-leaving-the-profession-after-covid-19-pandemic-2021-5">many US nurses have said</a> that exhaustion and frustration unleashed by the pandemic have forced them to contemplate leaving the field altogether. To compile its findings, the new survey relied on data from more than 6,000 surveys completed by healthcare workers in 56 intensive care units operated by the NHS. Nurses comprised more than half (57.5%) of survey respondents, followed by doctors (27.9%) and other healthcare staff (14.5%). Funding for their research was supported by the Health Protection Research Unit of the UK's National Institute for Health Research.<h2>People living with post-traumatic stress can experience long-term side effects</h2>This isn't the first time that researchers have linked the battle against COVID-19 with post-traumatic stress and healthcare professionals.Last year, researchers at the Yale School of Public Health <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0246602">found in a separate survey</a> that more than 22% of US healthcare workers <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/burnout-alcohol-ptsd-health-workers-are-suffering/">had developed</a> probable post-traumatic stress disorder. Side effects of <keyword id="12032154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ptsd" source="Orion">PTSD</keyword> can include unwanted flashbacks to the original traumatic event, feeling cut off from relationships or despondent about the future, or turning to substances like drugs or alcohol to cope, according to the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967">Mayo Clinic</a>.To help with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress among hospital staff, the research authors of the new survey from the UK advocated several solutions.Among them were the "promotion of social cohesion at work," increased communication between clinical leaders and staffs about what they're going through, and changing up workers' schedules or reducing their workloads.

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