National Digital Health Mission

Why in NEWS ?

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of National Digital Health Mission(NDHM) on August 15, 2020 during his speech on India's 74th Independence Day.

About

• NDHM will enable every Indian citizen to have a unique health account to enable hassle-free access to healthcare across the country.
• The mission will be a "completely technology-based" initiative and it is expected to revolutionise the health sector.
• Mission comes under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).

National Digital Health Mission

• Under NDHM, every Indian will get a Health ID card that will work as a health account comprising information regarding the person's past medical conditions, treatment and diagnosis.
• The citizens will be able to give their doctors and health providers one-time access to this data during visits to the hospital for consultation.
• However, access to the confidential medical data will have to be given separately for each visit due to fears over data confidentiality.
• Mission will allow patients to access health services remotely through tele-consultation and e-pharmacies, as well as offer other health-related benefits.
• The mission will be launched through a pilot launch in UTs including Puducherry, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
• After analysing the initial learnings from the launch in the Union Territories, the centre will work to launch the mission in the states as well.

Significance

• It will help lessen all difficulties faced while getting appointments to visit a doctor, depositing money or getting a slip in the hospital. The mission aims to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of health services in the country.

Health ID/ Health Account

• The Health ID will contain every disease, every test and all doctors visited along with the results of the diagnostic tests and the medicines prescribed.

How will Health ID cards work?

• Every time an Indian citizen visits the doctor or a pharmacy, all details including prescriptions will be logged in the health ID card.
• This will enable all information regarding the person's health, right from the doctor's appointment to the advised medication, to be logged in his/ her health profile.
• It will contain information about every single test, every disease, diagnosis, treatment and the medicines prescribed by the doctor prescribed and final reports.

China’s first COVID-19 vaccine Ad5-nCoV

Why in NEWS ?

• China has granted first invention patent to a COVID vaccine co-developed by Can-Sino Biologics Inc in China, which experts said demonstrates the vaccine’s originality and creativity.

About

• Vaccine is a recombinant adenovirus vaccine named Ad5-nCoV co-developed by Can-Sino with a team led by Chinese military infectious disease expert Chen Wei.
• The grant of the patent further confirmed the vaccine's efficacy and safety, and convincingly demonstrated the ownership of its intellectual property rights (IPR).
• A document published on China’s National Intellectual Property Administration website said the vaccine can be mass-produced in a short time in the event of an outbreak.
• Last week, the company announced that it is set to begin the phase 3 clinical trials of its vaccine in Saudi Arabia.
• CanSino was also in discussions with other countries, including Russia, Brazil and Chile to conduct the phase 3 trials of the vaccine.

Global race for a COVID-19 vaccine heats up

• During his Independence Day speech on August 15, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the country is ready to mass produce COVID-19 vaccines when scientists give the go-ahead.
• The Prime Minister also said that three coronavirus vaccine candidates are in different phases of testing in the country.
• Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 11 announced the development of the world’s first coronavirus vaccine, despite safety concerns being raised by scientists globally. Putin claimed that one of his daughters had been inoculated with the vaccine, adding she had suffered no side effects worse than a high temperature.
• The vaccine developed by the Gamaleya research institute in coordination with the Russian Defence Ministry and other government organisations is still in clinical trials. Moscow said it would roll out the Sputnik V vaccine by the end of this month.