Learn with NITISH KUMAR

🗞 Fighting cancer: On cervical cancer vaccine for girls: • The Central government announced that it will roll out vaccination for girls aged between 9 and 14 years through schools. • The decision comes at a critical juncture with a study in The Lancet published this month showing that India accounts for the highest number of cervical cancer cases in Asia, followed by China. • More than 58% of all cases of cervical cancer and deaths globally were estimated in Asia with India accounting for 21% of cases and 23% of deaths, followed by China (18% and 17%). • Cervical cancer is a preventable and treatable cancer. • It is caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and there are vaccines which protect against carcinogenic HPV. • With more than 6,00,000 women diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide in 2020. • The WHO has specified that countries must reach and maintain an incidence rate of fewer than 4 new cases of cervical cancer per 1,00,000 women a year. • To achieve that goal, it is necessary that 90% of girls will have to be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15. • To that end, the government’s intent to introduce the HPV vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) is a welcome move. • India’s immunisation network, as was evident during COVID-19, has worked well, and diseases such as polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus have been eliminated. • The UIP is one of the largest public health programmes targeting over 2 crore newborns and 2 crore pregnant women annually, and offers free vaccines for at least 12 diseases. • To battle cervical cancer, India is expected to roll out the indigenously developed Cervavac vaccine by mid-2023. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/fighting-cancer-the-hindu-editorial-on-cervical-cancer-vaccine-for-girls/article66299595.ece

■ NIDAAN Portal: • National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco Offenders (NIDAAN) is a one-stop solution for all narcotics offenders' related data and will help investigative agencies as an effective tool to connect the dots while probing narcotics cases.

🗞 Lending a helping hand to eliminate TB as Ni-kshay Mitra: • With a sharper focus on the nutritional improvement among TB patients, the Union Health Ministry launched the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana in 2018 as part of National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) which provides direct cash benefit transfer of ₹500 per month to TB patients on treatment. • Large-scale country-wide health programmes such as smallpox and polio eradication became a success only through j an bhagidari (people’s participation). • Community participation plays a key role in mass awareness, behaviour change, demand creation, clearing myths and convincing the reluctant to embrace services. • Jan bhagidari forms the core principle of the recently launched Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan to provide additional support to TB patients. • Under this, Ni-kshay Mitras can adopt and care for TB patients. Ni-kshay Mitras are volunteers who could be individuals, NGOs, co-operative societies, corporates, and even political parties. • They commit to help the TB patients through nutritional support, nutritional supplements, additional investigations and vocational support. • Within three months of its launch, more than 52,000 Ni-kshay Mitras have registered. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/lending-a-helping-hand-to-eliminate-tb-as-ni-kshay-mitra/article66243414.ece