Recent Current Affairs related to Health

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) has released the 10th National Health Accounts (NHA) estimates for FY23. The Total Health Expenditure (THE) of India in FY23 is estimated at ₹8.81 lakh crore, which constitutes 3.37% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Government Health Expenditure (GHE) has increased from ₹1.3 lakh crore in FY14 to ₹3.85 lakh crore in FY23. The report was prepared by the National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat (NHATS) under the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC).

Bajaj General Insurance Ltd (BGIL) has launched a next-generation health indemnity insurance plan named ‘My Health Care Plan Edge+’ (MHCP EDGE+), offering comprehensive coverage ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹5 crore.

The MHCP EDGE+ is available for individuals from 3 months of age, featuring a policy tenure of up to 5 years, lifetime renewability, and flexible waiting period options.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, has conferred the Order of Mapungubwe, the highest civilian honour of the nation, on Indian-origin professors.

Salim Abdool Karim received the award under the Gold category, while Keertan Dheda was awarded under the Silver category. The honours were given recognising their exceptional contributions to the fields of medical science, epidemiology, and health policy.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has organised the largest biomedical innovation and technology transfer event of India, titled “Medical Innovations Patent Mitra: Innovators-to-Industry (I2I) Connect”, in New Delhi.

The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Prataprao Jadhav to launch a collaborative platform for the development and commercialisation of public health technologies.

During the event, a total of 41 public health technologies, including vaccines and diagnostics, were transferred to industry partners. The ICMR also transferred inactivated Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) and Chandipura virus biomaterials to support vaccine development and research.

International Nurses Day:

Day – May 12

Theme 2026 – “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives”

Commemorating – The birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale

The Karnataka government has launched India’s first integrated technology-driven monitoring portal to track ‘Not of Standard Quality’ (NSQ) medicines and regulate ‘Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances’ (NDPS) drugs.

This initiative aims to strengthen drug surveillance, enhance transparency, and ensure public safety.

Union Minister JP Nadda and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have launched the ‘SEHAT Mission’ (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation) in New Delhi. The mission is jointly launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW).

The initiative aims to connect agriculture, nutrition, and public health through scientific collaboration to build a framework for ‘Healthy Food, Healthy Farms and a Healthy India’.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has signed MoUs with the State Pharmacy Councils of Bihar, Maharashtra, and Mizoram to strengthen medicine safety, promote rational drug use, and enhance pharmacovigilance activities across India.

World Hand Hygiene Day:

Day – May 05

Theme 2026 – “Action saves lives – Safer care starts with clean hands”

Observed by – WHO

India has partnered with Japan to strengthen bilateral cooperation in health research and quantum technology. A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to collaborate on biomedical research and medical devices.

Additionally, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed between the Cabinet Office of Japan and the DST for cooperation in the field of Quantum Science and Technology.

Union Minister S Jaishankar visited Jamaica, marking the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) to the country. During the visit, he held delegation-level talks with Andrew Michael Holness, the Prime Minister of Jamaica. India and Jamaica signed 3 MoUs to enhance cooperation in health, broadcasting, and the solarisation of the Hugh Lawson Shearer Building.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has inaugurated the “Nationwide Annual Health Check-Up Initiative” at the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College & Hospital in Basaidarapur, New Delhi.

The initiative provides free annual health screenings for industrial workers aged 40 years and above at ESIC hospitals across India.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has launched the “Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) 2.0 Guidelines” under the National Health Mission (NHM). The guidelines were released during the 10th edition of the “National Summit on Good Practices and Innovations in Public Healthcare Service Delivery” in Chandigarh.

The revised framework expands the national child health screening and early intervention programme for children from birth to 18 years. RBSK 2.0 enhances the “4Ds” model—comprising Defects at Birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental Delays—by integrating screening for mental health conditions and behavioural disorders.

Nagaland government has launched the ‘100 Days Ayushman Student Coverage Mission’ to expand health insurance and healthcare access for students in the state. The mission is an extension of the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS).

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has released the “Guidance Document on Diabetes Mellitus in Children” during the National Summit on Best Practices in Public Healthcare Service Delivery held in Chandigarh.

This is the first structured and standardized national framework in India for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of diabetes in children. The framework introduces the “4Ts awareness framework” (Toilet, Thirsty, Tired, and Thinner) to promote the early detection of Type 1 Diabetes among children.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has launched the “Swasth Bharat Portal” during the 10th edition of the “National Summit on Innovation and Inclusivity: Best Practices Shaping India’s Health Future” held in Chandigarh.

The portal aims to integrate fragmented health programme systems into a unified digital platform to streamline healthcare data management.

Ayushman Bharat Diwas:

Day – April 30

Observed by – Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW)

World Day for Safety and Health at Work:

Day – April 28

Theme 2026 – “Let’s ensure a healthy psychosocial working

environment”

Observed by – International Labour Organization (ILO)

Observed since – 2003

IndiaAI, a flagship initiative of the Government of India (GoI), has signed an MoU with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to enhance healthcare outcomes through the responsible and scalable application of AI.

The collaborative framework is built on three primary pillars: the ‘AIKosh’ dataset platform, compute access, and the development of collaborative AI use cases.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the “Journey of Antenatal, Natal, and Neonatal Integrated Care” (JANANI) platform during the National Summit on Best Practices. The platform, which aims to strengthen maternal and child healthcare in India, is an upgraded version of the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal.

To date, the platform has recorded 1.34 crore beneficiary registrations and over 30 lakh registrations of pregnant women. It has also generated more than 30 lakh Maternal and Child Health (MCH) cards and completed over 1 lakh biometric verifications.