National
National Health Accounts Estimates for India for 2018-19
⇒ Dr Vinod K Paul, Member (Health) of NITI Aayog, in presence of Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare released findings of the National Health Accounts Estimates for India for 2018-19 in September 2022.
Key Points:
- The NHA estimates for 2018-19 show that there has been an increase in the share of government health expenditure in the total GDP of the country. It has increased from 1.15% in 2013-14 to 1.28% in 2018-19.
- Additionally, the share of Government Health Expenditure in Total Health Expenditure has also increased over time. In 2018-19, the share of government expenditure was 40.6%, substantially higher than the share of 28.6% in 2013-14.
- NHA findings also indicate that Government’s health expenditure as a percentage of Current Health Expenditure has increased from 23.2% in 2013-14 to 34.5% in 2018-19.
- It has also been observed that per capita government spending on healthcare has increased by 74% since 2013-14, i.e., Rs 1042 to Rs 1815 in 2018-19.
- Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) as percentage of total health expenditure has declined substantially by 16% points, from 64.2% to 48.2%.
- Out of pocket expenditure as a percentage of current health expenditure has also declined over time from 69.1% in 2013-14 to 53.2% in 2018-19.
- Per capita out-of-pocket expenditure in the country has decreased by 8% since 2013-14, from Rs 2,366 to Rs 2,155 currently.
- The NHA also reveals that the government-financed health insurance expenditure has increased by 167% since 2013-14.
About National Health Account (NHA) estimates:
- The National Health Account (NHA) estimates for India 2018-19 is the sixth consecutive NHA estimates report prepared by NHSRC, designated as National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat (NHATS) in 2014 by the Union Health Ministry.
- The NHA estimates are prepared by using an accounting framework based on the internationally accepted standard of System of Health Accounts, 2011, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- With the present estimate of NHA, India now has a continuous series of NHA estimates for the country, from 2013-14 to 2018-19.
- These estimates are not only comparable internationally, but also enable the policymakers to monitor the progress in different health financing indicators of the country.
National Lists of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022
⇒ The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya launched the National Lists of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022 on 13 September 2022.
384 drugs have been included in this list with addition of 34 drugs, while 26 from the previous list have been dropped. The medicines have been categorized into 27 therapeutic categories.
Key Points:
- National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) plays an important role in ensuring accessibility of affordable quality medicines at all levels of healthcare.
- This will give boost to cost-effective, quality medicines and contribute towards reduction in Out-of-Pocket Expenditure on healthcare for the citizens.
- The National List of Essential Medicines was first formulated in 1996 and it was revised thrice earlier in 2003, 2011, and 2015.
16TH Edition of BML Munjal Awards
⇒ The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar conferred the 16th BML Munjal Awards in New Delhi on 13 September 2022.
Winners of 16TH Edition of BML Munjal Awards:
5 Categories of Awards:
- Public Sector Undertaking: Union Bank of India
- Private Sector (Manufacturing): Marico
- Private Sector (Services): IBM
- Sustained Excellence: Larsen and Turbo
- Emerging Stars: Dozee & Zunroof
About Award:
The Awards instituted in memory of late Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal, Padma Bhushan Awardee and the founder of the Hero Group, recognise and honour the organisations that have stood out for their excellent Human resources.
18th Lok Nayak Foundation Award
⇒ Noted writer and Telugu actor, Tanikella Bharani was presented with the annual Sahitya Puraskar of the Lok Nayak Foundation at the award function held at Kalabharathi Auditorium in Visakhapatnam on 05 September 2022.
Mizoram Governor Kambhampati Haribabu, who participated as the chief guest, handed over the award to him.
About Award:
- The award is popular as Andhra Jnanpith, which carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.
- The award is given annually to an eminent Telugu writer or poet or a person credited with service for the cause of Telugu literature.
- The annual literary achievement awards are presented on 18th January as a mark of respect to Late N.T Rama Rao and Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan (Father of actor Amitabh Bachchan). Both the luminaries passed away on January 18th and hence the significance.
- Loknayak Foundation award winners are announced on 24th November every year on the birthday of Dr. Lakshmi Prasad Yarlagadda.
- The husband-wife duo of Malathi and Nageswara Chandur won the first Lok Nayak Foundation award in 2005.
International
New Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
⇒ United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has appointed former Kyrgyzstan President Roza Otunbayeva as his new envoy to Afghanistan on 02 September 2022.
UN Secretary-General Guterres appointed Otunbayeva for the position of Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
- Ms. Otunbayeva succeeds Deborah Lyons of Canada.
Sports
New Secretary General of the All India Football Federation (AIFF)
⇒ Delhi Football president and long-time administrator Shaji Prabhakaran was on 03 September 2022 appointed the new secretary general of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The appointment, which was on expected lines, was carried out by the newly-formed executive committee of the AIFF, at the helm of which is president Kalyan Chaubey.
The decision was taken during the new dispensation’s first executive committee at the Football House, and was chaired by Chaubey.