Current Affairs 20th June 2019
Important Current Affairs
Current Affairs 20th June 2019
Indian engineer wins Innovation for Sustainable Development Award
Indian engineer Nitesh Kumar Jangir whose low-cost neonatal breathing device saved the lives of new-born babies across small towns.
India won the 2019 Commonwealth Secretary-General's Innovation for Sustainable Development Award in London.
Nitesh Kumar Jangir created Saans as a breathing support device to avoid deaths of premature babies from respiratory distress syndrome due to a lack of immediate access to complex medical equipment.
He received his award in the People category alongside 14 other innovators from across the 53 member-countries of the Commonwealth.
The main aim is to ensure that babies don't lose their lives due to the lack of access to a piece of technology.
This device can be used anywhere to deliver crucial support to premature babies.
About CPAP Device
It is the world's first neonatal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device which can be used in multiple ways through direct source electricity including a vehicle's electrical supply, a rechargeable battery, compressed gas, or even manual air pumping.
It is of low cost and this award for use in similar conditions in regions like Africa.
The Commonwealth Innovation Awards receive a trophy, a certificate and 2,000 pounds in prize money.
The awards are divided with five thematic categories improving the lives of People; boosting prosperity; protecting the planet, promoting peace; and building partnerships for development.
WHO launched a new tool to handle AMR named "AWaRe"
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global campaign named "AWaRe" urging governments to adopt a tool to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), adverse events and costs.
It is developed by the WHO Essential Medicines List.
It is classified antibiotics into three groups - Access, Watch and Reserve.
The main aim to increase the proportion of global consumption of antibiotics in the Access group to at least 60% and to reduce the usage of the antibiotics from the Watch and Reserve groups.
The AWaRe campaign - 'AdoptAWaRe, Handle antibiotics with care'
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year. The day is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world. The theme for the 2019 World Refugee day is #StepWithRefugees — Take A Step on World Refugee Day. The theme expects communities, schools, businesses, faith groups and people from all walks of life should take big and small steps in solidarity with refugees.
A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
History:
The United Nations General Assembly decided that from 2000, 20 June would be celebrated as World Refugee Day. The General Assembly noted that 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
Prior to 2000, the African Refugee Day had been formally celebrated in several countries. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) had agreed to the decision of the UN to observe the International Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day on 20 June.