GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY INDEX 2021

• Recently, the Global Health Security (GHS) Index 2021 has been recently released.
• In India NITI Aayog releases its own health index

Important points:

• It is an assessment and benchmarking of health security and related capabilities across 195 countries.
• It has been developed in partnership by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins Center.
• NTI is a nonprofit global security organization focused on reducing nuclear and biological threats imperiling humanity.
• Johns Hopkins Center was created to recognize the crucial role of communication in public health.

The six categories are as follow:

1. Prevention: Prevention of the emergence or release of pathogens.
2. Detection and Reporting: Early detection and reporting for epidemics of potential international concern.
3. Rapid Response: Rapid response to and mitigation of the spread of an epidemic.
4. Health System: Sufficient and robust health system to treat the sick and protect health workers.
5. Compliance with International Norms: Commitments to improving national capacity, financing plans to address gaps, and adhering to global norms.
6. Risk Environment: Overall risk environment and country vulnerability to biological threats.

Ranking:

• India, with a score of 42.8 (out of 100) has slipped by 0.8 points since 2019.
• Three neighbouring countries of India like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives have improved their score by 1-1.2 points.
• The world’s overall performance on the GHS Index score slipped to 38.9 (out of 100) in 2021, from a score of 40.2 in the GHS Index, 2019.
• In 2021, no country scored in the top tier of rankings and no country scored above 75.9.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT