Current Affairs

1. GLOBAL BURDEN OF CANCER: WHO –

• On World Cancer Day (4th February), the World Health Organization (WHO)’s cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), released the latest estimates of the Global Burden of Cancer in 2022.
• In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths.
• The estimated number of people alive within 5 years following a cancer diagnosis was 53.5 million.
• About 1 in 5 people develop cancer in their lifetime.
• 10 types of cancer collectively comprised around two-thirds of new cases and deaths globally in 2022.
• Lung cancer was the most commonly occurring cancer worldwide with 2.5 million new cases accounting for 12.4% of the total new cases. Female breast cancer ranked second (2.3 million cases, 11.6%), followed by colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and stomach cancer.
• India reported 1,413,316 new cases in 2022 with a higher proportion of female patients — 691,178 men and 722,138 women. Breast cancer had the highest proportion in the country, with 192,020 new cases, accounting for 13.6% of all patients and over 26% in women.
• In India, breast cancer was followed by lip and oral cavity (143,759 new cases, 10.2%), cervix and uterine, lung, and oesophagal cancers.
• A recent study by WHO assessing the cancer burden in Asia, published in The Lancet Regional Health, found that India alone accounted for 32.9% of global deaths and 28.1% of new cases of lip and oral cavity cancer in 2019.
• As per the Lancet Global Health 2023, India accounted for 23% of deaths that occurred due to cervical cancer globally.
• In India, cervical cancer’s five-year survival rate was 51.7%. However, survival rates in India are lower compared to high-income countries such as the United States.

 

2. BLUE ECONOMY 2.0 –

• The recent presentation of the Interim Budget included a significant emphasis on advancing Blue Economy 2.0 through the introduction of a novel scheme focused on restoration, adaptation measures, coastal aquaculture, and mariculture, employing an integrated and multi-sectoral strategy.
• Blue economy refers to the sustainable use of marine resources for exploration, economic growth, improved livelihoods, and transport while preserving the health of marine and coastal ecosystems.
• In India, the blue economy encompasses a wide range of sectors, including shipping, tourism, fisheries, and offshore oil and gas exploration.
• This is reflected in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14), which calls to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
• India has a vast coastline of 7500 km, and its exclusive economic zones (EEZ) extend over 2.2 million square km. Also, India is home to 12 major ports, over 200 other ports, 30 shipyards and a comprehensive hub of diverse maritime service providers.
• Oceans cover three-quarters of the Earth’s surface, contain 97% of the Earth’s water, and represent 99% of the living area on the planet.
• The global ocean economy is currently valued at approximately USD 1.5 trillion annually, ranking it as the world’s seventh-largest economy. Projections indicate that it will double by 2030, reaching USD 3 trillion.
• The total value of ocean assets, also known as natural capital, has been estimated at USD 24 trillion.

 

3. RECENTLY, UNIFIED PAYMENTS INTERFACE (UPI) WAS FORMALLY LAUNCHED AT INDIA’S REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATION IN PARIS, FRANCE, AT THE ICONIC EIFFEL TOWER –

• This event marks a significant step towards globalizing UPI and promoting digital payments.
• Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016, UPI is an instant payment system that integrates multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application, simplifying various banking functions, fund transfers, and merchant payments.
• The partnership between NPCI’s subsidiary, NPCI International Payments (NIPL), and France’s Lyra Collect has led to an agreement to introduce UPI in France and Europe.