WHO meets to decide whether to declare Zika a global emergency

A municipal health worker fumigates a bus as part of the city's efforts to prevent the spread of the Zika virus vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, January 30, 2016.

GENEVA : Independent experts to the World Health Organization began deliberating on Monday whether to declare a global emergency over the Zika virus, which has been linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil.

The designation would fast-track international action and research priorities, following criticism of a hesitant response so far.
The United Nations agency said last week the Zika virus was "spreading explosively" and could infect as many as 4 million people in the Americas.
The WHO was criticized for reacting too slowly to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa which killed more than 10,000 people, and has promised to do better in future global health crises.
The 12 committee members, who are experts in epidemiology, public health and infectious diseases from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, discussed the issue in a telephone conference. A news briefing will be held on Tuesday afternoon at the earliest, the WHO said.

Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a co-discoverer of the Ebola virus, said the WHO had "dropped the ball" on Ebola, when it took five months for the epidemic to be declared an emergency.
He told BBC Radio he expected a rapid response this time.

"I have all confidence that they will declare this as a public health emergency," he said.
Brazil has reported around 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, in which infants are born with smaller-than-usual brains. The health ministry has linked the condition to Zika, although the connection is not yet definitive.

As the virus spreads from Brazil, other countries in the Americas are also likely to see cases of babies with Zika-linked birth defects, experts believe.


(Writing by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Dr Harsh Vardhan Urges Farmers to Adopt Cultivation of Improved Varieties of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Enhance their Income

The Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan, and Vice President, CSIR has urged the farmers and entrepreneurs engaged in cultivation, processing of medicinal and aromatic plants to adopt improved technologies and improved varieties for raising their income. Speaking at a Kisan Mela (farmers’ fair) organized at CSIR-Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants CSIR-CIMAP in Lucknow today, he said, this would also help in production of quality raw material demanded by user industries.

          The Minister said that medicinal and aromatic plants are the valuable green wealth of the country. These should be sustainably used for creating livelihood opportunities of poor people residing in rural areas. He also said that there are immense possibilities for promotion of production of medicinal and aromatic plants and industries by startups. Dr Harsh Vardhan called upon the scientists to develop improved technologies for conservation and cultivation of these plants keeping in view the changing climatic conditions and limited as well as diminishing agriculture resources. He said that farmers should be apprised regularly about the new developments being made in the research laboratories by organizing awareness meets, workshops and farmers fairs in different parts of the country.

 

                 Dr Harsh Vardhan lauded the efforts made by CSIR-CIMAP in reaching the unreached and said that these efforts be given a new push for making visible impact by creating new avenues for self-employment in rural sector. Expressing his satisfaction on development and release of improved varieties of essential oil bearing lemongrass and anti-malarial drug-producing artemisinin-rich Artemisia annua by CSIR-CIMAP, the Minister pointed out that participation of user industries should be ensured for promotion of each aromatic and medicinal plant so that poor farmers and entrepreneurs should not face difficulty in marketing of their produce. 

 

             Dr Harsh Vardhan further said that today people are inclined towards the use of drugs and cosmetics made from natural resources as ill effects have been reported from the use of synthetic drugs world over. It is also necessary to make initiatives to improve trust of the people towards herbal drugs he added. The Minister said that scientists should standardize the ayurvedic drugs so that their use can be increased in health care of the poor people. Dr Harsh Vardhan also emphasized the need for development of such plant varieties which can withstand vagaries of nature and can be grown in stressed soils ensuring utilization of large tracts of waste lands available in the country.

 

Other major events organized on the occasion of CIMAP Kisan Mela included interactive  meet  with farmers and entrepreneurs on the production and marketing of medicinal and aromatic plants,  sale of publications and high quality planting material of mint, aromatic grasses and other medicinal plant varieties developed by CIMAP, demonstration of improved plant varieties and herbal products,  live demonstration of distillation/ processing using CIMAP’s improved units,  training on rose water and flower-based agarbatti making,   demonstration of ‘Early Mint Technology’, integration of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in traditional cropping system. A unique pilot-scale herbal product manufacturing unit ‘Technology Business Incubator Centre (TBIC)’ was also inaugurated by the chief guest Dr Harsh Vardhan. In TBIC, various machines have been installed to facilitate manufacturing of creams, gels, shampoo, oils, face wash, floor mopping liquid in approx. 100 Kg batch size. The TBIC will help the technology users and entrepreneurs to manufacture the herbal products based on CIMAP technology. This will also serve as an incubator centre for the startups.

 

The Minister was accompanied by Shri Naveen Chandra  Bajpei, Deputy Chairman, State Planning Commission, UP and Shri Praveer Kumar, Agriculture Production Commissioner, UP, Dr. Sudeep Kumar, Head Planning and Performance Division of CSIR, Dr R. A Vishwakarma, Director, CSIR-IIIM, Dr(Mrs.) Madhu Dikshit, Director, CSIR-CDRI, Dr CS Nautiyal, Director, CSIR-NBRI, Dr Alok Dhawan, Director, CSIR-IITR and Prof. AK Tripathi, Director, CSIR-CIMAP.

 

  Representatives from various industries such as IPCA Laboratories, Jindal Drugs, Herbochem Industries, AIMIL Pharma, PIRINIC Pharma, AMORE Herbals, Ajmal Group, Essential Oil Association of India (EOAI), ICEOFF, and Spices Board, SIDBI, etc. and several buyers of medicinal and aromatic plants attended  the Kisan Mela. Different laboratories of CSIR such as NBRI, CDRI, IITR and IICT demonstrated their technologies relevant to rural areas. Beneficiaries of CSIR-CIMAP technologies and services together with other companies also exhibited their products by putting up stalls in the Kisan Mela and interacted with the Minister and other dignitaries present on the occasion.

 

About 4000 farmers and entrepreneurs from UP, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha and others states of the country participated  in the Kisan Mela. 

Race for Zika vaccine gathers momentum as virus spreads

Companies and scientists are racing to create a Zika vaccine as concern grows over the mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to severe birth defects and is spreading quickly through the Americas.
Zika is now present in 23 countries and territories in the Americas. Brazil, the hardest-hit country, has reported around 3,700 cases of the devastating birth defect called microcephaly that are strongly suspected to be related to Zika.
The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO), stung by criticism that it reacted too slowly to West Africa's Ebola epidemic, convenes an emergency meeting on Monday to help determine its response to the spread of the virus.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has activated an emergency operations centre staffed around the clock to address Zika, agency officials told Reuters.
On Thursday, the WHO said as many as 4 million people in the Americas may become infected by Zika, adding urgency to the research efforts. Vaccine developers made clear a vaccine for widespread public use is at least months, if not years, away.
The closest prospect may be from a consortium including drugmaker Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc  that could have a vaccine ready for emergency use before year-end, according to one of its lead developers. Inovio's share price gained more than 15 percent in Friday trading.
Canadian scientist Gary Kobinger told Reuters on Thursday the first stage of testing on humans could begin as early as August. If successful, the vaccine might be used during a public health emergency by October or November, said Kobinger, who helped develop a trial vaccine for the Ebola virus.
Privately owned vaccine developer Hawaii Biotech Inc said it began a formal programme to test a Zika vaccine last fall as the virus started to gain traction in Brazil, although it has no timetable yet for clinical trials.
"Right now, we are in the pre-clinical stage, as I suspect everyone is," Chief Executive Officer Dr. Elliot Parks told Reuters.

New ISO standard on probiotics and starter cultures

ISO 19344:2015(IDF 232)

Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, present in yogurt and other dairy products, are well-known medical foods used as probiotics, or “friendly bacteria”, to maintain a healthy digestive tract. Flow cytometry, a cell-counting method for assessing the quality of cultures by determining the proportion of active cells, has met with a degree of skepticism. Now, a new ISO standard rubber-stamps the validity of this method, speeding up quality control and facilitating trade.
A recently published International Standard, ISO 19344 (IDF 232), provides a method for the quantification of lactic acid bacteria by flow cytometry in fermented products, starter cultures and probiotics used in dairy products. This publication is the result of the joint work of ISO and the International Dairy Federation (IDF).

Quantification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is important in assessing the quality of starter cultures, probiotics and fermented milk products. Examination of LAB in these products can be carried out following different methods, with plate count techniques being the most traditional and widely used. Newer techniques include flow cytometry, which is able to determine the proportion of active cells and/or total units.

Dr. Sandra Casani, IDF/ISO Project Leader, says: “Advantages of the use of flow cytometry include low variation, reduction of testing time, differentiation between active and total cells and the possibility of high-throughput analysis. Furthermore, quantification of the fraction of active cells per total cells is a key feature of flow cytometry. This is of special relevance for certain applications, such as optimization of production processes and stability assessment during shelf life.”

This ISO/IDF project relied on the participation of producers and users of LAB as well as experts and users of flow cytometry from both industry and academia. This reflects the need and support for such a standard, which is crucial for obtaining general acceptance by the industry and for getting the recognition of this methodology by regulatory bodies.

Harrie van den Bijgaart, Chair of the ISO technical committee on milk and milk products (ISO/TC 34/SC 5) and Chair of the IDF Methods Standards Steering Group, explains: “Joint standards such as this one are important to avoid duplication of work and ensure optimal and harmonized procedures in analysis and sampling of milk and milk products around the globe. They also provide safeguards to the equivalence of testing results, whereas the availability of these well-respected joint standards also limits the required in-house validation efforts of the instrument users. The collaboration between IDF and ISO is key in achieving this.”

An international collaborative study of ISO 19344 (IDF 232) was conducted to determine precision figures, which validated that the method is fit for purpose.

RBI warns against looser fiscal policy

Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan warned on Friday that straying from fiscal consolidation and easing up on the fight against inflation would jeorpardise the country's economic stability at a time of global market turmoil.
The blunt words, in a speech to a research body in New Delhi, come as the government is looking at proposals to widen its budget deficit targets to steer more spending into infrastructure, while government officials have called on the central bank to cut rates further to help boost the economy.
But Rajan said loosening its focus on inflation or the fiscal deficit risked pushing India onto a path similar to Brazil's, saying the South American country passed big stimulus measures and cut interest rates aggressively, but is now suffering from the hangover of those policies.
It would also risk pushing India into a similar situation as 2013 when the country suffered its worst crisis in more than two decades, and dent its appeal at a time when the rest of the so-called BRIC economies are struggling, Rajan added.
"It is at such times that we should not be overambitious," Rajan said.

"We should be very careful about jeopardizing our single most important strength during this period of global turmoil - macroeconomic stability."
Rajan emphasized the need to stick to fiscal consolidation, noting recent power industry reforms passed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government could force state governments to absorb 75 percent of the 4.3 trillion rupees held by its utilities, and could inflate the country's debt levels.

New Delhi is believed to be considering widening its fiscal deficit targets when it unveils its annual budget next month, government officials have said. Analysts have said markets will forgive small adjustments as long as the spending is accompanied by other measures such as reducing subsidies.
Rajan also warned about the dangers of changing the current policy of targeting consumer inflation of 2 to 6 percent, which the RBI formally adopted last year.
Recently government officials, including Modi's top economic adviser Arvind Panagariya in an interview with Reuters, have suggested a need to loosen the target.

Rajan rejected those arguments on Friday, warning that changing its target would risk undermining the RBI's "policy credibility."
"If every time there is any minor difficulty, we change the goal posts, we signal to the markets that we have no staying power. Let me therefore reiterate that we have absolutely no intent of departing from the inflation framework," he said.

Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda holds a high level meeting on Zika Virus

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda today held a high level meeting comprising senior officials from the Health Ministry and AIIMS to take stock of the situation in view of the recent cases of Zika Virus being reported from some countries.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and all necessary steps have been initiated to ensure that India is well prepared in case of any eventuality,” the Health Minister said after the meeting.

The Health Minister directed to constitute a technical group with immediate effect which would monitor the situation arising out of spread of Zika Virus in other countries and will advise further on all the necessary steps that need to be taken.

“We are focusing on especially strengthening the surveillance system,” the Health Minister added.

Aedes mosquito which transmits dengue also transmits Zika virus. The Health Minister emphasised that there should be an increased focus on prevention to control the spread of the Aedes mosquito that breeds in clean water.

“Community awareness plays an instrumental role in this regard. There is a need for greater awareness amongst community,” the Health Minister said.

Also present in the meeting were Shri B P Sharma, Secretary (Health), Dr. Jagdish Prasad, DGHS and other senior officer of the Health Ministry.

The Result of Company Secretaries Foundation Programme Examination Released by Shri Arun Jaitley, Hon’bleUnion Minister for Corporate Affairs, Finance and I &B

 

 

The Result of Company Secretaries Foundation Programme Examination was released by Shri Arun Jaitley, Hon’ble Union Minister for Corporate Affairs, Finance and  I & B on 27^th January, 2016 (Seen in the Picture from left to right Sh. Tapan Ray, Secretary MCA; Sh. Arun Jaitley, Hon’ble Union  Minister for Corporate Affairs, Finance and I& B; CS Mamta Binani, President, ICSI; CS Ranjeet Pandey, Council Member, ICSI; CS Vineet K. Chaudhary, Council Member, ICSI

 

 

The Result of Company Secretaries Foundation Programme Examination was released by Shri Arun Jaitley, Hon’ble Union Minister for Corporate Affairs, Finance and  I & B on 27^th January, 2016 at New Delhi. Hon’ble Minister congratulated the Students who have topped the Exams and wished them good luck .

 

Ms. Karishma Mahendra Madrecha of Thane and Mr. Atharva Abhijit Samant of Mumbai secured the top position jointly in the Foundation Programme examination.

 

Ms. Sanika Sanjeev Barve and Mr. Sumedh Aniruddha Pawse  secured second and third position respectively in order of merit in the examination. .

 

In December 2015 session, 59.26% of candidates passed the Foundation Programme examination. This time girl candidates outshined the boys as the pass percentage of girls stands at 63.39% as against 53.05% for the boys.

 

The result of Computer Based Examination for CS (Company Secretaries) Foundation Programme held in 106 cities across the nation and one overseas centre at Dubaion 26^th and 27^th December, 2015 were declared yesterday , at New Delhi and released to all the Regional and Chapter Offices of the Institute throughout the country for information of all concerned.  In addition to making available result along with subject wise break-up of marks on the Institute’s website — www.icsi.edu  the ICSI has extended the facility of downloading of  e-result-cum-marks  statement by the examinees.

 

 

The next Computer Based Examination for CS Foundation Programme will be held on 4^th and 5^th June, 2016.

WHO to convene an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations

WHO statement /28 January 2016 : WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, will convene an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations.
The Committee will meet on Monday 1 February in Geneva to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Decisions concerning the Committee’s membership and advice will be made public on WHO’s website.

Outbreak in the Americas

In May 2015, Brazil reported its first case of Zika virus disease. Since then, the disease has spread within Brazil and to 22 other countries and territories in the region.
Arrival of the virus in some countries of the Americas, notably Brazil, has been associated with a steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a poorly understood condition in which the immune system attacks the nervous system, sometimes resulting in paralysis.
A causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth defects and neurological syndromes has not been established, but is strongly suspected.

WHO action

WHO’s Regional Office for the Americas (PAHO) has been working closely with affected countries since May 2015. PAHO has mobilized staff and members of the Global Outbreak and Response Network (GOARN) to assist ministries of health in strengthening their abilities to detect the arrival and circulation of Zika virus through laboratory testing and rapid reporting. The aim has been to ensure accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment for patients, to track the spread of the virus and the mosquito that carries it, and to promote prevention, especially through mosquito control.
The Organization is supporting the scaling up and strengthening of surveillance systems in countries that have reported cases of Zika and of microcephaly and other neurological conditions that may be associated with the virus. Surveillance is also being heightened in countries to which the virus may spread. In the coming weeks, the Organization will convene experts to address critical gaps in scientific knowledge about the virus and its potential effects on fetuses, children and adults.
WHO will also prioritize the development of vaccines and new tools to control mosquito populations, as well as improving diagnostic tests.

20 Smart Cities Announced

Government announces first batch of 20 smart cities from 11 States and Delhi

Bhubaneswar tops the list; Bhopal at 20

23 States/UTs left out to participate in fast track competition

The Government today announced the 20 winners of the Smart City Challenge competition for financing during this financial year. Announcing the cities here today, Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu said that the winners were from 11 States and the Union Territory of Delhi and the selection was totally objective and transparent based on standardized processes.

The Government today announced the 20 winners of the Smart City Challenge competition for financing during this financial year. Announcing the cities here today, Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu said that the winners were from 11 States and the Union Territory of Delhi and the selection was totally objective and transparent based on standardized processes.

The Minister said that urban local bodies are taking a quantum jump to improve their capabilities and have resorted to SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of each city for coming out with city vision.

            The 20 smart cities announced by Shri Venkaiah Naidu were :

           

Rank	City	State
1	Bhubaneswar	Odisha
2	Pune	Maharashtra
3	Jaipur	Rajasthan
4.	Surat	Gujarat
5	Kochi	Kerala
6	Ahmedabad	Gujarat
7	Jabalpur	Madhya Pradesh
8	Visakhapatnam	Andhra Pradesh
9	|Solapur	Maharashtra
10	Davanagere	Karnataka
11	Indore	MP
12	New Delhi Municipal Council	Delhi
13	Combattore	Tamil Nadu
14	Kakinada	Andhra Pradesh
15	Belagavi	Karnataka
16	Udaipur	Rajasthan
17	Guwahati	Assam
18	Chennai	Tamil Nadu
19	Ludhiana	Punjab
20	Bhopal	MP

 

            Of these 20 cities accounting for a total population of 3.54 crore, 5 have  population below 5 lakhs each, 4 in the range of 5-10 lakhs, 6 in between 10-25 lakhs, 4 between 25 and 50 lakhs and only Ahmedabad has above 50 lakhs.

United Kingdom joins renewed fight to end forced labour

The UK has ratified the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, adding its support to Norway and Niger in the campaign to end modern slavery

UK Minister for Preventing Abuse and Exploitation Karen Bradley and ILO Director-General Guy Ryder

LONDON (ILO News) – The United Kingdom has ratified a landmark ILO agreement to combat forced labour, people trafficking and other forms of modern slavery. The Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930  aims to prevent forced labour and provide support for its victims. The UK now joins Niger and Norway as one of the first nations to sign the Protocol.

“This is a significant and welcome development in the fight against forced labour,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder, “The United Kingdom’s ratification is a clear sign that global momentum is building in the fight against these abhorrent practices that demean and enslave millions around the world.”

ILO research  has shown that profits from the forced labour industry are highest in developed economies and the European Union. The Organization estimates  that 21 million people are victims of forced labour around the world, producing approximately US$150 billion a year in illicit profits. The practice takes many forms, from domestic work to agriculture, fishing and construction. Women and girls, in particular, are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation.

UK Minister for Preventing Abuse and Exploitation Karen Bradley said: “Sadly, forced labour can take place in any industry, but the UK Government will not stand by while criminals profit from this trade in human misery.

“That’s why we have committed to working with the International Labour Organization and other countries to make sure we are providing the strongest possible protection for victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.

“Through our landmark Modern Slavery Act we are already ensuring that those who are guilty of forced labour offences can face life behind bars, and our Immigration Bill, will ensure that the Gangmasters Licensing Authority has new powers to investigate those workers being exploited.”

The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), the public body set up by the UK Government to fight forced labour, is a partner of the 50 for Freedom  campaign against modern slavery. The campaign, led by the ILO, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), was launched in London in October 2015. Other UK partners of the 50 for Freedom campaign include the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Institute for Human Rights and Business.

The United Kingdom has a strong record in combatting forced labour. It was among the first countries to ratify the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), in 1931, and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105), in 1957. In March 2015, the “UK Modern Slavery Act” was adopted, as a critical step forwards in strengthening the legal framework for combatting all forms of forced labour.

The Protocol and Recommendation , adopted at the International Labour Conference in 2014, added new measures to the Forced Labour Convention of 1930. It requires member States to take steps to prevent forced labour, as well as to provide victims with protection and access to effective remedies. It also requires due diligence in both the public and private sectors to prevent and respond to risks of forced labour.