The spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, has shown only too well how quickly infectious agents can move around the world. Although increasing antibiotic resistance and Covid-19 are not directly linked, there is a serious consequence for human health, since many of our last-resort antibiotics are critical to saving patients with secondary infections that can cause death.

This may drive the next major pandemic, as it exemplifies the significant chance that our suite of current antibiotics will fail to combat many new biological infections, including ones that might spread globally.

Tackling antibiotic resistance

Newcastle University’s Professor David Graham, an environmental engineer who has spent almost 20 years studying the environmental transmission of antibiotic resistance around the world, has contributed to new recommendations for tackling the environmental spread of antibiotic resistance, published jointly in 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

Local “hot-spots” of antibiotic resistance are known to exist around the world, particularly in densely populated regions with inconsistent sanitation and poor water quality. The new guidance, which has since been translated into six languages, provides a framework for countries to create their own locally driven national action plans. 

It centres around growing evidence, including research at Newcastle University, which suggests the problem of increasing antibiotic resistance will not be solved by prudent antibiotic use alone and improving environmental quality around the world may be of equal or greater importance.

The research

Commencing with work analysing antibiotic resistance in water samples from the Ganges River near human pilgrimage sites, Professor Graham’s team and colleagues at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, extended their research to a range of other locations and environmental contexts, including solid waste landfills in China, aquaculture facilities in Thailand, soils near the North Pole, and wastewater treatment plants and networks in many countries.

This suite of work showed that not only does environmental resistance exist around the world, but that the main driver is local antibiotic resistance evolution and spread differs from place to place. It highlighted that antibiotic-resistant genes can move fast between microbes and through many pathways, even to places where antibiotics functionally are not present, such as in polar regions, considered to be the last ‘pristine’ places on earth.

Finding a solution

“The only way we are going to win the fight against antibiotic resistance is to understand and block the environmental and other pathways that lead to spread,” explains Professor Graham. “Our work has shown that although the types and drivers of resistance are diverse and vary by region and country, there are common roots to its spread such as inappropriate antibiotic use in medicine and agriculture, industrial pollution, and inadequate sanitation, resulting in poor water quality.

“There is no such thing as a cookie-cutter solution – each country needs to have its own plan for preventing and addressing the spread of antibiotic resistance that considers that country’s particular situation.

“This means rapidly improving waste management, sanitation, and water quality on local and global scales – especially in emerging and developing countries where the social impacts of resistance are often the greatest – otherwise antibiotic resistance will continue to increase, making the next pandemic even worse.”

Professor Graham’s recent work with the UN Environment Programme, which led to the seminal 2023 report “Bracing for Superbugs: Strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance”, shows the scale of the global problem. This report, which Graham was a co-lead author, recommends prevention of antibiotic resistance at its root and increased integrated surveillance across sectors (a One Health approach) as the two critical actions needed to start winning the fight against antibiotic resistance.

This includes using antibiotics more prudently in every context, but also encouraging governments and public health and other authorities to move towards more locally suitable actions, such as towards local, low cost, easily deployed, yet high impact solutions for human waste management.

Central to this is the importance of greater international co-operation to bring about improved water, sanitation and health (WASH) provision as a way to prevent the next global pandemic.

“Once improved sanitation and hygiene exist at global scales, as well as fairer access to clean water, our reliance on antibiotics will decline,” says Professor Graham.

ABOUT NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY: Newcastle University, UK, is a thriving international community of more than 28,000 students from over 130 countries worldwide. As a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities in the UK, Newcastle has a world-class reputation for research excellence in the fields of medicine, science and engineering, social sciences and the humanities. Its academics are sharply focused on responding to the major challenges facing society today. Our research and teaching are world-leading in areas as diverse as health, culture, technology and the environment. Newcastle University is committed to providing our students with excellent, research-led teaching delivered by dedicated and passionate teachers. Newcastle University is ranked 110th in the QS World Ranking 2024 and 139th in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2023.

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By celebrating World No Tobacco Day today, we can work together to promote a tobacco-free world, protect public health and support people on their journey to quit tobacco. So, can we “Be the change, stand up against tobacco!”

Today, tobacco cultivation and production exacerbate food insecurity. The campaign for 2023 places emphasis on the need to increase awareness about alternative crop production among farmers and encourage them to grow sustainable, nutritious crops. Are the governments globally really serious about their attempts to substitute tobacco farming with sustainable crops, thereby contributing to the global food crisis? Or it is that increasing revenues from the tobacco industry with increased consumption and marketing support governments.

Tobacco Kills printed on tobacco products packaging is right. It kills due to the increasing uncertainty of nutritional crops as tobacco growing and production exacerbate food insecurity.

Globally, conflicts and wars, climatic shocks, and the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have further worsened the food crisis, and tobacco growing further adds to the woes of food scarcity.
Some facts: As per the WHO, about 3.5 million hectares of land are converted every year for tobacco cultivation. Secondly, tobacco growing affects the soil, leading to deforestation of 200 000 hectares a year. Worsening this further is the extensive usage of pesticides and fertilisers to grow tobacco, leading to soil degradation and desertification. And, with soil fertility almost depleted with the cultivation of tobacco, the land is of no use for other crops, doubling up the food insecurity.

The profits made from tobacco and its marketing are immense, but at the expense of the damage done to sustainable food production. Developing countries, high population density countries and low and middle income countries are the ones who suffer and must act quickly before it is too late. Countries where tobacco is grown often face negative economic consequences due to the negative health, environmental and social impacts of tobacco cultivation. So WHO together with governments should take immediate action to reduce global tobacco use and reclaim land for food crops.

With UNSDG Goal 2 ‘Zero Hunger”, this goal can truly be achieved, as the cultivating nations worldwide are the underdeveloped or developing countries, which are low-income regions. This year’s WNTD campaign “We need food, not tobacco” highlights the urgent need to strengthen legislation, develop appropriate policies and strategies, and create market conditions for tobacco farmers to switch to growing food crops that would provide them and their families with an alternative means of cultivation for a better life.

The UN has already highlighted the urgent need to pay immediate attention to the deteriorating food situation in vulnerable regions and to take action to alleviate the impact of acute food insecurity and prevent a humanitarian disaster. A record 349 million people in 79 countries are affected by acute food insecurity, many of them in low- and middle-income countries.

Suresh Rathod

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6,10,863 doses administered in last 24 hours

India’s Active caseload currently stands at 1,11,252

Active cases stand at 0.25%

Recovery Rate currently at 98.56%

15,040 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to

4,36,38,844

8,813 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours

Daily positivity rate (4.15%)

Weekly Positivity Rate (4.79%)

88.06 cr Total Tests conducted so far; 2,12,129 tests conducted in the last 24 hours

The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID 19 vaccination started on 16th January 2021. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75% of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.
**

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बिहार चुनाव के दूसरे चरण के लिए मतदान मंगलवार को होना है और यही तय कर देगा कि किसका मंगल होना है और कौन सत्ता से हट जायेगा. पीएम मोदी लगातार चुनाव की बहस को राष्ट्रीयता और आतंकवाद जैसे विषयों पर लाने की कोशिश कर रहे है लेकिन जमीन पर रोजगार और पढाई का मसला असर दिखा रहा है .

दूसरे चरण का मतदान बिहार की सियासी तस्वीर साफ कर देगा. इस चरण में जहां प्रबल प्रतिद्वंद्वी राजद के साथ सबसे ज्यादा 94 में से 28 सीटों पर भाजपा की सीधी भिड़ंत है, तो वहीं  2015 में राजद के साथ गठबंधन करके भाजपा से मुकाबला करने वाले जदयू को भी इस चरण में 24 सीटों पर राजद से निपटना है. रही बात कांग्रेस की तो 24 सीटों के साथ उसका भी इस चरण में भाजपा और जदयू के दिग्गजों से सीधा मुकाबला है.

बिहार विधानसभा के दूसरे चरण में 17 जिलों की 94 सीटों के लिए 1514 प्रत्‍याशी चुनावी मैदान में हैं. ये दूसरा चरण एनडीए  (NDA) एवं विपक्षी महागठबंधन (grand alliance), दोनों के बीच हार-जीत के खेल का यह बड़ा प्लेटफार्म साबित होने वाला है, क्योंकि पहले और दूसरे चरण को मिलाकर दो तिहाई से ज्यादा सीटों पर प्रत्याशियों की किस्मत इस चरण में तय हो जाएगी. चुनाव का तीसरा और अंतिम चरण तो बस संख्या के फर्क को घटाने-बढ़ाने की औपचारिकता भर रह जाएगी.

भाजपा की तुलना में दूसरे चरण में कम सीटें होने के बावजूद जदयू के सामने बड़ी चुनौती है, क्योंकि इस चरण में उसके कई शीर्ष और चर्चित नेताओं की साख दांव पर लगी है.

-जदयू के हथुआ में मंत्री रामसेवक सिंह की राजद के राजेश कुशवाहा से सीधी भिड़ंत है तो वहीं परसा में लालू के समधी चंद्रिका राय राजद के छोटेलाल राय के सामने मैदान में हैं.

-हसनपुर में राजकुमार राय पर है, जिनके सामने राजद के तेजप्रताप यादव हैं तो वहीं महनार में उमेश कुशवाहा पर राजद के टिकट पर चुनाव लड़ रहे रामा सिंह की पत्नी वीणा सिंह को परास्त करने का जिम्मा है.

-दरभंगा ग्रामीण में राजद से खेमा बदलकर गए जदयू के फराज फातमी से राजद के ललित यादव की टक्कर है.

-बांकीपुर में भाजपा के नितिन नवीन के सामने कांग्रेस के शत्रुघ्न सिन्हा के पुत्र लव सिन्हा हैं.

-बेगूसराय में अमिता भूषण को भाजपा के कुंदन सिंह से चुनौती मिल रही है.

-भागलपुर में कांग्रेस के अजित शर्मा से भाजपा के रोहित पांडेय.

-पटना साहिब में मंत्री एवं भाजपा नेता नंद किशोर यादव के सामने कांग्रेस के प्रवीण कुशवाहा हैं.

-नालंदा में मंत्री श्रवण कुमार के सामने गुंजन पटेल हैं तो वहीं कुचायकोट से बाहुबली काली पांडेय अबकी कांग्रेस के टिकट से मैदान में हैं. जदयू ने उनकेसामने अमरेंद्र पांडेय को उतारा है.

– एनडीए की नई सहयोगी विकासशील इंसान पार्टी (VIP) को पांच सीटों में राजद से भिडऩा है, जिसे चुनाव की अधिसूचना जारी होने के मात्र कुछ दिन पहले ही वीआइपी ने छोड़ा है.

-बनियापुर में पूर्व मंत्री एवं राजद प्रत्याशी राम विचार राय को वीआइपी के राजू सिंह से टक्कर है.

– लेफ्ट की आधी सीटें भी इसी दूसरे चरण में हैं, इसमें माकपा की तो संपूर्ण परीक्षा है. महागठबंधन में उसे चार सीटें मिली हैं. सबके सब इसी दौर में भिड़नेवाले हैं

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This exponential surge in the daily testing capacities strongly demonstrates the determined escalation of the testing infrastructure in the country.

The last one crore tests were conducted in merely 9 days. The Tests Per Million (TPM) stand at 49,948 as of today.

Evidence has revealed that higher numbers of testing subsequently leads to lowered positivity rate. States that are testing the highest numbers are also reporting a gradual decline in the positivity rate.
The national cumulative positivity rate stands at 8.44% today.

With the expansion of testing infrastructure, the daily testing by States/UTs has also increased. 23 States/UTs have better tests per million than the national average (49,948).

As reiterated by the Prime Minister, as he reviewed the status and preparedness of 7 States/UTs with high burden of caseload recently, testing forms an integral pillar of COVID response and management.

The Centre’s three-pronged strategy of ‘TEST TRACK TREAT’ begins with testing. CHASE THE VIRUS approach of the Union Government aims to catch every missing person through testing to curb spread of the infection. Several measures have been taken by the Union Government through calibrated steps to widen the testing net and ensure easier and more accessible testing by all across the country.

States/UTs have been empowered with flexibility to ensure higher testing. They have been advised that all symptomatic negatives of Rapid Antigen Tests are mandatorily subjected to RT-PCR.

Expanded diagnostic lab network has given a sharp boost to the enhanced testing numbers.

The testing network has grown to 1818 labs today, including 1084 labs in the government sector and 734 private labs. These include:
• Real-Time RT PCR based testing labs: 923 (Govt: 478 + Private: 445)
• TrueNat based testing labs: 769 (Govt: 572 + Private: 197)
• CBNAAT based testing labs: 126 (Govt: 34 + Private: 92)

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Election will be held in 3 phase and counting will be on 10th November .

Sunil Arora said that the poll body has held several interactions with CEO of Bihar and these are some of the arrangements being made for the conduct of assembly elections amid coronavirus pandemic:
– 7 lakh sanitizers
– 46 lakh masks
– 6 lakh PPE kits
– 7.6 lakh units of face shields
-23 lakh unit of hand gloves will be distributed during election .

As days and months passed and Covid-19 showed no signs of abetting, it was realised that some way would have to be found to balance the democratic rights of the electorate while also making sincere and systematic efforts to protect health amd safety of people,” CEC Sunil Arora during press conference to announce the election schedule for Bihar assembly polls.

To further decongest polling stations and allow more free movement of voters, polling time has been increased by 1 hour. It’ll be held from 7 am-6 pm, instead of 7 am-5 pm earlier. However, this will not be applicable to Left-wing affected areas,” CEC Sunil Arora said.

Elections entail large scale deployment of security forces. We have tried to minimise their movement over long distances. This is due to their fatigue as well as Covid-19. We have reduced the number of phases to three due to this,” said Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora while addressing the press in New Delhi.

Amid the pandemic, several measures have been taken for campaigning and polling to ensure safety of leaders and voters. Polling has been extended by one hour from 7 am to 6 pm. The last hour will be reserved for those with Covid-19 and who are quarantined.

Several countries have held elections amid the pandemic. However, CEC Arora said the Bihar polls are likely to be the largest elections conducted during the pandemic given there are with 72.9 million electors in the state.

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An infodemic is an overabundance of information, both online and offline. It includes deliberate attempts to disseminate wrong information to undermine the public health response and advance alternative agendas of groups or individuals. Mis- and disinformation can be harmful to people’s physical and mental health; increase stigmatization; threaten precious health gains; and lead to poor observance of public health measures, thus reducing their effectiveness and endangering countries’ ability to stop the pandemic.

Misinformation costs lives. Without the appropriate trust and correct information, diagnostic tests go unused, immunization campaigns (or campaigns to promote effective vaccines) will not meet their targets, and the virus will continue to thrive.

Furthermore, disinformation is polarizing public debate on topics related to COVID-19; amplifying hate speech; heightening the risk of conflict, violence and human rights violations; and threatening long-terms prospects for advancing democracy, human rights and social cohesion.

In this context, the UN Secretary- General launched the United Nations Communications Response initiative to combat the spread of mis- and disinformation in April 2020. The UN also issued a Guidance Note on Addressing and Countering COVID-19 related Hate Speech (11 May 2020).

At the World Health Assembly in May 2020, WHO Member States passed Resolution WHA73.1 on the COVID-19 response. The Resolution recognizes that managing the infodemic is a critical part of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic: it calls on Member States to provide reliable COVID-19 content, take measures to counter mis- and disinformation and leverage digital technologies across the response. The Resolution also calls on international organizations to address mis- and disinformation in the digital sphere, work to prevent harmful cyber activities undermining the health response and support the provision of science-based data to the public.

The UN system and civil society organizations are using their collective expertise and knowledge to respond to the infodemic. At the same time, as the pandemic continues to create uncertainty and anxiety, there is an urgent need for stronger action to manage the infodemic, and for a coordinated approach among states, multi-lateral organizations, civil society and all other actors who have a clear role and responsibility in combatting mis- and disinformation.

We call on Member States to develop and implement action plans to manage the infodemic by promoting the timely dissemination of accurate information, based on science and evidence, to all communities, and in particular high-risk groups; and preventing the spread, and combating, mis- and disinformation while respecting freedom of expression.

We urge Member States to engage and listen to their communities as they develop their national action plans, and to empower communities to develop solutions and resilience against mis- and disinformation.

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Public Health and Hospitals is a State subject, as such responsibility for timely payment of incentive to ASHAs lies with the respective States/UTs. Howe The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, requests the States/UTs time and again, to ensure that incentives are paid to ASHAs without any delay.

A statement showing, State/UT-wise, numbers ASHAs died during COVID 19 activities as reported by the States/UTs under “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID 19”, is given at Annexure-I.

A statement showing details of claim filed and processed for ASHA workers under “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health workers fighting COVID 19” is given at Annexure-ll.

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The Prime Minister said, “Shri Suresh Angadi was an exceptional Karyakarta, who worked hard to make the Party strong in Karnataka. He was a dedicated MP and effective Minister, admired across the spectrum. His demise is saddening. My thoughts are with his family and friends in this sad hour. Om Shanti.”

He started as BJP vice president in Belgaum in 1996, and worked his way up.

He was elected MP in the Lok Sabha election in 2004, and again in 2009. He was elected for a third term in 2014, when the BJP came to power in the centre, and for a fourth term in the general election last year, after which he was made Union Minister of State for Railways.

President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, “Shocked to know the passing away of Shri Suresh Angadi, Union Minister of State of Railways. An amiable leader Shri Angadi worked tirelessly for the people of his constituency, Belagavi and Karnataka.”

Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda tweeted, “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the demise of Union Minister of State for Railways and four-term MP from Belagavi Shri. Suresh Angadi. He was like a younger brother to me. I feel terrible losing him. This is an unbearable loss to our nation.”

Mr Angadi was a law graduate. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

India has been reporting coronavirus cases upwards of 70,000 daily for the past few weeks. Other MPs who have died due to coronavirus infection are H Vasanthkumar, Ashok Gasti and Balli Durga Prasad Rao.

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