Notes:
Global Innovation Index 2023 was released recently by the World Intellectual Property Organization. India retains 40th rank in this index out of 132 economies.
India has been on a rising trajectory, over the past several years in the Global Innovation Index (GII), from a rank of 81 in 2015 to 40 in 2023.

Notes:
Andhra Pradesh emerged as the top state in terms of savings by self-help groups (SHGs), according to a report by NABARD.
Andhra Pradesh SHGs have accumulated savings of Rs 18,606 crore, while Telangana SHGs have saved Rs 5,156 crore. Telangana has a higher percentage of SHGs with outstanding loans (97%) compared to Andhra Pradesh (89%).

Notes:
A detailed discussion paper, titled “Ripple Effect Water Scarcity – The Hidden Threat to Global Security and Prosperity” was released recently by the UAE government.
It calls for a prompt and synchronized international reaction to the pressing challenge of worldwide water scarcity.

Notes:
“Biennial Report on Global Infrastructure Resilience: Capturing the Resilience Dividend” was released recently by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
According to this report, climate change could result in an anticipated annual global average loss (AAL) in infrastructure and building sectors ranging from $732 billion to $845 billion.

Notes:
A report titled ‘Mental Health of Refugees and Migrants: Risk and Protective Factors and Access to Care’ was released recently by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The global study of asylum seekers and refugee children indicates that behavioural disorders could have a higher prevalence among younger migrants, with younger age groups (6-14 years) experiencing notably more severe issues than their older counterparts (15-17 years).

Notes:
In the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023, India is ranked 111 out of 125 countries, indicating that its progress in combating hunger has stagnated since 2015. With a score of 28.7 in the 2023 Global Hunger Index, India has a level of hunger that is classified as ‘serious’.
Afghanistan, Haiti, and 12 sub-Saharan countries have fared worse than India on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023.

Notes:
On the occasion of World Food Day, which falls on October 16th, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) unveiled a report titled “The High Cost of Cheap Water.”
The recently published report warns that a growing global water crisis poses a threat to economic value, food security, and sustainability, with an estimated $58 trillion at risk.

Notes:
The first district-level study on hypertension in India has identified disparities in healthcare, emphasizing the need for a more targeted approach to address this condition.
It estimated that at least 4.6 million deaths in India can be prevented by 2040 if half of those with the condition manage to keep their blood pressure under control. According to a recent WHO report, 188.3 million people in India suffer from hypertension but only 37% get diagnosed, only 30% start treatment, and only 15% manage to keep their blood pressure under control.

Notes:
In 2021, climate adaptation funding from public multilateral entities (such as the World Bank) and bilateral sources (from developed to developing nations) experienced a 15% decrease, as revealed in the 2023 Adaptation Gap Report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
This decline occurred despite the commitments made at the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. These commitments aimed to double the support for adaptation finance from 2019 levels, targeting an annual sum of approximately $40 billion by 2025.

Notes:
The report, titled ‘Hunger Hotspots’ for the period between November 2023 and April 2024, was published recently.
The new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) indicates that acute food insecurity is expected to deteriorate in 18 hunger hotspots until April 2024. These hotspots encompass 22 countries or territories, including two regional clusters.