Synthetic opioids continue to concern European drug agencies. A new report states that 'polydrug' use is leading to new health risks. Data on cannabis since Germany's legalization, however, is still sparse. The top takeaway from the European Drug Report 2024 : Drug users in Europe are increasingly using more than one drug at the same time — a practice known as "polydrug" or "polysubstance" use. And synthetic opioids remain a top-level concern for drug monitoring and drug addiction agencies. These trends may or may not be voluntary as potent synthetic opioids are often being mis-sold or mixed with medicines and other drugs, and cannabis products are being adulterated with synthetic cannabinoids — so users don't always know what they are taking. Polydrug use is the use of two or more psychoactive substances, licit or illicit, simultaneously or sequentially. Substances may be sold that contain one or more drugs other than the one the purchaser was expecting, either in a mixture with the substance they intended to buy or even as a replacement for it. (Source: Understanding Europe's drug situation in 2024 — key developments/European Drug Report 2024) "Polydrug use can increase the risk of a drug overdose," stated the report, published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) on June 11, 2024. "The majority of fatal overdoses involve the use of more than one substance […] cannabis was the drug most commonly reported in the cases of polydrug use toxicity." Heroin is still the most commonly used illicit opioid in Europe. Cocaine use is second only to cannabis. Synthetic opioids play a smaller role in Europe than they do in North America, according to the report, but their use is increasing in Europe, too. And they are "often highly potent and carry a significant risk of poisoning and death." Six out of seven new synthetic opioids reported for the first time to the EU Early Warning System (EWS) in 2023 were nitazenes.  EU Drug Reports lacks data on synthetic opioids By its own admission, and despite its 177-page heft, the report lacked data in a number of key areas essential for assessing public health effects and measures to curb addiction rates and drug overdoses. Take nitazenes, for example: The report stated that in 2023, nitazenes were associated with a "sharp rise" in deaths in Estonia and Latvia and with localized poisoning outbreaks in France and Ireland.  But nitazenes and similar substances are not always detected in routine post-mortem toxicology tests in some countries, "so associated deaths may be under-estimated." That means that the EMCDDA simply isn't getting the data it needs, especially when EU states fail to check for new and evolving drugs on the market. "As drug consumption patterns are becoming ever more complex, there is also a growing need to improve our understanding of how changes in patterns of polydrug use are impacting on mortality," stated the report. Another key area that lacked data was the impact of cannabis legalization. This is striking against two facts stated by top-level speakers at an EMCDDA briefing: Ylva Johanssen, European Commissioner for Home Affairs said: 'After cannabis, cocaine is the second most common drug used in the EU.' Alexis Goosdeel, EMCDDA Director said that the concentration of THC, the psychoactive element in cannabis resin had 'doubled in the last ten years' and it continues to rise, according the written report. Average THC was at 22.8% in the year 2022. The report suggests that 'any policy development in this area' meaning legalization or toleration of cannabis, for instance 'should be accompanied by an assessment of the impact of any changes introduced. This sort of evaluation will depend on the existence of good baseline data; underlining again the need to improve our monitoring of current patterns of use of Europe's most commonly consumed illicit drug.' The EMCDDA's 'national focal point' in Germany is the 'Deutsche Beobachtungsstelle für Drogen und Drogensucht" (DBDD), or the German observation office for drugs and drug addiction. DBDD Director Eva Hoch told DW that the issue of missing baseline data — an agreed "starting point" from which to evaluate any changes or developments — could affect Germany's ability to evaluate the impact of its legalizing cannabis in April 2024. 'German researchers said a year ago that the scientific evaluation should start before the legalization, because we need that baseline data,' said Hoch. Cannabis consumption had been on the rise for a decade before legalization, said Hoch, and this needed to be taken into account to properly track the impact of legalization. 'The picture is cracked in Germany,' said Hoch. 'There are many anecdotes on the internet and social media, but we don't have systematic data. It's unclear how the law has been adopted across the country's 16 federal states […]. There is no systematic data on the immediate impact of the new law we can't say whether cannabis consumption has increased in the two months since legalization or whether demand has increased, or whether there have been more traffic accidents since legalization in April.' Those factors are just the start. Studies in the US and Canada had shown, said Hoch, that there were more than 100 factors that can help evaluate the effect of cannabis legalization. The German government had planned to evaluate the impact of the legalization of cannabis, she said, but that process had yet to start, and there was no sign of when it would begin.

At least three people died of dengue and a total of 21 people have been admitted to hospitals. This information was given in the regular report  by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on dengue sent from the Of the victims, 11 are from Dhaka City Corporation area. Besides, 10 people were admitted to hospitals outside Dhaka due to dengue. The highest of them are in Barisal, 5. A total of 2,545 people were infected with dengue across the country from January 1 to May 15 this year.  Of these, 851 are from Dhaka City Corporation area. At the same time, 2,377 people have been discharged from hospitals.

At least three people died in the 24 hours till 11am on Monday with heatstroke across the country due to the intense heat wave, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).   The organization says, 15 people died in heatstroke in the last 14 days. The Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room of the DGHS reported this information on heatstroke cases and deaths on Monday (May 6). According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 33 people suffered heat stroke in 14 days from April 22 to Sunday (May 5). Of them, 15 have died. The data showed that, Magura records is the highest number of deaths due to heatstroke with seven deaths. Besides,  fatalities were reported in Chattogram, Khulna, Chuadanga, Habiganj, Rajbari, Jhenaidah, Lalmonirhat, Bandarban and Madaripur.  

The one-time treatment, Lenmeldy, which is a new gene therapy for an ultra-rare disease for children will cost $4.25 million, making it the world’s most expensive drug in the world. Recently Lenmeldy was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday. The first gene therapy for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) for a rare and fatal disease called early-onset metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD primarily affecting children under the age of seven. It is a fatal disease in which infants sometimes start to lose the ability to walk and talk. Orchard Therapeutics the company that makes Lenmeldy said in a statement Wednesday ( March 27) the drug’s price “reflects its clinical, economic and societal value.” According to Orchard, the disease MLD affects about one in 100,000 live births, and fewer than 40 children a year in the U.S. The company (Orchard Therapeutics) focuses on developing gene therapies, which aim to correct the underlying genetic flaws that cause inherited diseases. Recently the company was acquired by the Japanese drugmaker Kyowa Kirin Co.  However, The wholesale cost for this lifesaving therapy isn’t usually what patients pay, but it’s a cost that’s considered and shouldered by public and private health insurance plans, including state Medicaid plans, which cover roughly 4 out of every 10 children in the United States.

This year, PEDSI Global Health has arranged healthcare initiatives, training sessions in different palces in Bangladesh PEDSI conducted training sessions at prominent hospitals such as Bangladesh Shishu Hospital on February 17, PHA global Sumit on Feb 18, Instructor Training at Mirpur DOHS, Dhaka on Feb 19, Health camp at Raozan Chittagong on Feb 24, Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) on Feb 27, and Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Feb 28, 2024. Since 2012, PEDSI Global Health has provided high-quality training and educational opportunities to healthcare professionals in USA and Bangladesh. Our focus on offering free American Heart Association (AHA)-affiliated Basic Life Support (BLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) courses has been met with great success, School health initiative, advocacy, community reach out program medical camp. awareness program for community in need, USA and globally, thanks to the unwavering support of our partners and participants. At Dhaka Shishu Hospital, PEDSI hosted a series of impactful events, including BLS and PALS courses, an equipment donation event, and a scientific session.  On February 24, 2024, PEDSI Global Health organized a free medical camp at Quepara Jonokalyaan Trust Hospital in Raozan, Chattagram. Supported by local physicians and community volunteers, our team of 29 physicians from various specialties came together to provide medical care to the local community. Remarkably, we were able to attend to 1800 patients in a single day, underscoring our commitment to delivering accessible healthcare to underserved populations.  In addition to the medical camp, PEDSI Global Health also conducted Basic Life Support (BLS) training sessions for non-medical professionals and schoolteachers from near by schools. Recognizing the critical role of educators in promoting health and well-being among students, The organisation provided school health initiative training to equip teachers with the skills to conduct basic health screenings for students. By empowering teachers to identify and address health concerns early on, it aims to foster a healthier schoolenvironment conducive to learning. One of the most rewarding aspects of our work in Chattagram was the opportunity to collaborate with enthusiastic young community volunteers from Quepara Raozan. Their dedicationand passion for service were truly inspiring, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them in making a positive impact on the health and well-being of their community.  

At its worst, polio causes paralysis: 'Polio Paul' Alexander had to spend 70 years in an iron lung after surviving the disease as a child. Children are still at risk in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where polio is endemic. Polio is a very contagious viral disease caused by the poliovirus. It can cause permanent disability and even death, especially in children under the age of five. There are two types of polio present in the world today: Wild poliovirus and vaccine-derived poliovirus. The latter originates from an oral polio vaccine, known as the Sabin vaccine, or OPV.  Wild poliovirus has been eradicated in most countries, aside from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vaccine-derived poliovirus has been found in Yemen and central Africa. Both the wild and the vaccine-derived forms have three types of viruses — types 1, 2 and 3. Although vaccine-derived polio can take the form of any of the three types, type 1 is the only remaining form of wild poliovirus. Types 2 and 3 were declared eradicated in 2015 and 2019. Although all wild poliovirus types can cause the same symptoms, there are differences in how damaging they can be, and immunity to one type does not protect against the other types. What are the symptoms? Most people infected with polio are asymptomatic. Around one in four people experience flu-like symptoms, such as a sore throat, fever, headaches or stomach pain. Generally, these symptoms go away on their own after two to five days.  Although rare, a very small percentage — less than 1% — of people infected with the poliovirus experience very dangerous symptoms, such as permanent paralysis, which can lead to a permanent disability, and even death when the virus affects the muscles required for breathing. Sometimes children that seem to have fully recovered can later, as adults, develop post-polio syndrome, which is characterized by new muscle pain, weakness or even paralysis. How is polio transmitted? The virus infects a person's intestines and throat. It can survive there for many weeks. It spreads through a community via contact with an infected person's respiratory droplets or feces. In places with poor sanitation, the virus can also contaminate food and drinking water. Infected people can spread the virus to others right before symptoms appear and until up to two weeks after. Where is polio present today? Polio has not yet been eradicated worldwide — the wild form of the virus still exists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And although Africa has been considered free of wild polio since August 2020, imported cases were reported in Malawi and Mozambique .  In July 2022, the US reported its first case of vaccine-derived polio in a decade. Vaccine-derived poliovirus was also detected in sewage samples in the UK and Israel. It was a "stark reminder that if we do not deliver our goal of ending polio everywhere, it may resurge globally," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the time. More than a hundred countries have been declared polio-free thanks to the development of polio vaccines in the middle of the 20th century and aggressive global innoculation campaigns. What are the two types of polio vaccine? There is no cure for polio, but there are vaccines for preventing the disease: The oral polio vaccine (OPV) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). The oral polio vaccine is administered as an oral liquid and has been key for international eradication because it protects the individual and stops the virus from spreading. The OPV uses live but weakened forms of the poliovirus that are modified not to cause disease in the person taking the vaccine. But if the OPV-weakened virus is able to stay alive and circulate in places with poor sanitation, such as in wastewater, where there is a high number of unvaccinated people, it can mutate back into a disease-causing form of the virus. The inactivated polio vaccine is given as an injection and is extremely effective at protecting the receiver from serious disease. Because it's inactivated, it cannot cause vaccine-derived poliovirus. However, unlike the OPV, it doesn't stop the spread of the virus if the person is already infected. The OPV is cheaper than IPV and does not need to be administered by a health professional. But more and more countries are using IPV, because of the risk of vaccine-derived poliovirus. There are some types of care that can help with symptoms caused by polio, like bed rest, painkillers, breathing assistance and physical therapy.

Three more hospitals in the capital have been declared closed on the second day of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Of those, two are situated in Mohammadpur and one in Uttara. Two teams of the Directorate General of Health Services conducted a drive against illegal hospitals and diagnostic centres in the capital on Wednesday (February 28). DGHS Director (hospital and clinic) Dr Abu Hossain Mainul Ahsan confirmed the matter to the reporters. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a total of nine hospitals and diagnostic centres have been closed in the last two days during the ongoing drive.