Discussions and best practices presentations on Circularity in Garbage Free Cities, Women and Youth for GFC, Business, and Tech for GFC, and Fireside chat with Mayors will be conducted accordingly.  

The Women-led Swachhotsav, which would see residents rally for garbage-free cities on March 29, 30, and 31, 2023, will be influenced by the Swachh Mashaal March. 

After that, each ward of a participating Urban Local Body will conduct cleanliness drives in public spaces. For the Mashaal march, more than 2000 cities have already banded together. 

The event will be organized by MoHUA in collaboration with GIZ, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, and UNEP.

Under the campaign, the first edition of Women Icons leading Swachhata (WINS) Awards 2023 was announced to recognize high-impact women entrepreneurs or women-led enterprises working for urban cleanliness. 

Also, a unique peer learning initiative, Swachhata Yatra has been rolled out wherein SHG members engaged as waste entrepreneurs are getting the exciting opportunity of inter-state travel and enriching their experience.

Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations focal point for science, technology, and innovation (STI) for development.  

The themes pertaining to the 26th session are 1. Technology and innovation for more competitive, productive, and environmentally friendly production 2. Using science, technology, and creativity to provide everyone with access to clean water and sanitary facilities.

The Commission will also receive presentations on ongoing policy assessments of science, technology, and innovation. It will also assess the results of the Global Summit on the Information Society's implementation and follow-up at the regional and global levels.

It serves as a venue for strategic planning, the exchange of best practises and lessons learned, the provision of foresight about major trends in STI in significant economic, environmental, and social areas, and the spotlighting of cutting-edge and disruptive technologies.

130 delegates from G20 member countries along with 11 invitee countries and 14 international organizations will take part in the Second G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting at Gandhinagar. 

The three-day meeting (March 27–29, 2023) will concentrate on issues such as stopping land degradation, accelerating ecosystem restoration, and enhancing biodiversity; promoting resource efficiency and a circular economy; and promoting a sustainable and climate-resilient blue economy. 

Special presentations on major initiatives like Namami Gange, Climate Resilient Infrastructure, Participatory Ground Water Management, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Swachh Bharat Mission.

The conference will kick off with a side event on managing water resources, organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, where G20 members will present their best practices in this area. 

During the meeting, a number of organizations affiliated with the Ministry of Jal Shakti will also set up booths on themes like the Atal Bhujal Yojana, Swach Bharat Abhiyan, Jal Jeevan Mission, Namame Gange, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and National Water Mission.

The theme of World TB Day 2023 - 'Yes! We can end TB! 

WHO is urging action on several fronts on World TB Day to ensure that the commitments made to end TB are fulfilled, such as:

First, calling for high-level leadership and advocacy. At the UN High-Level Meeting on TB at the General Assembly in September, the heads of state will gather to discuss stepping up efforts to end TB. 

Second, urging an urgent increase in investments both domestically and abroad to close crucial funding gaps and to ensure everyone has access to TB care for research. 

Third, calling on governments and other stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the latest WHO guidance and rapidly roll out new tools to benefit those ill with TB. 

Fourth, emphasizing how critical it is to address health disparities to provide Health for All.

Fifth, addressing the main causes of the TB pandemic, all sectors must work together to take coordinated action.

Delhi hospitals run preparedness drills in anticipation of an increase in COVID cases.  

Mock drills were conducted in various hospitals around Delhi in the background of rising COVID cases in the capital.

Assessment of patient response time; the time taken to shift a patient to a room was done. 

For critical patients who need ICU, a red corridor was made, checking of ventilators and oxygen points was done. 

Meanwhile, case positivity for COVID-19 was 9.13% for Sunday (26 March) with 526 active patients in the national capital. It declined to 7.45% on Monday (27 March) with 115 new cases.

A meta-analysis of published articles on factors predisposing to post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC) in adults reported female sex, older age, high BMI, and smoking to carry an increased risk of  PCC. 

Fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, and persistent loss of smell or taste are some of the many symptoms reported to healthcare facilities requiring long-term follow-up care. 

The presence of comorbidities and previous hospital admission (ICU/ IPD) have a significantly higher risk, whereas two doses of COVID-19 vaccination have a lower risk of developing PCC. 

Recognizing people at risk of PCC will help to improve follow-up care and develop population-level public health measures.

On 21st March 2023, the Peru National Institute of Health received lab confirmation of vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) type 1 in a 16-month child presenting with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). 

Immunization coverage in the district which the child belongs is <80% of 3rd dose of polio vaccination with zero reporting of AFP cases. 

Another case of AFP linked to Sabin OPV type 2 (mOPV2) in Rockland country in 2022. Wastewater surveillance conducted in Orange and Sullivan counties, New York City, and Nassau County confirmed 101 samples positive for VDPV, indicating continued circulation. PAHO/WHO is working with respective counties to improve surveillance.

ICMR released the country’s first ‘Ethical guidelines for Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Research and Healthcare. 

ICMR aspires to make AI-assisted platforms available for benefit of common people and also address ethical issues. The document will be updated whenever the need arises. 

Regulation of AI in healthcare is still in a very nascent stage even in developing countries.

The ethical review process for AI in health also comes under the domain of the ethical committee.

Download the Ethical guidelines for the application of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare - Click here

The World Health Organization (WHO) is organizing the first worldwide conference on skin-related neglected tropical diseases (skin NTDs) at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 27–31, 2023. 

Around 800 delegates from 86 nations are anticipated.  This conference will examine how to effectively integrate case management for skin NTDs utilizing cross-cutting strategies to boost efficiency and broaden coverage throughout the healthcare industry.  

The third most common cause of illness and one of the top 10 causes of disability is skin diseases. 

They rank among the top 10 reasons for outpatient visits and are frequently linked to mental health issues, long-term disabilities, and stigma. At least 10 of the 20 neglected tropical illnesses have cutaneous symptoms.  

Skin NTDs are widely prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical regions and include Buruli ulcer; cutaneous leishmaniasis; Mycetoma, Chromoblastomycosis, and other deep mycoses; leprosy; Lymphatic filariasis; onchocerciasis; Post-Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis; scabies and other Ectoparasitoses and yaws. They all call for the same kind of case management and detection.

In the Partnership Action against Tuberculosis (PAcT) Summit held on 16th March 2023, Union Health minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya announced that more than 71,000 Nik-shay Mitras have volunteered to support over 10 lakh TB patients through Union Government’s Ni-kshay scheme. 

75 Trucks of Apollo Tyres Foundation, branded with TB messages from five locations (Delhi, Mudra Port- Gujarat, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, and Agartala) were flagged off by him. Apollo Tyres Foundation has intensified TB-Free India Campaign by engaging - Heroes on Wheels (Truck Drivers) and other vulnerable groups across 32 locations in 19 States in the country to create awareness of Tuberculosis. They have also adopted 75 TB patients under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.  

Highlighting that truck drivers form an important cohort of TB patients, Dr. Mandaviya stated that this initiative will boost efforts to address TB among truckers’ communities and others closely associated with them. 

Multi-sectoral engagement is a key pillar of NTEP and hence the Union Minister urged everyone to come forward in the spirit of Jan Bhagidari to achieve the goal of making India TB free by 2025. He also urged other corporates, institutions, trade bodies, associations, and individuals for actively support India’s battle against tuberculosis.

The Union Health Minister also distributed nutrition baskets to several TB patients at the event. 

In a reply to Lok Sabha, the Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs informed regarding Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) being implemented to alleviate urban poverty.   

DAY-NULM has the following objectives,

Reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.

Improve their livelihoods on a sustainable basis.

Address concerns of the urban street vendors by facilitating access to suitable spaces, institutional credit, social security, etc.

Employment through Skill Training & Placement (EST&P) component under the Mission aims to provide skill training to the urban poor in market-oriented courses.

The Self-Employment Programme (SEP) component focuses on financial assistance to individuals/groups/SHGs of urban poor to set up gainful self-employment ventures or micro-enterprises.