On 23rd September, the Ministry of Science & Technology launched the UMMID initiative. The acronym UMMID stands for Unique Methods of Management and Treatment of Inherited Disorders. Along with UMMID, the Department of Biotechnology also flagged off National Inherited Diseases Administration (NIDAN) Kendras.
The topic, ‘UMMID’ can be classified under IAS Exam — GS-II (Indian Polity & Governance) and also GS-III (Science & Technology.) Read on to know the important points about UMMID for UPSC preparation.
Aspirants can read about other government initiatives in the health sector from the links mentioned in the table below:
| National Rural Health Mission | National Urban Health Mission |
| National Health Insurance Mission | Ayushman Bharat Programme |
| National AYUSH Mission | Intensified Mission Indradhanush |
Quick Facts about UMMID Scheme
| Brief Facts about UMMID Scheme | |
| Which Government Ministry Launched it? | Ministry of Science & Technology launched it.
It is an initiative of Department of Biotechnology |
| When was the UMMID initiative launched? | UMMID scheme was launched on 23rd September 2019 |
| The main aim of UMMID scheme | As the name of the scheme suggests, the main aim of the UMMID initiative is to provide genetic testing and counselling services to pregnant women to prevent inherited disorders in newborns. |
| What is the difference between UMID, UMEED scheme & UMMID scheme? | UMID – It is referred to as smart health card systems provided to employees and pensioners of Indian Railways. The major objective of UMID is to provide smart cards to all medical beneficiaries:
UMEED Scheme – It was a Jammu & Kashmir state scheme launched in 2018 and was sponsored by the central government. Umeed programme under the Jammu Kashmir State Rural Livelihood Mission (JKSRLM) aimed to encourage women to be self dependent and self sufficient. UMMED Scheme – It is the Central Government’s initiative for the pregnant women and newborns for preventing inherited disorders. |
| UMMID official website | http://dbtindia.gov.in/ |
| Get every day updates about events of national and international importance by visiting the Current Affairs page. Visit the page now!!
Refer to the following links below to strengthen your UPSC Exam preparation:
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UMMID – Facts for UPSC
The table below mentions the important facts about the UMMID scheme, which can be useful for both UPSC Prelims and Mains examinations.
| UMMID Initiative |
The main aims of UMMID scheme are:
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Five NIDAN Kendras to be established at the below-mentioned five hospitals to provide clinical care:
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Government hospitals’ clinicians to be given training in the following:
To train the clinicians, the support of the following training centres have been taken:
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Seven aspirational districts that have been chosen for the screen testing of 10,000 pregnant women and 5000 newborns are:
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UMMID – What are inherited genetic disorders?
- It is referred to as a health problem that is caused by abnormalities in the genomes of the newborn.
- A genetic disorder is a disease caused in whole or in part by a change in the DNA sequence away from the normal sequence.
- Genetic disorders can be caused by a mutation in one gene (monogenic disorder), by mutations in multiple genes (multifactorial inheritance disorder), by a combination of gene mutations or by damage to chromosomes.
- Some of the examples of Genetic disorders are Sickle Cell Anemia, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Alzheimer’s Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, and Obesity.
To read about more Government Schemes, one can check the linked article.
UMMID Scheme & National Health Policy 2017
The government mentioned that the UMMID scheme plays an immense role in promoting the objectives underlined under the National Health Policy of 2017. IAS Exam aspirants should know about National Health Policy 2017 while covering the UMMID initiative. A few important takeaway points on National Health Policy 2017 are given below:
- The National Health Policy was introduced to underline four major changes w.r.t health priorities:
- The policy underlined the change in health priorities over the years.
- The NHP 2017 also mentioned the advent of the robust health care industry
- The policy also underlined the catastrophic expenditure due to health care cost, referring to it as one on the major contributors of poverty
- Growth in fiscal capacity should also drive changes in how the health sector should be improved.
- The main aim of National Health Policy 2017 is to strengthen governments to shape health systems of the nation holistically. Universal Health Coverage has been given importance through this policy.
- It focussed on preventive and promotive health care
- Improved public health care system and their services
- Importance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been recognized through the National Health Policy 2017
UMMID Initiative -UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here
Aspirants can read about the National Health Mission from the linked article.
UPSC Preparation:
| GS 2 Structure, Strategy and Syllabus | GS 3 Structure, Strategy and Syllabus |
| Governance Questions for UPSC Mains | Science & Technology Questions for UPSC Mains GS 3 |
| Daily News Analysis | Current Affairs |
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