During the fifth round of discussions under the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR), progress was made on over 300 proposed amendments.

These encompassed areas such as:

The group also addressed proposals concerning equitable access to health products and consultation.

Efforts will continue before the next meeting in December, including discussions between proponents of amendments and inter-sessional briefings.

It's anticipated that the package of amendments may not be ready by January 2024.

The IHR, legally binding 196 state parties, has been amended twice, in 2014 and 2022, with the most recent amendments set to take effect in May 2024, in response to lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new analysis by UNICEF revealed that between 2016 and 2021, weather-related disasters resulted in 43.1 million internal displacements of children across 44 countries.

China and the Philippines recorded the highest absolute numbers due to their exposure to extreme weather and large child populations.

Small island states like Dominica and Vanuatu were most affected by storms, while Somalia and South Sudan were highly affected by floods.

Floods and storms accounted for 95% of displacements.

Droughts caused over 1.3 million child displacements, predominantly in Somalia.

Wildfires led to 810,000 displacements, with a third occurring in 2020.

Climate change-driven movements pose escalating challenges for children, necessitating strengthened community preparedness and support for displaced children.

In response to the findings, UNICEF has urged the government and stakeholders to protect them by:

A group of healthcare professionals, including industrial hygienists, epidemiologists, and healthcare worker representatives, plan to send a second letter to the CDC.

This letter will re-emphasize the need to hold public meetings regarding the proposed update to the CDC’s isolation precautions guidance by the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC).

The last update for this was done in 2017.

This guidance sets infection control protocols for various pathogens in healthcare settings.

Critics argue that the proposed changes fail to address lessons learned from COVID-19 and may weaken existing isolation procedures.

They emphasize the importance of input from experts in aerosol transmission and respiratory protection.

According to the CDC, the intention is to simplify safeguards for healthcare personnel.

However, some contend that the suggested modifications represent a regression in the comprehension of the virus's mode of transmission.

In response to the first letter sent in July 2023, the CDC said that it would consider input from key stakeholders and the public, but the group of collectives has reservations regarding the CDC's response.

The Ministry of Railways is planning to provide respite to women track maintainers and assistant loco pilots by taking account of their requests for a change in job category.

This initiative follows persistent representations made by trade unions to emphasize the challenges encountered by women employees in these roles.

The Railway Board has communicated with general managers of all Zonal Railways, requesting data on female track maintainers and assistant loco pilots.

The National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) advocated for a one-time option for women to change their job category, prompting the Railway Board to begin gathering information on such requests.

Major concerns were related to inadequate facilities, particularly during pregnancy.

The female employees also pointed out concerns regarding extended periods of sitting.

The move aims to address these issues and aligns with the demands presented by unions, including the All-India Railway Men's Federation.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and WHO entered into a memorandum with primary objectives, including:

WADA's President Witold Bańka hailed the MOU as a groundbreaking moment that will preserve athletes' health.

This will also benefit society overall through the exchange of information on up-and-coming substances and scientific alignment.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, emphasized the harm that performance-enhancing drugs inflict.

He also highlighted the critical role that physical exercise and clean sports play in global health.

The key themes of the MOU encompass:

This pact advances the common goal of achieving UN Sustainable Goal 3, ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all.

The National Medical Commission has launched an e-book on "Professional Conduct Review" based on case reports.

Some of the aspects addressed by the book include:

The document also contains information on ethical guidelines for research and the role of informed consent.

Researchers at Ohio State University have identified over 30 cases of SARS-CoV-2 spillover from humans to white-tailed deer in northeastern Ohio.

The study, published in Nature Communications, highlights the rapid evolution of the virus in a small deer sample.

Approximately 10% of nasal swabs from over 1552 free-ranging deer were positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Whole-genome sequencing revealed that 88.8% of deer samples carried the Delta variant, coinciding with the timing of the Delta wave in humans.

The rate of virus evolution in deer was estimated to be higher than in humans for both Alpha and Delta variants.

Despite these findings, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Agriculture note a decrease in SARS-CoV-2 detections in white-tailed deer.

The persistence of the Alpha variant in deer for over a year raises concerns about the potential emergence of divergent strains that could re-infect humans.

The study highlights the need for further research to understand the role of spillover events in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2.

A study conducted by IISc and Leiden University reveals a disconnect between India's health research publications and DALYs.

Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) serve as a measure of a population's health.

The results of the study highlight the gross disparity, with certain diseases receiving more research attention than their actual burden.

Diabetes mellitus, with a 3.1% DALY contribution, garnered 7.5% of the research focus.

Neonatal conditions, with a 12.3% DALY share, received only 1.3% of research attention.

Similarly, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, despite their significant contribution to India's disease burden, have received less attention from the research fraternity.

Tuberculosis (TB) serves as a well-aligned example, with India dedicating research efforts proportionate to its 7% disease burden.

Figures reveal India's research focuses on diseases with lower domestic impact but substantial global threats, such as malaria and HIV/AIDS.

Global research priorities often cater to the demands of high-income countries, resulting in funding mismatches in the global south.

The Gender Snapshot report alerts that if ongoing patterns persist, over 340 million women and girls could be living in poverty by 2030, constituting 8% of the female population globally.

Nearly one in four women may need to tackle food insecurity, with a substantial gap in unpaid care and domestic work.

The next generation of women is projected to spend 2.3 more hours per day on such tasks than men.

The report also emphasizes the ingrained gender gap in leadership roles.

It calls for collective action to address these disparities and achieve a world where every woman and girl enjoys equal rights, opportunities, and representation.

Older women are at greater risk of poverty and violence, along with the strong impact of climate change on restricting women’s development.

The report estimates that an additional $360 billion annually is required to advance gender equality across key SDGs.

Gender equality is considered foundational for an ideal and equal society and is an integral component for achieving all other SDGs.

Along the basins of the River Ganges, the closure of barrages paves the way for the entry of dolphins.

The dolphins get trapped in it and eventually die.

Their deaths may be due to factors such as:

The Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation India and the Department of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, Uttar Pradesh conducted a rescue operation between 2013 and 2020.

The operation saved a total of 19 dolphins.

However, five of them died during transport.

The paper published in the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management discussed salient points as follows:

With volunteer assistance, Delhi's forest department plans to carry out its first tree census in 2024.

It was previously carried out in many parts of Delhi by activists and locals.

City woodlands will be the first to be counted.

Controlling unlawful felling and ensuring that the city stays green are the two main goals of the census.

The following information will be recorded as part of the census:

They can use this to prioritize important tasks.

The study titled ‘Ongoing declines for the world’s amphibians in the face of emerging threats’ was published in the journal Nature.

It has been found that climate change is emerging as one of the biggest threats to amphibians.

The study is based on the second global amphibian assessment.

The study evaluated the risk of extinction of more than 8,000 amphibian species.

The study also evaluated 2,286 species for the first time.

Two out of five amphibians are facing extinction threats due to climate change.

The analysis finds that between 2004 and 2022, a few serious risks have increased the number of amphibians that are in danger of going extinct.

Of these, climate change was the primary threat for 39% of these species.