India jumps 6 places on World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index, ranks 38

Why In News

·         India has made a significant leap on the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index, moving up six places to 38th out of 139 countries in the 2023 ranking.

Key Points

·         India has made a significant leap on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, moving up six places to 38th out of 139 countries in the 2023 ranking. This improvement is the result of the country’s substantial investments in both hard and soft infrastructure, as well as technology.

·         In 2018, India was ranked 44th on the index, and its current position marks a considerable improvement from its 54th rank in 2014.

India and World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index:

·         India has climbed five places in infrastructure score, moving from 52nd in 2018 to 47th in 2023.

·         The country has also improved its rank in international shipments, moving up from 44th in 2018 to 22nd in 2023.

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India’s logistics competence and equality has also improved, with a climb of four places to the 48th spot in 2023.

·         In timelines, India has made significant progress, moving up 17 places in rankings.

·         The country has also improved its tracking and tracing capabilities, moving up three places to 38th in 2023.

·         The report attributes India’s progress to modernisation and digitalisation, which have enabled emerging economies like India to leapfrog advanced countries in the logistics sector.

Key Highlights of the World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index(LPI) 2023:

·         The LPI 2023 provides comparisons of logistics performance across 139 countries.

·         This year’s index, for the first time, includes indicators based on big datasets that track shipments to measure trade speed.

·         According to the LPI 2023, Singapore and Finland are the most efficient and highest-ranked countries in terms of logistics performance.

·         India has made a significant improvement in its logistics performance, ranking 38th out of 139 countries and climbing six places from the previous index.

World Immunization Week 2023 observed on 24th to 30th April

Why In News

·         World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Key Points

·         World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases.

·         The aim of this week is to increase awareness around the benefits of immunization and also to encourage people to get vaccinated. This year the day is observed from April 24th to April 30th and is an important effort to help prevent the spread of deadly diseases around the world.

World Immunization Week 2023: Theme

·         The theme for this year’s World Immunization Week is “The Big Catch-Up” and aims to emphasize the need for countries to accelerate their progress towards ensuring that everyone, particularly children are protected from preventable diseases.

·         The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted routine immunization services in many countries, causing a decline in immunization coverage and leaving many people vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.

·         The Big Catch-Up theme aims to highlight the urgent need to catch up on missed vaccinations and to increase access to immunization services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

World Immunization Week: Significance

·         World Immunisation Week is significant as it raises awareness about the importance of vaccination and the role that it plays in protecting individuals and communities from preventable diseases.

·         The week-long campaign highlights the critical need to ensure that people of all ages have access to safe and effective vaccines, regardless of where they live.

·         Herd immunity is an indirect protection from infectious diseases that occurs when a large percentage of a population becomes immune to the disease through vaccination or previous infection. World Immunisation Week also focuses on this.

·         Herd immunity makes it difficult for the disease to spread and protects individuals who cannot receive the vaccine, such as those who are immunocompromised or too young to receive it. Herd immunity is an essential factor in preventing the spread of many infectious diseases, including measles, polio, and COVID-19.

World Immunization Week: History

·         World Immunization Week is an annual event that has been observed every year since 2012. The event is organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is aimed at promoting the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases.

·         The history of World Immunization Week can be traced back to 2002 when the WHO, along with other organizations, launched the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS) initiative.

·         The GIVS aimed to increase immunization coverage worldwide and reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

·         In 2011, the WHO declared the Decade of Vaccines, a global effort to extend the benefits of vaccination to all people, regardless of where they live. As part of this effort, the WHO proposed the creation of a week-long event to raise awareness about the importance of immunization.

·         The first World Immunization Week was held in April 2012, and since then, it has been observed annually during the last week of April.

·         Each year, the event has a specific theme, and activities are organized around the world to promote the importance of vaccination and increase awareness about vaccine-preventable diseases.