• The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore are collaborating to research the disruptive impulse control behavioral patterns of online gaming.

• These patterns may cause vulnerabilities among the growing number of users of online gaming.

• Online gaming can result in social isolation, neglect of personal responsibilities, and hence financial and personal strain on those addicted to it.

• The study aims to create a pre-emptive model for responsible digital consumption based on current knowledge and practices.

• The Director, NIMHANS, emphasized intersectoral coordination for data collection and its segment-wise analysis, i.e., age groups and socio-economic strata of the consumers, etc., and to gain knowledge on existing strategies for preventing excessive consumption.

• The results from the study will help formulate guidelines for protecting the consumers of online gaming from deleterious effects.

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• A community-based study in Attappadi, Kerala, India, explored the prevalence of malnutrition among indigenous children aged 0–19. 

• The research noted the emergence of overweight or obesity and a high prevalence of anemia and micronutrient deficiencies.

• In this cross-sectional study, nutritional status via anthropometric measurement, blood tests, and food intake to identify deficiency were assessed.

• The study found alarming rates of undernutrition as follows: 40.9% stunted, 27.4% wasted, and 48.3% underweight among children 0–59 months.

• Significant proportions of children experience stunting, wasting, and underweight conditions, along with the emergence of overweight or obesity.

• A distressing majority of children (91.2%) and adolescent girls were found to be anemic (96.6%), primarily due to iron deficiency.

• The study concluded that culturally appropriate food solutions and strengthening nutrition surveillance are needed to address this situation.

• Also, community-led approaches are crucial for improving the well-being of indigenous tribal children in Attappadi.

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• A study conducted at PGIMER, Chandigarh, on the dietary intake of protein, sodium, phosphorus, and potassium among healthy individuals and patients suffering from Stage 2-4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), recently released its findings as follows -

1. The protein intake per kilogram of body weight was higher in healthy subjects than in patients.

2. Salt consumption was above the WHO-recommended dietary allowance in the majority of healthy individuals and patients.

3. Meanwhile, among the sexes, men consumed more of all the nutrients measured in the study compared to women.

• The authors state that while salt consumption levels have lowered compared to previous studies, they are still beyond the recommended allowance, indicating a need for unfinished public health education on such issues

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• The 9th meeting of the  Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), held in Geneva, convened sessions for discussions on the following points:-

1. Focused on the accord between developing and developed countries for equitable access (based on the Nagoya Protocol).

2. Biopharmaceutical companies to pitch in for improving surveillance and research on potential pathogens of geographic diversity and importance.

3. Member states are to build on delivering equitable access under the joint statement.

4. Discussion on Pathogen- Access -and-benefit-sharing (PABS), to enable countries across the globe to coordinate research and development in prevention on all levels.

• The 77th World Health Assembly also amended the International Health Regulations (2005), foreseeing future global pandemics.

• The Berlin Declaration recommendations laid the groundwork to work upon further agreement with multi-stakeholder Partnerships and commit to the following:

1. Reservations for the production and distribution of vaccines

2. Enhance the availability of raw materials.

3. Technology transfer to prioritize research

4. Financial and technological support

• When we are faced with averting future pandemics from spiraling into catastrophic human crises, India can play a pivotal role in negotiating arguments and turning them into a reality.

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• Recently, an open-labeled, parallel arm, phase 2 RCT was conducted to determine the effectiveness and optimal dose of the ganaplacide and lumefantrine combination in treating uncomplicated malaria.

• This multicentric trial had one of its centers in India and was done to combat rising antimalarial resistance.

• The study was done in 2 parts, as follows:

      1. Part A: The optimal combination dose was tested among adolescents and adults aged    >12 years.

      2. Part B: The optimal dose calculated from Part A was tested among children <12 years.

• In both parts, the control arm received combination therapy containing artemether and lumefantrine.

• A total of 1220 patients were screened, and 337 and 175 participated in parts A and B, respectively.

• The study concluded that the combination was effective and well tolerated by all age groups.

• The optimal combination dose consisted of ganaplacide 400mg plus lumefantrine-SDF 960mg once daily for three days.

• However, further trials are required before the drug is accepted as a standard treatment regimen.

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• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in an outbreak alert that, from the beginning of 2023 till February 2024, 13 African nations have reported confirmed or suspected yellow fever cases.

• Preliminary data for 2023 shows an 11% case fatality rate.

• It encouraged countries to strengthen surveillance.

• During the last quarter of 2023 and as of 25 February 2024, a total of eight countries (Cameroon, Chad, Congo, DRC, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, and South Sudan), have reported active YF transmission with confirmed YF cases.

• An outbreak in South Sudan, first reported in December 2023 and centered in West Equatoria State, has risen to 64 patients meeting the case definition, six of whom were fatal.

• It added that six of Cameroon's nine lab-confirmed cases came from a heavily populated district of Douala, the country's largest metropolis, emphasizing the amplification of outbreaks in the urban region due to Aedes mosquitoes.

• WHO recommends using strategic and coordinated measures, including vaccination, to control the spread of infection

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• Between October 2016 and October 2023, over 13 million ART recipients completed TPT in 36 countries through President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) -supported programs.

• 1.68 crore TPT initiations were reported from 2017 to 2023.

• TPT completion rates climbed from 56% in FY18 Q2 to 87% in FY23 Q2, then dropped to 86% in FY23 Q4.

• Initiation rates among clients on ART for less than 6 months (ART-naive) reached 59%.

• Overall, 13,323,186 people with HIV have finished TPT in PEPFAR-supported programmes that provide TPT statistics.

• Among ART-naive customers, those aged <15 years had reduced commencement rates compared to those aged ≥15.

• TPT completion rates were lower among ART-naive customers than ART-experienced ones.

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• The interdisciplinary team at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in India created the artificial valve, “Chitra”.

• The first Chitra heart valve implantation was done in a patient in 1990, leading to the development of two subsequent generations of Chitra heart valves.

• Over the past two years, after receiving approvals from the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO), SCTIMST began a pilot clinical assessment of the TC2 model. 

• 40 valves were successfully implanted without any reported complications.

• Strengthening primary prevention of Rheumatic Heart Diseases (RHDs) could shift the primary cause of heart valve disorders towards degenerative diseases. 

• Hence, SCTIMST  launched a tissue valve development initiative in 2019 for elderly patients undergoing heart valve surgery as part of the Technical Research Centre (TRC) for Biomedical Devices program.

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• Mount Sinai Hospital was on the frontlines of treating COVID-19 in the early phase of the pandemic.

• Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant fungus, was identified first in the United States in 2016; since then, hospitals in New York have been the hotspots.

• During the study period, they identified 64 cases, 34 by surveillance and 30 by clinical culture, with the incidence rising from 2.6 per 10,000 admissions in 2019 to 7.8 in 2022.

• The total incidence was 4.9 cases per 10,000 from 2019 to 2022.

• The authors say the increasing incidence of C. auris could be due to multiple factors associated with the pandemic.

• The study results highlight the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spread of Multiple Drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs) and how targeted surveillance can serve as a valuable tool to combat the increasing spread of C. auris.

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• WHO has released two publications shedding light on the hidden risks faced by older women and women with disabilities in global and national violence-related data, urging enhanced research for their inclusion and tailored support.

• The data underscores a notable prevalence of gender-based violence among these groups, necessitating targeted interventions and service accessibility crucial for combating violence against women.

• Additionally, WHO stressed the importance of extending survey participation age limits and incorporating diverse types of violence and disabilities to address data gaps and ensure inclusive research practices.

• These efforts, part of the UN Women-WHO Joint Programme on Violence against Women Data and supported by the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, aim to address overlooked forms of violence and enhance data collection on violence against older women, with forthcoming resources to integrate disability measures into surveys.

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• The Mpox outbreak in the DRC, ongoing since 2023, has now spread to 23 of the 26 provinces of the country.

• The country is also struggling with outbreaks of cholera, measles, anthrax, and plague.

• The setting of massive floods and the world’s second-biggest human displacement has made the condition more difficult.

• The DRC outbreak, caused by the Clade 1 virus, differs from the globally circulating strain.

• It is more virulent and has a higher case-fatality rate (CFR)- a CFR of 7%, much higher than the global rate of 0.2%.

• It has sexual spread - involving heterosexual transmission.

• Two-thirds of those affected are children, with a higher CFR of 10%.

• Meanwhile, diagnostic challenges remain.

• Only 389 cases in DRC have been lab-confirmed, gene deletions affect the diagnostic abilities of other countries.

• There is a possibility of geographic extension, hence strict control measures are to be put in place.

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• In the US, between October 2021 and June 2023, there were 392 occurrences of severe childhood hepatitis with an unknown origin, according to recent CDC research.

• Out of the 392, 8 of them have died.

• Half the cases were shown to be positive for adenovirus infection.

• Adenovirus is known to cause mild symptoms and has not been connected to hepatitis in individuals with good immune systems.

• Of the 8 who died, 2 had compromised immune systems, and one youngster was healthy.

• The majority of them had received hepatitis A and B vaccinations.

• The majority had significant liver damage, of which seven were in liver failure, and two of them needed liver transplants.

• This study necessitates the need for further research to look into the cause of such infections.

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