• The Union Minister inaugurated Asia’s first “Pre-clinical Network Facility” related to health research at the Regional Centre of Biotechnology in Faridabad.

• Alongside this, the Ge-HuMic was also launched.

• It stands for “Genetically Defined Human Associated Microbial Culture Collection Facility” and will serve as a repository for supplying microbial cultures to institutes.

• The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) selected BRIC-THSTI (Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute) as a pre-clinical network laboratory, making it the first in Asia and the 9th globally.

• This facility will support vaccine development and translational research and foster collaborations between academic institutions, hospitals, and industry.

• This experimental animal facility can house up to 75,000 mice, including immune-compromised mice, and other species, including rats, rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs.

• It is among the biggest ‘small animal’ facilities in the nation.

• Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the institute’s achievements, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and emphasized the importance of preventive healthcare and research in India.

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• A recent study in the PLOS ONE Journal analyzes the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on 43 SDG health indicators across 185 countries.

• The study also compared the actual progress to projected progress based on pre-pandemic trends to assess the pandemic's impact on global health.

• It draws attention to the widening gap in global health, with low-income nations predicted to have a 34% decline in infectious disease progress loss as opposed to 6% in high-income nations.

• Low-income countries may experience a 16% average progress loss across health indicators, while high-income countries might see a 3% loss.

• Extrapolation was done using the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) pre-COVID-19 economic projections to predict health outcomes from 2020 to 2030.

• A comparison of baseline (pre-COVID-19) and post-COVID-19 scenarios revealed substantial economic growth losses, especially in low—and lower-middle-income countries (42% and 28%, respectively) compared to high—and upper-middle-income countries (15% and 7%, respectively).

• The study highlights the widening gap between rich and poor nations during the pandemic. 

• While wealthier countries could better manage the crisis, poorer nations faced more significant challenges due to limited resources.

• This study points towards action plans to diminish inequalities as a part of global health agendas.

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• BRICS is an important grouping bringing together the major emerging economies from the world, comprising 41% of the world population, having 24% of the world GDP and over 16% share in the world trade.

• The 10th Meeting of BRICS Environment Ministers was held in hybrid format under the Chairship of the Russian Federation on 28th June, 2024.

• India recommended the following during the meeting:

1. Implementation of the Resolution on Sustainable Lifestyles, which were adopted at the sixth United Nations Environment Assembly

2. Fulfilment of obligations by developed countries for implementation and finances promised to BRICS nations.

3. Highlighting the actions taken by India for addressing the environmental challenges such as :Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Mission, LiFE, IBCA, CDRI, LeadIT, Green Credit Initiative, RE & CE-IC, and GIR-GIP.

4. Strengthening the collaboration and cooperation among the BRICS nations.

• This has been the 1st meeting of the environmental ministers after the joining of five new members. 

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• Child marriage is defined by the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, as involving people under the age of 18 for girls and 21 for boys. 

• Underage marriages continue in India despite this rule, frequently masquerading as custom.

• The India Child Protection, an organisation working towards child rights protection, has analysed the Census and National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data to quantify the extent of the problem of child marriage in India.

• According to the 2011 census, on average, 1,621,257 girls who are under the age of 18 get married each year. 

• This means that 4,442 girls get married every day, 185 girls get married every hour, and three girls get married every minute.

• In India, 23.3% of women (20-24) were married before turning 18, as per NFHS- 5.

• Another effect of child marriage is infant mortality, which is 45 per 1,000 live births for mothers under the age of 20 and 33 for mothers between the ages of 20 and 29 (2019–2021, NFHS-5).

• The goal of the national initiative Child Marriage Free India (CMFI) is to reach the tipping point for the abolition of child marriage by 2030.

• CMFI is presently working in areas where child marriage is most prevalent through grassroots partner organizations. 

• The organization's goal is to raise awareness about the issue by sensitizing the public and taking legal action to end child marriage in 31,150 villages.

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• While the Delhi Jal Board routinely ensures drinking water safety at community centers and schools, officials have now been directed to test the tubewell water in residential areas.

• The Ministry of Health's Health Management Information System (HMIS) showed that the city's reported diarrhea cases rose from 15,152 in the fiscal year 2022–2023 to 20,393 in 2023–2024.

• The order by the South-West Delhi district steering committee mandates enhanced water testing across various sectors, including schools, anganwadis, and healthcare facilities.

• This is to ensure safe drinking water during the monsoon season. 

• Additionally, it requires inspections of water supplied by public and private vendors in public areas like railway stations and markets, followed by checking the legality of groundwater usage in residential areas.

• The surge in diarrhea cases reported in New Delhi underscores the critical public health importance of safeguarding drinking water quality.

• Ensuring access to clean water is fundamental for preventing the spread of waterborne diseases and protecting public health.

• The reported cases of vaccine-preventable diseases Diphtheria, Japanese Encephalitis, Pertussis, and Rubella have continued to increase since their fall in 2021, with a marked rise in measles cases from a reported 5700 in 2021 to 65,150 in 2023.

• This reflects the inadequate immunization coverage following the COVID-19 pandemic health system disruptions, leading to outbreaks.

• The trend of reported Mumps cases shows a valley with 758 cases in 2021, a sharp fall to 6 in 2022, and a rise again to 195. 

• Such a picture might arise due to inadequate case reporting.

• However, neonatal tetanus cases have gradually declined to 62 from 2020 levels.

• Based on administrative and official data:

1. BCG, Pentavalent 1& 3, Oral Polio 3rd dose, Measles and Rubella (MR 1st dose), and Inactivated Polio-Vaccine (IPV 1st dose) have shown a 1-2% decline in coverage from 2022 levels.

2. The MCV 2nd dose coverage has remained constant at 90%.

3. In one year, the final dose coverage of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has increased by 17%.

4. The Hepatitis B birth dose remains constant, with a low coverage of 63%.

• The above data are summary statistics, representing a single number for a diverse community.

• Hence, the disaggregated data must be analyzed before interpreting or generalizing the above data.

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• Fungi are known to cause fewer infections within human bodies due to their inability to survive at high temperatures.

• However, over the past decade, fungal infections have drastically increased, and new fungal pathogens have emerged.

• A study conducted in China in 96 hospitals between 2009 and 2019 found that the cause of this increase was the rise in the global temperature, which facilitates fungi's adaptation, survival, and mutation at higher temperatures.

• The findings are bothersome:

1. A new fungal pathogen, Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis, was identified with resistance to 2 commonly used antifungals.

2. When injected into mice, the cells incubated at 37°C mutated at a higher rate (21 times higher) than the ones incubated at 21°C, thus developing resistance to additional drugs.

• The study concludes that climate change may increase the risk of fungal infections, which are more aggressive and less susceptible to drugs.

• Globally, more than 75% of human diseases are zoonotic.

• An intersectoral approach is important to curb the rising incidence of zoonotic diseases, as advocated under the “One Health” approach, which aligns with the Prime Minister’s “One Earth, One Health” vision.

• “One Health” advocates preventing and managing risks associated with zoonotic diseases at the human-animal-plant interface.

• The National Consultation for Legal Environment Assessment for One Health Activities aims to:

1. Assess the current legal framework to identify strengths, gaps, and overlaps in the existing laws and regulations.

2. Foster multi-sectoral dialogue by engaging stakeholders to discuss legal challenges and opportunities.

3. Develop recommendations by formulating proposals to enhance the legal environment.

4. Promote inter-sectoral collaboration by strengthening partnerships among all sectors.

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• World Zoonoses Day is celebrated on 6 July in honor of Louis Pasteur, who administered the first rabies vaccine on this day in 1885.

• The interactive session tried to differentiate between zoonotic diseases and those affecting animals.

• Species-specific animal diseases, such as Foot and mouth Disease and lumpy Skin Disease, do not pose a threat to humans but may lead to unnecessary fear of animals.

• The session emphasized that all animal diseases are not zoonotic, citing the recent detection of African swine fever in the Thrissur district of Kerala.

• Prevention of zoonotic diseases requires integrated efforts combining vaccination, hygiene, husbandry practices, and cross-disciplinary collaboration under the One Health approach.

• The department has launched nationwide Brucella and Rabies vaccination campaigns and implemented an animal disease surveillance plan.

• The National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) has been established with multi-agency experts for collaborative outbreak investigations.

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• The four-day Global Conclave on Plastic Recycling and Sustainability (GCPRS) was recently held at Delhi under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizer.

• The event addressed a few critical issues, with a strong emphasis on intersectoral collaboration to curb the plastic pollution.

• These issues included :

1. Plastic waste management

2. Plastic recycling

3. Plastic sustainability

• Currently, only 10% of the global plastic waste is recycled, leading to the increase in plastic pollution.

• The GCPRS showcased various sustainable recycling solutions and offered a platform for sharing these between the various stakeholders.

• This initiative is in line with our country’s zero waste goal.

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• The salient highlights of India’s place in the World Inequality Report 2022 are as follows:

1. Indians have an average national income of Rs 204,200. 

2. However, when we look at the disaggregated data, the top 10% of the adult population hold 57% of the average yearly income, the top 1% hold 22% of it, and the bottom 50% of Indian adults hold 13% of the share of national income. 

3. The liberalization and deregulation of economic policies have fueled this extreme divide in income among Indian citizens.

4. The average Indian household's wealth is Rs 983,010, which has marked inequalities. 

5. The top 10% hold 65% of the average wealth, the top 1% hold 33% of the average, and the bottom 50% hold only 6% of the wealth.

6. The women’s labor income in India is much lower than the Southeast Asian average, which is one of the lowest in the world. 

7. It is only 18%, which needs to be 50% to reach gender parity.

8. The Indian population consumes much less greenhouse gas per person. 

9. The bottom 50% of Indians emit CO2 five times and ten times less than the bottom 50% of the European Union and the United States, respectively.

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• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh addressed the 2nd Healthcare Summit of AMCHAM India, emphasizing importance of using technology for accessible, affordable healthcare.

• The key points in his address were:

1. Indian development to be among top 6 bio-manufacturers globally

2. Focus on innovative, accessible healthcare through technology

3. Strengthening US-India partnership in healthcare

4. India's progress in healthcare under PM Modi's vision

5. Emphasis on India’s achievements including conducting the world's largest COVID vaccination drive, Ayushman Card, Digital healthcare mission

6. Importance of AI, ML, and telemedicine in healthcare

7. Increased public-private cooperation

8. Need for growth in biotechnology and space sectors

• The summit brought together healthcare professionals, technology experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss healthcare advancements and collaborations.

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