• The 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah launched on 31st August 2024, focuses on anemia, Growth Monitoring, Complementary Feeding, Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, and Technology for better governance.

• Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam promoted environmental sustainability through plantations at 13.95 lakhs Anganwadi centers.

• Key activity breakdown: 39 lakhs on anemia, 27 lakhs on Growth Monitoring, 20 lakhs on Complementary Feeding, and 18.5 lakhs on Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi.

• One key focus area, Technology for Better Governance, aims to help effectively implement and monitor nutrition indicators linked to the ICT application Poshan Tracker.

• The ministries of Education, Health, Rural Development, Ayush, and Panchayati Raj significantly contributed to Poshan Maah activities, including anemia camps, growth monitoring, complementary feeding, and environmental protection outreach.

• The campaign emphasizes reaching remote areas under the theme "Suposhit Kishori Sashakt Nari".

• A National Conference on 'Universal Access to Healthcare: Digital Solutions' was held in New Delhi.

• The conference focussed on optimizing technology for Universal Health Coverage.

• With WHO, India will launch the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH).

• There are also plans for life-long health records for every individual, in addition to the U-Win App for recording newborns' and mothers' vaccinations.

• National Health Claims Exchange gateway would be launched under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

• The conference emphasized on:

1. Protecting human rights in digital health

2. Bridging the digital gap

3. Using technology to reduce healthcare costs

4. AI's potential in healthcare data analysis

• Notable models such as the Digital Nerve Centre (DiNC) in Kolar, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh's Telemedicine Programme were also discussed.

• Avenues for collaboration between AI, clinical sciences, and basic sciences  in addressing India's overloaded healthcare facilities and improving access to care was discussed .

• Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), highlighted the potential of the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to transform healthcare by harnessing India’s extensive data sets

• Distinguished professionals, provided invaluable insights on integrating AI with healthcare to tackle pressing medical challenges.

• The event featured interactive sessions on the perspectives of AI in healthcare from both the medical and engineering communities, offering attendees a comprehensive understanding of AI’s potential in healthcare.

• The conference, jointly organized by DST and five Technology Innovation Hubs (TiHs) under NM-ICPS, co-supported by AIIMS Delhi, aimed to identify key healthcare challenges, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and explore practical implementations.

Click here to read more.

• Prime Minister Modi stressed that conserving water is a vital responsibility and is deeply ingrained in India’s cultural values. 

• He underscored the importance of public involvement in these efforts.

• The government has made notable progress in water conservation through programs such as Jal Jeevan Mission, Jalshakti Abhiyan, and Namami Gange. 

• These initiatives leverage community partnerships and modern technologies to achieve their objectives.

• Future Vision: Prime Minister Modi called for immediate action on water conservation, advocating the principles of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recharge, and Recycle’ to ensure a sustainable water future for the nation.

• This initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing water sustainability in India.

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• Abdul Rahman Abu Al-Jidyan, an 11 month old boy, who presented with the complaints of paralysis of both limbs, is the first confirmed case of Polio in the last 25 years detected in Gaza.

• The campaign involving 2700 healthworkers, aims to immunize 640,000 children in Gaza.

• 2 drops of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) will be administered to children under 10 years

• It has been rolled out in 3 phases:

Central Gaza:

• September 1-3

• 187,000 children were immunized, crossing the initial target of 1,57000.

• Conducted by 513 teams, consisting of over 2180 health and community outreach workers.

• Vaccination was provided at 143 fixed sites while mobile teams visited tents and hard to-reach areas and special missions were sent to areas just outside of the agreed zone for the humanitarian pause.

Southern Gaza:

• September 5-8, extended for 1 day.

• Targets 340000 children.

•  Some 517 teams, including 384 mobile teams, will be deployed.

Nouthern Gaza:

• September 9-12

• Targets 150000 children.

• In order to prevent re-emergence and international spread of disease a 90% vaccination coverage during each round is needed.

• Possible reasons for the re-emergence of the disease include interruption of routine immunization services and insanitary living conditions as a result of the war.

• Both sides of the war have agreed for a ceasefire between 6 am to 9 pm everyday to allow health centres to carry out the campaign. A demarcated humanitarian corridor has been identified for the ceasefire where uninterrupted vaccination drives can be undertaken.

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• The present case is the 14th human case of Bird Flu reported in the United States during 2024 and the first case of H5 without known occupational exposure to sick or infected animals. The neuraminidase segment is still pending identification.

• This is the first time the US National Flu Surveillance System has detected a case of H5.

• The CDC is currently actively monitoring the Influenza Surveillance Systems to identify new or missed cases of Avian Influenza.

• The CDC recommendations and guidelines regarding the detection and tackling of H5N1 cases remain unchanged at present.

• Points of Concern:

  • Lack of an obvious animal exposure.

  • No onward transmission to contacts.

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• The Ministry of Health released a study titled "National Strategy for prevention of unintentional injury" at the "Safety 2024" conference. The study was introduced during the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in 2024.

• The conference aimed to improve coordination, strengthen research, integrate injury prevention with global health agendas, empower communities, and promote informed policymaking.

• Over 43% of deaths from unintentional injuries between 2016 and 2022 were due to road crashes, with 45.1% in 2022 alone with overspeeding being the primary cause.

• Nearly 75% of victims were aged 18-60, the most productive period of life.

• Gender Disparity: The mortality ratio for road traffic injuries is approximately 86% for males and 14% for females.

• The number of drowning deaths increased from 29,721 in 2016 to 38,503 in 2022, with 73% caused by accidental falls into water bodies.

• Other significant causes of unintentional injury deaths include drowning, falls, poisoning, and burns.

• Rural areas experience a higher rate of road traffic injury fatalities compared to urban areas.

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• For the third year in a row, Delhi's birth rate has decreased: from 929 in 2022 to 922 females for every 1,000 males in 2023.

• While the death rate in Delhi climbed little from 6.07 to 6.16, the birth rate improved from 14.24 per thousand in 2022 to 14.66 in 2023.

• The sex ratio had improved significantly in the past, reaching 1004 females per 1000 males in 2008, but has been declining since 2020.

• This trend about the decline in the sex ratio has alarmed health experts, suggesting an increase in prenatal sex determination tests and calling for stricter enforcement of related laws. In the last three years, just 19 cases have been filed under the PCPNDT Act.

• Experts have also raised concern and the high number of deaths due to septicaemia, urging stricter health policies to be implemented.

• Together, the rates of maternal and infant mortality declined marginally in 2023, reaching 23.61 and 23.61 per 1,000 live births, respectively.

• Owing to limited data on Tuberculosis(TB) in Healthcare workers, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the data from cross-sectional studies on Healthcare workers with tuberculosis.

•  10 studies met the inclusion criteria of which four were conducted in the northern part, four in southern India, while two in Maharashtra.

• The results of the study are:

         - The pooled prevalence of TB was found to be 2391.62 (1415.58, 3601.34) cases per  100,000 healthcare workers.

         - There was significant heterogeneity among the studies.

         -  Doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians had a prevalence of 2006.18, 2726.83 and 6468.31 per 100,000 individuals, respectively. There was wide variation in the total sample size of each profession.

         -   Frequent contact with patients with tuberculosis  increases the occupational risk of acquiring infection. 

         -  Inadequate infection control measures, improper use of personal protective equipment, poor nutrition and work stress has been attributed as causes of increased susceptibility to infection.

The study recommends mandatory training and programs of healthcare workers on TB prevention practices.

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• Using the Air Pollution Burden of Disease Explorer tool the researchers at “Vital Strategies”, a global organization for Public Health, estimated changes in rates of morbidity and mortality following interventions aimed at reducing air pollution in houses where unclean fuel is being used. 

• Baseline estimates were taken from the “2017 Global Burden of Disease and Comparative Risk Assessment” on data related to rates of illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, diabetes etc., and their relationship with PM 2.5.

• The study concluded that the introduction and consistent use of LPG in households previously reliant on unclean fuels could potentially prevent around 150,000 deaths annually, even if other sources of air pollution remain unchanged.

• Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal contribute to half of the mortality and morbidity due to household air pollution. 

• The state-wise analysis includes those families who i) are registered with Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) but donot use it exclusively; ii) those who are not beneficiaries of PMUY.

• Targeted subsidies for households with pregnant women were found to be cost-effective with a cost-benefit ratio of <1, indicating economic benefit in addition to the health benefits.

This result was based on the analysis of four scenarios:

• Full subsidy provision for eight annual refills to all households

• Partial subsidy provision for eight annual refills to all households

• Full subsidy provision for households with pregnant women

• Targeted partial subsidy provision for households with pregnant women.

The above study emphasises on the need to overcome the problems faced in implementing the PMUY owing to its health and economic benefits on exclusive use of LPG gas

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• The State of Sports and Physical Activity (SAPA) in India report was released recently which analyzed primary and secondary data to assess the current state of SAPA in India.

• A total of 3500 adults and 1500 adolescents across four states (UP, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu) were included in the study. Around 16 focus group discussions with parents, Physical Education teachers, and school children was conducted.

• It reports that more than 200 million Indians are inactive based on WHO recommendations for physical activity.

• The major reason for this inactivity were,

1. 67% of students report that their school does not have basic sports equipment

2. 21% report that their school does not have a playground

3. 48% of older adults who believe they are too old to play or exercise

• The study provides data on the effects of a fully active India by 2047, on an individual and country level as follows:

1. Boost India's GDP by over INR 15 trillion annually.

2. Save more than INR 30 trillion in medical expenses by preventing 110 million cases of NCDs.

• Download the full report - Click here

• Supreme Court mandated formation of a committee on LGBTQI+ queer community rights last year.

• The Committee, in its first meeting, discussed issues like ration cards, joint bank accounts, and harassment prevention

• Sub-committee formed to address discrimination in social welfare, healthcare, and public services

• Ministry of Home Affairs issued advisories on prison visitation rights and protection from violence

• Stakeholder consultation was also held with LGBTQIA+ community representatives

• Interim actions taken were,

1. Advisory on ration cards for queer couples to treat them as part of same household

2. Guidelines for joint bank accounts and nominations allowing queer partners same rights

3. Healthcare measures for LGBTQI+ rights such as access to healthcare, planning awareness activities, prohibition of conversion therapy, availability of sex reassignment surgery, changes in curricula, provision of tele consultation, sensitization and training

4. Guidelines for medical interventions for children born intersex

• The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is seeking public input on further policy development for Queer Community.