The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that it was dangerous to assume the Omicron variant would herald the end of Covid-19's acutest phase, exhorting nations to stay focused to beat the pandemic.

"It's dangerous to assume that Omicron will be the last variant and that we are in the end game," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a WHO executive board meeting of the two-year pandemic that has killed nearly 6 million people.

"On the contrary, globally the conditions are ideal for more variants to emerge."

Though Omicron has sent total cases soaring to nearly 350 million, its less lethal impact and the increasing prevalence of vaccines has led to optimism in some parts that the worst of the pandemic may have passed.

Tedros, the WHO's first African head who is running unopposed for a second term, urged discipline and unity in combatting the coronavirus.

"The Covid-19 pandemic is now entering its third year and we are at a critical juncture," he told a news conference earlier. "We must work together to bring the acute phase of this pandemic to an end. We cannot let it continue to drag on, lurching between panic and neglect."

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Countries must maximize strategies and tools already available, such as testing and inoculation, for the global health emergency to end this year, he said.

Tedros' bid for a second term received a boost when the WHO shelved a decision on his native Ethiopia's request to investigate accusations of links to rebel forces.

He told board members he was seeking an overhaul of the agency's funding model, with Germany now the largest donor, supplanting Washington which had accused the WHO of pro-China bias under former President Donald Trump's administration.

The United States is resisting a financing proposal that would make the UN health body more independent, raising doubts about the Biden administration's long-term support.

1,35,51,950 people have been given booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in the country so far. 

This information is obtained from the press release sent by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Sunday.

According to the press release, 12,86,67,045 people have received the first dose of the vaccine since the onset of the vaccination campaign in the country. Besides, 11,68,63,440 people have been given the second dose.

The press release said in the last 24 hours (Saturday), the first dose was given to 7,060 people across the country and the second dose was given to 49,000 people. Besides, 97,704 people have been given booster doses at this time — these are being given by Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.   

Vaccination of 12-17-year-old students started in Bangladesh on November 1. Among these, 1,73,21,442 students were given the first dose and 1,59,02,513 students were given the second dose. 

The DGHS says 2,18,701 floating people, so far, have come under the vaccination in the country. They have been vaccinated with a single dose of Johnson & Johnson. 

Noted that the registration of the Covid-19 vaccine in the country started on January 27. Vaccination activities started on February 7. Anyone over the age of 18 can now get vaccinated.

One crore 30 lakh 10 thousand 85 people have so far received booster dose in the country to prevent coronavirus infection. 12 crore 85 lakh 94 thousand 285 people have taken the first dose of vaccine since the beginning of vaccination program in the country. Besides, 11 crore 65 lakh 56 thousand 462 people have come under two dose vaccination.

This information is known from a press release regarding corona vaccination sent from the Department of Health. It was signed by Prof. Dr. Mizanur Rahman, Director and Line Director, Management Information Branch (MIS) of the department.

It said that in the last 24 hours (Sunday), the first dose was given to 7,796 people across the country and the second dose was given to 49,803 people. Also, booster doses have been given to 89,010 people at this time. Oxford-Astrageneca, Synoform, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are used in the vaccination program in the country.

Vaccination activities for 12-17-year-old students started in Bangladesh from last 1st November. So far 1 crore 73 lakh 20 thousand 942 of them have been vaccinated with the first dose. The second dose has been given to one crore 58 lakh 98 thousand 483 people.

According to the department, 21 lakh 7 thousand 160 floating people have come under the vaccine in the country so far. They have been vaccinated with a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.

Registration of corona vaccine in the country started on January 27. Vaccination activities started from 7th February. Anyone over the age of 18 can now get vaccinated.

The result of Bangladesh Dental Surgeons (BDS) admission test under the session 2021-22 was published on Sunday. 

A total of 39,395 students passed the examination. Of them, 13,749 are male students and 25,646 are female students.  

The pass rate is 59.77 percent.

Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council President Professor Dr Mahmud Hasan announced the result at the old building of Health Directorate in the capital’s Mohakhali at 2pm.

However, a student named Nasrin Sultana Eva secured the first position in the examination.

It is to be noted that 65,907 examinees applied for the examination.

The number of people taking booster doses in the country to prevent coronavirus infection is now 1 crore 5 lakh 68 thousand 900 people.

This information is given in a press release on vaccination signed by the Director and Line Director of the Management Information Branch (MIS) of the Department of Health, Prof. Dr. Mizanur Rahman.

It has been said that 12 crore 81 lakh 86 thousand 131 people have come under the first dose of vaccine since the beginning of vaccination program in the country. Besides, 11 crore 48 lakh 86 thousand 26 people have received two doses of vaccine. Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are given to people.

Vaccination activities for 12-17-year-old students started from November 1 in the country. 1 crore 72 lakh 90 thousand 893 of them have been given first dose till now. The second dose has been given to 1 crore 57 lakh 38 thousand 365 people.

Meanwhile, on Saturday (April 9), the first dose of vaccine was given to 2,163 students across the country. The second dose was given to 15,419 people.

According to the department, 2 lakh 12 thousand 256 floating people in the country have come under the vaccine so far. They have been vaccinated with one dose of Johnson & Johnson.

The registration of corona vaccine in the country started on January 27 last year. Vaccination activities started from 7th February.

Sixteen-year-old Raihan (not real name) used to live in the city's Mohammadpur area. He is reading in class X. His father is a businessman by profession. But, Raihan becomes addicted. He used to take drugs through veins. Later, he was diagnosed with Aids.

According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Bangladesh has, so far, around 14,000 patients of AIDS, the most advanced stage of HIV infection. Though the number is low, the country is at high risk because of neighbouring countries which have higher transmission rates and easy access to drugs.

Of them, around 84 percent came under treatment. The disease, however, claimed 205 lives in 2020, taking the total death toll to 1,588.

Bangladesh first detected HIV positive case in 1989. The first AIDS patient is still alive and physically sound. He regularly communicates with the HIV treatment programme.

According to a report of UNICEF, published on November 29 last year, about 3.60 lakh adolescents are projected to die of Aids-related diseases across the world between 2018 and 2030. About 76 teenagers are projected to die every day if any additional allocation is made in preventing HIV, screening and treatment project. Currently, two adolescents are being infected by HIV in every two minutes.

The UNICEF urged all concerned to strength different programmes including treatment and prevention to reduce infection and death rate of adolescent.

The report titled 'Child, HIV & AIDS: World of 2030' said 270,000 children and adolescents are projected to become newly infected with the virus annually. But the number of death of adolescent will be reduced. 56,000 children and adolescents are projected to die from AIDS-related causes annually.

It said the number of newly infected children will be reduced by 2030. But the rate of newly infected HIV adolescent between 10 years and 19 years will be reduced on 29 percent. And the death rate under 14 years of old children will be reduced 57 percent.

According to the latest statistics, a large portion of the total AIDS patients in Bangladesh are Rohingya population. The officials concerned laid emphasis on screening at the country's all air, sea, and land ports to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

They said India and Myanmar have different communications with the businesses and common people of Bangladesh. So, awareness should be raised among the citizens besides the government and non-government initiatives to this end.

Assistant Professor of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka virologist Dr Zahidur Rahman said, "Bangladesh is a country of low prevalence in case of HIV infection. But it is at risk for various reasons. We have borders with two countries (India and Myanmar). Both are at high risk. There are also a few lakh Rohingyas in the country."

Mentioning people coming to Bangladesh from the two neighbouring countries, he said it is urgent to launch HIV screening tests at air, sea and land ports.

"This test will not cost much, and it may take 10 minutes to conduct the same by kit. The United Nations have huge idle money which we can use for HIV screening," he added.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), around 28.05 percent of women are not informed about AIDS but 71.05 percent are aware of at least one carrier of the disease. The awareness rate among the women about all the spreaders rose to 36 percent, 7 percent more than that of 2016.

The government agency thinks the risk of AIDS transmission among women is rising as the awareness did not grow at the desired level.

The data provided by the National AIDS/STD Control (NASC) Programme of the Directorate General of Health Services said a total of 12,91,069 samples were tested from November 2020 to November 2021 to detect HIV/AIDS. The same was around 13,32,589 in the previous year. Out of the newly 729 HIV-infected people in last year, men are 420, women 210, transgenders 12.

Of them, Rohingyas are 188 (account for 26%), common people 186 (26%), abroad returnees and their families 144 (20%), people who take drugs through injection 61 (8%), female sex workers 17 (2%), homosexuals 67 (9%), male sex workers 53 (7%) and transgenders 12 (2%), the data showed.