Sickle Cell Disease and Zika Virus Overview

Sickle Cell Disease

• Sickle cell disease is a group of genetic disorders affecting red blood cells, causing them to become crescent-shaped and hindering blood flow.
• Inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, requiring two copies of the gene for the disease to manifest.
• A single copy results in sickle cell trait.
• Lifelong condition with blood and bone marrow transplant being the only known cure.
• India is ranked third globally in terms of the number of sickle cell births, with an estimated 15,000 to 25,000 babies born with SCD annually.
• The National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission was launched on 1st July, 2023, aiming to eliminate Sickle Cell Disease as a public health concern in India by 2047.
• The mission prioritizes states with high SCD prevalence and tribal populations.

Zika Virus

• Mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys.
• It was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania.
• Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.
• No vaccine or specific medicine is available to prevent or treat Zika virus infection.

Blood Donation & Transgender Exclusion

• The 2017 guidelines in India exclude transgender persons, men having sex with men (MSM), and female sex workers from being blood donors due to perceived risk of HIV and hepatitis infections.
• The Supreme Court is hearing a plea challenging these guidelines, arguing that they unfairly target entire groups, rather than focusing on individual risk assessment.

Global Blood Donation Guidelines

• The US FDA is considering a new proposal that would eliminate time-based deferrals for MSM and assess donors based on recent sexual activity and multiple sexual partners.
• The UK employs a "For the Assessment of Individualised Risk (FAIR)" approach, focusing on individual risk rather than blanket exclusion.
• Canada has moved away from blanket exclusions towards individual risk assessment, with a deferral period of three months for MSM.
• Many countries have shifted towards policies that do not restrict based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

First All India Survey on AYUSH

• The first-ever all-India AYUSH survey was conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) from July 2022 to June 2023.
• The survey found that around 95% of people in rural India and 96% in urban areas are aware of AYUSH.
• Approximately 53% of people in urban areas and 46% in rural areas have used AYUSH for prevention or treatment of ailments within the past year.

National One Health Mission

• Approved by the Prime Minister's Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) in 2022.
• Aims to implement integrated disease surveillance, environmental surveillance systems, and develop robust outbreak investigation mechanisms.
• The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched a pilot project in Uttarakhand to implement the One Health Framework in April 2022.

World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)

• Intergovernmental organization founded in 1924, coordinating, supporting and promoting animal disease control.
• Headquarters in Paris.
• Primary objective is to control epizootic diseases and prevent their spread.
• Recognized by the World Trade Organization as reference international sanitary rules.

Right to Health in India

• India is a signatory of the Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which grants the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being.
• Article 21 of the Constitution of India guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, which includes the right to health.
• The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld that the government has an obligation to provide adequate medical facilities for its people.

UNAIDS Global AIDS Update (2024)

• The report highlights the potential to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
• Progress includes a 39% reduction in new HIV infections globally since 2010, with sub-Saharan Africa experiencing the steepest decline.
• AIDS-related deaths have decreased to their lowest level since 2004.
• Key populations continue to face higher risks of HIV infection due to inadequate prevention programs and stigma.
• Prevention efforts are falling short, with deficiencies in access to services like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and harm reduction programs.

HIV/AIDS: Key Information

• HIV, the virus causing AIDS, was identified in 1983 by scientists at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.
• The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
• India has made Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) affordable and accessible to over 90 per cent of people living with HIV.
• The UN Political declaration on ending AIDS was adopted in 2016, with the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
• UNAIDS promotes the GIPA principle (greater involvement of people living with HIV) for HIV prevention and treatment.
• India’s Project Sunrise, launched in 2016, aims to tackle the rising HIV prevalence in north-eastern states of India.
• The HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017, sets out measures for the central and state governments to prevent the spread of HIV or AIDS.

This quiz covers essential information about sickle cell disease, including its genetic basis, prevalence in India, and the recent National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission. It also provides insights into the Zika virus, its origins, and transmission. Test your knowledge on these significant health topics!