World Malaria Day
Context :
World Malaria Day is an international event observed on 25 April every year. The day aims to spread awareness about malaria disease globally. It will also promote efforts to prevent malaria around the world.
World Malaria Day 2019 Theme :
The theme of World Malaria Day 2020 is “Zero Malaria Starts with Me.” The movement aims to drive action and making change using the resources available.
History :
World Malaria Day was initiated from Africa Malaria Day which was first held in 2008. The event Africa Malaria Day had been observed since 2001 by African governments.
In 2007, at the 60th session of the World Health Assembly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) proposed that Africa Malaria Day be changed to World Malaria Day. The day aims to identify the existence of malaria in the countries worldwide and to bring awareness among people globally to fight against malaria disease.
Malaria :
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease. It is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. The parasite can be spread to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes called ‘malaria vectors’. There are 5 types of plasmodium causes malaria in humans namely, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium knowlesi. Malaria can be prevented and cured. Increased efforts will dramatically reduce the malaria burden in many places.
UNCTAD cancels USD 1 trillion debts owed by developing countries
Context :
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has cancelled over $1 trillion debt owed by developing countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to help them overcome the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Highlights :
- UNCTAD report stated that over 64 low-income countries currently spend more on debt service than their health systems. For developing countries debt has become inevitable, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- UNCTAD estimated financing and liquidity requirements due to the pandemic sums up to at least $2.5 trillion.
- The high-income developing nations have debt service obligations of between $2 to $2.3 trillion in 2020 and 2021. Also, the UNCTAD stated that the middle and low-income countries have debt service obligations of $700 billion to $1.1 trillion.
- Earlier, the G20 countries allocated $8 trillion into a stimulus for their own economies. The G20 nations agreed to suspend the bilateral debt service payments by the world’s poorest countries until the end of 2020.
Urge to Suspend H-1B
Context :
The US President has been requested to suspend the foreign workers programme, including H-1B as a huge number of Americans have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Key Points :
- A lawmaker in the US has sought suspension of the H-1B, H4, L1, B1, B2, Optional Practical Training Program and guest worker admissions.
- The Congressional Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis has also been urged to take action to protect medical professionals holding H-1B visas because they are essential to confront and combat the current crisis.
- Due to the loss of revenues, many health centres are closing down which will impact H-1B visa holders currently practicing medicine at these facilities.
- Indians and H-1B Visa
- Indians are the largest beneficiaries of the H1B visas and held three out of four H1B visas as of 2018, data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) shows.
- Indians held 309,986 H1B visas as of 2018, which was 73.9% of the total H1B visas issued.
- Indians comprised 68% of H1B registrations for Financial Year 2020-21, followed by China, which accounted for 13.2%.
- The latest move will hamper Indians who are working in the US on such visas by decreasing the chances of employment.
NBWL nod for coal mining in Assam elephant reserve
Context :
Recently, the National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) has recommended coal mining in a part of an Dehing Patkai elephant reserve in Assam.
Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve includes the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Key Points :
- The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as the Jeypore Rainforest.
- It is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam.
- Dehing is the name of the river that flows through this forest and Patkai is the hill at the foot of which the sanctuary lies.
- Fauna: Rare fauna found in the region include Chinese pangolin, flying fox, wild pig, sambar, barking deer, gaur, serow and Malayan giant squirrels.
- It is the only sanctuary in India which is home to seven different species of wild cats – tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, leopard cat, golden cat, jungle cat and marbled cat.
- Assamese macaque, a primate found in the forest, is in the red list of endangered species.
- Flora: Dehing Patkai is a deciduous rainforest interspersed with semi-evergreen and lush green flora.
NASA develops VITAL, a new ventilator to treat COVID-19 patients
Context :
The US space agency NASA engineers have developed “VITAL”, a new high-pressure ventilator tailored specifically to treat COVID-19 patients. The ventilator can be easily built.
VITAL :
- VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally) ventilator has passed a critical test at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York.
- VITAL has been designed to treat COVID-19 patients with milder symptoms. It will keep the country’s limited supply of traditional ventilators available for patients with more severe COVID-19 symptoms.
- After FDA approval, the ventilator can be used to treat COVID-19 patients.
- VITAL can be built faster and easily. It can be maintained more easily than a traditional ventilator.
- The ventilator is composed of far fewer parts, many of which are currently available to potential manufacturers through existing supply chains.