India’s stand at COP29: Advocating fair climate action and financial support India’s stand at COP29: Advocating fair climate action and financial support Content Editor: Dr. Sivanthiga December 5, 2024 Press Information Bureau Climate change, Climate finance, COP The highlights of the CoP29 held at Baku,Azerbaijan on 21 November,2024 are: Disappointment with focus shift: India was disappointed with Capital CoP29 for mowing the focus from climate finance to mitigation initiatives. Alignment with developing countries: Having highlighted the difficulties faced by the global South, India sided with like-minded developing countries. Rejecting attempts to renegotiate ‘just transitions’ : India maintained its stand that developed nations must take the lead in efforts to mitigate the effects of the crisis. India’s criticism on new Chapeau : India stood a critique against the new chapeau on enhancing action for not being integrated with continuing budgetary needs and talks. Demand for adequate climate funding : In order to take effective action, India stressed the need for $1.3 trillion in climate funding, mostly in the forms of grants. Emphasis on adaptation goals: To ensure that all nations receive support for climate action. India called for clear indicators for adaptation goals. Click here to read more.

Wasting antibiotics: A prescription for trouble Wasting antibiotics: A prescription for trouble Content Editor: Dr Sumana Mukhopadhyay September 23, 2023 Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy Hospital Waste Management A study at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta revealed that over two years, 58,607 antibiotic doses were wasted, costing $255,503. The top 10 wasted antibiotics included some in shortage, emphasizing the need for waste reduction. Ampicillin was documented as the most wasted antibiotic; the other major drugs were clindamycin and cefazolin. The majority of the waste was accounted for in the first two days of admissions. While this study was conducted in a single setting, antibiotic waste is a concern in pediatric settings due to weight-based dosing. Antibiotic waste affects patient care quality and adds financial burdens. The following strategies can help reduce waste: Optimizing empiric treatments Early discharge planning Improved communication Hospitals can reduce their carbon footprint by minimizing drug waste , which contributes to healthcare-associated emissions. Reducing antibiotic waste requires: Systematic changes Focus on high-turnover services Discharge planning.

Highly pathogenic avian flu finds its course to Antarctica Highly pathogenic avian flu finds its course to Antarctica Content Editor: Dr. Anubhav Mondal October 30, 2023 Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy Influenza, International health The British Antarctic Survey released the results of the tests on October 23, 2023. This survey maintains two research stations in South Georgia, including one on Bird Island. It is unclear how the virus will affect the South Georgia fauna. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued a report in August 2023 warning about the potential of H5N1 avian flu spreading to Antarctica's wildlife populations. WOAH and the FAO predicted that it would travel south to Antarctica with the migration of birds from South America, where it was detected in October 2022 . The groups cautioned that the impact on animals in the region might be enormous due to: Their vulnerability to the virus Their habit of living in dense colonies

Case of re-emerging illness, Murine Typhus, reported in Kerala Case of re-emerging illness, Murine Typhus, reported in Kerala Content Editor: Dr. Urmimala October 17, 2024 Directorate of Health Services, Kerala; Centre for Disease Control Infectious Disease, Re-emerging illness, Murine Typhus On 11th October 2024, the Kerala State Surveillance Unit, Directorate of Health Services, reported one case of Murine Typhus in Thiruvananthapuram district. A 75-year-old resident of Kerala, who had returned from Vietnam and Cambodia, fell ill on 8th September. After several tests and consideration of the travel history, the patient was diagnosed with Murine Typhus. The bacteria, Rickettsia typh i, causes illness in rats, cats, or opossums. The vector, the Oriental rat flea , can infect humans or animals through a bite that creates a wound. When flea dirt (flea feces containing the bacteria) is rubbed into the wound, it leads to infection. Symptoms include fever, chills, rash, and headache . While it can cause severe illness, the case fatality rate is less than 1%. Treatment with doxycycline aids recovery from the illness. Kerala has been reporting cases of scrub typhus, but this was the first case of Murine Typhus. Although the risk of spreading the illness is low , as it is not transmitted from human to human , preventive measures are recommended. They include keeping rodents away from homes and workplaces by maintaining safe, clean, and hygienic practices, and protecting oneself from flea bites. Click here to read more