United News of Bangladesh

Shedding light on pathways to clean air and blue skies in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, National Citizen Party’s (NCP) first senior joint member secretary Dr Tasnim Jara on Tuesday emphasised that people must remain at the centre of climate and environmental action. "It’s about our children breathing freely. It’s about them living longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives. If we connect to that human story, it binds us across political lines and across borders," she said while speaking at a high-level panel discussion on the sidelines of the HKH Parliamentarians’ Meet 2025. A popular figure known for her evidence-based health videos with millions of followers, Dr Jara outlined four key steps to tackle air pollution - building a shared scientific foundation, harmonising policies, mobilising finance and keeping people at the centre. UNDP launches ‘clean air’ campaign amid deteriorating air quality She stressed the unique role of parliamentarians and said, "They are not just lawmakers. They are the bridge between science and people, between global commitments and local realities. That is why they must step forward and act.” Dr Jara underlined that clean air is not a luxury, but a right. Framing it as a political issue, she said, “If we can secure that commitment across the region, our partners will act together. The sky above belongs to all of us, and we must defend our right to clean air with urgency. We either fix this together, or we fail separately.” Four Priorities Monitoring of air quality in the region is still uneven, said Dr Jara, calling for a robust regional network of monitoring stations, shared datasets, and transparent science.  “If we cannot measure together, we cannot act together." UN Secretary General calls for enhanced global cooperation for clean air “If one country tightens standards but another does not, the consequences cross borders,” she said, urging alignment of policies across the HKH region.

The UK Government has recognised Dr Tasnim Jara, a Bangladeshi doctor working at England's National Health Service, as a "Vaccine Luminary" in the G7 Global Vaccine Confidence Summit. As part of its G7 Presidency, the UK Government convened the Global Vaccine Confidence Summit on Wednesday, a first-of-its-kind event, bringing together global experts from across the public and private sectors to build and maintain confidence in vaccines. "Although I have been featured from the UK on the global map, my work has served more people in Bangladesh and India," Dr Jara, also a postgraduate student of evidence-based health care at the University of Oxford, said. Read: Sinovac vaccine restores a Brazilian city to near normal As the only Bangladeshi recognised as a "Vaccine Luminary," Dr Jara said, "I am very proud to represent our part of the world on this global platform." An interactive photo mosaic created in partnership with the UK Government and the People's Picture, titled "The Luminaries," was also unveiled at the event. Using video and images, it showcased many global "Vaccine Luminaries" who are taking to social media to build confidence in vaccines, including health care professionals on the front line. Read How to protect yourself and your family from Dengue fever The platform will be available on a dedicated website with plans to feature more "Vaccine Luminaries" from around the world over the next year. The Global Vaccine Confidence Summit forms part of the UK's wider work as G7 President this year to bring an end to the pandemic, with vaccine uptake, access and confidence a key component. Recent data published by YouGov shows that the UK continues to top the list of nations where people are willing to have a Covid-19 vaccine or have already been vaccinated. Read Japan’s vaccine push ahead of Olympics looks to be too late During the Summit, world-leading experts at the forefront of efforts to build vaccine confidence and tackle misinformation about vaccines offered their perspectives on the critical global actions that governments and partners from across sectors can take to address the issue. It was acknowledged that increased levels of vaccine confidence, accessibility and availability are needed globally to end the pandemic. One of the biggest threats to confidence in vaccines is misinformation, which can damage public perceptions of vaccine safety and efficacy. Read: WHO validates Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use Speaking at the Summit, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus showed his support saying: "Trust must be earned. To succeed in vaccinating the whole world, governments will have to deploy a range of strategies and tailor them to each country." Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former prime minister of Denmark and former CEO of Save the Children International, and co-chair of Facebook's Oversight Board, also spoke at the Summit. Other speakers at the Summit included Dr Anthony S Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president, and Africa CDC First Director Dr John Nkengasong – who debated the relative success and challenges of building vaccine confidence in the US and Africa respectively, and what lessons are relevant for other regions. Read Quit Smoking: How to prevent Nicotine addiction