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Background: Asia accounts for the largest burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) worldwide. This study examines the temporal patterns of CRC in Asia in the last three decades. Methods: The data pertaining to CRC burden measured by incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs) and its risk factors for 49 countries in the Asian continent were drawn from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study between 1990 and 2019. Mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) was employed as a proxy indicator of 5-year survival rates. Results: In Asia, incident cases more than tripled from 270,851 to 1.1 million, deaths tripled from 183,252 to 560,426, and DALYs more than doubled from 5 million to 13.4 million between 1990 and 2019. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) increased from 14.0/100,000 to 23.9/100,000, age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) increased from 10.1/100,000 to 12.5/100,000, and MIR decreased from 0.68 to 0.50 between 1990 and 2019. ASIR varied 10-folds across countries from 5.6/100,000 in Bangladesh to 62.0/100,000 in Taiwan in 2019 and ASMR from 4.9/1000 in Bangladesh to 30.3/100,000 in Brunei. In 2019, diet low in milk (18.7%) and whole grains (15.2%) and calcium (16.6%) were the major contributory risk factors in CRC DALYs in 2019. Conclusion: CRC is a fast-rising neoplasm in Asia and its burden can be curtailed by focusing on primary prevention (e.g., diet and physical activity) and secondary prevention through screening. The policy focus and resources must be directed towards capacity building, including cancer infrastructure and quality data availability from cancer registries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steadily improving per capita income level, energy consumption, and delivery of financial services in South and Southeast Asian countries has remained a subject of discussion among policymakers. Because these endeavors have not only elevated their growth trajectory but also widened the scope for carbon emissions, especially in the preceding two decades. In order to confirm this argument, therefore, in the present study, we intended to examine their dynamic impacts on carbon emissions. In this pursuit, by using the second-generation unit-root test, cointegration test, and panel regression procedures, we investigated the moderating impact of energy solutions on the association between per capita income and CO 2 emissions and financial development and CO 2 emissions from 1976 to 2015. The computed results revealed that the energy's interaction with the linear per capita income significantly escalated carbon emissions in the long run. However, the impact of energy's interaction with the squared per capita income on carbon emissions is found insignificant but positive in the long run. On the other hand, the interaction of energy with financial development provided a negative but insignificant coefficient. Based on the outcomes, we can ascertain that, at the lower level of income, energy consumption leads to environmental pollution, whereas at the higher level of income, its harmful effect on carbon emissions becomes weak in the given regions. By taking a cue from the computed results, we proposed a policy framework that might help these regions to navigate the energy-led environmental challenges in the coming years. Examining the direct and moderating role of energy solutions on the carbon emissions in the eleven developing countries of Asia. Notes: Regular lines are used to represent the direct effects, whereas, the dotted lines represent the interaction effect. Here (+) = positive impact, (−) = negative impact, sig. = significant influence, and insig. = insignificant influence. [Display omitted] • The direct and moderating impacts of energy consumption on CO 2 emissions are investigated. • The interaction between energy solutions and per capita income raised CO 2 emissions. • The interaction between financial development and energy solutions had a negative and insignificant impact on CO 2 emissions. • Per capita income, energy solutions, and financial development intensified carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic and demographic transitions led by the persistent increase in the per capita income have challenged the environmental conservation drive in most of the developing nations. Therefore, in recent years, policymakers emphasized the need for navigating the harmful impacts of economic growth endeavors on the established ecosystem. In this regard, the widespread usage of renewable energy solutions has helped in restoring the environmental quality in both developed and developing countries. Keeping this in mind, in the present study, we examined the long run and short-run impacts of per capita income, renewable energy, life expectancy, and population density on the ecological footprint in the eight developing countries of South and Southeast Asia from 1990 to 2015. In the selected nations, these variables appear to be the potential drivers of the ecological footprint. To calculate the common coefficients, we have employed the cross-sectional augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) approach, as this approach handles the cross-sectional dependency issue efficiently and provides the short-run and long-run coefficients. The long-run results supported the need for low pollution-intense energy resources because the association between per capita income and ecological footprint is found N-shaped. Further, the study established that the increased use of renewable energy has significantly reduced the ecological footprint in the region. However, the increased population density has led to an increase in pollution emissions in these countries. Similarly, the impact of life expectancy on the ecological footprint is found positive but insignificant. Based on the findings, a multipronged policy framework has been designed, so that these nations can attain the objectives of certain sustainable development goals (SDGs). Determining the factors influencing ecological footprint in emerging economies of Asia (1990–2015). Notes: (- sig.) = negative and significant, (+sig.) = positive and significant, and (+insig.) = positive and insignificant. Image 1 • In relation to the ecological footprint, the study confirms the N-shaped EKC. • Renewable energy consumption contributes to improve environmental quality in the long run. • 1% increase in population density widens the scope for ecological footprint by 0.139%. • Impact of life expectancy on ecological footprint has remained positive but insignificant during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue, with Asia accounting for one of the highest CKD prevalence worldwide. This study examines the burden of CKD in Asian continent in the last three decades. Data and Methods: The estimates of age, sex and year wise burden of CKD for 49 countries in Asia for 1990 to 2019 were procured from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. Findings: In 2019, there were 9.8 million [9.0–10.6 million] new cases and 763 024 [696 050–823 829] deaths due to CKD in Asia. Between 1990 and 2019, CKD prevalence doubled from 202.4 million [186.5–219.1 million] to 431.2 [400.3–462.0 million]. Although age‐standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of CKD increased from 170.6 [156.7–186.2] in 1990 to 206.3 [190.4–223.4] per 100 000 person‐years in 2019, the age‐standardized mortality rate (ASMR) witnessed a modest reduction from 18.4/100 000 [17.0–20.1] to 17.3/100 000 [15.7–18.7]. In 2019, the ASIR spanned from 141.9/100 000 [126.2–159.2] in Tajikistan to 561.4/100 000 [524.6–598.6] in Saudi Arabia, and ASMR varied from 8.9/100 000 [7.2–9.8] in Japan to Saudi Arabia (52.9 [42.8–63.1]). Between 1990 and 2019, absolute count of CKD incident cases, deaths, prevalent cases and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) increased 100% or more in 48/49, 32/49, 43/49 and 23/49 countries, respectively. Interpretation: CKD is widespread in the Asian region, with an alarming burden in resource‐constrained countries. Strategies such as promoting awareness, screening among high‐risk individuals, provision of cost‐effective therapies, and increased healthcare coverage could help deal with the CKD epidemic in Asia. SUMMARY AT GLANCE: This study examines the temporal pattern of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 49 countries in Asia in the last three decades. In Asia, all‐age incident cases, prevalent cases, and death counts of CKD have more than doubled from 1990 to 2019. Age‐specific prevalence and incidence (both counts and rates) were higher in females, while age‐specific deaths and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) (both counts and rates) were higher in males. In all Asian countries, high systolic blood pressure, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body‐mass index were the top three contributory risk factors to CKD DALYs and deaths in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]