18 February 2019: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

Read the daily PIB update and stay up-to-date on current affairs for the UPSC exam

India Pharma 2019 & India Medical Device 2019.

Context:

4^th edition of India’s biggest Global Conference on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, inaugurated in Bengaluru 

Theme:

The theme of ‘India Pharma 2019’ is ‘Enabling Quality Affordable Healthcare & that of ‘India Medical Device 2019’ is ‘Accelerating Growth to Achieve Universal Healthcare’

Details:

• The event is being organized by Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, along with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
• During the event, thematic sessions are being held on areas of Artificial Intelligence in Pharma, Import Export issues, Biologicals, Biopharmaceuticals and New Chemical Entities (NCEs) for the Pharmaceutical Sector.
• For the Medical Device Sector, thematic sessions are focusing on Diagnostics Ecosystem, Ease of Doing Business and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Framework.
• Technical workshop by World Health Organization will help in addressing key challenges before the industry and will also provide tremendous business linkages to the participating companies.
• Annual India Pharma & Medical Device awards were conferred during the inaugural session for various categories including India Pharma Leader Award, India Pharma Innovation of Year Award, India Pharma Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme of the Year Award, India Medical Devices Company of the Year Award and India Pharma Swachhta Champion Award. 

One Health India Conference 2019

Context:

Recently One Health India Conference, 2019 was inaugurated in New Delhi. 

Objectives of conference:

• The main objective of the conference is to formulate aroadmap for the response, preparedness, and management of current regional, national and global health challenges using a One Health collaborative approach.
• It is known that 60% of human diseases are of animal origin and many of them have developed resistance to major antibiotics in nature and share the ecosystems they live and infect animal and humans.
• Therefore, the conference deliberations are focused on identifying needs and opportunities and developing a strategy map to addressing major human and animal diseases of concern including Brucellosis, Tuberculosis, Anthrax, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), together with biosafety, biosecurity, burden of disease and inter-sectoral collaboration considerations.

Details of the conference:

The conference plans to launch India’s new One Health Initiative – an inter-sectoral approach to tackling the most urgent health threats in India as well as in low and middle income countries across South and South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Background:

• India is among the top geographical hotspots where zoonotics diseases are major public health issue causing high burden of morbidity and mortality.
• High priority zoonotic diseases like Brucellosis have been emerged from Haryana to Goa, incidence and prevalence of occupational zoonotic disease like Anthrax have affected human health throughout.
• Similarly, Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic disease of cattle that impacts productivity and represents a major public health threat and is considered endemic in India.
• Further, being among the highest bacterial disease burden in the world, antibiotics, therefore, have a critical role in limiting morbidity and mortality and consequently Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has huge implications for India.  

Various women safety initiatives will be launched by Union Home Minister.

Context:

The Union Home Minister launch various initiatives for women safety. These initiatives will include launch of Emergency Response Support System, Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) and Safe City Implementation Monitoring Portal.

Emergency Response Support System (ERSS)

• The Union Home Minister will launch the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). The ERSS is a pan-India single number (112) based response system for persons in distress. 
• Under this system, all the states have to set up a dedicated Emergency Response Centre (ERC).
• It will have a team of trained Call-takers and Dispatchers to handle emergency requests relating to assistance from Police, Fire & Rescue, Health and other emergency services.

Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO)

• The ITSSO is meant for Law Enforcement Agencies in the country.
• The Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) is an online module available to law enforcement agencies at all levels- National, State, District and Police Station that allows State to undertake real-time monitoring and management for completion of investigation in rape cases in 2 months.
• It leverages the existing CCTNS data base, which covers nearly 15000 police stations in the country.
• ITSSO would greatly strengthen States ability for analytics and prognosis for timely investigation and prosecution in rape cases.

Safe City Implementation Monitoring (SCIM) portal

• In order to instil sense of security in women in metro cities, Government has identified eight cities for implementation of Safe City projects.
• The cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow & Mumbai. The projects are funded under Nirbhaya Fund scheme.
• The projects have been prepared jointly by Municipal bodies and City Police and reflect integrated action for safety of women.
• Safe City projects involves creation of on-ground assets, resources & behaviour change programs for safety of women. The projects will supplement existing assets and meet citizen demands for safe eco-system for women in these cities.

Important features of the Safe City projects include:

1. Identification of crime Hot-spots in each city.
2. Saturating such Hot-spots with increased CCTV surveillance.
3. Automated Number Plate Reading (ANPR) and drone-based surveillance also being deployed in few cities as per requirement.
4. Setting up women police out-posts for facilitating ease of access by any aggrieved woman to report incidence or seek assistance.
5. Patrols by Women police in vulnerable areas.
6. Setting up Women Help Desks in Police Stations with facility for trained Counsellors.
7. Augmentation of existing women support centers like Asha Jyoti Kendra or Bharosa centers etc.
8. Implementing Safety measures in buses, including Cameras.
9. Improving Street Lighting in identified Hot Spot areas.
10. Setting up Toilets for women.
11. Undertaking social awareness programmes on women safety and gender sensitivity.

‘International Vision Zero Conference’

Context:

‘International Vision Zero Conference’ to Promote Occupational Safety and Health Inaugurated in Mumbai.

The Conference has been organized by Directorate General Factory Advice and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Ministry of Labour and Employment, German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), Germany in association with Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and International Social Security Association – Manufacturing, Construction and Mining.

About the vision zero conference:

• The concept of ‘Vision Zero’ is fast gaining international acceptance and is expected to leverage the efforts of the Government of India to raise the occupational safety and health standards in the country so as to improve the occupational safety and health situation.
• The concept of Vision Zero is based on four  fundamental principles viz. life is non-negotiable, humans are fallible, tolerable limits are defined by human physical resistance, and people are entitled to safe transport and safe workplaces.
• The Vision is based on principles of Controlling Risks, Ensuring Safety and Health in Machines, Equipment and Workplaces and Skill Upgradation of Workforce.

Details of the conference:

• The conference provides a forum for promoting safety and health at work by exchanging knowledge, practices and experience.
• Experts in the field of Occupational Safety and Health reinforce and build networks and alliances while laying the groundwork for cooperation and strengthening relationships. 

Launch of PCS1x

Context:

 PCS1x is an upgraded version of the e-commerce portal Port Community System (PCS). It has been developed in record time by the Indian Ports Association, based on feedback from stakeholders using PCS.

Background:

• PCS  has played a vital role in enhancing ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the maritime sector by facilitating a transparent and paperless system for electronic submission of trade document, resulting in faster turnaround time and dwell time.
• Digitization in EXIM trade, of which PCS is a part, has played a major role in improving  India’s world ranking in ‘Ease of Doing Business’ 

About PCS1x:

• PCS Ix is a new generation system with a user-friendly interface that brings together various stakeholders of the maritime sector, and facilitates Government-to-Business, Business –to-Government and Business-to-Business transactions within the required legal framework.
• It ensures extreme levels of cyber security.
• The architecture of PCS is built on ‘open platform’ technology to integrate / latch on to any new concept or module available in the industry without disturbing the current ecosystem. This is a unique feature which provides unlimited landscape for growth and expansion.

Importance of the platform:

• The platform allows improvement in payment cycle, transparency of transaction cycles, detailed tracking of vessels and berthing schedules.
• It can be integrated with Gate system with RIFD, can produce E-copy of reports and notices and be used for cargo/truck trailer tracking.
• It also allows better stakeholder coordination.

“Magnitude of Substance use in India” report.

Context:

NDDTC, AIIMS submits report “Magnitude of Substance use in India” to M/O Social Justice & Empowerment.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has conducted a “National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India” through the NDDTC of AIIMS, New Delhi during 2018 which provides data at the National level as well as at the State level.

Substance categories studied:

Alcohol, Cannabis (Bhang and Ganja/Charas), Opioids (Opium, Heroin and Pharmaceutical Opioids), Cocaine, Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS), Sedatives, Inhalants and Hallucinogens

Major findings of this Survey at the National level as well as at the State level are as follows:

Alcohol :

1. At the national level, about 14.6% of people (among 10-75 year old) are current users of alcohol, i.e. about 16 Crore people. Prevalence is 17 times higher among men than women.
2. Among people consuming alcohol in India, Country liquor (‘desi’) (about 30%) and spirits (IMFL – Indian Made Foreign Liquor) (about 30%) are the predominantly consumed beverages.
3. About 5.2% of Indians (more than 5.7 crore people) are estimated to be affected by harmful or dependent alcohol use. In other words, every third alcohol user in India needs help for alcohol related problems.
4. States with the high prevalence of alcohol use are Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa.
5. States with high prevalence (more than 10%) of alcohol use disorders are: Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Cannabis :

1. About 2.8% of Indians (3.1 Crore individuals) report having used any cannabis product within past 12 months (Bhang – 2% or 2.2 crore people; Ganja/Charas – 1.2% or 1.3 Crore people).
2. About 0.66% of Indian (or approximately 72 lakh individuals) need help for their cannabis use problems.
3. Though bhang use is more common than ganja/charas, prevalence of harmful/dependent use is proportionately higher for ganja/charas users.
4. States with the higher than national prevalence of cannabis use are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh and Delhi.
5. In some states the prevalence of cannabis use disorders is considerably higher (more than thrice) than the national average (e.g. Sikkim, Punjab).

Opioids :

1. At the national level, the most common opioid used is Heroin, (current use 1.14%) followed by Pharmaceutical opioids (current use 0.96%) and then Opium (current use 0.52%).
2. Of the total estimated approximately 60 lakh people with opioid use disorders (harmful or dependent pattern) in the country, more than half are contributed by just a few states: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
3. In terms of percentage of population affected, the top states in the country are those in the north east (Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur) along with Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

 Sedatives and Inhalants :

1. About 1.08% of 10-75 year old Indians (approximately 1.18 crore people) are current users of sedatives (non-medical, non-prescription use).
2. States with the highest prevalence of current Sedative use are Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. However, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are the top five states which house the largest populations of people using sedatives.
3. In terms of absolute numbers, states with high population of children needing help for inhalant use are: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Haryana.

Access to treatment Services:

• In general, access to treatment services for people affected by substance use disorders is grossly inadequate.
• Just about one in 38 people with alcohol dependence report getting any 
• Only about one in 180 people with alcohol dependence report getting inpatient treatment / hospitalization for help with alcohol problems.
• Among people suffering from dependence on illicit drugs, one among 20 people has ever received inpatient treatment/ hospitalization for help with drug problems.

Hastshilp Complex.

Context:

Union Minister of Textiles laid the foundation stone of a Hastshilp Complex in New Delhi 

Details:

Complex will be named Deen Dayal Antarashtriya Hastshilp Bhawan and awardee artisans will be allocated space for marketing their products, on rotation basis, and preference will be given to Divyang artisans.

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