Eliminating Diseases: A Regional Approach
Question : How does the concept of disease elimination differ from eradication, and why is it considered a vital step towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals?
Context
- The Carter Center reports near eradication of guinea worm disease (99.99% reduction).
- This success story highlights disease elimination as a key public health strategy.
Focus on Disease Elimination:
- Different from eradication, aims at zero transmission in a defined region.
- A vital step towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals of ending epidemics by 2030.
- Energizes public health systems, improves diagnostics, and attracts international support.
Disease Elimination vs. Eradication
- Elimination: Zero transmission in a defined region (e.g., guinea worm disease).
- Eradication: Permanent cessation of infection globally (e.g., smallpox).
Benefits of Disease Elimination
- Improved public health, especially for vulnerable populations.
- Energizes public health systems.
- Improves primary care, diagnostics, and surveillance for certification.
- Increased field staff and community involvement.
- Attracts international support.
Challenges of Elimination
- Resource-intensive: Requires strong health systems and investment.
- Risk of neglecting other health priorities.
- Needs careful planning and political support.
Effective Strategies
- Strong Surveillance:Capture every case, strengthen labs, ensure supplies.
- Regional Focus:Prioritize elimination in defined geographic areas (states, districts).
- Multisectoral Collaboration:Encourage innovation and local solutions.
- Regional Ownership:National/state governments oversee and support regional efforts.
The Way Forward in India
- Eliminate diseases progressively region-by-region.
- Leverage regional strengths for faster progress.
- National and state governments provide technical and material support.
- Monitor regional elimination progress.
Example:
- India has 40% of global lymphatic filariasis cases. Elimination may be achievable regionally.
Key Takeaway: Regional elimination is a stepping stone to national elimination and a powerful tool for improving public health.
Data Marketplaces: The Next Frontier for India’s Digital Economy
Question : What role does non-personal data (NPD) play in India’s digital economy, and how can it contribute to the country’s GDP growth by 2025?
Digitization & Data: A $5 Trillion Opportunity
- India’s digital transformation hinges on data and AI.
- NASSCOM report: data & AI can add $450-500 billion to GDP by 2025.
Citizen Data: Personal vs. Non-Personal
- Rapid digitization generates massive volumes of citizen data.
- Two main categories:
- Personal Data: Identifiable data (e.g., names, addresses).
- Non-Personal Data (NPD): Non-identifiable data.
Non-Personal Data (NPD): A Public Good
- NPD holds immense potential for public benefit.
- Integration of NPD can:
- Create synergies across government services.
- Enable data-driven solutions for social and economic issues.
- Improve decision-making in areas like:
- Weather forecasting
- Disaster management
- Infrastructure planning
- Mobility patterns
- Housing trends
- Employment trends
The Challenge: NPD Regulation
- Unlike personal data, NPD lacks a strong regulatory framework.
- Current efforts:
- Expert committee led by Kris Gopalakrishnan addressed NPD governance.
- Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) released the National Data Governance Framework Policy (NPD Framework).
- These initiatives lack enforceability.
- Vast NPD resources remain unregulated with limited guidance.
Data Marketplaces: A Solution
- Data exchanges are scalable ecosystems for data sharing.
- Benefits:
- Advanced analytics for better decision-making.
- Economies of scale.
- Digitization and automation of public services.
- Reduced administrative burden.
- Inter-sectoral collaboration.
- Safeguards for using/sharing NPD.
- More participatory citizen engagement.
Examples of Data Exchanges in India
- Telangana’s agriculture data exchange.
- India Urban Data Exchange by MoHUA and Indian Institute of Science.
- Department of Science & Technology’s planned data exchanges for National Geospatial Policy.
The Way Forward
- A critical evaluation of the NPD Framework is needed.
- Regulatory design for data exchanges is crucial.
- This will:
- Complement MeitY’s NPD governance efforts.
- Facilitate interoperable NPD sharing across sectors.
- Enable data-driven public welfare functions.
- India needs a blueprint for governing data exchanges.
- This aligns with the global conversation on data exchange regulation.
- It supports NPD governance efforts in India.
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