1.Digital Health Mission a voluntary, central repository of records: Ministry
News: The Prime Minister has launched the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) on the eve of Independence Day.
Facts:
- NDHM: It is a voluntary healthcare programme that aims to reduce the gap among stakeholders such as doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers by bringing them together and connecting them in an integrated digital health infrastructure.
- Components: The mission comprises six key building blocks or digital systems namely HealthID, DigiDoctor, Health Facility Registry, Personal Health Records, e-Pharmacy & telemedicine.
- Health Id : It is a 14-digit serial number which will be generated for each individual.The Id will be a repository of all health-related information of a person such as medical tests, previous prescriptions, diagnosis, treatments and all historical health records.
- Implementation: The National Health Authority(NHA) would design, build, roll-out and implement the mission.
- Coverage: The scheme would first be tested in the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
Additional Facts:
- National Health Authority(NHA): It is the apex body responsible for implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
- It is governed by a Governing Board chaired by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare.
2.PM launches Project Lion, Project Dolphin on I-Day
News: Prime minister has announced the launch of Project Dolphin and Project Lion to protect these species in their natural habitat in a holistic manner.
Facts:
- Project Lion: The project is aimed at conservation of India’s Asiatic Lions.It will focus on habitat development, engaging technologies in lion management and addressing the issues of disease in lions.
- Aisatic Lion: They are confined to Gir National Park and its surrounding environments in Gujarat’s Saurashtra district.
- IUCN Status: Endangered
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-I
- CITES: Appendix I
- Project Dolphin: The project is aimed at the conservation of the Gangetic Dolphins – both riverine as well as the oceanic dolphins in India.
- Gangetic river dolphin: It is India’s national aquatic animal found in parts of the Ganges, Meghna and Brahmaputra river systems in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
- CITES: Appendix I.
3.Google partners Central Water Commission for flood forecasting initiative
News: Central Water Commission(CWC) along with Google has launched a flood forecasting initiative.
Facts:
- Flood Forecasting Initiative: It aims to provide alerts to the public regarding flood situations in the region.It also offers current water level in the flood affected regions in the country and colour-coded maps indicating flooded areas.
Additional Facts:
- Central Water Commission is a premier Technical Organization of India in the field of Water Resources and is presently functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- Purpose: To initiate and coordinate with State Governments concerned for conservation and utilization of water resources throughout the country for the purpose of Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development.
News: Ministry of AYUSH has launched a three-month campaign “Ayush for Immunity”.
Facts:
- Aim: To increase awareness about affordable and easy practices that can be adopted for enhancing immunity and preventing any disease.
- Theme: Accessible and Affordable health for all through Ayush solutions.
Additional Facts:
- National AYUSH Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies Electronic (NAMASTE) Portal: It was launched in the year 2017 to provide standardized terminologies & morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicines.
- AYUSH GRID: It is a digital platform that aims to bring onboard all AYUSH facilities including hospitals and laboratories and to promote traditional systems of healthcare.
5.Scientists develop indigenous system for real-time remote monitoring of air quality parameters
News: Scientists at Gayatri Vidya Parishad-Scientific and Industrial Research Centre have developed the Air Unique-quality Monitoring (AUM) system with the support of the Department of Science and Technology(DST) Clean Air Research Initiative.
Facts:
- Air Unique-quality Monitoring(AUM) system: It is an indigenous system for real-time remote monitoring of air quality parameters that can identify, classify and quantify various pollutants simultaneously (of orders of less than one part per billion) and meteorological parameters.
Additional Facts:
- Clean Air Research Initiative: It was launched in 2009 by the Department of Science and Technology with the aim to develop national research competence to drive down the cost of clean energy through pre-competitive translational research, oriented research led disruptive innovations & human and institutional capacity development.
6.FDA approves rapid, inexpensive saliva test for novel coronavirus
News: United States Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has approved SalivaDirect test for Covid19.
Facts:
- Who developed the test? The SalivaDirect test has been developed by researchers from Yale School of Public Health in partnership with the National Basketball Association(NBA).
- How is the test different? SalivaDirect test uses saliva samples as opposed to the more invasive nasopharyngeal swabs.
- What is the testing Procedure? The collection and testing of saliva samples involves three steps — collecting saliva without preservative buffers, proteinase K treatment and heat inactivation and dualplex RT-qPCR virus detection.
- Significance:
- The test can detect the virus even when the number of virus copies in the saliva sample is as low as 6-12 copies per microlitre.
- The test is affordable when compared to other tests of Covid-19.
- The testing makes sample collection non-invasive and reduces the need for trained healthcare workers to collect the samples, reducing the risk of infection during collection.
- This test is more accurate when compared to other tests using nasopharyngeal swabs which sometimes leads to false negative results due to errors at the time of sample collection.
7.Union Sports Minister launches Fit India Youth Clubs initiative
News: Union Minister of Youth and Sports has launched a nation-wide initiative of Fit India Youth Clubs.
Facts:
- Fit India Youth Club: It is a part of the Fit India Movement that aims to harness the power of youth to create mass awareness about the importance of fitness.
- Under the initiative, volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and other youth organizations will come together to register as Fit India Youth Clubs in every block in the country.
- Each member of the club will then motivate people from the community and in schools to take up fitness activities.
Additional Facts:
- Fit India Movement: It was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to encourage people to inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday lives.
8.DBT Secretary inaugurates Center for Biopharma Analysis
News: Department of Biotechnology(DBT) Secretary has inaugurated the Pune-based Center for Biopharma Analysis(CBA).
Facts:
- Aim: To provide high-quality analytical services to biopharmaceutical developers and manufacturers and create long lasting value for bio-entrepreneurs and industry.
- This centre is supported by the National Biopharma Mission of the Department of Biotechnology(DBT) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council(BIRAC).
Additional Facts:
- National Biopharma Mission(NBM): It is an industry-academia collaborative mission for accelerating biopharmaceutical development in the country.
- Launched Year: It was launched in 2017 at a total cost of Rs 1500 crore and is 50% co-funded by World Bank loan.
- Implementation: Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
