CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC IAS

The World Health Organization has launched a strategy to protect people worldwide over the next decade against the threat of influenza.

Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030:

• It aims at protecting people in all countries from the threat of influenza. The goal of the strategy is to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic.
• The new strategy outlines a path to protect populations every year and helps prepare for a pandemic through strengthening routine programmes.
• It has two overarching goals:
  • Build stronger country capacities for disease surveillance and response, prevention and control, and preparedness. To achieve this, it calls for everycountry to have a tailored influenza programme that contributes to national and global preparedness and health security.
  • Develop better tools to prevent, detect, control and treat influenza, such as more effective vaccines, antivirals and treatments, with the goal of making these accessible for all
• The strategy meets one of WHO’s mandates to improve core capacities for public health, and increase global preparedness and was developed through a consultative process with input from Member States, academia, civil society, industry, and internal and external experts.
• Through the implementation of the new WHO global influenza strategy, the world will be closer to reducing the impact of influenza every year and be more prepared for an influenza pandemic and other public health emergencies.
  
  

  Influenza: Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus. Symptoms can be mild to severe. It remains one of the world’s greatest public health challenges. Three of the four types of influenza viruses affect humans: Type A, Type B, and Type C. Type D has not been known to infect humans, but is believed to have the potential to do so. WHO recommends annual influenza vaccination as the most effective way to prevent influenza. Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious influenza complications and for health care workers. Every year across the globe, there are an estimated 1 billion cases, of which 3 to 5 million are severe cases, resulting in 290 000 to 650 000 influenza-related respiratory deaths.