Context: Every year on April 14th, World Chagas Disease Day is observed to raise awareness about a life-threatening illness that can cause severe heart and digestive problems.

World Chagas Disease Day

• World Chagas Disease Day is observed every year on April 14 to raise awareness about Chagas Disease. 

• This date was chosen to commemorate the discovery of the first human case of Chagas disease, which was diagnosed by Brazilian doctor and researcher Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas on April 14, 1909. 

• The theme for World Chagas Disease Day 2023 was “Time to integrate Chagas disease into primary health care,” reflecting the importance of early detection and treatment of this disease.

About Chagas Disease

• It is also called American trypanosomiasis and is a communicable parasitic disease.

• It is caused by the parasite protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi.

• The disease is named after physician Carlos Chagas who first detected it in a Brazillian child in 1909.

Symptoms

• Fever, headaches, rashes and inflammatory nodules, nausea or diarrhoea and muscle or abdominal pain.

• A majority of the patients (70-80 per cent) show an asymptomatic clinical course throughout their lives, making early detection challenging.

Transmission of the disease

• The parasites are mainly transmitted by a family of bugs called ‘triatomines’, also known as the ‘kissing bug’.

• An individual can also contract this disease through congenital transmission (pregnant woman to their baby), blood transfusions, organ transplantation, consumption of uncooked food contaminated with the faecal matter of infected bugs or even accidental laboratory exposure.

• The disease cannot propagate by casual contact with infected humans or animals. 

• Geographical spread: The disease remains most prevalent in Latin America. The most important vectors are found in the rural parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, and Central America. 

Treatment

• There are currently no vaccines available for Chagas disease.

• The disease can be treated with antiparasitic medicines Benznidazole and Nifurtimox.

Context: The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has issued a series of notices warning retail investors about entities involved in ‘dabba trading’.

• The NSE cautioned investors not to subscribe or invest using these products offering indicative, assured or guaranteed returns in the stock market as they are prohibited by law.

• The entities involved in dabba trading are not recognized as authorized members by the exchange.

What is Dabba Trading?

• Dabba (Box) trading refers to informal trading that takes place outside the purview of the stock exchanges.

• It involves betting on stock price movements without incurring a real transaction to take physical ownership of a particular stock as is done in an exchange.

• In simple words, it is gambling centred around stock price movements.

How does it work?

• In dabba trading, investors place bets on stock price movements at a certain price point.

• If the price point rises, they make a gain, and if it falls, they have to pay the difference to the dabba broker.

• The broker’s profit from the investor’s loss, and vice versa.

• Transactions are facilitated using cash and unrecognised software terminals or informal records, which helps traders stay outside the regulatory mechanism.

What are the problems with dabba trading?

• Since dabba traders do not maintain proper records of income or gain, they are able to escape taxation, which results in a loss to the government exchequer.

• The use of cash also means that they are outside the purview of the formal banking system.

• Investors in dabba trading do not have formal provisions for investor protection or grievance redressal mechanisms available within an exchange, which exposes them to the risk of broker defaults or insolvency.

• Dabba trading also perpetuates a parallel economy, potentially encouraging the growth of black money and criminal activities.

What is the current scenario?

• Industry observers have reported that dabba brokers harass clients for default payments and refuse payments upon profit.

• Potential investors are lured by aggressive marketing, ease of trading using apps with quality interfaces, and lack of identity verification.

• Brokers keep their fees and margins open to negotiation depending on an individual’s trading profile.

• The mechanism could potentially induce volatility and cause losses for the regulated bourse when dabba brokers look to hedge their exposures.

What are the legal implications?

• Dabba trading is recognised as an offence under Section 23(1) of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act (SCRA), 1956.

• Upon conviction, it can invite imprisonment for a term extending up to 10 years or a fine up to Rs 25 crore, or both.

Why in News?

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the 'A-HELP' (Accredited Agent for Health and Expansion of Livestock Production) program in the state at Survey of India Auditorium, Dehradun.

Key Points:

=> On this occasion, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that under the A-Help scheme envisaged by the Government of India, women have been selected to strengthen livestock related activities in remote rural areas.

=> Trained A-HELP workers under 'A-HELP- Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production' program to prevent various infectious diseases in animals, artificial insemination under Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) will make significant contributions in tagging and animal insurance.

=> He said that this would be an incomparable example of ensuring inclusion and participation of women power for socio-economic upliftment as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

=> Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Minister of Uttarakhand Saurabh Bahuguna said that the livestock sector offers a very important opportunity for women but till now it lacked institutional support.

=> This gap will be bridged with the launch of the A-HELP programme.

=> This new band of community-based activists, designated as Accredited Agents for the Health and Extension of Livestock Production (A-HELP), is expected to fill the void between local veterinary institutions, livestock owners and provide primary services.

=> Under the RGM, livestock breed improvement programs will be organized with the help of a large number of trained A-Help workers who are interested in undergoing artificial insemination after additional training.

=> A-Help workers will play an important role in implementing the Pashudhan Bima Yojana as well as other interventions, for which they will be provided remuneration as per the provisions of the scheme, which will also help them in providing some income and financial security.

=> It is noteworthy that the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has launched this new initiative by signing an MoU with the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) under the Department of Rural Development (DORD), Govt.

=> The primary responsibility of A-Help workers is to meet the health care needs of the livestock population in the village.

=> This program is being successfully implemented in Madhya Pradesh, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

=> More than 500 participants including progressive farmers and animal friends took part in this programme.