Page 16 - Insurance Times December 2022

Covid is still a global health emergency, warns WHO 500m could get heart dis-

The World Health Organization (WHO) has yet again warned that Covid-19 eases, diabetes by 2030,
is still a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in its high-
warns WHO
est alert level. The announcement came although the number of weekly
The World Health Organisation (WHO)
deaths is almost at its lowest level since the pandemic began. The WHO`s
says 500 million people globally may
International Health Regulations Emergency Committee said after its quar-
develop heart disease and diabetes
terly assessment meeting recently that despite a decline in severe cases of
between 2020 and 2030 due to inac-
Covid-19, and the falling number of weekly deaths, deaths from Covid-19
tivity.
nevertheless remain high compared with other respiratory viruses.
According to the WHO's global status
It also warned of Covid-19-related complications and post-Covid-19 condi-
report on physical activity 2022, pub-
tions, with the full impact of these still not completely understood. The out-
lished, data from 194 countries show
break could also evolve during the upcoming winter season in the Northern
that less than 50 percent of countries
Hemisphere, the committee said.
have a national physical activity policy,
Meanwhile, the current gaps in global surveillance of Covid-19 have hindered
of which less than 40 percent are op-
early identification and evaluation of the virus` evolution. With the virus ex-
erational.
pected to continue evolving, the committee said that the genetic and anti-
It added that although nearly all coun-
genic characteristics of future variants cannot yet be reliably predicted.
tries report a system for monitoring
Evolving variants may pose challenges to current vaccines and therapeu-
physical activity in adults, 75 percent
tics, the committee warned.
of countries monitor physical activity
The committee recommended that there should be three key priorities in
among adolescents, and less than 30
the future: strengthening surveillance and achieving vaccination targets for
percent monitor physical activity in
at risk-groups; continuing to increase access to affordable therapeutics; and
children under five years.
strengthening pandemic preparedness planning, while continuing to protect
"Almost 500 million people will develop
the most at-risk groups.
heart disease, obesity, diabetes or
other non-communicable diseases
Star Health insurance Rs. 170.49 crore for the same quarter
of the previous fiscal. (NCDs) attributable to physical inactiv-
posts Rs. 93 crore Q2 net ity, between 2020 and 2030, costing
After seven quarters of straight losses,
profit the company posted a net profit of Rs. US$ 27 billion annually, if governments
don't take urgent action to encourage
Star Health maintained its profitability 213.25 crore during the June quarter.
more physical activity among their
for the second quarter in a row. Star Gross written premium of the insurer,
populations," the report reads.
Health posted a net profit of Rs. 93 on a year-on-year basis, grew by 11 per
"In policy areas that could encourage
crore for the second quarter of the cent to Rs. 3,193 crore (Rs. 2,885
active and sustainable transport, only
current fiscal as against a net loss of crore) during Q2FY23.
14 December 2022 The Insurance Times