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New Delhi, The deadly novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> has now got its official name. From now on, the virus will be known as 'COVID-19'. In a statement released by the <keyword id="6356311" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organisation">World Health Organisation</keyword>, its Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "we now have a name for the disease: COVID-19. I'll spell it: C-O-V-I-D hyphen one nine - COVID-19." He termed the virus as "a common enemy." The statement was released on Tuesday by the World Health Organisation. <keyword id="254853" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Who">The WHO</keyword> chief also said that, "under agreed guidelines between WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the <keyword id="6355833" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword>, we had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease. Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks." According to the World Health Organisation there were 42,708 confirmed cases reported in China, and tragically the death toll surpassed 1000 deaths as on Tuesday. "1017 people in China have lost their lives due to this virus. Most of the cases and most of the deaths are in Hubei province. Outside China, there are 393 cases in 24 countries, and 1 death," said Dr Ghebreyesus. The world health body also said that it had activated a UN Crisis Management Team, to be led by Dr Mike Ryan that will help the organisation focus on the health response while the other agencies could bring their expertise to bear on the wider social, economic and developmental implications of the outbreak so we are all working to our strengths. Dr Mike Ryan will coordinate the whole UN response. WHO is also hosting a two-day meeting of more than 400 scientists from around the world, both in person and virtually called Global research and innovation forum on February 11 and 12.

Novel coronavirus gets an official new name - COVID-19 says WHO

The number of undernourished people in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> has declined in the last 15 years to 224.3 million in 2019-2021, according to a UN report, which also said that there are more obese adults and anaemic women in the <keyword id="6354507" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="world" source="Orion">world</keyword>'s second most populous country. The <keyword id="5004571" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="state-of-food-security-and-nutrition" source="Orion">State of Food Security and Nutrition</keyword> in the World 2022 report, issued on Wednesday by UN agencies <keyword id="397960" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="food-and-agriculture-organisation" source="Orion">Food and Agriculture Organisation</keyword> (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UNICEF, <keyword id="49053" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-food-programme" source="Orion">World Food Programme</keyword> (WFP) and the <keyword id="6356311" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organisation" source="Orion">World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO), said that the number of people affected by hunger globally rose to as many as 828 million in 2021, an increase of about 46 million since 2020 and 150 million since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report said that in India, the number of undernourished people declined to 224.3 million in 2019 21 from 247.8 million in 2004-06. It said that the number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted declined to 36.1 million in 2020 from 52.3 million in 2012, the number of children under five years of age who are overweight declined to 2.2 million in 2020 from three million in 2012. However, the number of obese adults in India, which has a population of over 1.38 billion, grew to 34.3 million in 2016 from 25.2 million in 2012 and the number of women aged 15 to 49 years affected by anaemia also grew to 187.3 million in 2019 from 171.5 million in 2012. The report added that the number of children up to 5 months of age exclusively breastfed touched 14 million in 2020 from 11.2 million in 2012. In percentage terms, the prevalence of undernourishment in the total population in India stood at 21.6 per cent in 2004-06 and declined to 16.3 per cent in 2019-21, the prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years of age declined to 30.9 per cent in 2020 from 41.7 per cent in 2012 and the prevalence of overweight children under five years of age was 1.9 per cent in 2020 from 2.4 per cent in 2012. The prevalence of obesity in India's adult population increased to 3.9 per cent in 2016 from 3.1 per cent in 2012 and anaemic women aged 15 to 49 years declined marginally from 53.2 per cent in 2012 to 53 per cent in 2019. The report also noted that in India, people who were unable to afford a healthy diet touched 973.3 million in 2020 or nearly 70.5 per cent, up from 948.6 million in 2019 (69.4 per cent). In 2017, about a billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in India and this number has declined to 966.6 million in 2018. The report noted that subsidies to consumers provided in Lower- Income Countries and Middle-Income Countries most often take the form of in-kind or cash transfers under the social protection programmes. India and Indonesia, for example, provide substantial subsidies to final consumers under the Targeted Public Distribution System for grains in India, and the food assistance programme (BPNT) based on electronic vouchers for rice, in Indonesia, it said. The most prominent example of a (Lower-middle-income countries) LMIC is India, where the food and agricultural policy has historically focused on protecting consumers by ensuring affordable food prices, through export restrictions (on wheat, non-basmati rice, and milk, among others) and through marketing regulations around pricing and public procurement, public food stockholding and distribution of a vast range of agricultural commodities, it said. As such, farmers have constantly faced price disincentives in aggregate terms (negative NRPs). Input subsidies and expenditure on general services such as in R&amp;D and infrastructure have been widely used as a means of compensating them for the price disincentives generated by trade and market measures, and for boosting production and self-sufficiency in the country, it added. The report noted that after remaining relatively unchanged since 2015, the proportion of people affected by hunger jumped in 2020 and continued to rise in 2021, to 9.8 per cent of the world population. This compares with 8 per cent in 2019 and 9.3 per cent in 2020. World hunger rose in 2021, with around 2.3 billion people facing moderate or severe difficulty obtaining enough to eat -- and that was before the Ukraine war, which has sparked increases in the cost of grain, fertiliser and energy, according to the report. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World paints a grim picture, based on 2021 data, saying the statistics should dispel any lingering doubts that the world is moving backwards in its efforts to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms , it explained. It warned that the ongoing war in Ukraine, is disrupting supply chains and further affecting prices of grain, fertiliser and energy resulting in more price increases in the first half of 2022. At the same time, they said, more frequent and extreme climate events are also disrupting supply chains, especially in low-income countries. Ukraine and Russia together produced almost a third of the world's wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil, while Russia and its ally Belarus are the world's No. 2 and 3 producers of potash, a key ingredient of fertiliser. Nearly 924 million people (11.7 per cent of the global population) faced food insecurity at severe levels, an increase of 207 million in two years. The gender gap in food insecurity continued to rise in 2021 --- 31.9 per cent of women in the world were moderately or severely food insecure, compared to 27.6 per cent of men --- a gap of more than 4 percentage points, compared with 3 percentage points in 2020. Almost 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, up 112 million from 2019, reflecting the effects of inflation in consumer food prices stemming from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures put in place to contain it. An estimated 45 million children under the age of five were suffering from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition, which increases children's risk of death by up to 12 times. Furthermore, 149 million children under the age of five had stunted growth and development due to a chronic lack of essential nutrients in their diets, while 39 million were overweight. This report repeatedly highlights the intensification of these major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition: conflict, climate extremes and economic shocks, combined with growing inequalities, the heads of the five UN agencies wrote in this year's Foreword. The issue at stake is not whether adversities will continue to occur or not, but how we must take bolder action to build resilience against future shocks, it added. (By Yoshita Singh <keyword id="6355833" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="united-nations" source="Orion">United Nations</keyword>) SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/golden-girl-p-t-usha-becomes-the-eighth-keralite-to-be-honoured-with-a-rajya-sabha-nomination/articleshow/92716060.cms">Golden girl P.T. Usha becomes the eighth Keralite to be honoured with a Rajya Sabha nomination</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbis-moves-to-boost-forex-inflows-could-have-an-impact-on-domestic-borrowing-rates/articleshow/92715761.cms">RBI's moves to boost forex inflows could have an impact on domestic borrowing rates</a>

India has fewer undernourished people now but obesity and anaemia are on the rise

Several members of the <keyword id="84934" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="World-Trade-Organisation">World Trade Organisation</keyword> were annoyed after India's demands for concessions on agricultural stockpiling led to the failure of the first major global trade reform pact in two decades. 
 
"We have not been able to find a solution that would allow us to bridge that gap," WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said in Geneva. 
Most diplomats had expected the pact to be rubber-stamped this week, marking a unique success in the WTO's 19-year history, which as per estimates, would add $1 trillion and 21 million jobs. They were anguished when India exercised its veto and the failure drew severe criticism. 
 
"Australia is deeply disappointed that it has not been possible to meet the deadline. This failure is a great blow to the confidence revived in Bali that the WTO can deliver negotiated outcomes," Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb said. "There are no winners from this outcome - least of all those in developing countries which would see the biggest gains."

WTO Talks Fail As India Remains Adamant

<keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> made "strong progress" in the fight against malaria, recording the largest reduction in cases in South-East Asia from 20 million in 2000 to about 5.6 million last year, <keyword id="2555741" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-World-Health-Organisation">the World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO) has said. <keyword id="10359478" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-world-malaria-report">The World Malaria Report</keyword> 2020, released Monday, said that in 2019, malaria cases globally numbered about 229 million, an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged over the last four years. Last year, the disease claimed about 409,000 lives, compared to 411,000 in 2018. "Countries in South-East Asia made particularly strong progress, with reductions in cases and deaths of 73 per cent and 74 per cent, respectively. India contributed to the largest drop in cases region-wide - from approximately 20 million to about 6 million," WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the report's forward. The report said that the WHO South-East Asia Region accounted for about 3 per cent of the burden of malaria cases globally. Malaria cases reduced by 73 per cent in the region, from 23 million in 2000 to about 6.3 million in 2019. WHO noted the "impressive gains" made by India in the fight against malaria, with reductions in cases and deaths of 18 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, over the last 2 years. India also recorded decrease in number of deaths from malaria between 2000 and 2019. Malaria deaths in India declined from about 29,500 in 2000 to about 7700 last year, the report said. In the WHO South-East Asia Region, malaria deaths reduced by 74 per cent, from about 35,000 in 2000 to 9,000 in 2019. India, however, still accounted for 88 per cent of malaria cases and 86 per cent of malaria deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2019. The WHO is calling on countries and global health partners to step up the fight against malaria, a preventable and treatable disease that continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year. A better targeting of interventions, new tools and increased funding are needed to change the global trajectory of the disease and reach internationally-agreed targets. The report noted that the 11 highest burden countries - Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, India, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania - account for 70 per cent of the global estimated case burden and 71 per cent of global estimated deaths from malaria. According to the WHO report, progress against malaria continues to plateau, particularly in high burden countries in Africa. Gaps in access to life-saving tools are undermining global efforts to curb the disease, and the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to set back the fight even further. As in past years, the African Region shouldered more than 90 per cent of the overall disease burden. Since 2000, the region has reduced its malaria death toll by 44 per cent, from an estimated 680,000 to 384,000 annually. However, progress has slowed in recent years, particularly in countries with a high burden of the disease. A funding shortfall at both the international and domestic levels poses a significant threat to future gains. In 2019, total funding reached USD 3 billion against a global target of USD 5.6 billion. Funding shortages have led to critical gaps in access to proven malaria control tools. This year, COVID-19 emerged as an additional challenge to the provision of essential health services worldwide. According to the report, most malaria prevention campaigns were able to move forward this year without major delays. Ensuring access to malaria prevention - such as insecticide-treated nets and preventive medicines for children - has supported the COVID-19 response strategy by reducing the number of malaria infections and, in turn, easing the strain on health systems. WHO worked swiftly to provide countries with guidance to adapt their responses and ensure the safe delivery of malaria services during the pandemic, the report said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million – valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-dr-reddys-indiabulls-housing-mm-tata-motors-bajaj-auto-maruti-hero-moto-pnb-and-others/articleshow/79502563.cms">Top stocks to watch — Dr Reddy’s, Indiabulls Housing, M&amp;M, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Maruti, Hero Moto, PNB, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/checkout-which-states-have-reimposed-curfews-and-restrictions-again-as-second-covid-19-wave-hits-india/articleshow/79366320.cms?upcache=2">Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand issue fresh COVID-19 guidelines,TN extends lockdown — these are the states reimposing curfews and restrictions</a>

India records the largest reduction in malaria cases in SE Asia between 2000-2019: WHO

Interesting communications roles at All India Radio, World Health Organisation, Facebook, ICRC

The BCCI has set up an organising committee for ICC World Twenty20, which will be held in India next year. 
 
The World T20 tournament, which will be hosted by the BCCI, will held from March 11 to April 3, 2016. 
 <keyword id="2955406" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="BCCI-secretary-Anurag-Thakur">BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur</keyword> informed that MV Sridhar, general manager for cricket operations at BCCI as the tournament director while former Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar, who is the chief advisor security and ACSU of BCCI will be the director of Security and ACSU for the event. 
 
While Amrit Mathur is appointed as the principal coordinator, RP Shah will be the tournament manager finance. KVP Rao, manager - game development of the BCCI has been appointed as the manager for cricket operations while Nishant Jeet Arora, media manager of the BCCI, will be the tournament media manager. 
 
N Srinivasan's assistant Mayank Parikh has been nominated as manager - logistics and hospitality for the event. 
 
Professor Ratnakar Shetty has been appointed as an advisor to the committee. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

BCCI gears up for 2016 ICC World T20, forms organising committee

<ul><li>The pandemic has completely changed how and where we work, forcing companies to be more flexible and to imbibe contemporary ways of working. </li><li>As businesses seek to return to some form of pre-Covid buoyancy and start to think about the right mix of work-from-home and work-from-office, they can't just return to their former workplaces without reimagining the experience in its entirety for employees.</li><li>At some point, companies will have to go back to their office and collaborate physically.</li><li>So, as companies rethink workspace design for a post-COVID world, we reached out to a few design experts to understand how the concept of workspaces has changed after COVID-19 and what the future offices would look like once we resume normalcy. </li></ul>It was in this month last year that India found its first few patients of Coronavirus and who knew the world would never be the same again. What followed was a bunch of emails from our HR teams announcing cancellations of conferences, there was a ban on international flights and uncertainty started lurking around. A few days later, on March 24, 2020, PM Narendra Modi ordered a nation-wide lockdown. With it, offices and public transport was shut down and all Indian companies had to shift their operations onto a cloud and start working from home. A year later, we are used to working from home in our pajamas and jumping from one Zoom call to another has become our daily routine. We will soon have to bid adieu to many privileges that work-from-home has offered us and a recent rant by Instagram user Harjas Sethi highlighted these advantages of working remotely. Her video quickly went viral for its highly relatable content. Even organisations have realised that the lockdown was a boon in a way of demonstrating that remote working can be a success as it reduces capital and operational costs. However, with the roll-out of the COVID vaccine and a dip in infection rate than before, many organisations have started slowly returning to offices and some have started planning to make their environment more comfortable and safe for their employees when they do return to work at full occupancy. Businesses are trying to figure out the right balance between work from home and office. The traditional approach of everyone having their own desk is now gone, perhaps forever. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How organisations and agencies are preparing for this new world order" text="How organisations and agencies are preparing for this new world order">How organisations and agencies are preparing for this new world order</cmsannotation> With vaccines being rolled out later this year, companies are planning to combine work-from-home and work-from-office to make the future of the workplace hybrid. Kiran Khadke, Co-Founder &amp; Creative Head of Hyper Connect Asia has made up his mind about adopting a hybrid-model post-pandemic. He said, “We are actually rethinking the way we would conduct our office. The whole WFH situation made us realize that a lot of things can be managed over a video call. So in the times to come, we plan to work on a hybrid model, where not everyone has to come to the office every day. Teams will have to plan their office meets, to align crucial projects and then they can WFH Considering this, we will have a flexible office structure with more conference rooms, spaces for collaboration and no fixed workstations. With that, we are also getting our tech upgraded to be able to work from anywhere.” Shashwat Das of Almond Branding helped us look at the brighter side of 2020. He had always dreamt of running a location-independent business, where his employees can work remotely from anywhere in the world as long as they are connected virtually, and his dream seems more achievable now. He said, “Earlier, one of the purposes of an office was access to shared infrastructure like computers, printers, xerox machines, etc. Now with documents moving to cloud with secured access, the focus shifts to building social bonds, foster corporate culture and host clients. While the trend of paperless offices was just picking up, the pandemic has fast tracked the transformation by leaps and bounds. Some of our traditional style working clients, who would otherwise insist on an invoice hardcopy citing audit reasons, have now become comfortable with e-invoices. That’s such a good news for us and mother earth. I think work from anywhere rather than WFH will be the future.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Rethinking design for open space offices and co-working spaces" text="Rethinking design for open space offices and co-working spaces">Rethinking design for <keyword id="10851343" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="open-space-offices">open space offices</keyword> and co-working spaces </cmsannotation> Even if employees do go to the office for 3 days a week, businesses can't just return to their former workplaces without reimagining the experience in its entirety for employees. Co-working spaces have already taken a hit as employees don’t feel safe sharing desks and common areas with unknown people as they used to do earlier. Before COVID, the advertising industry had the culture of working out of open spaces. There are many Indian agencies like Leo Burnett, 82.5 Communications who didn't believe in having glasses and closed spaces in their offices. However, to facilitate social distancing, it is now important to rethink interiors of our offices and add more walls. So, how should they go about redesigning their offices? Ashwini Deshpande, Co-founder &amp; Director, Elephant Design, answered,“It is very difficult for me to visualize how people work in cubicles or glass spaces inside tall towers. We chose to work out of Pune for better quality of life and air. Our studios are spread across two bungalows and an open space in-between. We have a casual outdoor cafe and many other outdoor nooks. No matter where you are working, an open outdoor space with greenery and wifi is always a few steps away. Agencies should move to open spaces outside Mumbai. This may sound radical, but going back to my earlier point, companies need to create spaces just for those activities that need to be done together and not for anything that is perfectly done remote.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What should the offices of future look like" text="What should the offices of future look like">What should the offices of future look like</cmsannotation> Following the pandemic, new considerations have come to light. The future of work will be new: environment-friendly, technologically-advanced and inclusive. Telling us what the <keyword id="10851341" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="future-of-offices">future of offices</keyword> should look like, Deshpande said, “We need to begin by rethinking the role of a fixed office/ workspace post pandemic. Work from home seems to have served well for most creative agencies besides many others. Every organization has had to rethink the workspace design. But only few would be able to change things significantly. I know of smaller studios, media teams, animation &amp; editing set-ups, publication houses, restaurants, coaching classes completely switching to remote working having given up their workspaces. Hybrid ways of working are being devised and spaces are being reimagined around activities that need people to come to office." Businesses are being advised to transfer physical records that dominate the workspace onto a digital cloud and rethink furniture that can prevent safe social distancing. Apart from altering physical social-gathering spaces like buffet sections and conference rooms, designing is also about developing a future-ready organisation that isn’t just about the physical space. Businesses need to apply design thinking into their daily operations to build a great working environment and connect office design to brand. After COVID, according to Lulu Raghavan, Managing Director, Landor &amp; Fitch India, the most progressive businesses will be thinking about the six imperatives of Workspace Design: culture, interaction, function, sustainability, architecture and technology. Raghavan said, “Workspace design is a deeper discipline and mindset that connects office design to brand. It dictates the journey, the overall experience and ensures that the brand’s values and function are reflected in the physical, human and digital space, much like retail. A well thought-through strategy on Workspace Design could help businesses to forge stronger relationships with their employees who in turn will become great brand ambassadors.” As uncertainty still continues to haunt our office corridors and our open-desks, it will be a challenge for companies to continue to foster their corporate culture and practices like employee training and development. Puneet Pandey, Strategy Head and Managing Partner, Open Strategy and Design said the element of uncertainty has been the biggest challenge that the pandemic imposed on our deeply inter-connected worlds. Pandey said, “Creating ‘physically distanced cohesion’ is going to be the trickiest problem to solve for business leaders in their organisations. Especially now that we are already a year into the post-pandemic world. There will be newer teams and newer expected behaviours and a whole lot of social tentativeness to punctuate an otherwise seamless flow of interactions inside our work-cultures. A sharply defined and well-designed internal culture acts as the internal compass and a vital behaviour guide, that make us hive-creatures continue to create and build even in the face of tentativeness Going forward, while organisations rethink their physical/virtual workspaces, leaders will place a lot more emphasis on communicating sharply defined cultural values within their organisation. This ‘cultural software’ will be key in ensuring predictable and productive outcomes possible in the coming times. " There will still be room for Zoom calls and virtual brainstorming sessions. Khadke said, “The future of offices should purely be a place to collaborate, to overcome the challenges that we face while working online. It may no longer be an everyday thing. Every aspect of the office (Design, Furniture, Tech, Facilities etc.) will be defined around this.” Using new technologies to facilitate social-distancing will be one of the key goals for organisations rethinking their workspace design. Das said, “Post the pandemic, hygiene considerations reign high and touch-free technology is going to become increasingly important in workspaces. Companies are re-imagining elevator designs and security access. They may also adopt a health screening process at the security gates. As more companies adopt the concept of remote working, decentralisation is an eventuality. Instead of asking everyone to travel to a single headquarter building, companies will have satellite offices or hubs that allow employees greater flexibility and choice. Simple practices like more frequent and visible cleaning schedules might contribute to a feeling of safety. Air-filters are getting installed in offices and regular air-quality assessments will become more important.” Experts said that the future-workspace design needs to be flexible enough to quickly adopt to meet tenant needs. Modularised designs will help in managing fluctuations in employee strength and technology will play an increasingly critical role in offices of tomorrow.

How are Indian organisations and agencies redesigning their office spaces for a post-COVID world

The <keyword id="6356311" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organisation" source="Orion">World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO) has decided not to declare <keyword id="7616951" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="monkeypox" source="Orion">monkeypox</keyword> a public health emergency of international concern. This may change in the future. However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “deeply concerned” about the evolving threat of monkeypox, which he said had reached more than 50 countries. There have been more than 4,100 confirmed cases globally, including at least 13 in Australia. The WHO also acknowledged there were many unknowns about the outbreak. Here are three things we know about monkeypox and three things we want to find out. 3 things we know 1. Monkeypox is caused by a virus Monkeypox is a large DNA virus belonging to the orthopoxvirus family. Unlike the related smallpox virus, variola, which only affected humans, monkeypox virus is found in rodents and other animals in parts of <keyword id="12925" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="africa" source="Orion">Africa</keyword>. We know of two clades (virus groupings), and it is the less severe of the two currently circulating outside Africa. Orthopoxviruses are stable viruses that do not mutate much. Multiple mutations, however, have been described in the virus causing the current outbreak. In the United States, at least two separate strains have been circulating, suggesting multiple introductions into the country. 2. You can be infected for more than a week and not know It takes an average 8.5 days from infection to showing symptoms, such as enlarged lymph nodes, fever and a rash, which usually looks like fluid-filled blisters that erupt. People are infectious while they have the rash, and are usually infectious for about two weeks. Children are most severely affected and have a higher risk of dying from the disease. Historically, in the endemic countries of Africa, almost all deaths have been in children. The European epidemic is mostly in adult males, so this, together with better access to care, may explain the low rate of deaths in these countries. 3. We have vaccines and treatments Vaccines work. Past vaccination against smallpox provides 85% protection against monkeypox. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, so most mass vaccination programs ceased in the 1970s. Australia never had mass smallpox vaccination. However, an estimated 10% of Australians have been vaccinated in the past, mostly migrants. Vaccines protect for many years but immunity wanes. So declining population-level protection is likely responsible for the resurgence of monkeypox seen since 2017 in Nigeria, one of seven endemic hot spots in Africa. Mass vaccination is not recommended. But vaccines can be given to contacts of confirmed cases (known as post-exposure prophylaxis) and people at high risk of contracting the virus, such as some lab or health workers (pre-exposure prophylaxis). There are also treatments, such as vaccinia immune globulin and antivirals. These were developed against smallpox. 3 things we want to find out 1. How much do these new mutations matter? The virus causing the current outbreak has several mutations compared with versions of the virus circulating in Africa. However, we don’t know if these mutations affect clinical disease and how the virus spreads. The monkeypox virus has a very large genome, so is more complex to study than smaller <keyword id="130094" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rna" source="Orion">RNA</keyword> viruses, such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID). Experts wonder if the mutations have made it more contagious or changed the clinical pattern to be more like a sexually transmitted infection. A study from Portugal shows the mutations likely make the virus more transmissible. 2. How is it spread? Is that changing? Monkeypox has not been described as a sexually transmitted infection in the past. However, the current transmission pattern is unusual. There seems to be a very short incubation period (of 24 hours) following sexual contact in some, but not all, cases. It is a respiratory virus, so aerosol transmission is possible. But historically most transmission has been from animal to human. When there was transmission between humans, this usually involved close contacts. The rapid growth of the epidemic in non-endemic countries in 2022, however, has been all due to spread between humans. There may be many more cases than officially reported. We do not know why the pattern has changed, whether it is sexually transmitted or simply transmitted due to intimate contact in specific and globally connected social networks, or whether the virus has become more contagious. The virus is found in the skin rash, mouth and semen, but this does not prove it is sexually transmitted. 3. How far will it spread? Does COVID make a difference? Will this spread more widely in the community? Does the COVID pandemic increase the risk? Possibly, yes. We must also not drop the ball on surveillance in the wider community or stigmatise the <keyword id="6469096" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lgbtqi" source="Orion">LGBTQI</keyword> community. Due to waning immunity from the smallpox vaccine globally and the spread of monkeypox to many countries already, we may see the epidemic spreading more widely. If it does so and starts infecting large numbers of children, we could see more deaths because children get more severe infection. So we should monitor globally for clusters of fever and rash, and misdiagnosis as chickenpox, hand foot and mouth disease, herpes simplex or other diseases with a rash. Another factor is COVID. As people recover from COVID, their immune system is impaired. So people who have had COVID may be more susceptible to other infections. We see the same with measles infection. This weakens the immune system and increases the risk of other infections for two to three years afterwards. If the epidemic becomes established in countries outside the endemic areas, it may infect animals and create new endemic zones in the world. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/telehealth-clinics-are-still-offering-abortion-pills-to-people-outside-their-states-despite-roe-v-wade-decision/articleshow/92456656.cms">Telehealth clinics are still offering abortion pills to people outside their states despite Roe v. Wade decision</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/the-researcher-who-proved-that-refusing-abortion-has-life-threatening-consequences-reacts-to-the-scotus-ruling-the-impact-on-already-disadvantaged-families-is-going-to-be-huge-/articleshow/92445471.cms">The researcher who proved that refusing abortion has life-threatening consequences reacts to the SCOTUS ruling: 'The impact on already disadvantaged families is going to be huge.'</a>

Monkeypox is not a global emergency as of now, says WHO

Ozempic explained: Key insights on the trending medication

The <keyword id="6356311" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organisation" source="Orion">World Health Organisation</keyword> has called for increased access to quality diabetes education for healthcare workers and people living with diabetes as part of efforts to achieve access for all to quality, affordable diabetes care, on the occasion of World Diabetes Day. According to Dr Poonam <keyword id="811088" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="khetrapal" source="Orion">Khetrapal</keyword> Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, around 422 million people have diabetes, and 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes every year around the world. "In the WHO South-East Asia Region, more than 96 million people are estimated to have diabetes, and another 96 million to be pre-diabetic, causing at least 600 000 deaths annually. By 2045, unless urgent action is taken, the prevalence of diabetes in the Region is expected to increase by 68 per cent," Dr Poonam Khetrapal said. She highlighted the seriousness of Diabetes and said that if detected late, or improperly managed, can lead to serious and life-threatening damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. She also laid down the methods to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. "The risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced through regular and adequate physical activity, healthy eating, and avoiding tobacco and the harmful use of alcohol. If developed, type 2 diabetes can be managed through medication, control of blood pressure and lipids, and adherence to a healthy lifestyle. Type 1 diabetes, which affects more than 250 000 children and adolescents in the Region, cannot currently be prevented but can be managed. For people living with both types of diabetes, access to affordable treatment - including insulin - is critical to their survival," <keyword id="15514594" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dr-khetrapal" source="Orion">Dr Khetrapal</keyword> said. According to Dr Khetrapal, the region continues to take targeted action to address diabetes, in line with its Flagship Priorities on preventing and controlling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and achieving universal health coverage (<keyword id="57852" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="uhc" source="Orion">UHC</keyword>), as well as its recently adopted Implementation <keyword id="53329" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="roadmap" source="Orion">Roadmap</keyword> on NCD prevention and control 2022-2030. "Almost all countries now have in place standardized treatment guidelines for diabetes and must provide at least one hypoglycemic drug at the primary health care (PHC) level. Across the Region, the WHO HEARTS-D technical package is supporting PHC personnel to diagnose, treat and manage diabetes, accelerating Region-wide efforts to reorient health systems - including NCD care - to the PHC level," she said. According to Dr Khetrapal, in 2021, amid the COVID-19 response, WHO supported the delivery of insulin donations to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste, alongside 45 other low- and middle-income countries globally. "The Region is currently on track to achieve a 30 per cent relative reduction in tobacco use prevalence between 2010 and 2025, and last year launched a Regional Roadmap on implementing the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030. The Roadmap will help Member States achieve a 15 per cent relative reduction in the prevalence of insufficient physical activity by 2030, which will, in turn, help them to reduce expected increases in new diabetes cases," she said. Dr Khetrapal said that it is calling for action in several key areas including the setting up of time-bound targets to address gaps in service coverage. "First, policymakers should set time-bound targets to address gaps in service coverage, with a focus on equity and leaving no one behind. Second, high-impact, cost-effective and context-appropriate interventions must continue to be identified and implemented. For this, the Global Diabetes Compact, launched in April 2021, calls for targeted efforts to enhance community empowerment and increase private sector engagement," Dr Khetrapal said. "Third, policymakers should continue to strengthen PHC service delivery, ensuring that diabetes screening and care are available, accessible, acceptable, and of adequate quality, without discrimination, accelerating momentum from the 2016 Colombo Declaration," Dr Khetrapal said. The official added that the countries must continue to promote access to essential medicines and priority devices, including insulin, in national benefit packages - a key focus of the Region's Flagship Priority on UHC. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/menopause-hormone-replacement-therapy-linked-to-depression-heres-what-evidence-says/articleshow/95499502.cms">Menopause: Hormone Replacement Therapy linked to depression - here's what evidence says</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/this-bio-engineered-houseplant-claims-to-clean-the-air-as-efficiently-as-30-air-purifiers/articleshow/95507043.cms">This bio-engineered houseplant claims to clean the air as efficiently as 30 air purifiers</a>

Diabetes claims 1.5 million lives every year, globally: WHO

A global trade deal is likely to be signed between India, the United States and the <keyword id="6355110" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="European-Union">European Union</keyword> (EU). The US and the EU may accept India's demand of providing some flexibility to developing countries in fixing the minimum support price for certain crops. In return, India will sign the trade deal on easier customs rules. 
 Praising the efforts of India and the US to end the stalemate, the <keyword id="84934" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="World-Trade-Organisation">World Trade Organisation</keyword> (WTO) director general Roberto Azevedo has expressed hope that talks will be fruitful and help end the deadlock. "The director general was pleased to hear that the dialogue between the US and India had resumed. He hopes that this dialogue will continue and will be fruitful in advancing efforts to resolve the current impasse, but he is not aware that any understanding has been reached as yet," as per a statement issued by WTO. 
 
The tough stand taken by India has plunged the WTO into its worst crisis in two decades. This had led WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo to consider the idea of abandoning the consensus principle on which the organisation works. There was a deadlock after India refused to agree to a trade facilitation agreement, unless its concerns on food security were addressed.

Global Trade Deal Likely To Be Signed As WTO Talks Back On Track

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> is being spread largely by younger people, many of whom are unaware they are infected, according to the World Health Organization.</li><li>"People in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected. This increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable," a WHO official said Tuesday.</li><li>Many European countries have recorded a sharp uptick in coronavirus cases in recent weeks as social-distancing measures were relaxed and national lockdowns were eased.</li></ul>The coronavirus is being spread largely by younger people, many of whom are unaware they are infected, according to the World Health Organization.WHO officials said on Tuesday that the proportion of young people infected with the virus had risen and continued to rise and that they were putting elderly people and other vulnerable groups at risk."The epidemic is changing," WHO's Western Pacific regional director, Takeshi Kasai, said at a virtual briefing <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who/pandemic-now-driven-by-20s-30s-40s-group-many-asymptomatic-who-idUKKCN25E0AZ">in comments reported by Reuters</a>."People in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are increasingly driving the spread," he said. "Many are unaware they are infected. This increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable."At-risk groups include elderly people and those with preexisting health conditions.Many European countries have recorded sharp upticks in coronavirus cases in recent weeks as social-distancing measures were relaxed and national lockdowns were eased.Greece, Croatia, and Turkey could become the latest countries to be added to the UK's quarantine list, <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-croatia-greece-and-turkey-could-join-uk-quarantine-list-amid-spikes-in-covid-19-cases-12050886">according to a Sky report</a>, as they have recorded upticks in COVID-19 cases.The move would require British holidaymakers to quarantine for 14 days when they return from the countries. Countries that have been added to the UK's quarantine list in recent weeks include France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.Amid the threat of such travel restrictions, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week that countries should try to address the pandemic by suppressing the virus, as countries such as Vietnam and New Zealand have done with relatively high success."My message is crystal clear: Suppress, suppress, suppress the virus," he said <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-update-who-tedros-press-conference-new-cases-death-toll-a9662791.html">in comments reported by the news website The Independent</a>."If we suppress the virus effectively, we can safely open up societies."

The coronavirus pandemic is being driven by people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who don't know they're infected, according to WHO

Digital economy minister Ed Vaizey <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Tech City <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>Tech City UK CEO Gerard Grech.</div></div></div>announced earlier this week that he <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-digital-strategy-the-next-frontier-in-our-digital-revolution" target="_blank">plans to release a new strategy document</a> early next year that is designed to help the UK develop one of the world's most reputable tech sectors. At the time, he <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/ed-vaizey-to-reveal-uk-digital-strategy-2015-12" target="_blank">invited members of the public to email him</a> ideas for what the document should contain. Now, less than two days later, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerardgrech" target="_blank">former Blackberry executive Gerard Grech</a> has responded with <a href="http://www.techcityuk.com/blog/2015/12/a-response-to-ed-vaizey-tech-city-uk-and-the-government-digital-strategy/" target="_blank">a blog post</a> outlining what he and his team at Tech City UK, the government-funded organisation he is now CEO of, believe Vaizey needs to focus on in order to help the UK compete with other tech hubs around the world.Grech, who <a href="http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240212687/Joanna-Shields-steps-down-as-Tech-City-UK-CEO" target="_blank">took the Tech City UK helm from internet safety and security minister Joanna Shields</a>, a former exec at Google and Facebook, highlights four key areas where the UK can do better. They include:1) Skills2) Funding3) Government procurement4) More deep technology companiesAnyone else that wants to help inform the UK Digital Strategy document can do so by emailing digitalstrategy@culture.gov.uk by January 19. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-youre-compromising-identity-facebook-2015-11">This is how you're compromising your identity on Facebook</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="gxa2U0eTpa2t5hAm0jGd83lTgXNjw1EY" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

The CEO of London's Tech City organisation explained how to make the UK a world leader in digital

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul><li>Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko has been banned from future Olympic Games.</li><li>But remains in position to organise the FIFA World Cup next summer.</li><li>Mutko was minister of sport during a period that saw more than a thousand Russian athletes implicated in a massive doping scandal.</li><li>A new report says Mutko bears responsibility for doping during that time.</li><li>But FIFA says the sanctions Mutko faces from the International Olympic Committee has no impact on its own tournament.</li></ul> Disgraced Russian politician Vitaly Mutko has been banned from participating in the administration of future Olympic games - but will still organise next year's Football World Cup.Mutko, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, served as minister of sport from 2008 to 2016, and has been accused in a recent report of helping orchestrate the mass doping of Russian athletes.He "had the ultimate administrative responsibility" for doping acts committed at during his tenure, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/42242007" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to a 17-month investigation </a><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/42242007" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led by the former president of Switzerland, Samuel Schmid</a>.During Mutko's tenure, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) says <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/dec/05/russian-olympic-committee-banned-winter-games-doping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia was involved in institutional doping</a>.Between 2011 and 2015, <a href="https://www.wada-ama.org/en/who-we-are" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 1,000 Russian athletes</a> across a range of sports benefited from a cover-up, according to a World Anti-Doping Agency report.This report led to calls for Russia to be banned from the 2016 Summer Olympics. The IOC rejected this, yet has now banned Mutko from participating in all future Olympic Games.Despite Mutko's fall from grace, his position still gives him influence in the running of the 2018 FIFA World Cup - the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world.BBC sports news correspondent Richard Conway noted the potential discrepancy on Twitter.He said: "Mutko is banned from watching Russia compete at football in any future Olympics but he is eligible, according to FIFA, of organising the World Cup next year." [sic]A FIFA statement said that Mutko's sanctions had "no impact" on the preparations for next year's flagship football tournament.<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russia-world-cup-chief-vitaly-mutko-gets-olympic-ban-b8l7ks2hw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It said</a>: "When it comes to potential disciplinary or ethical matters concerning specific individuals, it will be up to the respective FIFA bodies to evaluate them."Any information on specific disciplinary or ethical matters will be communicated accordingly upon the respective committee's indications."<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/shaq-on-lavar-ball-lonzo-persona-nba-lakers-2017-11">'It's all marketing': Shaq weighs in on LaVar Ball's over-the-top persona</a></h3> <div> </div> </div></hr>

You Searched For "World Organisation" and got 14 results

Novel coronavirus gets an official new name - COVID-19 says WHO

IANS

India has fewer undernourished people now but obesity and anaemia are on the rise

PTI

WTO Talks Fail As India Remains Adamant

BI India Bureau

India records the largest reduction in malaria cases in SE Asia between 2000-2019: WHO

PTI

Interesting communications roles at All India Radio, World Health Organisation, Facebook, ICRC

BI India Bureau

BCCI gears up for 2016 ICC World T20, forms organising committee

BI India Bureau

How are Indian organisations and agencies redesigning their office spaces for a post-COVID world

Karuna Sharma

Monkeypox is not a global emergency as of now, says WHO

PTI

Ozempic explained: Key insights on the trending medication

Kapil Yadav

Diabetes claims 1.5 million lives every year, globally: WHO

ANI

Global Trade Deal Likely To Be Signed As WTO Talks Back On Track

BI India Bureau

The coronavirus pandemic is being driven by people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who don't know they're infected, according to WHO

Thomas Colson

The CEO of London's Tech City organisation explained how to make the UK a world leader in digital

Sam Shead

The disgraced Russian politician banned from all Olympics will still organise the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Alan Dawson

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