News in Shorts: 31 January 2025

Leprosy Transmission

Context: Central government approved a new three-drug regimen for Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases instead of a two-drug regimen for six months to stop transmission by 2027.

About Leprosy

• Caused by Mycobacterium leprae and mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves.
• Symptoms for diagnosis:
  • Pale or reddish skin patches with loss of sensation.
  • Thickened or enlarged nerves, leading to muscle weakness.
  • Microscopic detection of bacteria in skin smears.
• Types of Leprosy Cases:
  • Paucibacillary (PB) – Fewer bacteria, milder form.
  • Multibacillary (MB) – More bacteria, severe form.
• Transmission and Treatment
  • Spreads through droplets from the nose and mouth during close contact with untreated patients.
  • Curable with Multidrug Therapy (MDT).
• High-leprosy Prevalence States: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha. 
• India’s Global Leprosy Burden: India accounts for 52% of the world’s new leprosy cases.

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India’s Progress in Leprosy Elimination

• India achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in 2005.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) defines elimination as having fewer than 1 case per 10,000 people at the national level.
• Initiatives taken 
  • National Strategic Plan (NSP) and Roadmap (2023-27)
    • Launched on January 30, 2023, to eliminate transmission by 2027 (three years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal).
    • Key focus areas:
      • Raising awareness to eliminate stigma and discrimination.
      • Promoting early detection of cases.
      • Preventing transmission through post-exposure prophylaxis.
      • Implementing Nikusth 2.0, a web-based portal for leprosy case reporting.
  • National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) Initiatives
    • Focuses on early detection to prevent disabilities (Grade 2 Disabilities).
    • Provides free treatment for leprosy patients.

INSV Tarini crosses Point Nemo

Context: Recently, INSV Tarini successfully passed Point Nemo, the most remote location on Earth.

About INSV Tarini

• INSV Tarini is a 56-foot sailing vessel built by Aquarius Shipyard Ltd.
• It is named after the Tara Tarini temple.
• It was inducted into the Indian Navy on February 18, 2017.
• Features
  • INSV Tarini includes advanced features such as:
    • Satellite communication systems.
    • Raymarine navigation suite.
    • Monitor windvane for emergency steering.

INSV Tarini’s Journey So Far

• INSV Tarini left Lyttelton Port, New Zealand, in early January for its third leg.
  • This leg is the longest of the expedition, covering 5,600 nautical miles (10,400 km).
    • The expedition was flagged off from Goa on October 2, 2024. 

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About Point Nemo

• Point Nemo is an isolated area in the South Pacific Ocean, covering a space 34 times larger than France.
  • It is also known as the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility.
• Due to its remoteness and weak ocean currents, it has very few nutrients, making it difficult for marine life to thrive.
  • Larger and more developed marine species are almost absent in this region.
• The nearest humans to Point Nemo are not on boats but in the International Space Station (ISS), flying about 400 km above it.
  • Space agencies use Point Nemo as a “spacecraft graveyard”, where decommissioned satellites and space stations are directed to crash safely.

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