•  WHO and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have agreed to build upon previous agreement signed in 2018 and have come together for a new “Strategic Framework for Collaboration”.  • This framework aligns with the Global Fund Strategy (2023 - 2028) and the WHO General Programme of Work and commits to support countries to attain the health related SDGs and prioritises building community centred health response, addressing pandemic preparedness and challenges posed by climate change.  

• The focus areas for collaboration include health policies and normative guidance, advocacy and health governance, health products and innovations, and technical support and capacity building. 

• Previous collaborative achievements include but are not limited to – scaling up of differentiated service delivery (HIV), dual testing for COVID-19 and TB, WHO Insecticide Treated Nets Guidelines for malaria and shorter treatments for multidrug-resistant TB.

• Published in eClinicalMedicine, this study, conducted from 2017 to 2020 was a multi-country RCT involving Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in Ghana, India, Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

• Carried out in neonates weighing 1 to 1.8kg, the intervention was KMC initiated immediately after birth (iKMC) and continued until discharge, compared to conventional care with KMC initiated after meeting stability criteria.  

• The primary outcomes of this report were : 

1. Incidence of neonatal sepsis, 

2. Sepsis-related mortality, and 

3. Bacterial profile of isolates during a hospital stay.  

• Findings showed that iKMC among small/preterm babies reduced sepsis by 18%, sepsis-related deaths by 36%, and overall deaths by 25%. 

• This evidence reinforces the concept and benefits of KMC and the Mother-Newborn Intensive Care Unit.

• The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases organized a "capacity building program" on Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 

• Medical officers of Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, and District Hospitals participated in the webinar. 

• The objectives of the webinar were to create awareness about NAFLD as a rising public health problem and its risk factors diagnosis & management. 

• The "capacity building program" will take place in two steps: 

1. Online webinars & 

2. Three-day residential program. 

• Madhya Pradesh is the first state to start the program.

• Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.

• Transmission of HAT is vector-borne, by the tsetse fly (glossina species). 

• It is focally endemic in regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. 

• Progressing through various stages, HAT can lead to meningoencephalitis, posing a public health threat. 

• The "WHO Roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2023" has set the goal of eliminating T. b. rhodesiense transmission and eliminating T. b. gambiense as a public health problem. 

• On 7th-9th June 2023, at the "Fifth WHO stakeholders meeting on human African trypanosomiasis elimination," the delegates discussed innovative approaches and pledged to strengthen the commitments towards elimination.

• On World Food Safety Day, 7th June 2023, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released the Fifth State Food Safety Index.  

• The Index ranked states and UTs based on the scores achieved across six particulars of food safety. 

• Awards for "Eat Right Challenge for Districts - Phase II" were given to districts implementing innovative strategies for food safety awareness. 

• "Rapid Analytical Food Testing Kit" (RAFT) portal for the efficient functioning of the on-spot field food test was also launched.  

• "Manual of Methods of Analysis of Foods" - Fish & Fish Products, Cereal and Cereal Products - 2nd edition, and Beverages: Tea, Coffee & Chicory, was released to strengthen food safety practices.

• Utilizing the technological competence of the European Union(EU), the WHO has advanced the "Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN)."

• GDHCN would serve as an online digital database of the citizen's health records for the WHO member states. 

• The EU used its digital certificate system during COVID-19 to fight the pandemic and make international travel easy.  

• The convergence of all the records into one shared repository would serve as a source to deliver better health services to all the member states without the WHO having access to individual data.

• GDHCN will also focus on ensuring equitable access to low and middle-income countries.

• Addressing the 3rd Health Working Group of G20 India, Dr. Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, stated the importance of digital health innovation and solutions to aid Universal Health Coverage and improve health services delivery. 

• India as the voice of the Global South is committed to minimizing the digital health divide by promoting digital solutions and innovation to aid universal health coverage

• Dr. VK Paul highlighted innovations like telemedicine and mobile applications which bridge the socio-economic and geographical barriers to seeking healthcare. 

• He gave the example of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission which strives to provide relevant information to state government, union government, laboratory, insurance providers, health tech companies, and other stakeholders with citizens in the center stage under the same roof.