THE 77TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY: A DECISIVE MOMENT FOR THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL HEALTH COOPERATION

Between May 27 and June 1, ministers of health and other decision-makers from all 194 Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) will gather for the 77th World Health Assembly, the annual meeting of the WHO’s decision-making body. A range of global health issues will be discussed at WHA77: defeating polio, malaria, HIV, and other diseases; increasing access to universal health coverage and immunization; countering growing antimicrobial resistance; and ensuring better maternal and reproductive health outcomes. A package of amendments will be on the agenda of the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting.

Proposed Amendments to IHR and New Pandemic Agreement :

• Amendments to IHR: These amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) will target improving the ability of countries to respond to public health emergencies of international concern.
• International Agreement on Pandemic Management: This process has been running in parallel to develop an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
• Building capacities: A potential new pandemic agreement and the amended IHRs would be complementary international instruments designed and negotiated by Member States to help countries protect their peoples better from future pandemic threats.
• The IHR focuses on building countries’ capacities to detect and respond to public health events, which could take on international dimensions.
• On the other hand, the draft pandemic accord focuses on a coordinated international response to pandemics, with equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics at the centre.

World Health Assembly (WHA):

• It is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.
• The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mandate:

1. Determine the policies of the Organization
2. Appoint the Director-General
3. Supervise financial policies
4. Review and approve the proposed programme budget.

International Health Regulations (IHR):

• The International Health Regulations (IHR) first adopted by the WHA in 1969 and last revised in 2005, were conceived to maximize collective efforts to manage public health events while minimising disruption to travel and trade.
• Members: There are 196 State Parties to the IHR comprising all 194 WHO Member States, plus Liechtenstein and the Holy See.
• India is a signatory to the International Health Regulations.
• Aim: The IHR provides an overarching legal framework that defines countries’ rights and obligations in handling public health events and emergencies that have the potential to cross borders.  It is legally binding on 196 countries.
• They introduce important safeguards to protect the rights of travellers and other persons in relation to the treatment of personal data, informed consent and non-discrimination in the application of health measures under the Regulations.
• Surveillance systems: The International Health Regulations (IHR) mandate that all countries establish surveillance systems capable of:

1. promptly detecting acute public health incidents
2. assessing their severity
3. reporting potential public health emergencies of international concern to the WHO
4. responding to public health risks and emergencies.

Need for Amendments:

• Strengthening Responses: The management of multiple public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated important areas in which they could be strengthened for the benefit of all 196 State parties.
• Global Collaboration for Epidemic and Pandemic Protection: Countries have come together around improved international mechanisms to protect from the impact of epidemics and pandemics, with a commitment to equity and solidarity.

The world will celebrate Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) 300th birth anniversary this year.

Immanuel Kant:

• Immanuel Kant was born on April 22, 1724 in the East Prussian city of  Königsberg, or today’s Kaliningrad (Russia) near the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea.
• He is the central figure in western modern philosophy, setting the terms for much of 19th and 20th century philosophy and synthesizing early modern rationalism and empiricism.
• Field of work: He has left indelible imprints in the field of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics etc

Notable Works of Immanuel Kant:

• The Three Critiques: The  Critique of Pure Reason (1781, 1787), the Critique of Practical Reason (1788), and the Critique of the Power of Judgment (1790) presents the fundamental idea of Kant’s “critical philosophy” ie the human autonomy.
• Kant’s work on ethics: It is presented in his book, The Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785) to  “search for and establishment of the supreme principle of morality”.

Key Ideas of Immanuel Kant:

• The Idea of a World Citizen: Immanuel Kant favoured the idea of a global citizenship, whereby there is no restriction to travel, The trade is open and free, unrestricted  immigration and the right to refuge and rejected imperialism, colonialism and slavery.
• He believed in reason, rationality and morality guiding political action.
• The Idea of perpetual peace: Kant clearly states that perpetual peace is possible only when governments have a specific political organization and the need for the formation of a federation of free countries or international governments to eliminate the tendencies of engaging in war-the worst evil of human societies and achieve perpetual peace.
• Kant’s deontological/ duty based Ethics: Immanuel Kant believes that the moral worth of an action can be judged not by its outcome but, rather by its motive ie. He favors Right Means over Ends.
• The motive behind an action has moral value only when it arises from universal principles discovered by reason.

Relevance of Kant’s Idea in Modern World:

• The Crisis in Multilateralism: Major power rivalry driven by narrow consideration of power and authority based on expedient rationale, and not rationality is leading to demise of multilateralism.
• Example: The UN Charter was expected to provide a common ethical bedrock for international relations but instead has become a body to please the self-serving rationale of the permanent members of the UNSC.
• Rationality v/s Rationale: Rationality is to being guided by reason and logic but they are also shaped by history, collective civilisational and cultural experiences, nationalism, religious beliefs, clan and class loyalties etc giving  way to rationale, bereft of values or morality.
• Example:  Contemporary challenges like terrorism and aggression by nations (Israel- Hamas War) are accepted as truth by rationale explanations behind devastating actions.
• Contemporary Challenges:  Today the world is facing a war of narratives that blurs the distinction between reality and fiction whereby reality is often a creation of geopolitical and geo-economic interests.
• Artificial Intelligence and digital revolution altering objective reality and lethal autonomous weapons redefining battlefields. The challenge of fake news, hatred based on identities, global terrorist organisations, The climate crisis etc.
• Remnants of colonialism: Kant rejected imperialism, colonialism and slavery but although colonialism and imperialism are deemed to be a closed chapter in history, but the UN website still lists 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories as the unfinished agenda of the Special Committee on Decolonisation.
• Modern day economic colonialism in the form of debt diplomacy is posing a significant challenge to the independence of nations.

India’s Role:

• India should amalgamate Kant’s Western philosophy ideas with our very own ancient philosophies, to provide a new moral compass for a better world.
• India is rediscovering the relevance of its indigenous strategic culture with renewed focus on The great Indian epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata) in the context of statecraft, war and diplomacy through the prism of ethics.
• Indian Philosophers: Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Thiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural dwelt on ethics and morality in every aspect of life.
• Contemporary Amalgamation: India aims to amalgamate its ancient cultural ethos of serving humanity with modern day realities.
• Example: During its G20 Presidency, India built consensus on the basis of the motto, One Earth, One Family, One Future, inspired by the ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

Recently, a new study has shed light on the extent of microplastic pollution in Ashtamudi Lake, underscoring the need for continuous monitoring and addressing “potential public health concerns.”

The study Microplastic contamination in Ashtamudi Lake, India: Insights from a Ramsar wetland was done by the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, with support from the Ecomarine Project co-funded by the Erasmus programme of the European Union.

Microplastic Pollution in Ashtamudi Lake,

Key Findings of the Study:

• High Composition of Microplastics: The highest percentage composition of microplastics was found in the macrofauna, with fish accounting for 19.6% and shellfish 40.9%. 

          Comprises:

• Fibers (35.6%), fragments (33.3%) and films (28%) of the microplastics found in the collected samples.
• There is presence of plastic polymers as well as hazardous heavy metals.
• Polymer composition of microplastics includes nylon, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polysiloxane.
• Hazardous heavy metals such as molybdenum, iron and barium.
• Source of Microplastics: Untreated municipal solid waste and plastic debris, The inadequate management of plastic solid waste and Fishing equipment.
• Raising Concerns: The existence of plastic polymers and heavy metals in microplastic samples poses a threat to vulnerable biota; people consume contaminated fish and shellfish.
• Actions Required: There is a need of Development of strategies and action plans to gradually reduce the entry of microplastics into estuarine systems.

Microplastics:

• Size: Microplastics are plastic fragments less than five millimeters in length.
• Formation: Microplastics are either manufactured (microbeads that are used in cosmetics and beauty products) or they are formed when larger pieces of plastic break down.
• Classifications: They are classified into following two types:
• Primary Microplastics: Tiny particles designed for commercial use and microfibers shed from clothing and other textiles.
• Secondary Microplastics: They are formed from the breakdown of larger plastics such as water bottles.

Initiatives Taken:

          Global Initiatives:

• World Environment Day (WED) 2023: It focuses on solutions to plastic pollution problem under the campaign #Beat Plastic Pollution.
• Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML): It was launched at the Earth Summit in 2012 in response to the Manila Declaration.
• The Manila Declaration seeks to develop policies to reduce and control wastewater, marine litter and pollution from fertilizers.
• GloLitter Partnerships Project: Launched by the IMO and FAO, with an aim to prevent and reduce marine plastic litter from shipping and fisheries.
• London Convention, 1972: To control all sources of marine pollution and prevent pollution of the sea through regulation of dumping into the sea of waste materials.
• Plastic Pacts: To transform the plastics packaging value chain for all formats and products. The first Plastics Pact was launched in the U.K. in 2018.

India’s Initiatives:

• Elimination of Single Use Plastic, 2019: To eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022, with an immediate ban in urban Delhi.
• Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: Every local body has to be responsible for setting up infrastructure for segregation, collection, processing, and disposal of plastic waste.

Ashtamudi Lake:

• It is a backwater lake and is also called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.
• Backwater is water turned back in its course by an obstruction on opposing current or the flow of tide in a river channel.
• Situated in: Kollam District, Kerala
• It is an extensive estuarine system, the second largest in Kerala State (after Vembanad).
• A Ramsar Site: The Ashtamudi wetland was designated a Ramsar site in 2002.
• Concerns: Population density and urban pressures pose threats to the site.
• Importance: Ashtamudi Kayal dates back to the times of the Romans and Phoenicians in the 14th century and was considered as one of the most important ports used for Chinese trade.
• Associated Islands: Munroe island (a group of eight small islands), Chavara south (rich in minerals) and Thekkumbhagom island.

Recently, Maldives is set to introduce India’s RuPay service.

RuPay:

• RuPay is the first global card payment network in India.
• It is a combination of “Rupee” and “Payment,”
• It was launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2012.
• Objective: Create a domestic, open, and multilateral payment system, fulfilling the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) vision.
• It is widely accepted at ATMs, POS devices, and e-commerce websites throughout India.
• RuPay enables electronic payments across all Indian banks and financial institutions.

Reasons behind the Maldives’ decision to adopt RuPay:

• Strengthening Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR): The Maldivian government aims to make their currency, the Rufiyaa, stronger by using less US dollars in transactions with Indian tourists.
• This might make their economy more stable and could improve exchange rates.
• Boost Bilateral Trade of Maldives: Facilitating rupee transactions could streamline payments between India and the Maldives, potentially encouraging more trade between the two countries.
• Promote Tourism and economic linkages: Easier rupee transactions could incentivize Indian tourists to spend more freely in the Maldives, benefiting the Maldivian tourism industry, a major source of income for the country.

List of countries that accept Rupay

Bhutan

Nepal

Mauritius

Singapore

UAE

Impact of India’s Rupay service on Indian economy:

Positives

• Income from Transaction Fees: Indian banks that give out RuPay cards might earn money from fees when people use those cards in the Maldives, which helps banks make more money.
• Growing RuPay Network: More countries accepting RuPay means it’s becoming a bigger deal globally.
• This could mean more people and shops start using it in India too, which might make transactions cheaper.
• Opportunity for Indian Businesses: With Indian tourists using RuPay in the Maldives, more people there might start using Indian websites or services that accept RuPay. This could create new markets for Indian businesses.

Negatives

• Data Security Concerns: Inadequate protection of RuPay transactions in the Maldives could lead to data breaches or fraud affecting Indian cardholders. Therefore, there is a need for strong security.
• Uncertain Regulatory Environment: Unclear or changing regulations in the Maldives could disrupt RuPay operations which could be an inconvenience for Indian tourists and businesses.
• Dependence on Maldives Implementation: The success of RuPay in the Maldives depends on Its effective implementation by Maldives
• Any delays or issues in the rollout could limit the benefits.