14 April 2020 Current Affairs:World Chagas Disease Day is observed on 14 April every year. The day aims to raise the visibility and public awareness of people with Chagas Disease and the resources needed for the prevention, control or elimination of the disease.

Chagas disease:
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis. The disease is common in places where the triatomine bug transmits the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. These places include South America, Central America, and Mexico.
Symptoms: The disease can cause swelling and fever. It can be long-lasting. If the disease is left untreated, it can cause congestive heart failure.
Treatment: Chagas disease can be treated by taking medication that kills the parasite and on managing symptoms.

Minister for Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has launched a web-portal YUKTI (Young India Combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation) in New Delhi today. The portal and dashboard will monitor and record the efforts and initiatives of Ministry of HRD. It intends to cover different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a holistic and comprehensive way.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Nishank said, in the wake of COVID-19 threat, the primary aim is to keep the academic community healthy, both physically and mentally and to enable a continuous high-quality learning environment. The portal is an effort of HRD Ministry to achieve this goal in these difficult times.

The Minister informed that it will cover the various initiatives and efforts of the institutions in academics, research especially related to COVID, social initiatives and measures taken for the betterment of the total well being of the students. The portal will cover both qualitative and quantitative parameters for effective delivery of services to the academic community at large. 

World Bank has praised the Aarogya Setu app launched by India to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. Citing example of the app, a World Bank report said innovative solutions can greatly help educate and track contagion across the populations at large. South Economic Focus report of the world Bank said that digital technology can also be used to monitor the spread of Covid-19. It said India recently launched Aarogya Setu app that uses location data from persons' smartphones to tell users if they have been near someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

Global tech majors Apple and Google said on Saturday that they are building a software into smartphones that will help in contact tracing and inform users whether they were in touch with Covid-19 infected persons.

Amid the nationwide lockdown, University Grants Commission (UGC) has constituted a committee to promote online learning. UGC Chairman DP Singh said it has also formed a committee to look after the examinations and academic calendar in the present circumstances. He said under the lockdown situation, it is essential to think about how the prescribed syllabus can be completed, what type of examination system would be followed. He said, on the basis of the committee's recommendations, which will be submitted next week,

UGC will issue guidelines for universities in consultation with Union HRD Ministry. He said to maintain social distancing, online learning and e-education is the only way out. UGC Chairman said online education is need of the hour for students, teachers and education system as a whole

Jana Small Finance Bank, a scheduled commercial bank, has launched DIGIGEN, a digital banking platform where customers can digitally open a savings account and fixed deposit instantly.

DIGIGEN onboarding is a hassle-free, three-step process to open an account. DIGIGEN also offers a host of other features, including online bill payment, instant money transfer and airport lounge access on debit card, to name a few. All a new customer requires to do is fill her/his minimum details and provide Aadhaar and PAN number as KYC, to open a DIGIGEN account.

Speaking on the launch, Ajay Kanwal, MD and CEO of Jana Small Finance Bank, said, “One does not require to be tech-savvy to open a DIGIGEN account, as we have made the platform simple and user friendly. Customers will get real ‘paise ki kadar’ when they choose the full feature zero balance saving account giving them 4.5 per cent p.a. and/ or a digital FD with 7.5 per cent p.a. interest.”

Mothers are not only birth givers but also nurturers, the Government of India and UNICEF are actively indulged in promoting safe motherhood practices. In wake of this, The National Safe Motherhood Day (NSMD) is celebrated every year on April 11 in India in order to generate awareness about providing proper healthcare and maternity facilities to expecting mothers and lactating women. We bring you a few facts about NSMD.

It was in the year 2013, that the Government of India declared April 11, as the National Safe Motherhood Day on the birth anniversary of political activist Kasturba Gandhi. Since then, every year campaigns are carried out to continue delivering progress for women and children. This day is celebrated to ensure that all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout pregnancy and childbirth.

The Centre has sanctioned 15 thousand crore rupees for India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package. Out of it, seven thousand 774 crore rupees will be utilized for immediate COVID-19 Emergency Response and rest for medium-term support of one to four years to be provided under mission mode approach.

The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in the country through the development of diagnostics and COVID-19 dedicated treatment facilities, centralized procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients. Besides, the aim of the package is also to strengthen and build resilient National and State health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreak. It also include setting up of laboratories and bolster surveillance activities, bio-security preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engage communities and conduct risk communication activities. These interventions and initiatives would be implemented under the overall umbrella of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Eight Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospitals across the country with over one thousand isolation bed have been declared as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. These hospitals are situated in Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Labour Ministry said, in addition to this, around one thousand 112 isolation beds have been made available in most of the remaining ESIC Hospitals across the country. Further, a total of 555 ICU Beds with 197 Ventilators have also been made available in these Hospitals.

The Ministry said, Covid-19 testing facility has been made available at ESIC Hospital, Faridabad, Haryana. It said, ESIC has allowed purchase of medicines by beneficiaries from private chemist during lockdown period and its subsequent reimbursement by ESIC. The Ministry said, efforts are being made to maintain adequate stock of mask and Personal Protective Equipment kits. Frequency of disinfection and sanitization of ESIC health Institution premises has been increased.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for rushing a five-tonne cargo of medicines, including anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. In a tweet last night, Mr Netanyahu said, all Israeli thank Mr Modi for sending Chloroquine to Israel.

The five tonne shipment included ingredients for drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, being seen worldwide as the best possible cure as of now for treating COVID-19 patients. The Indian consignment reached Israel within days after Mr Netanyahu spoke to Mr Modi requesting supply of hydroxychloroquine, with India being the world's largest producer and exporter of the drug.

The novel coronavirus has infected nearly 10,000 people in Israel and claimed 86 lives. As many as 121 others are on ventilators in serious condition.