23, March 2019 23/03/2019 – Posted in: Press Information Bureau – Tags: , , , , ,

World Tuberculosis Day

(President’s Secretariat)

WHAT

World Tuberculosis Day, which is observed every year on March 24.

  • 24th March, to commemorate the anniversary of Dr. Robert Koch’s discovery of the Tuberculosis (TB) bacteria in 1882.

 

THEME

The theme of World Tuberculosis Day this year is “It’s Time”.

 

INDIA’S COMMITMENT

India has renewed its commitments and intentions to end TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global targets.

 

THE LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH REPORT

Of the 10 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases reported globally in 2017 by the World Health Organisation, 2.74 million were from India.

  • With 1,35,000 cases in 2017, India has the highest number of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases in the world.
  • The Lancet Commission recommends that India should scale up access to TB services for all those seeking them, optimise engagement of private sector providers and guarantee universal access to drug susceptibility testing and second line TB drugs.

 

GOVERNMENT’s STEP

  • A partnership with the private sector has been envisaged under Joint Effort for Elimination of Tuberculosis (JEET).
  • States have been guided to keep programme provided anti-TB drugs at private practitioner’s clinic or pharmacy.
  • Low cost medicines and subsidised treatment.

Source: PIB

 

 

World Water Day

(Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation)

WHAT

A two day National Workshop on Management of Grey Water in Rural Areas and Arsenic and Fluroride Remedition (March 21, 22) is organised by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation on collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras with support from UNICEF India.

  • Sustainable Development Goal 6 is crystal clear: water for all by 2030.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Our nation is transiting from ODF (Open Defecation Free) to ODF+ status.
  • Making policy aspects on water affected with arsenic and fluoride.

 

GREY WATER

Greywater or sullage is all wastewater generated in households or office buildings from streams without fecal contamination, i.e. all streams except for the wastewater from toilets. Sources of greywater include, sinks, showers, baths, clothes washing machines or dish washers.

 

GREY WATER TREATMENT

  • Technologies include a simple soak pits, phyto-remediation to membrane.
  • Construction of grey water discharge structure.

 

ARSENIC & FLUORIDE TREATMENT

  • Nano technology based solutions.
  • Membrane technology.
  • Community based approach for fluoride remediation.

 

AFFECTED STATE

West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Source: PIB