Health

In continuation to the “Algorithm: Guidelines for International Arrivals dated 28th November 2021” issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW), the following Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) are being issued for better understanding of the passengers and to enable them for safe, secure and hassle-free International Air Travel. It may be noted that these steps are being taken to ensure the good health and safety of every citizen of the country so that the subsequent problems do not arise.

Samples of all individuals testing positive for Covid-19, either at airports under home isolation or during random sampling, will also be sent for Whole Genomic Sequencing at identified INSACOG network laboratories to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 variants (including Omicron).

The Union Health Secretary has advised  States/UTs regarding testing, surveillance, monitoring of hotspots, augmentation of health infrastructure, genome sequencing, and enhancing public awareness, vide his letters dated 25th and 27th of November 2021, the first of which was immediately after WHO flagged the Omicron variant as a Variant of Concern (VoC).

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed on November 25, 2021 that about fifteen more countries have recognised India’s COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

The transfer of genetic information in the intact form to the progeny is the cornerstone of the perpetuation of life on earth. However, the DNA molecules that store this genetic information are susceptible to damage caused by many internal and external factors that cells are frequently exposed to. Such genotoxic stress experienced by the cell is one of the main factors contributing to the development of cancer.

The main objective of successive rounds of the NFHS is to provide reliableand comparable data relating to health and family welfare and other emerging issues. The NFHS-5 survey work has been conducted in around 6.1 lakh samplehouseholds from 707 districts (as on March, 2017) of the country; covering724,115 women and 101,839 men to provide disaggregated estimates up to districtlevel. All the results of NFHS-5 are available in the public domain on the Ministry website (www.mohfw.gov.in).

Anti-Microbial resistance is emerging as one of the world’s major healthcare challenges. India is one of the most affected geographies. Out of the projected AMR-related death of 10 million across the world, 20-25% or about 2.5 million deaths are projected in India alone.