Biotech policy and Vigyan Dhara: The Centre’s steps to strengthen innovation

• The Union cabinet recently approved a biotech policy to create high-performing manufacturing.

• The policy, Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment (BioE3), will accelerate innovation-driven support for green growth and the bio-economy and help India achieve its “Zero emissions by 2070” goal.

• Under this, biomanufacturing sites, Bio-A1 hubs, and bio-foundries will be established, which will subsequently increase employment opportunities.

• The cabinet also approved the continuation of three schemes that worked on institutional and human capacity building, research and development, and technology deployment.

• The three schemes will now be merged into one central scheme, “Vigyan Dhara,” to ensure efficient fund utilization and will establish synchronization of the three schemes.

Ministry of Women and Child Development wins National Award for Poshan Tracker Initiative

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has been recognized for its innovative approach to improving child nutrition with the National Award for e-Governance 2024 (Gold) for its Poshan Tracker initiative. This digital tool, a key component of Mission Poshan 2.0, is revolutionizing how India tracks and addresses child malnutrition.

The Poshan Tracker is making a difference through via various measures: :

• The Poshan Tracker utilizes Growth Measuring Devices (GMD) at Anganwadi Centers to collect accurate data on children's growth. This data is then entered into the system, allowing for real-time monitoring of each child's progress.

• Early identification: By comparing children's growth data with WHO standards, the Tracker identifies potential nutritional issues early on, enabling targeted interventions.

• The program empowers Anganwadi Workers to provide personalized support and nutritional counselling to children at risk.

• The Poshan Tracker is a testament to the power of technology in promoting child health and well-being. It has proven to be an invaluable tool in India's fight against malnutrition.

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FDA approves first Nasal Spray for Emergency Allergic Reactions

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Neffy, a novel epinephrine nasal spray, for the treatment of emergency allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

This marks a significant advancement in the management of severe allergies, offering an alternative to traditional injectable epinephrine.

Key Features of Neffy include:

• It is approved for adults and children who weigh at least 66 lbs.

• The FDA fast-tracked the approval based on studies showing comparable levels of epinephrine in the blood after using the spray or injection.

• Neffy is administered with a single spray in one nostril, with a second dose recommended if symptoms don't improve.

• Possible side effects include throat irritation, tingling in the nose, and headaches.

• The FDA's announcement emphasizes the crucial need addressed by neffy, as individuals, particularly children, often delay seeking emergency treatment due to a fear of injections.

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Australian Government’s step towards equity: Increasing the insurance coverage

• Genetic testing is a method to identify genetic defects, which is a form of primary and secondary prevention.

• However, in Australia, individuals are hesitant to undergo these tests due to the subsequent discrimination they may face if the test results come back positive.

• The test results are to be mandatorily disclosed when applying for insurance and are often denied coverage based on the results.

• The Australian Government on Wednesday will announce a ban on this discrimination and eliminate the mandatory disclosure of genetic test results in insurance applications.

• This move aims to alleviate the fear of being denied coverage and encourage individuals to undergo genetic testing.

Mental Health Initiative by the Delhi Government for healthy minds among School Children

• The Mental Health Initiative” was launched by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights  in June 2020 for school students.

• The initiative aims to provide better health services to school students, contributing to a healthy mind, society, and a healthy nation.

• The Education Minister has assigned the Directorate of Education to draft a blueprint for including comprehensive counseling services in schools.

• A pilot involving 20,000 children was conducted across 20 government schools, wherein the children received counseling.

• Educational and Vocational Guidance Counselors (EVGC) and school psychologists provided support to help students maintain their mental health.

• Through these efforts, it has been observed how timely counseling can meet students’ mental health needs and reconnect them with their studies.

NITI Aayog’s Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response Framework (PPER)

The expert groups at NITI Ayog analyzed the COVID-19 situation in India and has come up with recommendations in the form of the Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response Framework (PPER) for action. The PPER emphasizes the importance of the first 100 days of an outbreak of a new pathogen and the need to develop a robust system capable of making strategic decisions and actions. The recommendation are framed under four pillars:

1. Governance, Legislation, Finance and Management :

• The expert group recommends the enactment of a Public Health Emergency Act

• Establishment of an empowered governance framework for public health response and a continuous monitoring group

• Preparing a plan for action for rapid response

• Initiating a PPER fund for all activities concerning preparedness and response.

2. Surveillance, Management of Data and Early Predictive Warning :

• A robust surveillance network linking data on human, animal and environment in the form of epidemiologic, genomic and clinical data

• Setting up more BSL3 and BSL4 laboratories for priority and unknown pathogens

• Leveraging Forecasting and Modelling for early prediction of emerging threats

3. Research and Innovation, Infrastructure, Capacity building :

• Developing countermeasures based on Research on priority pathogens

• Expanding production capabilities for drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tools

• Strengthening supply chain and logistic management through infrastructure development and robust action plan for countermeasures

• Establishing institutes of innovation for research on diagnosis and management and for appropriate human capacity building.

4. Partnership, Community engagement and risk communication :

• Developing strategic plan for risk communication and community engagement

• Collaborating with private sector and international organizations.

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N-SPRITE Center at NIMHANS to collaborate with Karnataka Government

• The NIMHANS Suicide Prevention, Research, Implementation, and Training Engagement Centre (N-SPRITE) was inaugurated at NIMHANS in collaboration with the Department of Health, Government of Karnataka, on World Suicide Prevention Day.

• This centre aims to develop an effective Suicide Prevention Program and aligns with various mental health initiatives under the Karnataka government, such as the Karnataka Brain Health Initiative, the District Mental Health Programme, and other mental health schemes.

• N-SPRITE focuses on integrating mental health into public health services, with its primary objectives being the capacity building of healthcare workers and researchers in suicide prevention, using community-based and evidence-driven research.

• During the inauguration, exhibitions highlighted mental health initiatives led by Dr. Cherian, the head of N-SPRITE. These included digital mental health evaluations, self-harm registers and assessments, workplace mental health programs, and suicide prevention measures

Polio vaccination coverage in Pakistan: Update from January 2023- June 2024

• In 2023, Pakistan achieved an 86% national coverage rate for the third dose of the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV). 

• However, a survey indicated stark provincial differences, with routine OPV coverage ranging from 45.1% in Balochistan to 94.9% in Punjab. 

• Provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh struggled to reach 80% coverage.

• Polio Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) conducted in 2023 involved three National Immunization Days (NIDs) and seven Subnational Immunization Days (SNIDs). 

• The SIAs were impacted by security challenges and community boycotts, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where over 700,000 children were missed.

• Poliovirus surveillance in Pakistan remains robust, with environmental sampling detecting wild poliovirus (WPV1) in various provinces, indicating its continued circulation. 

• Eight WPV1 cases were reported in 2024, compared to six in 2023. 

• Efforts to enhance vaccination and surveillance are ongoing despite logistical hurdles, aiming to curb polio transmission in high-risk areas.

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State-level household energy insecurity linked to higher diabetes prevalence: Study findings

• Researchers utilized state-level data on household energy characteristics and diabetes diagnosis to investigate the relationship between household energy insecurity and diabetes prevalence in 2020.

• Energy insecurity, which includes challenges such as forgoing food or medication to pay energy bills and living in unhealthy temperatures due to cost, was found to be more prevalent in southern states.

• The findings showed that households experiencing energy insecurity were more likely to have members diagnosed with diabetes. 

• Southern states, including Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, exhibited some of the highest rates of both energy insecurity and diabetes.

• The researchers emphasized the potential benefits of interventions focused on energy assistance, suggesting that such measures could help reduce the burden of diabetes management and complications during extreme weather conditions.

• These insights could shape future policies targeting both energy security and public health.

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Epidemiological study of Mpox outbreak: Understanding the complexities of control

• In January 2023, a suspected mpox case in South Ubangi Province, DRC, was linked to cross-border travel from the Central African Republic (CAR).

• The index case, a man from Bangui, CAR, who frequently traveled between CAR and the DRC(Democratic Republic of Congo), fell ill with fever, headache, chills, and a rash after potential exposure to wildlife meat. He died in Mbaya General Reference Hospital nine days later.

• Contact tracing revealed two clusters: the first, linked to CAR, involved three symptomatic family contacts, with two testing positive for the MPXV genome.

• The second cluster, identified in the same hospital, included three suspected cases with no direct link to the first cluster but had temporal and spatial connections.

• Phylogenetic analysis of MPXV sequences from the clusters showed that all cases belonged to clade I a and were related to historical CAR cases, though direct links between CAR and DRC were inconclusive.

• The investigation also identified 109 suspected cases in the DRC from January to November 2023, with 56% confirmed positive for MPXV.

• The study underscores the complexity of managing mpox with zoonotic and human-to-human transmission dynamics, highlighting the need for improved regional surveillance, international cooperation, and addressing challenges like porous borders, disease stigma, and population displacement.

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Comparative effectiveness of Apixaban and Warfarin: A real-world emulation of the ARISTOTLE trial

• Researchers led by Emma Maud Powell at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine emulated the ARISTOTLE(Apixaban for the Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation) trial to compare the effectiveness of apixaban and warfarin in stroke prevention for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

• The study used data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum, which includes primary care records, linked hospital admissions, and mortality data, including an equal number of (8734) apixaban and warfarin users.

• Apixaban showed noninferiority to warfarin for stroke/systemic embolism (hazard ratio [HR] 0.98; 95% CI: 0.82–1.19), similar to ARISTOTLE’s results but without confirming Apixaban’s superiority.

• The study successfully confirms apixaban’s noninferiority to warfarin but not its superiority.

• The results differed from those of the original trial due to the higher quality of warfarin control, suboptimal dosing of apixaban, and demographic differences.

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Declining psychological well-being: An early indicator of cognitive impairment in older adults

• The study explored the trajectories of psychological well-being in older adults preceding the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. 

• It aimed to understand how psychological well-being and its components change over time in individuals who transition from being cognitively healthy to experiencing MCI and dementia.

• Poor psychological well-being is linked to increased dementia risk, but changes over time are unclear.

• The study followed 910 cognitively intact older adults for up to 14 years, measuring psychological well-being and its components annually.

• Those who developed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) experienced faster declines in overall psychological well-being, noticeable two years before diagnosis.

• Specific components like purpose in life and personal growth declined earlier: 3 years and 6 years before MCI diagnosis, respectively.

• After the MCI diagnosis, most well-being components declined at similar rates, except for "positive relations with others," which declined faster.