Diseases – Zoonotic, Hereditary, Protozoan, Viral &

Bacterial
lotusarise.com/diseases-upsc/

Health is described as the state of complete physical, mental, and social well being.
Being healthy is far more than just being free from diseases.

The disease is a condition of disturbed functioning of the body caused by infection,

defective diet, heredity, environment, or deprived condition of the brain. Health is a state
of complete physical, mental, and social well being.

The disease may be a response to –

Environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate)

Specific infective agents (as worms, protozoans, fungi, etc)
Inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies.)
Combination of these factors

Causes of Diseases/Disease Agents

A disease agent is an organism, substance, or force which causes disease due to its
excessive presence, deficiency, or absence.

Pathogens/Biological Agents: They are biological entities which cause infectious

diseases, e.g., viruses (mumps, chickenpox, smallpox), mycoplasma (e.g,
bronchitis, acute leukemia), chlamydia (e.g, trachoma), bacteria (e.g. cholera,
tetanus), fungi (ringworm, thrush, moniliasis, pulmonary aspergillosis), protozoa
(e.g. giardiasis, sleeping sickness), helminths (e.g., filariasis, ascariasis, taeniasis),
other organisms (e.g., scabies).
Nutrient Agents: Deficiency of vitamins (e.g., beriberi, scurvy, night blindness),
minerals (e.g., anaemmia, rickets), carbohydrates, fat, and proteins (e.g.,
kwashiorkar, marasmus), or excess of food (e.g., obesity).
Chemical Agents: Endogenous Agents– Excess presence of uric acid, reduced
secretion of ADH (diabetes insipidus) or insulin (diabetes mellitus). Exogenous
Agents- Pollutants (e.g., pneumoconiosis), allergens (allergy).
Physical Agents: Heat (e.g., stroke), cold (frostbite), radiations, sound (impaired
hearing), humidity, etc.
Mechanical Agents: Fractures, sprains, dislocation, injury, chronic friction.
Genetic Agents: Excess or deficiency of chromosomes, mutations, harmful alleles,
e.g, colour blindness, albinism, haemophilia, Turner’s syndrome.

Types of Disease

Hereditary diseases

1/19
Hereditary diseases are disorders or diseases that are inherited genetically. They are also
known as genetic disorders or inherited diseases and may be passed on within the
family if there is a mutant gene present.

They are further divided into –

Autosomal Dominant

Only one mutated copy of the gene will be necessary for a person to be affected by
an autosomal dominant disorder. Each affected person usually has one affected parent.
The chance a child will inherit the mutated gene is 50%.

Huntington’s disease (HD)

Also known as Huntington’s chorea is an inherited disorder that results in the death of
brain cells.

Down syndrome

Down syndrome is also known as Trisomy 21 and it is caused by the inheritance of an

extra chromosome 21. This condition causes a delay in the mental and physical
development of a child. This genetic disorder is rare and may be detected before a child
is born.

Hereditary Spherocytosis

This genetic disorder is featured by abnormal red blood cells that may lead to
hemolytic anemia and enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly).

Note– Other autosomal dominant diseases include Jackson Weiss Syndrome and
galactosemia.

2/19
Autosomal Recessive Diseases

These genetic disorders are passed when both of the parents carry a defective gene.
The following are some of them.

Tay – Sachs Disease

Tay – Sachs disease is a disorder of the nervous system that impairs motor skills. The
affected child experiences symptoms such as delayed growth, dementia, irritability,
and even paralysis.

Polycystic Kidney Disease

This genetic disorder is very rare and it is featured by the number of cysts formed on
the
kidneys can lead to kidney failure.

Usher Syndrome
Usher syndrome is categorized into three major types as types I, II, and III.

Type I is characterized by hearing loss or deafness that may be present from birth.
Type II means that the affected person is born deaf but may lose vision during
adolescence.
Finally, type III manifests with hearing and vision loss that occurs when a person is 10
years old.

Hereditary Fructose Intolerance

This hereditary disease causes the absence of enzyme aldolase B in a person, which
is required for metabolizing fructose. Symptoms of hereditary fructose intolerance
include severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and aversion to sweet foods.

Sickle Cell Anemia

It is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person’s parents. It results in an
abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin (hemoglobin S) found in red
blood cells.

Note– Other autosomal recessive diseases include: albinism, cystic fibrosis and
phenylketonuria.

Sex-Linked or Gender linked Diseases

Gender-linked disorders occur due to errors in the X or Y chromosome. They include

the following.

Color Blindness
This condition causes eye nerve damage and the affected person can’t differentiate
between colors.

Hemophilia

3/19
The word hemophilia derives from two Greek words: haima, meaning blood, and
philia, meaning affection.

Hemophilia is a hereditary condition. This means that it is passed on from mother to

child at the time of conception.

This disorder causes the inability of the blood to coagulate. This condition affects only
males.

Muscular Dystrophy
It is a muscle disorder that causes weakness of the skeletal muscles, degeneration
of the muscles, and defective muscle proteins.

Polygenic Disorders
These genetic disorders are caused by multiple genes and may not be completely
inherited but represent a risk factor for certain diseases such as diabetes, heart
disease, obesity, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.

Bacterial Diseases
Bacterial diseases include any type of illness caused by bacteria. Bacteria are a type
of microorganism, which are tiny forms of life that can only be seen with a microscope.
Other types of microorganisms include viruses, some fungi, and some parasites.

Examples are

Diphtheria
Anthrax
Pneumonia
Leprosy
Tuberculosis
Plague– Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacterium
usually found in small mammals and their fleas.
Meningitis– Meningitis — an infection of the tissues that cover and protect the
brain and spinal cord — can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi.
Cholera
Tetanus
Typhoid fever
Lyme disease
Whooping cough
Gonorrhea – It is a sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by the gonococcus,
Neisseria gonorrhoeae—a bacterium.

4/19
 Syphilis – a systemic disease that is caused by the spirochete bacterium,
Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is usually a sexually transmitted disease, but it is
occasionally acquired by direct nonsexual contact with an infected person, and it
can also be acquired by an unborn fetus through infection in the mother.

Viral Diseases
A viral disease is any illness or health condition caused by a virus.

Virus – A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells
of other organisms. They’re made up of a piece of genetic material, such as DNA or
RNA, that’s enclosed in a coat of protein.

Viruses invade cells in your body and use components of those cells to help them
multiply. This process often damages or destroys infected cells.

Examples are

Influenza-Flu by influenza virus

Common Cold- Rhinovirus
Hepatitis A– Liver
Norovirus-Gastro-intestinal illness
Rotavirus– Diarrhea
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Hepatitis B– Inflammation in the liver
HIV
Measles
Rabies
Smallpox
Polio
Rubella
Chickenpox
Japanese Encephalitis
Zika Viral Fever
Yellow Fever
MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome)
SARS – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Protozoan Diseases
Protozoan infections are parasitic diseases caused by organisms formerly classified
in the Kingdom Protozoa.

5/19
Protozoal disease, a disease caused by protozoans. These organisms may remain in
the human host for their entire life cycle, but many carry out part of their reproductive
cycle in insects or other hosts. For example, mosquitoes are vectors of plasmodium,
the cause of malaria.

They are usually contracted by either an insect vector or by contact with an infected
substance or surface and include organisms that are now classified in the
supergroups Excavata, Amoebozoa, SAR, and Archaeplastida.

Examples –

Malaria
Amoebiasis
Trichomoniasis
African Sleeping sickness or Trypanosomiasis
Leishmaniasis or Kala-azar
Giardiasis
Balantidiasis
Toxoplasmosis

6/19
Name of the Vector Pathogenesis
Disease

Malaria Female The parasite attacks the liver and RBCs. It

Anopheles multiplies within liver cells, enters the
mosquito bloodstream and ruptures RBCs. It releases a
toxic substance called ‘hemozoin’, which causes
fever. The sporozoite is the infectious stage

Amoebiasis or None. Invades intestinal mucosa and spreads to other

Amoebic It gets parts like liver. Causes dysentery and liver
dysentery transmitted by abscesses.The infected stage is trophozoites
contaminated
food or water

African Sleeping Tsetse fly B-lymphocyte proliferation leading to tissue

sickness or damage
Trypanosomiasis

Trichomoniasis Sexually Destroys epithelial cells and cytotoxic substances

transmitted are released. Vaginal pH increases and the
disease (STD) number of leukocytes also increases in response
to the toxic substance released by the pathogen

Toxoplasmosis Transmission Sporozoites penetrate the intestinal cells and

by multiply in the intestine. It invades the lymphatic
contaminated system and blood and damages the tissue
water and soil leading to necrosis
or get attached
to fur of animals

Balantidiasis Pigs Excystation occurs in the small intestine.

Sporozoites migrate to the colon

Giardiasis None. Mucosal damage is related to the mucosal

It gets inflammation and release of lectin or proteinases.
transmitted by Malabsorption may also be due to inhibition of
contaminated pancreatic enzymes and depletion of bile
food or water concentration

Leishmaniasis or Female The flagellated promastigotes of the parasite bind

Kala-azar Sandflies (of to macrophages present in the skin. There is
the genus marked suppression of cell-mediated immunity
Phlebotomus)

Zoonotic Diseases

Zoonotic Diseases are diseases that can be passed between animals and humans.
Viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi can cause zoonotic diseases.

Examples –

7/19
 Chikungunya
Malaria
Yellow Fever
Zika Virus Disease
Dengue Fever
Ebola
Hepatitis E
Rabies
Japanese Encephalitis
Filariasis
Lyme disease
Babesiosis
Ehrlichiosis
Ringworm
Swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus – caused by type A influenza virus.
West Nile virus – causes a viral infection that is typically spread by mosquitoes
and can cause neurological disease as well as death.

Neglected tropical diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections that are
especially common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia,
and the Americas.

They are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and
helminths.

Examples –

Buruli Ulcer
Rabies
Dengue
Chikungunya
Leprosy (Hansen’s disease)
Lymphatic Filariasis
Yaws
Trachoma
Schistosomiasis

Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce
enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

8/19
Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar.

Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes

and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the
nerves and blood vessels.

Note- Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by inherited and/or acquired

deficiency in the production of insulin by the pancreas, or by the ineffectiveness of the
insulin produced. Such a deficiency results in increased concentrations of glucose in the
blood, which in turn damage many of the body’s systems, in particular the blood vessels
and nerves.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent, juvenile, or childhood-

onset) is characterized by deficient insulin production and requires daily
administration of insulin. The cause of type 1 diabetes is not known and it is not
preventable with current knowledge.
Symptoms include excessive excretion of urine (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia),
constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes, and fatigue. These symptoms may
occur suddenly.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent, or adult-onset) results from

the body’s ineffective use of insulin. Type 2 diabetes comprises the majority of
people with diabetes around the world and is largely the result of excess body
weight and physical inactivity.
Symptoms may be similar to those of type 1 diabetes but are often less marked. As
a result, the disease may be diagnosed several years after onset, once
complications have already arisen.

National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey

The survey conducted during 2015-2019 by Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic
Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

The prevalence of diabetes in India has been recorded at 11.8% in the last four
years with almost the same percentage of men and women suffering from the
disease.
The highest prevalence of diabetes (13.2%) was observed in the 70-79 years’ age
group. Males showed a prevalence of diabetes (12%) compared to females (11.7%).
The prevalence of any form of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the diabetic population
aged up to 50 years was found to be 16.9%.
Prevalence of blindness among diabetics was 2.1% and visual impairment was
13.7%.
Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy have been emerging as a significant
noncommunicable disease leading to ocular morbidity (blindness).

9/19
 It is estimated that diabetic retinopathy was responsible for 1.06% of blindness and
1.16% of visual impairment globally in 2015.
Scientists have recently demonstrated the role of a protein secretagogin (SCGN) in
increasing insulin action in obesity-induced diabetes.
SCGN is now established as a functional insulin-binding protein with therapeutic
potential against diabetes.
SCGN binds to insulin and protects it from various stresses, increases its stability,
and adds to its action.
SCGN is found in lower quantities in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus (WNV) can cause neurological disease and death in people.
WNV is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and
West Asia.
WNV is maintained in nature in a cycle involving transmission between birds and
mosquitoes. Humans, horses, and other mammals can be infected.
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the
Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae. Birds are the
natural hosts of the West Nile virus.

Leishmaniasis
Historically known as “Aleppo boil,” this parasitic infection has recently, as the
name suggests, become a problem among Syrian refugees.
Producing disfiguring skin ulcerations, and occasionally spreading to internal organs
with fatal consequences, the increase of cases turning up in Europe among
migrants has made it the subject of considerable media interest.
Leishmaniasis is spread by the bite of the sandfly, however, which means it has
a northern limit to its range.

Tuberculosis (TB)
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most
often affect the lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable.
TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB
cough, sneeze, or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to
inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.
People living with HIV are 20 to 30 times more likely to develop active TB disease
than people without HIV.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do

not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs.

MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs. However, second-line

treatment options are limited and require extensive chemotherapy (up to 2 years of
treatment) with medicines that are expensive and toxic.

10/19
 Bedaquiline is used in combination with other TB drugs to treat pulmonary TB in
adults when they have multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).
Delamanid is given to adults with TB that is affecting the lungs, and which is
multidrug-resistant.

DOTS is currently the WHO-recommended strategy for TB control. DOTS must be used
throughout the entire course of therapy for the best cure rates. The core intervention
involves a health worker who observes the patient when s/he is swallowing each dose of
anti-TB medication. DOTS also involves the regular collection of sputum specimens until
two consecutive samples test negative for AFB.

NIKSHAY– A web-based solution for monitoring of TB patients to monitor the

Revised National Tuberculosis Programme (RNTCP) effectively, a web-enabled and
case-based monitoring application called NIKSHAY has been developed by
National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Global Tuberculosis Report

World Health Organization released its annual Global Tuberculosis Report for 2019.
WHO has published a global TB report every year since 1997.
The main aim of the report is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date
assessment of the TB epidemic, and of progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and
treatment of the disease, at global, regional, and country levels.

Key findings of 2019 report:

The END TB strategy by the WHO aimed to reduce TB by 20 percent from 2015-18.
However, between 2015 and 2018, only 6.3 percent of TB cases showed a
cumulative decline.
In 2019, the low- and middle-income countries, accounting for 97 percent of
reported TB cases, received global funding of $6.8 billion. This amount is $3.3
billion less than the $10.1 billion estimated to be required in the Stop TB
Partnership’s Global Plan to End TB 2018–2022.
Of the 10 million new cases worldwide, 3 million cases went unreported to the
authorities. In India, 1.99 million of the 2.69 million in India were reported.
26.9 percent of the global TB burden in 2018 was from India.
Key five risk factors attributable to new cases of TB: undernourishment, smoking
(especially among men), alcohol abuse, HIV infection, and diabetes.

Global Fund for AIDS, TB, and Malaria:

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (the Global Fund or
GFATM) is a private-public partnership aimed at leveraging and providing funding
for the three focal diseases outlined in its title.
Set up in 2002, the fund was part of a new ‘breed’ of players in the field of global
health, combining skills from bilateral and multilateral agencies with the private
sector and civil society.

11/19
 Highly innovative in its structure and funding model, the Global Fund’s secretariat in
Geneva provides grants directly to one or more organizations – not just
governments – in recipient countries.
India has recently announced a contribution of $22 million to the Global Fund for
AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFTAM) for the 6th replenishment cycle (2020-22).
India shares a sustained partnership with the Global Fund since 2002 both as a
recipient and as a donor.
In the current funding cycle (2018-21), the Global Fund has allocated US$ 500
million to India. As a donor, India has contributed US$ 46.5 million so far till 2019
including US$ 20 million for the 5th Replenishment.

Leprosy

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused

by Mycobacterium leprae.
The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces
of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes.
Leprosy is known to occur at all ages ranging from early infancy to very old age.
Leprosy is curable and early treatment averts most disabilities.
Leprosy is curable with a combination of drugs known as multidrug therapy (MDT),
as the treatment of leprosy with only one antileprosy drug (monotherapy) will result
in the development of drug resistance to that drug.
The combination of drugs used in the MDT depends on the classification of the
disease. Rifampicin, the most important antileprosy medicine, is included in the
treatment of both types of leprosy.
For the treatment of patients with multibacillary leprosy, WHO recommends a
combination of rifampicin, clofazimine, and dapsone; for patients with paucibacillary
leprosy, MDT uses a combination of rifampicin and dapsone.

Decoding Blood group Concepts

Blood is a special connective tissue consisting of a fluid matrix, plasma, and formed
elements (Erythrocytes, leucocytes, and platelets).

Erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBC) are the most abundant of all the cells in the
blood. A healthy adult man has, on average, 5 million to 5.5 million RBCs mm-3 of blood.
RBCs are formed in the red bone marrow in adults. RBCs are devoid of the nucleus
in most mammals and are biconcave in shape. They have a red coloured, iron-
containing complex protein called hemoglobin, hence the colour and name of these
cells.

Leucocytes are also known as white blood cells (WBC) as they are colorless due to
the lack of hemoglobin. They are nucleated and are relatively lesser in number
which averages 6000- 8000 mm-3 of blood.

12/19
Leucocytes are generally short-lived. We have two main categories of WBCs –
granulocytes and agranulocytes. Neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils are different
types of granulocytes, while lymphocytes and monocytes are agranulocytes.

The main function of platelets is to contribute to hemostasis: the process of

stopping bleeding at the site of interrupted endothelium. They gather at the site and
unless the interruption is physically too large, they plug the hole.

Blood

Blood accounts for 7% of body weight.

An average adult has a blood volume of roughly 5 litres.
Blood cell- RBC-45%, Plasma- 54.3% and WBC-0.7%

Note– Plasma, which is 92 percent water, constitutes 55 percent of blood volume.

Plasma contains albumin (the chief protein constituent), fibrinogen (responsible, in
part, for the clotting of blood), and globulins (including antibodies).

Antigens –
Antigens also called Immunogens, any substance that stimulates the immune
system to produce antibodies.
Antigens can be bacteria, viruses, or fungi that cause infection and disease.
Antigens are usually lipids, However, they can also be proteins, carbohydrates, and
nucleic acids.
They can also be substances, called allergens that bring on an allergic reaction.
Common allergens include dust, pollen, animal dander, bee stings, or certain foods.
Blood transfusions containing antigens incompatible with those in the body’s own
blood will stimulate the production of antibodies, which can cause serious,
potentially life-threatening reactions.
Antigens have origins outside the body

Antibodies –
Antibodies, also called immunoglobulins, are proteins manufactured by the
body that help fight against foreign substances called antigens.
When an antigen enters the body, it stimulates the immune system to produce
antibodies.
The immune system is the body’s natural defense system.
The antibodies attach, or bind themselves to the antigen and inactivate it.
Antibodies always originate within the body

ABO Blood Group

There are four principal types: A, B, AB, and O.

13/19
There are two antigens and two antibodies that are mostly responsible for the ABO
types. The specific combination of these four components determines an individual’s type
in most cases. The table below shows the possible permutations of antigens and
antibodies with the corresponding ABO type (“yes” indicates the presence of a
component and “no” indicates its absence in the blood of an individual).

ABO Blood Type Antigen A Antigen B Antibody Anti-A Antibody Anti-B

A yes no no yes

B no yes yes no

O no no yes yes

AB yes yes no no

For example, people with type A blood will have the A antigen on the surface of their
red cells (as shown in the table below). As a result, anti-A antibodies will not be
produced by them because they would cause the destruction of their own blood.

However, if B type blood is injected into their systems, anti-B antibodies in their plasma
will recognize it as alien and burst or agglutinate the introduced red cells in order to
cleanse the blood of alien protein.

14/19
 ABO Blood Type Antigen A Antigen B Antibody Anti-A Antibody Anti-B

A yes no no yes

B no yes yes no

O no no yes yes

AB yes yes no no

Individuals with type O blood do not produce ABO antigens.

Therefore, their blood normally will not be rejected when it is given to others
with different ABO types.
As a result, type O people are universal donors for transfusions, but they can
receive only type O blood themselves.

Those who have type AB blood do not make any ABO antibodies.

Their blood does not discriminate against any other ABO type.
Consequently, they are universal receivers for transfusions, but their blood will
be agglutinated when given to people with every other type because they produce
both kinds of antigens.

ABO Blood Type Antigen A Antigen B Antibody Anti-A Antibody Anti-B

A yes no no yes

B no yes yes no

O no no yes yes

AB yes yes no no

It is easy and inexpensive to determine an individual’s ABO type from a few drops of
blood. A serum containing anti-A antibodies is mixed with some of the blood. Another
serum with anti-B antibodies is mixed with the remaining sample.

Whether or not agglutination occurs in either sample indicates the ABO type.

It is a simple process of elimination of the possibilities. For instance, if an individual’s

blood sample is agglutinated by the anti-A antibody, but not the anti-B antibody, it
means that the A antigen is present but not the B antigen. Therefore, the blood type
is A.

Rh Blood Group System

In addition to the ABO blood grouping system, the other prominent one is the Rh blood
group system. About two-thirds of the population contains the third antigen on the
surface of their red blood cells known as Rh factor or Rh antigen; this decides
whether the blood group is positive or negative.

15/19
 If the Rh factor is present, an individual is rhesus positive (Rh+ve);
if the Rh factor is absent individual is rhesus negative (Rh-ve) as they produce Rh
antibodies.

Note:-

If you have to type A blood, you can only receive types A and O blood.
If you have type B blood, you can only receive types B and O blood.
If you have type AB blood, you can receive types A, B, AB, and O blood.
If you have type O blood, you can only receive type O blood.
If you are Rh+, you can receive Rh+ or Rh- blood.
If you are Rh-, you can only receive Rh- blood.
Type O blood can be given to anyone with any blood type. That is why people with
type O blood are called universal blood donors.

World Diabetes Day: is celebrated on 14 November every year. It was created in 1991
by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO)
in response to growing concerns about the increasing health threat posed by diabetes.

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day: Each year, World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed on
March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic
consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The date
marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the
bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this
disease.

World Pneumonia Day: Established in 2009, World Pneumonia Day is marked every
year on November 12th. Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in children
under five years old despite being easily preventable and treatable.

16/19
World AIDS Day: World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 each year globally. The
day is observed to raise awareness among people towards the problem of AIDS and HIV,
a disease that affects the immune system of the body.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush

Mission Indradhanush

To strengthen and re-energize the program and achieve full immunization coverage
for all children and pregnant women at a rapid pace, the Government of India
launched “Mission indradhanush” in December 2014.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0

To boost the routine immunization coverage in the country, the Government of India
has introduced Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 to ensure reaching the
unreached with all available vaccines and accelerate the coverage of children and
pregnant women in the identified districts and blocks from December 2019- March 2020.

With the launch of Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0, India has the
opportunity to achieve further reductions in deaths among children under five
years of age, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending
preventable child deaths by 2030.
Several ministries, including the Ministry of Women and Child Development,
Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Youth Affairs, and
others have come together to make the mission a resounding success and support
the central government in ensuring the benefits of vaccines reach the last mile.
The IMI 2.0 portal was launched, which has been designed to capture information
on the block-wise target of children and pregnant women to be vaccinated during
the IMI drive and also the coverage data during the rounds of activity.
As of Oct 2019, Mission Indradhanush and related programs have successfully
reached out to and vaccinated 3.39 crore children and 87.2 Lakh pregnant women
in India.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0

Objective: To reach the unreached population with all the available vaccines under
the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) and thereby accelerate the full
immunization and complete immunization coverage of children and pregnant
women.
Coverage:
It will have two rounds this year which will be conducted in 250 pre-identified
districts/urban areas across 29 States/UTs.
The districts have been classified to reflect 313 low-risk, 152 medium-
risk, and 250 high-risk districts.
Beneficiaries from migration areas and remote areas would be targeted as
they may have missed their vaccine doses during the pandemic.

17/19
 Significance: It will foster India’s march towards the Sustainable Development
Goals.
Diseases Covered:
Provides vaccination against 12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD) i.e.
diphtheria, Whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, hepatitis B,
meningitis and pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza type B infections,
Japanese encephalitis (JE), rotavirus vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine (PCV), and measles-rubella (MR).
However, Vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus
influenzae type B is being provided in selected districts of the country.

Alzheimer’s Disease

It is a progressive brain disorder that typically affects people older than 65. It
destroys brain cells and nerves and disrupts the message-carrying
neurotransmitters.
When it affects younger individuals, it is considered early onset.
Eventually, a person with Alzheimer’s loses the ability to perform day-to-day
activities.
Symptoms include memory loss, difficulty in completing familiar tasks, confusion
with time or place, problems in speaking and writing, decreased or poor
judgment, and changes in mood and personality.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s because its exact causes are not known. Most
drugs being developed try to slow down or stop the progression of the disease.

Parkinson’s Disease

18/19
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects
the central nervous system.
It damages nerve cells in the brain dropping the levels of dopamine. Dopamine is
a chemical that sends behavioral signals from the brain to the body.
The disease causes a variety of “motor” symptoms (symptoms related to the
movement of the muscles), including rigidity, delayed movement, poor balance, and
tremors.
Medication can help control the symptoms of the disease but it can’t be cured.
It affects the age group from 6 to 60 years. Worldwide, about 10 million
people have been affected by this disease.

19/19