Snakebites Declared as Notifiable Disease

Context:

Recently, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has designated snakebite cases and deaths as a 'notifiable disease'.

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The Centre has urged all states to make snakebite cases and deaths a "notifiable disease" under relevant provisions of the State Public Health Act or other applicable legislation.

The Centre also urged to make it mandatory for all government and private health facilities (including medical colleges) to report all suspected, probable snakebite cases and deaths.

All states and union territories (UTs) have also been called to develop a "robust surveillance system for accurately tracking snakebite incidents and deaths."

Earlier in March 2024, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) with an aim to address the issue of snakebite. 

• The objective of the action plan is to halve the snakebite related deaths by the year 2030.  

Notifiable disease

A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. 

The purpose of the Notification is

• To Facilitate a prompt investigation
• Assessment of risk to human health
• To respond to cases of infectious diseases and contamination.

The World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations, 1969 require disease reporting to the WHO to help with its global surveillance and advisory role.

Some of the examples of Notifiable diseases in India are Cholera, Dpitheria, Plague, Malaria etc.

United Nations Peacebuilding Commission

Context:

Recently, India has been re-elected to the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission for 2025–2026. India’s current term on the Commission was expiring on 31st December 2024.

United Nations Peacebuilding Commission 

• The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is an intergovernmental advisory body established in 2005 by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to support peace efforts in conflict-affected countries. 
• The Commission is tasked with uniting key stakeholders to mobilize resources, propose strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery, and support reconstruction and institution-building efforts to foster recovery and sustainable development. 
• The PBC is composed of 31 Member States, elected from the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council. India is one of the founding members of the Commission.
• Brazil is the Chair of the commission for 2024 along with Croatia and Kenya as vice chairs. India has never chaired the commission.
• India is the 3^rd largest provider of military personnel and civilian police to United Nations missions in 2024 after Bangladesh and Ethiopia.

Exercise CINBAX

Context:

India is hosting the inaugural edition of the Joint Table Top Exercise, CINBAX, between the Indian Army and the Cambodian Army.

Exercise CINBAX

The exercise commences at Foreign Training Node, Pune from 1st to 8th December 2024. 

The exercise aimed to wargame conduct of joint Counter Terrorism (CT) operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

The exercise will focus on discussions about the establishment of a Joint Training Task Force for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance besides planning operations in CT environment. 

The exercise will be conducted in three phases. 

• Phase I will focus on preparations and orientation of participants for CT operations during UN peacekeeping missions. 
• Phase II will involve the conduct of the Table Top exercises 
• Phase III will involve finalisation of plans and summing up.

The exercise will also involve discussion on information operations, cyber warfare, hybrid warfare, logistics and casualty management, Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) operations etc.

The exercise is focused on achieving the desired level of interoperability between troops of both sides.