The Hindu Editorial : Saving Lives

Title: Saving Lives

(It needs political will for India to bring down its shamefully high newborn mortality rate)

Report released name = “Every Child Alive”

Report released by = United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef)

India's neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) was found to be 25.4, making it the 12th worst among 52 ‘lower-middle-income countries’ that pose risk for newborns.

What is neonatal mortality rate?

It is the number of deaths during the first 28 days of life per 1000 live births.

ü Report is a shame and hope for India.

ü Shame : India is behind poorer countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Rwanda.

ü Hope : The ranking shows that financial resources are not the biggest constraint in improving this health indicator; political will is.

ü India saw the 31st highest newborn-mortality rate, at 25.4 deaths per 1000 in 2016, while Pakistan had the highest.

ü Coming in after 30 countries is no comfort, however, because a small mortality rate can translate to numerous deaths when the birth-rate is high.

ü This means India lost 640,000 babies in 2016, more than any other country.

ü The report points out that the most powerful solutions are not necessarily the most expensive.

ü The 10 critical products that hospitals must stock to save newborns include a piece of cloth to keep a baby warm and close to the mother to encourage breastfeeding. The list also includes antibiotics and disinfectants, the use of which can stave off killers like sepsis and meningitis.

ü But other solutions will need greater investment. The biggest cause of death is premature birth, while the second is complications like asphyxia during delivery.

ü Preventing these would mean paying attention to the mother’s health during pregnancy and ensuring she delivers in a hospital attended by trained doctors or midwives.

Title :- Planning For Electric Mobility

ü (Transitioning to an electric vehicle-based regime will be difficult, but well worth it.)

ü In October 2017, the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, published by the peer-reviewed Lancet medical journals, attributed to air pollution an estimated 6.5 million premature deaths globally, with 1.1 million being from India.

ü In 2014, the World Health Organisation’s urban air quality database had found four Indian cities to be among the world’s 10 most polluted. The database also placed 10 Indian cities in the 20 worst list.

ü There are multiple reasons for India’s deteriorating air quality. In urban India, emissions from motor vehicles are among the prime reasons.

ü Piyush Goyal, then Union Minister for Power, said that from 2030, India would completely shift to using electric vehicles (EVs).

ü While transitioning from an internal combustion engine (ICE)-based regime to an EV-based one is expected to be a painful process.

ü India needs to address five fundamental issues immediately.

ü There are multiple reasons for India’s deteriorating air quality. In urban India, emissions from motor vehicles are among the prime reasons.

ü Piyush Goyal, then Union Minister for Power, said that from 2030, India would completely shift to using electric vehicles (EVs).

ü While transitioning from an internal combustion engine (ICE)-based regime to an EV-based one is expected to be a painful process.

ü India needs to address five fundamental issues immediately.

ü The fourth is about charging infrastructure. EV charging is more than just using electricity.

ü The absence of a standard global infrastructure is a major deterrent for EV penetration in India, as creating infrastructure can be cost-intensive.

ü The final point is about jobs and the economic impact. India is the world’s fourth largest fifth auto market, where over 25 million motor vehicles are produced. The sector is estimated to provide direct and indirect employment to about three crore people and accounts for 7.1% of the nation’s GDP.

Conclusion:-

ü EVs have the potential to disrupt the mobility ecosystem, and, if implemented well, could have a positive impact on the economy as well as the urban environment. India, however, needs a road map, with timelines, processes, well-researched impact studies, bold initiatives and robust investments in technological research to turn its EV dream into reality.

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