The second Health Working Group meeting of G20 in Goa focused on developing a Digital health ecosystem to ensure that the policies and guidelines of Artificial intelligence (AI) in traditional medicine reach the standards as per the "Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Health." 

AYUSH grid, a digital platform for connecting all AYUSH hospitals across the country at four levels: Core layer, National Layer, State Layer, Citizen Access; was mentioned.

Discussion on the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, aiming to integrate traditional medicine with modern sciences for global health and development, also includes AI and data analytics for Traditional medicine.

WHO launched a new publication series dedicated to lived experiences of people living with NCDs, Mental health conditions, and neurological conditions. 

Employing Participatory Research Action methods case studies developed on basis of specified themes. 

This publication will help provide insights about overlooked topics like informed decision-making, health literacy, diversities in best practices, advocacy and individual rights in different countries, etc. 

It will help the policymakers and public health professionals understand the in-depth experiences better.

Delhi reported 1767 cases and 6 deaths on Thursday, with a staggering positivity rate of 28.6%. 

The health minister informed that Delhi is ready to handle the situation with enough oxygen, ventilators, and ICUs. 

There is no information that the new variant XBB.1.16 was leading to a more severe infection.

The minister also advised those with severe comorbidities to mask up and avoid crowded places.

At another meeting, the education minister informed that the government was reviewing the situation and the guidelines for the schools would be issued soon.

Also, according to a senior official, there will be a further rise of cases for 8-10 days and then it would decline. 

He also ascertained that this wasn't a wave but a part of the epidemic cycle of COVID.

Jal Jeevan Mission, is envisages to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all rural households in India by 2024. 

Recently the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi had expressed his happiness through tweet for 60% coverage of Tap Water connection in villages' households. 

Through Jal Jeevan Mission, Clean tap water supply to rural families increased from 16.65% (3.23 Cr, 15th Aug 2019) to 60% (11.66Cr, 4th April 2023). 

Shri Modi ji also stated that they are aiming to increase the coverage to 100%, even in hard-to-reach areas at an increased pace, which will eventually empower several lives. 

Activities and achievements under the Jal Jeevan Mission, ensuring clean and safe drinking water to rural household are: 

‘Swachh Jal Se Suraksha’ Campaign to ensure quality drinking water, from 2nd Oct 2022 to March 31st 2023. 

An allocation of 70,000 Crores is being made in FY 2023-24 for effective implementation of “Har Ghar Jal” (Amrit Kaal Budget) 

Internet of Things (IoT) based solution for smart monitoring of water supply schemes in rural area through GeM portal. 

Burhanpur of Madhya Pradesh becomes 1st “Har Ghar Jal” certified district in country. 

Jal Jeevan Mission is based on community approach and expects to build Jan Andolan for water. It also implements sustainable measures such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation and rain water harvesting.

TAG-CO-VAC published an interim report that the vaccines based on the index virus is equally effective for later variants including Omicron. 

However, considering the antigens distance and uncertainity of viral evolution, the WHO body has emphasised on updating the vaccine antigen composition by including Omicron, as the most antigenically distinct SARS-CoV-2 variant thus far, for administration as a booster dose. 

This has lead to the development of bivalent mRNA vaccine including the index as well as the Ba.1 - or BA.4/5. 

The latest meeting of the group concluded:-  Vaccines containing index virus continue to provide high level of protection against severe disease and death from all descendents of COVID-19. 

However, the protection from severe disease is maintained longer as compared to protection from symptomatic infection. 

Bivalent vaccine show modestly increased effectiveness against symptomatic disease while the severe outcome shows similar effectiveness.

A study published in the Communications Earth & Environment journal reveals that each hectare of forest burned in the Amazon generates health costs of $2 million a year due to lung and heart infections caused by the resulting pollution. 

Forest cover is shown to have a significant impact on reducing respiratory and cardiovascular infections, with forests in Indigenous territories preventing 15 million such infections annually. 

The authors suggest that reducing deforestation, strengthening environmental legislation, increasing penalties for those who deforest and burn forests, and strengthening fire management and control agencies are necessary steps to reduce the threat of fires. 

However, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has surged by 75% compared to the previous decade despite government vows to reverse environmental destruction.

Seemingly a rare sight in democratic countries when interstate governmental preparations are on track to tackle the air pollution in summers. 

Delhi Government along with neighboring state governments are chalking out plans to dust pollution, industrial pollution amid the rising concern for air pollution. 

A total of 16 point plan has been chalked out for 30 departments to submit detailed plans as how to tackle air pollution both in the short as well as long run. 

It should be kept in mind that Delhi has been consistently being ranked as some of the worst AQI cities in the world for past many years.

Lancet in a recently published RCT finds that higher dose corticosteroids are linked to 60% increased risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients requiring low oxygen. 

In the study, the high dose group had more non-COVID pneumonia and hyperglycemia requiring more insulin than the usual-care patients. 

The RECOVERY collaborative Group researchers, the author of the current papers have already established that low-dose corticosteroids reduces deaths among COVID-19 patients who require oxygen. 

This comes in light among many such events where millions lost their life especially in the second wave of COVID-19 where the free flow of steroids was speculated as one of the causes of excess mortality. 

The article has many more facades to encounter in coming times.

Somalia pushed to a historic draught due to five poor rainy seasons sequentially, said Mr. Abdemoula in Geneva. 

The crises puts affected areas to a risk of famine. 

21 died and 100,000 people displaced in March as seasonal rains caused floods. 

The Shabelle and Juba rivers in Ethiopian highlands could flood farmlands.

Climate change is the culprit, according to the Humanitarian Coordinator. 

It produces erratic cycles of flooding and drought. 

Somalia is actually suffering the most from the climate disaster despite doing barely anything to cause it.

Latent tuberculosis affects 54% of healthcare professionals in low- and middle-income nations, which is 25 times more than the overall population. 

Health professionals were at a 21-32 times greater risk of contracting the disease during the West African Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016 than the overall adult population. 

Health workers in Africa face high levels of workplace violence and harassment, highest in South Africa. 

Only eight of Africa's 55 nations have created policy instruments for Occupational Health and Safety of Health Workers as of yet. 

By strengthening political commitment and capacities to safeguard the health, safety, and wellbeing of health professionals in Africa, the combined AUDA-NEPAD/WHO/ILO project seeks to address these issues.

According to the health ministry, this surge will continue for the next 10 days but people need not  panic as severity is currently below average.

 XBB.1.16 subvariant of Omicron is responsible for the current upsurge of cases.

The current surge is a part of endemic cycle of COVID-19 and not a wave.

Subvariants prevalence increased from 21.6% in February to 35.8% in March. 

There is no vaccine shortage and people especially elderly are advised to take Covovax booster.

Current active case load stands at 63,562.

In the workshop, the parliamentarians spoke about the need of CSE (comprehensive sexuality education). 

They had similar problems with local reluctance and worries, as well as more current active misrepresentation. 

Common themes surfaced as lawmakers indicated their strong support for the efforts being made to raise the calibre and reach of CSE. 

With regard to the importance of CSE as a component of each person's right to a more comprehensive array of sexual and reproductive health services and information, there is growing agreement among scientists, the government, parliament, and civil society. 

Gender inequality still exists despite improvements in a number of areas related to the rights and health of women. 

Research indicates that women and girls are disproportionately impacted throughout their lives.