World Interfaith Harmony Week observed on 1-7 February
World
Interfaith Harmony Week observed on 1-7 February
Why In News
World
Interfaith Harmony Week 2023: World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event
observed during the first week of February(1-7), after General Assembly
designation in 2010.
Key Points
World
Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of
February(1-7), after General Assembly designation in 2010. These celebrations
focus on creating mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue to promote
harmony between people regardless of their faith. The General Assembly
encourages all countries to voluntarily disseminate the message of interfaith
tolerance and goodwill in accordance with their religious traditions or
convictions.
World Interfaith Harmony Week:
Significance
World
Interfaith Harmony Week provides a platform, where all interfaith groups and
other groups of goodwill can showcase to the world what a powerful movement
they are. These groups organise thousands of events. But it often goes
unnoticed by general public as well as the groups themselves. The week will
allow these groups in becoming aware of each other. It will also strengthen the
movement by avoiding duplicating each other’s efforts and building ties.
History of World Interfaith Harmony
Week
World
Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), conceived to promote a culture peace and
nonviolence, was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United
Nations in 2010. This was quickly adopted by the UN General Assembly
(resolution A/RES/65/5), declaring the first week of February each year as
World Interfaith Harmony week, calling on governments, institutions and civil
society to observe it with various programs and initiatives that would promote
the aim of the WIHW objectives.
Global Report on Neglected Tropical Diseases
Global
Report on Neglected Tropical Diseases
Why in News
Recently,
the World Health Organization’s (WHO) has released a Global report on Neglected
Tropical Diseases (NTD) 2023, which states that NTD continues to disproportionately
impact the most impoverished members of the international community.
Key Points
World
NTD day is observed every year on 30th January. It was declared in the 74th
World Health Assembly (2021).
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
About:
NTDs
are a group of infections that are most common among marginalized communities
in the developing regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas.
They
are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and
parasitic worms.
NTDs
are especially common in tropical areas where people do not have access to
clean water or safe ways to dispose of human waste.
These
diseases generally receive less funding for research and treatment than
malaises like tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS and malaria.
Examples
of NTDs are: snakebite envenomation, scabies, yaws, trachoma, Leishmaniasis and
Chagas disease etc.
The
Highlights of the Report
About
16 countries accounted for 80 % of the global NTD burden.
Globally,
nearly 1.65 billion people are estimated to require treatment for at least one
NTD.
Covid-19
impacted the community-based initiatives, access to healthcare facilities and
healthcare goods supply chains. As a result, between 2019 and 2020, 34% fewer
persons received treatment for NTDs.
Recommendations:
Greater
efforts and investments are required to reverse delays and accelerate progress
towards the NTD road map targets by 2030.
WHO
urged multi-sectoral collaboration and partnerships to achieve these targets.
It
is the need of the hour for additional partners and funders to step up and
close the gaps preventing the full-scale implementation of NTD actions at the
international and local levels.
What
are the Global Initiatives?
WHO’s
New Roadmap for 2021–2030:
The
NTD road map 2021–2030 is WHO’s blueprint to drive global efforts in the fight
against NTDs in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals.
The
Blueprint recommends following measures,
From
measuring process to measuring impact.
From
disease-specific planning and programming to collaborative work across sectors.
From
externally driven agendas reliant to programmes that are country-owned and
country-financed.
London
Declaration on NTDs: It was adopted on 30th January, 2012 to recognise the
global burden of NTDs.
What
are the Indian Initiatives to Eliminate NTDs?
The
Accelerated Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (APELF) was launched
in 2018, as part of intensifying efforts towards the elimination of NTDs.
A
WHO-supported regional alliance established by the governments of India,
Bangladesh, and Nepal in 2005 to expedite early diagnosis and treatment of the
most vulnerable populations and improve disease surveillance and control of
sandfly populations (Kala-azar).
India
has already eliminated several other NTDs, including guinea worm, trachoma, and
yaws.
Preventive
methods like Mass Drug Administration (MDA) rounds are periodically deployed in
endemic areas during which anti-filarial medicines are provided free-of-cost to
at-risk communities.
Vector-control
measures like Indoor Residual Spraying rounds are undertaken in endemic areas
to prevent sandfly breeding.
The
government also supports morbidity management and disability prevention for
those affected by lymphoedema and hydrocele.
State
and central governments have also introduced wage compensation schemes for
those suffering from Kala-Azar and its sequela (a condition which is the
consequence of a previous disease or injury) known as Post-Kala Azar Dermal
Leishmaniasis.