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THE HEALTH ISSUES

1. WHAT IS THE ‘PEN-PLUS’ STRATEGY?

THE CONTEXT: Recently Africa adopted a pen-plus strategy at the 72nd session of the Regional Committee of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) held in Lomé, Togo.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the PEN-PLUS strategy?

• PEN-PLUS is basically a regional strategy to address serious non-communicable diseases at first level referral health facilities.
• This strategy supports capacity building of district hospitals and other first-class referral facilities for early diagnosis and management of serious non-communicable diseases, resulting in a reduction in mortality.
• The strategy urges countries to establish standardized programs to combat chronic and serious non-communicable diseases to ensure that essential medicines, technologies and diagnostics are available and accessible in district hospitals.

What is a Non-Communicable Disease?

• A disease which does not result from the presence of pathogens and may result from the imbalance in the dietary constituents, general wear and tear of tissues and uncontrolled growth of tissues, metabolic disorders or injury to any part of the body is called a non-communicable disease.
• The non-communicable diseases include heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, asthma, Anemia, Polycythemia, Leucopenia, Hodgkin’s Disease etc.
• Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
• Each year, more than 15 million people die from an NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years; 85% of these “premature” deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• In Africa, the most prevalent severe non-communicable diseases include sickle cell disease, type 1 and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, severe hypertension and moderate to severe and persistent asthma.

Status of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India

• According to the WHO report, In India, nearly 5.8 million people die from NCDs (heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes) every year in other words, 1 in 4 Indians has a risk of dying from NCD before they reach the age of 70.
• The major NCDs are heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol are the main behavioural risk factors for NCD.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. INDIA-TANZANIA TASK FORCE FOR DEFENCE COOPERATION

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Defense Minister held bilateral talks with Dr Sturgomena Lawrence Tax, Minister of Defense and National Services of Tanzania in New Delhi.

THE EXPLANATION:

• During the meeting, the two ministers agreed to set up a task force to prepare a five-year roadmap to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries and to hold the next joint defence cooperation meeting in Tanzania at the earliest.
• The Defense Minister also invited his Tanzanian counterpart to the India-Africa Defense Dialogue and DefExpo, scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from October 18-22, 2022.

India-Tanzania Relations

• India and Tanzania have maintained warm and cordial relations. Since the 1960s and 1980s, the countries have had common interests and have raised voices together against colonialism. The countries also shared commitments to non–alignment and South-South cooperation. During the post cold war era, India and Tanzania together initiated economic reform programs.
• The high commission of India was established in 1961 in Dar es Sallam. However, the consulate was built late in 1974 in Zanzibar. Tanzanian embassy in New Delhi is also accredited to Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
• Several agreements were signed between India and Tanzania during PM’s visit to the country in2016. It includes an MoU on water resource management and development, a joint action plan on small industries, visa waiver agreements, vocational training centres and a line of credit of 92 million USD for the improvement of water supply in Zanzibar.
• It has a substantial population of around 70 thousand Indian diasporas.

 THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

3. GERMANY: FLEET OF HYDROGEN-POWERED PASSENGER TRAINS

THE CONTEXT: Recently Germany launched the world’s first fleet of hydrogen-powered passenger trains to replace 15 diesel trains running on non-electrified tracks in the state of Lower Saxony.

 THE EXPLANATION:

• The new trains are equipped with a hydrogen tank and fuel cells on the roof and will produce electricity by combining water and hydrogen. The company revealed that the excess energy produced will be stored in ion-lithium batteries.
• The estimated cost of this project is around a 93-million-euro (USD 92 million).
• These bright blue Coradia iLint trains are built by French TGV-maker Alstom, which are costlier than diesel-powered trains but eco-friendly.
• The green trains can travel 600 miles (1,000km) and a maximum speed of 140 kph (87 mph) on a single tank of hydrogen, similar to the range of diesel trains.

Hydrogen trains

• Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen. This conversion process only emits steam and water, thus producing zero emissions. Excess energy produced is stored in ion-lithium batteries on board the train.
• These trains also make very little noise. Moreover, hydrogen fuel cells have advantages over batteries. Instead of recharging, they can easily be refuelled like gas or diesel engine.
• It is also easier to build refuelling infrastructure for these trains at railway stations.
• These trains can run for around 1,000 km on a single tank of hydrogen, similar to the range of diesel trains.
• These trains offer an attractive prospect to many cities scrambling to combat air pollution. The only disadvantage these hydrogen trains is that they are more expensive than fossil fuel-based trains.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

4. INTEGRATION OF GATI SHAKTI MASTER PLAN WITH GEOSPATIAL MAPS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Union Minister announced that the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan will now be linked to geospatial maps to prevent unnecessary cost escalation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• This linking will help in developing future infrastructure in a planned manner, curbing cost escalation and saving taxpayers money, besides enhancing India’s cost competitiveness.
• As of now, 1,000 geospatial maps have been formed for forests, wildlife sanctuaries, highways and railway infrastructure, power plants and industrial zones in India. For example during the construction of an overbridge, diverting routes if a forest or wildlife sanctuary comes in the way, so it will help to figure out how to construct a bridge with the smallest length for a river, etc.

About Gati Shakti Platform

Gati Shakti platform was launched to provide information instantaneously. It will allow for better coordination among ministries. Gati Shakti Scheme was launched with the aim of achieving three basic goals namely,

1. Seamless multimodal connectivity for facilitating easy movement of goods & people,
2. Improved prioritisation, optimal usage of resources, timely creation of capacities, and
3. Resolution of issues like disjointed planning, standardisation & clearances.

Aim of the Master Plan

• This Master Plan will provide a framework for ‘The National Infrastructure Pipeline program’.
• The plan also aims to make Indian products more competitive by cutting down their logistics costs and improving supply chains. It also aims to give a foundation for holistic infrastructure and an integrated pathway for the economy.
• It will help the local manufacturers of India in turning globally competitive.
• Apart from that, this scheme of worth over one hundred lakh crore rupees will create employment opportunities for the youth.
• It seeks to attract investment from worldwide to improve the infrastructure in India and will provide new direction & fresh momentum for overall infrastructure development in India.

Significance of the Plan

It is a seamless multi-modal connectivity platform and will ensure seamless movement of goods & people and will enhance ease of living & ease of doing business.

5. AQUACULTURE TILAPIA FISH”.

THE CONTEXT: Recently, TDB-DST enters new domain, funds its first ever ‘Aquaculture’ project using ‘state of the art’ Israeli technology for production of Tilapia Fish”. TDB-DST (Technology Development Board – Department of Science and Technology) contributes to ‘Blue Revolution’ through technology intervention, supports sustainable & responsible development of fisheries sector in India”.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Aquaculture?

• Aquaculture can be simply put as the controlled process of cultivating aquatic organisms, especially meant for human consumption.
• According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations”, The farming of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some sort of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc.”
• Such farming also implies individual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated, the planning, development and operation of aquaculture systems, sites, facilities and practices, and production and transport.

Why is Fisheries important for India?

• Fisheries is one of the fastest growing sectors amongst the primary producing sectors. The sector plays a vital role in the economic and overall development of the country, also referred to as the “sunrise sector”, it is poised to bring in immense potential through equitable and inclusive growth.
• The sector is recognized as a powerful engine for providing employment to 14.5 million people and sustaining a livelihood for 28 million fishermen community of the country. Thus, the sector urges young entrepreneurs of the country to come forward and offer solutions, resolving on-ground challenges through technology interventions and innovative solutions.

 What is the Neel Kranti Mission?

• Blue Revolution, the Neel Kranti Mission has the vision to achieve economic prosperity of the country and the fishers and fish farmers as well as contribute towards food and nutritional security through full potential utilization of water resources for fisheries development in a sustainable manner, keeping in view the bio-security and environmental concerns.
• Its vision is to create an enabling environment for integrated development of the full potential of fisheries of the country.
• Also, it aims to improve the income status of fishers and fish farmers keeping in view the sustainability, bio-security and environmental concerns.

The objectives include:

• To increase the overall fish production in a responsible and sustainable manner for economic prosperity
• To modernise the fisheries with special focus on new technologies
• To ensure food and nutritional security
• To generate employment and export earnings
• To ensure inclusive development and empower fishers and aquaculture farmers

What is the latest development and ‘Tilapia’?

• Realising the potential of Fisheries sector, Technology Development Board, a statutory body under Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India supports M/s Fountainhead Agro Farms Private Limited, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra for ‘Advanced, Intensive, All Male Tilapia Aquaculture Project with Israeli Technology’.
• The board has penned a mutual agreement, to provide loan assistance of Rs. 8.42 crores out of the total project cost of Rs. 29.78 crores to the company.
• Tilapia’ has emerged to be one of the most productive and internationally traded food fish in the world.
• The culture of tilapia has become commercially popular in many parts of the world and fishery experts have dubbed the tilapia as “aquatic chicken” due to its quick growth and low maintenance cultivation.
• Today, if any fish could be named a global fish, no better name can be thought of than Tilapia.

6. ‘XYLITOL’: NEW SUGAR SUBSTITUTE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have developed an ultrasound-assisted fermentation method to produce a safe sugar replacement called “Xylitol” from bagasse, which is the residue left after crushing sugarcane.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Xylitol, recently developed by researchers at IIT Guwahati, has reduced the fermentation time to 15 hours as against about 48 hours in conventional processes and also increased the yield of the product by about 20%.

• Previously only 8-15% of the D-xylose from which xylitol is made is converted to xylitol which translates to a higher price for the consumer.

• The research has also been published in the journal Bioresource Technology and Ultrasonics Sonochemistry.

What is Xylitol?

• Xylitol, a sugar alcohol derived from natural products.
• It has potential antidiabetic and anti-obesogenic effects, is a mild prebiotic and protects teeth from caries.
• It is a colorless or white crystalline solid that is soluble in water.
• Xylitol is manufactured industrially by a chemical reaction in which wood-derived D-xylose, an expensive chemical, is treated with a nickel catalyst at very high temperatures and pressures which makes the process highly energy-consuming.

Is xylitol an artificial sweetener?

Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute safe for diabetics. It is not an artificial sweetener but is a natural sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibres of many fruits and vegetables, and can be extracted from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as fibrous material such as corn husks and sugar cane bagasse. Xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose with only two-thirds the food energy.