June is Aphasia Awareness Month, a time dedicated to shedding light on a communication disorder that affects more people than many realize. Despite its prevalence, aphasia remains widely misunderstood. This month, we stand in support of individuals living with aphasia, their caregivers, and the healthcare professionals working tirelessly to improve their quality of life.

What Is Aphasia?

Aphasia is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the language-processing centers of the brain, most often resulting from a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or progressive neurological conditions. It can affect speaking, understanding, reading, and writing—while intelligence remains intact.
Aphasia does not discriminate. It affects people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. According to the National Aphasia Association, over 2 million people in the U.S. alone live with aphasia, yet nearly 85% of the population has never heard of it.

Why Awareness Matters

Lack of awareness creates barriers. Many individuals with aphasia face frustration, social isolation, and even misdiagnosis. Raising awareness helps create a more inclusive and empathetic world where those living with aphasia can thrive with dignity.
By learning simple ways to communicate—like using visuals, gestures, or giving people more time to respond—we can all contribute to breaking down these barriers.

How You Can Support

Words May Be Lost—But Not the Person

People with aphasia are not less intelligent or less human. They are artists, teachers, parents, friends—just people trying to connect. This month, and every month, let’s replace silence with support and confusion with compassion.
Let’s talk about aphasia. Let’s listen. Let’s make every voice heard. Every year on June 14, the world comes together to celebrate World Blood Donor Day—a day dedicated to thanking voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and raising awareness about the need for regular blood donations.

Why Is World Blood Donor Day Important?

Blood is an essential resource for both planned treatments and emergency interventions. It is used in a wide range of clinical situations including:

Yet, safe blood is in short supply—especially in low- and middle-income countries. World Blood Donor Day is a reminder of how vital it is to maintain a steady and safe blood supply through voluntary donations.

2025 Theme: “20 Years of Celebrating Giving: Thank You Blood Donors!”

This year marks the 20th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day. The theme honors two decades of generosity from global donors who selflessly roll up their sleeves to save lives. It also serves as a call to action: Let’s ensure blood donation remains a strong, voluntary act of community solidarity.

Did You Know?

Who Can Donate?

You are generally eligible to donate blood if:
Pro tip: Always hydrate and eat a light meal before donation!

How You Can Celebrate World Blood Donor Day?

A Heartfelt Thank You ❤️

To everyone who donates blood: your compassion and courage mean the world. You may never meet the people you help—but their lives are forever changed because of you. This World Blood Donor Day, let’s commit to keeping the blood flowing—because every drop counts and every donor is a hero. Every year, World Malaria Day is a somber reminder of the collective effort needed to end one of the world's most deadly infectious diseases. Malaria is preventable and curable, yet it kills hundreds of thousands of people every year. This year's theme, "Accelerate the Fight. Save Lives," calls on all of us—governments, health workers, organizations and individuals—to accelerate efforts against the disease.

Understanding Malaria

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted to humans from bites by infective Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria symptoms like chills, fever, and influenza-like illness will quickly lead to severe complications if not treated.".
Despite the availability of low-cost preventive interventions and diagnostic tools, malaria still endangers over 3 billion people globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, like in India.

Our Commitment

As a health care provider, we are dedicated to:
Our hospital also promotes the importance of patients getting medical attention early if they have symptoms, particularly after traveling to risk areas.

Progress in India

India has made remarkable progress in reducing the malaria case burden and is poised to significantly contribute to malaria elimination by the year 2030. The efforts coordinated by the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) and state governments have significantly reduced the disease burden. But constant efforts and people's involvement are needed to sustain this momentum.

Did You Know?

Join the Fight

Today, on this World Malaria Day, we call upon all to join the global fight against malaria. Whether by raising awareness, taking preventive action, or contributing to community efforts, every effort counts. Together, we can move towards a malaria-free world. If you or someone you know is showing symptoms of malaria, do not hesitate to seek medical care. Early treatment will be lifesaving. For appointments or inquiries visit doctor booking.

Is Chewing Gum Actually Plastic?


Chewing gum seems innocent enough, but did you know that synthetic plastics are the primary ingredients used to make most gums? The "gum base" used in many of them contains items such as polyethylene, polyvinyl acetate, and butyl rubber—materials that won't degrade and aren't biodegradable. So by chewing gum, we're not only getting our fill of the taste—we're ingesting plastic without even knowing it.

The Study: Microplastics in Your Saliva

Recently a pilot study proved surprising and frightening information: the chewed gum is able to discharge microplastic particles in saliva. When chewing, according to researchers' finding, about an average of 100 particles per gram is emitted from gum with up to 637 from the most heavily polluted samples. Mostly these microplastics escape after a couple of minutes or at most remain inside the mouth as well as can be swallowed. This pioneering study is among the first to actually quantify microplastics entering the human body via chewing gum—a casual activity we all do daily.

Health & Environmental Risks

Microplastics have already been associated with possible health issues like hormonal imbalance, inflammation, and cell damage. Although further studies are necessary to fully realize the long-term implications of chewing gum-based microplastics, the fact that we might be consuming plastic on a regular basis should not be dismissed. Environmentally, the effect is even more apparent. More than 1.74 trillion pieces of chewing gum are manufactured worldwide annually, many of which become street litter and sidewalk trash. These used gums ultimately disintegrate into microplastics, which cause widespread pollution.

The Way Forward: Eco-Friendly Gum Alternatives

There is good news too—some brands have now created plastic-free chewing gum made from natural ingredients such as chicle, a tree sap. They are biodegradable and far healthier for our bodies and the planet.

We can do our part as consumers by:


Final Thoughts

Chewing gum may appear to be a little habit, but this new study reveals it can have surprising effects on our health and the planet. Since we're becoming increasingly aware of the secret microplastics in the things we use, it's time to reconsider what we put in our mouths—beginning with gum. We at B. P. Poddar Hospital & Medical Research Limited pride ourselves in creating awareness of diseases that are not typically accorded the importance they deserve. Alport Syndrome—a genetic disease of the kidneys, ears, and eyes—is a disease like that. With Alport Syndrome Awareness Month being observed, we want to inform and empower our people to observe the symptoms in time and seek proper medical assistance.

What is Alport Syndrome?


Alport Syndrome is an inherited disorder resulting from mutations in the genes that code for the proteins of collagen production. Collagen is an important protein of the kidney basement membrane, inner ear, and eye. As a result of the defective collagen, Alport Syndrome patients suffer from chronic kidney disease, deafness, and ocular abnormalities.

Symptoms and Early Warning Signs


Identifying the symptoms early on can contribute a lot towards controlling the condition. Some of the most prevalent signs of Alport Syndrome are:

Why Alport Syndrome Awareness Matters


Since Alport Syndrome is a rare disease, it is most commonly mistaken for other kidney diseases. Awareness makes it possible for patients with a family history of kidney disease to be provided with genetic tests and early screening. Early detection postpones the disease's progress through modification of lifestyle, medication, and medical tests.

Treatment and Management

Alport Syndrome has no cure at the moment, but thanks to advancements in medicine, it has been possible to treat the disease successfully: