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During her internship as an Educational Therapist, my daughter works with and supports ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) personnel through their education (her client ranged from 4 to 21 years old), and hearing her daily encounters, I personally find heightening of awareness towards autism is very much needed in Singapore. World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day on April 2 every year, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about people with Autism Spectrum Disorder throughout the world. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/RES/62/139), passed in council on 1 November 2007, and adopted on 18 December 2007. It was proposed by Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, the United Nations Representative from Qatar and consort to Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and supported by all member states. World Autism Day is one of the seven official health-specific UN Days. The day itself brings individual autism organizations together all around the world to aid in things like research, diagnoses, treatment, and acceptance for those with a developmental path affected by autism. The original resolution had four main components: the establishment of the second day of April as World Autism Awareness Day, beginning in 2008 invitation to Member States and other relevant organizations to the UN or the international societal system, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to create initiatives to raise public awareness of autism encourages Member States to raise awareness of autism on all levels in society asks the UN Secretary-General to deliver this message to member states and all other UN organizations The theme for 2022, determined by UN is "Inclusive Quality Education for All" An observance event will be held virtually on 8 April 2022, 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. EST (10:00 - 11:15 p.m. Singapore time), for participating members to share on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) – Quality Education. SDG 4 focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, as the foundation for improving people’s lives and reducing inequalities. The specific targets for SDG 4 refer to the need to ensure “equal access to all levels of education and vocational training” for persons with disabilities and building and upgrading education facilities that are disability sensitive and that provide “inclusive and effective learning environments for all.” In this respect, the SDGs echo the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 24 of the Convention recognizes that persons with disabilities have the right to inclusive, quality education on an equal basis with others and that reasonable accommodation of the individual’s requirements should be provided. Inclusive education is the key to the transformative promise of the Sustainable Development Goals, to LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND.

Most would know that diesel engine exhaust emissions are more dirty compared to petrol engines. Even though diesel engines have gotten progressively cleaner in recent years due to strict emissions standards, the World Health Organisation has announced recently that they have uncovered sufficient evidence to link diesel fumes with cases of cancer in human beings. The World Health Organisation which operates under the United Nations says that diesel fumes are a known cause for lung cancer and can increase the risks of bladder cancer. Carcinogen is the term used for describing any substance that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. As mentioned above, diesel engines are progressively getting cleaner. This is largely attributed to the usage of particulate filters, of more precise direct-injection technologies and also to the widespread use of ultra-low-sulphur diesel in some countries such as the United States. But this is not the case in many developing countries. There are still a lot of vehicles, mostly commercial vehicles, in those countries that use old fashioned diesel engines that use pre-chamber type indirect injection. To complicate the matter, the World Health Organization estimates that these vehicles will take a very long time to be replaced with cleaner ones. Chairman of the working group, Dr. Christopher Portier, explained that the scientific find was rather compelling and the group