Vision impairment cases will rise dramatically – WHO



News Desk, Barta24.com
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Globally at least 2.2 billion people are suffering from vision impairment of whom at least 1 billion have the impairment that could have been prevented, according to a new report of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The World Report on Vision launched in Bangladesh on Sunday (Jan. 19) says eye conditions and vision impairment are widespread across the world, and far too often they still go untreated, according to press release of WHO.   

Health Minister Zahid Maleque formally launched the report at an event organized at The Westin Dhaka by International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), INGO Forum in Eye Health, and National Eye Care of Bangladesh government.

He also inaugurated a two-day workshop titled ‘World Report on Vision – Developing Bangladesh Action Plan’ at the same event.

Launching the report, the Health Minister said the government will help set up vision centers, where primary eye care, glasses and medicine, referral and telemedicine services are offered, in all the upazilas of the country to make eye care services available to the grassroots people.

His assurance came after representatives of the institutions working for eye care said that they have established vision centers in 70 upazilas and will set up such centers in 130 other upazilas by 2022.

Zahid Maleque said around 4,500 physicians have recently joined government service and another 5,500 doctors will be recruited for facilitating prompt delivery of health services across the country.

The Minister claimed that the rate of blindness in Bangladesh among the 30 plus age group has declined to 1 percent from 4 percent years ago, thanks to different steps of the government.

He laid emphasis on ensuring modern equipments, skilled manpower and awareness among the people about eye health problems to fight vision impairment.

The WHO report says population growth and ageing, behavioral and lifestyle changes, and urbanization, will ‘dramatically’ increase the number of people with eye conditions, vision impairment and blindness in the coming decades.

“The global need for eye care will also rise dramatically in the coming decades posing a considerable challenge to health systems,” it says.

According to the report, the costs of the coverage gap for unaddressed refractive errors and cataract globally are estimated to be $14.3 billion US dollars. “These are the additional costs that would be required to the current health system using an immediate time horizon.”

It says the burden of eye conditions and vision impairment is not borne equally; the burden is greater in low- and middle-income countries and underserved populations, such as women, migrants, indigenous peoples, persons with certain kinds of disability, and in rural communities.

Prime Minister's former Health Affairs Adviser Prof Syed Modasser Ali, Health Services Division Secretary Asadul Islam, DGHS Director General Prof Abul Kalam Azad, and IAPB Country Chair for Bangladesh and Director General of Medical Education Prof AHM Enayet Hussain, among others, spoke at the report launching event.

IAPB Regional Chair for Southeast Asia Dr Taraprasad Das presented the keynote paper at the workshop.  Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology President (Elect) Prof Ava Hossain, DGHS former director general Prof Deen Mohd Noorul Huq, Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB) President Prof Md Sharfuddin Ahmed, INGO Forum in Eye Health Chair Mohammad Mushfiqul Wara, National Eye Care Director Prof Golam Mostafa, Orbis International Country Director for Bangladesh Dr Munir Ahmed, and media personality Nayeemul Islam Khan spoke at the workshop on the first day.

According to the deliberations of the speakers, 750,000 people are blind in Bangladesh while the number of visually impaired people exceeds 6 million.

The speakers made several recommendations for combating vision impairment. They include making eye care an integral part of universal health coverage; implementing integrated people-centered eye care in health systems; promoting high-quality implementation and health systems research, and raising awareness about eye care needs

   

Dhaka is the sixth most polluted city in the world, Seoul is on top



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Today, Dhaka is sixth in the list of the most polluted cities in the world. The air quality of the capital has become 'unhealthy' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 172 at 6:50 am today.

South Korea's capital Seoul topped the air quality index with 343. South Korea's Incheon, Pakistan's Lahore, Vietnam's Chiang Mai and India's Delhi occupy the second, third, fourth and fifth places in the list with AQI scores of 217, 187, 179 and 177 respectively.

An AQI score between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups. An AQI score between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy'. And an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing a serious health risk to residents.

AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on 5 parameters of pollution, namely - Particulate Matter (PM10 & PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3).

Dhaka has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.

In March 2019, a report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank stated that the three main causes of Dhaka's air pollution are brick kilns, smoke from vehicles and dust from construction activities.

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Taka 400 crores laundered through digital Hundi, controlled by Dubai



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested 5 people for allegedly laundering around Tk. 400 crore abroad through Digital Hundi using Mobile Banking Service (MFS).

CID Chief Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia informed this in a press conference at CID headquarters on Thursday (March 28) afternoon.

The arrested are - Nasim Ahmed (62), the owner of Tasmia Associates, Fazle Rabbi Sumon (32), the territory sales manager of Agent SIM, Md. Kamruzzaman (33), Zahir Uddin (37), representative of Jet Robotics Apps Bangladesh and Khairul Islam alias Pius (34).

Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia said, a gang has smuggled around Tk. 400 crore abroad through digital Hundi using mobile banking services. Five members of this gang were arrested during the operation.

He said that Tk. 400 crores illegally came to Bangladesh through Jet Robotics app in the last few months. Police traced the app through intelligence.

He also said that the money of this gang was transacted from the Chattogram based distribution house. Five members of the gang were arrested in separate raids in Dhaka and Chattogram on Wednesday night.

He said that Tk. 28 lakh 51 thousand cash was seized from them at the time of arrest. He said that they used to rent development agent SIMS and deliver money through them to the grassroots level.

The head of CID said that Mamun, the master of this gang lives in Dubai. He is using agent SIM here. This app used for smuggling cannot work outside 48 SIM along the specific link sent from Dubai. Only seven people can enter this app.

Referring to this as a modern form of Hundi business, he said, money is being circulated in the country through this app by blocking remittances coming to Bangladesh. Already we got 5-7 more such organizations who are working like this.

He said, in the last three months, Tk. 400 crores have been hindered from coming to Bangladesh through Jet Robotic Apps. Five people using these apps have been arrested and their devices seized.

He said, Chattogram's development distribution house Tasmia Associates company has 1000 Bkash Agent SIMs. These agent SIMs who are not performing well, the agent SIMs provide DSOs to the users of Jet Robotic Apps.

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Demand for punishment for those responsible for electrocution death in Moulvibazar



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The death of 6 members of the same family due to electrocution in Moulvibazar is very shocking and heartbreaking. The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmed said that the main responsible person and institution should be brought under accountability.

He made this comment at a discussion on 'Role of Media in Protection of Human Rights and Consumer Rights' organized by 'Business Digest' at a hotel in the capital on Thursday (March 28).

The Chairman of the Human Rights Commission said, after investigating the incident of Moulvibazar, appropriate legal action should be taken against those responsible and necessary measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. We could not do anything for one family, but we have to do for hundreds of such families.

He also said that the issue of rights is directly and indirectly the daily practice of the media. Media can question all the irregularities; make people aware of their rights and duties and play an important role in establishing rights. We can carry out reformative activities only in view of the news published in the media.

Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed called on the media workers to take all-out efforts to spread the necessary knowledge about the constitution, law and rights among the people.

At one stage of the discussion, he said about the recurrence of fires, we have not learned proper lessons from the big fires and explosions in Nimatli, Newmarket and Bangabazar in the past years. Had we taken effective measures, recurrence of fires could have been prevented.

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Suggestion to introduce Human Rights Wing in the Foreign Ministry



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended setting up a new wing on human rights to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The suggestion was made at the parliamentary committee meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan on Thursday (March 28). After the meeting, this information was informed in a press release of the Parliament Secretariat.

The meeting recommended taking necessary steps to recognize March 25 as International Genocide Day. A proposal was made in the meeting to visit the Rohingya camps Kutupalong and Bhasanchar with the members of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chairman of the committee AK Abdul Momen chaired the meeting and members of the committee and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Shahriar Alam, Nahim Razzak, Nizam Uddin Jalil, Nurul Islam Nahid, Habibur Rahman, Saimum Sarwar, Zara Zabeen Mahbub took part in the meeting. #

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