Karnataka: Actress injured in road mishap in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Kannada actress Sharmiela Mandre and her friend were injured the car in which they were travelling rammed into a railway pillar near Cantonment here on Saturday, police said.
The actress and her friend Lokesh Vasanth, who allegedly went for a joyride in a high-end car, have been booked under IPC sections of rash and negligent driving and also the the NDMA Act, police added.
"A Jaguar car had met with an accident near the Railway under-bridge under High Grounds Police Station limits.
When inquired it came out that two persons Lokesh Vasanth (35) and Sharmila Mandre (33) were admitted to Fortis Hospital on Cunningham Road," Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Ravikanthe Gowda said.
"We have registered a suo motu case. The lockdown is in force. We are investigating why they came out violating the lockdown. They had come for jolly ride, which is an unpardonable crime. We are initiating action against them under the NDMA Act," Gowda said.
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WHO calls for urgent action as South-East Asia leads in tuberculosis burden
New Delhi (PTI): The South-East Asia region continues to carry a disproportionate share of the tuberculosis burden, one of the leading infectious diseases in the world, said a World Health Organisation (WHO) official said on Tuesday.
On the World TB Day, the WHO called for stronger national leaderships, sustained investment and continued engagement of communities and people to control the spread of the disease.
In a statement, Dr Catharina Boehme, officer-in-charge, WHO South-East Asia, said, "The region accounts for approximately 34 per cent of people developing the disease globally and nearly 40 per cent of deaths. In 2024 alone, an estimated 3.68 million people developed TB, and approximately 433,000 lives were lost, including 13,000 among people living with HIV."
This year's theme -- "Yes! We Can End TB" -- is a timely reminder that progress is within reach when political commitment, science and innovation, and community leadership come together, Dr Boehme said.
Since 2015, South-East Asia has achieved 23 per cent reduction in TB deaths, and 16 per cent decline in TB incidence, outpacing the global average decline of 12 per cent.
Treatment coverage has expanded significantly to more than 85 per cent, with over 3.1 million people initiating treatment in 2024. The member states continue to achieve treatment success rates above the global average, including for drug-resistant TB, while expanding preventive treatment for people living with HIV and household contacts, she said.
The national programmes are strengthening TB services, integrating them within primary health care and universal health coverage, and using data and innovation to reach those still being missed. These gains reflect the sustained efforts of governments, health workers, communities and partners across the region.
Nevertheless, the region remains off track to meet the "End TB" milestones.
Drug-resistant TB remains a serious challenge, with an estimated 150,000 MDR (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis) and RR-TB (Rifampicin-Resistant tuberculosis) cases each year in the region.
Socio-economic drivers continue to fuel transmission as undernutrition and diabetes are major risk factors, and 44 per cent of TB-affected households face catastrophic costs due to the disease.
To drive progress, the focus needs to be on accelerating the pace of decline in TB incidence and deaths, especially in high-burden settings, through integrated approaches embedded within primary health care to provide people-centred care, Boehme said.
There is a need to close the detection and treatment gaps through universal access, rapid diagnostics and shorter treatment regimens.
Boehme also stressed harnessing new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to expand access to quality care that leaves no one behind.
