NEW YORK

2020NHSMUN

IBRDInternational Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Update Paper

Email: info@imuna.org

Phone: +1 (212) 652-9992

Web: www.nhsmun.org

Dear Delegates,

I am thrilled to present to you the update paper for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for NHSMUN 2020! My name is Lucas Chaves Meyles, and I will be your Assistant Director for Session I. I am joined by the Assistant Director for Session II, Anikait Panikker, to present to you the most recent developments for the two topics for this year’s IBRD simulation: “Fossil Fuel Management in Iraq” and “Neglected Tropical Diseases in India.” Both of these topics present issues that require constant, unwavering attention by the international community. There-fore, the need for the newest information is paramount. With that in mind, I hope that this update paper serves as a handy supplement to your research.

First, I’d like to acquaint myself with all of you! I currently attend the University of California, Los Angeles, where I study pure mathematics with a possible minor in statistics. Within pure mathemat-ics, I am pretty heavily interested in competition math, especially combinatorics and number theory. I’m also interested in real and complex analysis and plan to pursue a master’s degree in one of those fields. Besides mathematics, I am also part of the MUN club at UCLA, in which I was able to be a crisis staffer for their high school conference, BruinMUN. Additionally, I take part in staffing a local conference in the bay area, SCVMUN, which is hosted by my former high school. I do thoroughly enjoy sports and exercise as well, as I am part of the UCLA club swim team and have recently got-ten into powerlifting.

Understanding the economic perspective on the two topics for IBRD may seem unorthodox, but they are absolutely crucial aspects of these issues as a whole. This update paper will hopefully pro-vide a way to evaluate recent developments on the topics and make sense of them in a cohesive manner. Being able to juggle the ideas of human capital and macroeconomic policy as it pertains to neglected tropical diseases will be just one facet of the many interesting intersections you will encounter. On the other hand, you may have to explore how the “resource curse” pertains to fossil fuel management in Iraq. In this paper, you will not only be able to gain new information about these topics, you will also be able to see how these issues are intrinsically tied together. The update paper will allow you to get more acquainted with the current status of the situation and hopefully provide you with more tools to supplement the debate and loan proposals in committee!

This is my first year on NHSMUN staff, so I am elated to see how all of you will share your fervor for debate and problem solving in committee!

Lucas Chaves Meyleslucas.meyles@imuna.orgInternational Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentSession I

Secretary-GeneralVijittra Puckdee

Director-GeneralAlthea Turley

Chiefs of StaffAlex Burr

Walker Heintz

Delegate ExperienceLuis GonzálezMerve Karakas

Domestic PartnershipsMaura Goss

Odion Ovbiagele

Global PartnershipsRenata Koch

Salmaan Rashiq

Internal AffairsLia Lee

Natalie O’Dell

Under-Secretaries-General

Michael BeeliJill Bendlak

Rose BlackwellAnnica DenktasRahul FrancisOmar Mufti

Jonathan PackerAkanksha Sancheti

John WoodAlisa Wong

Email: info@imuna.org

Phone: +1 (212) 652-9992

Web: www.nhsmun.org

Dear Delegates,

I would like to welcome you to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) at NHSMUN 2020! My name is Anikait Panikker and I will be your Assistant Director for Session II. Joined by the Assistant Director for Session I, Lucas Meyles, we are both honored to be present-ing you with the current events and recent updates to this years’ topics: “Fossil Fuel Management in Iraq” and “Neglected Tropical Diseases in India.” It is crucial for delegates to understand and research both topics, as dependency on volatile natural resources and public health situations are of the utmost importance in the developing and developed world. Nevertheless, I hope this update paper serves as an additional supplement for the conference’s preparation.

First and foremost, allow me to tell you more about myself. I am a second-year student studying molecular biotechnology and microbiology at McGill University in Montreal! Even after special-izing in two fields of science, I take great interest in examining biotechnology companies to the extent where I do see myself pursuing postgraduate studies in management or economics in or-der to understand the business aspect of the biotechnology sector. Apart from academics, I have also attended my fair share of MUN conferences. After five years of experience as a delegate and chair, my expertise lies within the General Assembly committees, more specifically committees similar to ECOFIN. Having attended dozens of conferences, one of the best lessons I have learnt throughout the years is to cherish each MUN experience. Attending an international conference like NHSMUN comes with so many amazing benefits, but I primarily hope that all of you are able to broaden your worldview, as I did two years ago, just by meeting like-minded students from different countries. Other than school and MUN, my hobbies range from learning more about the financial technology field to playing basketball!

Being a part of a unique committee like the IBRD at NHSMUN, I highly recommend delegates our unique document format, the loan proposal, their advantage. With the ability to choose either of the two important topics, Lucas and I both encourage you to use the update paper as not only the final step in preparation and research for the conference, but also as a general guideline as to the issues and solutions we would like to see be debated in committee sessions. However, do keep in mind that you are not only bound to the ideas discussed in the update paper; we would also love to see delegates supplement each topic with their own research and ideas.

Having been in your shoes as a delegate two years ago, I am ecstatic to be a first-time staffer and more importantly, I am truly looking forward to working with you in committee.

Anikait Panikker anikait.panikker@imuna.org International Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentSession II

Secretary-GeneralVijittra Puckdee

Director-GeneralAlthea Turley

Chiefs of StaffAlex Burr

Walker Heintz

Delegate ExperienceLuis GonzálezMerve Karakas

Domestic PartnershipsMaura Goss

Odion Ovbiagele

Global PartnershipsRenata Koch

Salmaan Rashiq

Internal AffairsLia Lee

Natalie O’Dell

Under-Secretaries-General

Michael BeeliJill Bendlak

Rose BlackwellAnnica DenktasRahul FrancisOmar Mufti

Jonathan PackerAkanksha Sancheti

John WoodAlisa Wong

IBRD

NHSMUN 2020

Photo Credit: Arne Hückelheim

Topic A:Fossil Fuel Management in Iraq

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Loan Request

1 Tagliapietra, Simone, “The Impact of the Global Energy Transition on MENA Oil and Gas Producers.” Energy Strategy Reviews, Elsevier, 3 August 2019,2 Simone Tagliapietra, “The Impact of the Global Energy Transition on MENA Oil and Gas Producers,” Energy Strategy Reviews, Elsevier, 3 August 2019,

One of the greatest economic and political events of current society, especially in regard to the Middle East, is the discovery of natural resources like crude oil. It is even more notable, however, how countries like Iraq have developed the natural resource into barrels being exported on a daily basis around the world in an era where a plethora of countries are gradually phasing out crude oil with alternative fossil-fuel technology and methods. One of the greatest challenges that Iraq and its neighboring countries presently face is phasing out existing oil production methods for clean energy practices as the production of oil becomes more economically unsustainable and production de-pletes oil sources.

Iraq is synonymous with being a global leader in oil produc-tion, thus it can be concluded that the country emphasizes an increased effort towards creating such a name for itself by pushing its pre-existing workforce to be amongst the lead-ers of oil and gas exports.1 From a short-term view, the idea of increased barrel production is beneficial for sustaining a country’s economic prosperity. With changing times and the focus of the international community differing from the past, however, the global community’s view looks toward creating sustainable oil production, industry diversification, and reduc-tion of emissions. Furthermore, there has been greater focus on the Middle-East’s implementation of grid integration; a re-valuation of power system with levels of variable renewable energy.

Recent political turmoil in Iraq and a growing reliance on Iran further complicates the issue of fossil fuel management in Iraq. As Iraq is pressured to divert energy resources from the Iranian power grid due to a growing political conflict between the United States and Iran, Iraq must look towards a holistic restructuring of the power grid in order to successfully plan for shifting trends in fossil fuel management in the region. These recent updates are vital to understanding the Iraqi posi-tion and pressures as they confront these new issues.

Economic Diversification in Iraq

Despite their diversity in size, demographics, and wealth, most oil-exporting Arab countries face similar challenges in creat-

ing jobs and fostering inclusive growth. The current environ-ment of durable low oil prices has exacerbated these chal-lenges. The non-oil private sector is relatively small in most of these countries and, consequently, has only been a limited source of growth and employment for most oil-exporting Arab countries. Since oil is an exhaustible resource, underde-veloped sectors must be expanded so they can take over as the oil and gas industry fades or experiences shocks.

The heavy reliance on oil production and exportation in Arab countries is expected to gradually have a negative impact on the region’s economy. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the cornerstone of the global energy ar-chitecture, yet concerns often arise in the international com-munity on the development models implemented in oil pro-duction, as they now rely heavily on hydrocarbon revenues, the income generated by the production and exportation of natural oil and gas.2 Examining recent events in the history of the region in regards to economic development, it is evi-dent that oil-rich countries are only motivated to expand into non-oil sectors when the oil market is visibly in jeopardy. As the long-run risk of oil investments becomes more apparent, however, many leaders in oil-rich countries have started urg-ing diversification as a means of ensuring long term economic success in the face of a depleting natural resource.

Currently, economic diversification programs in Iraq are only adopted in times of low oil prices; and when the natural re-source market is recovered, all plans to diversify different sec-tors are typically dismissed. According to the Organization of

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the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)’s recent research on the share of world crude oil reserves per country in 2018, Iraq is ranked 4th overall at 145.02 billion barrels and account-ing for 12.2% of the world’s natural resource reserve.3 When an increased effort is focused on one area, critical questions arise as to what happens when the need for oil production practices declines. As global trends in investment and inter-national trade shift away from fossil fuel-heavy industries towards renewable energy and alternative fuel sources, it is vital that countries such as Iraq ensure long-term economic success through economic diversification. Due to the recent data presented, the prioritization of economic diversification in the region is of the utmost importance.

In the past, Iraq has cited regional turmoil, sanctions, and the growing threat of ISIL as reasons for stunted economic growth in non-oil sectors. In recent years, however, the Iraqi 3 “OPEC Share of World Crude Oil Reserves,” OPEC, 2019.

government has worked to build a reputation of trustworthi-ness and stability in the hopes of attracting foreign investment in new business sectors. Furthermore, as regional and inter-national actors become further entrenched in Middle East-ern conflict, Iraq has expressed hopes of reducing reliance on foreign governments for vital resources such as fuel and electricity in order to seem less vulnerable to outside investors.

New Potential for Alternative Fossil-Fuel Technology and Grid Integration

Grid integration refers to the practice of gradually integrating renewable energy sources into a fossil fuel-dependent energy grid. Energy experts often regard grid integration as an im-portant tool for successful energy transition in the MENA region. However, oil-exporting Arab countries are not the only ones exploring grid integration in the region. The United

Field of solar panels & windmills

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States, for example, has developed grid integration systems that could be implemented in the MENA region in order to have a fully integrated energy system.4 The benefits of grid integration include more efficient use of resources, shared networks, better learning and preservation of knowledge, en-hanced lab coordination and collaboration, and regional per-spective and relationships with local stakeholders and indus-try.5 In fact, more recently, Iraq’s challenged electricity sector has faced a demand growth of over 10 percent per annum, and over 40 percent of Iraq’s total electricity generated is lost before it is billed.6

Integration flexibility, the ability of a power system to respond to change in energy supply and demand, may address these challenges.7 The more variable renewable energy generation is the higher the net load, which is the energy demand that must be satisfied by conventional fossil fuels after considering renewable energy sources.8 The higher the flexibility of an en-ergy system, the more able it is to handle the variability in re-newable energy generation. Such a concept of grid integration can pose a value to the development of the country. As it is, Iraq’s challenged electricity sector faces a demand growth of over 10 percent per annum, and with the addition of grid in-tegration, underdeveloped areas in the country will prosper. 9

As a developing country, Iraq exhibits different priorities than developed countries. Even though there are potential benefits for Iraq to diversify its economy and divert away from de-pendence on oil production, there are also little relative in-centives for Iraq to reduce emissions. The difference between energy capabilities of developed countries versus developing countries becomes crucial when discussing viable options

4 “Energy.gov,” Energy.gov, 6 November 2019, https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-announces-80-million-new-grid-mod-ernization-lab-call-projects.5 Ibid.6 “IBRD Project Appraisal Document On A Proposed Loan In The Amount of US$200 Million To The Republic of Iraq For An Elec-tricity Services Reconstruction and Enhancement Project,” The World Bank, 19 April 2019, http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/504001557108087756/pdf/Iraq-Electricity-Services-Reconstruction-and-Enhancement-Project.pdf.7 Ibid.8 “World Energy Scenarios,” World Energy Council, 9 September 2019, https://www.worldenergy.org/assets/downloads/Scenarios_Report_FINAL_for_website.pdf.9 Ibid.10 Alvarado et al, “Urban concentration, non-renewable energy consumption, and output: do levels of economic development matter?.” Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2019): 1-13. 11 Mohammed et al, “Investigation and Analysis of Wind Turbines Optimal Locations and Performance in Iraq,” ratio 1, no. 1: 8.12 Ibid.13 Yousif et al, “Analysis of Wind Energy Potential Inside a Tunnel Located on the Highway,” Green Buildings and Renewable Energy, pp. 481-490, Springer, Cham, 2020.

for a shift towards renewable energy in Iraq. For example, in medium-high income and medium-low income countries real per capita output typically has a causal relation to non-renewable energy consumption; in higher-income countries the causation runs in the opposite direction.10 In practice this means that developing countries often see greater output with use of non-renewable energy, while the opposite is true in developing countries. Thus, it is vital that Iraq’s broader so-cioeconomic stance amongst other countries be considered as an important factor in potential solutions and the broader economic issues that Iraq may be concerned with as a conse-quence of energy shifts.

One type of renewable energy whose feasibility of implemen-tation in Iraq has been extensively investigated is wind energy. As a relatively environmentally-friendly energy option when compared to coal or natural gas, it has been hailed as one of the most important renewable energy types in the world.11 In a study of wind speed to determine potential energy of wind turbines, which in turn predicted feasible wind turbine sites in Iraq, 4 sites in Southern Iraq have shown promising results.12 The ingenuity of local scientists have also led to the revela-tion of tunnels as potential wind turbine sites due to pressure thrust.13

Foreign Influence and Political Turmoil in Iraq

Growing political turmoil in and around Iraq has raised ques-tions regarding Iran’s role in Iraqi power and fuel industries. A recent political conflict between the United States and Iran has turned its focus to Iraq, where a United States airstrike killed popular Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi

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militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.14 In response, Iran tar-geted American air bases in Iraq in ballistic attacks that led to largely Iraqi casualties.15

Iraq’s reliance on Iran for energy resources is rooted in conflict with the United States under former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. A 1991 U.S. bombing campaign virtually destroyed all Iraqi ability to produce energy, with a mere 300 megawatts of generation capability compared to their 9,500 megawatt capability before the campaign.16 Iraq’s electricity grid was further damaged in 2003, as insurgents deliberately attacked energy resources in an effort to sow distrust amongst civilians for the Iraqi government.17 Despite historical tension between Iraq and Iran, the increasing turmoil in Iraq and growing sta-bility in the Iranian power system over the past two decades led to 30% to 40% of Iraq’s energy being sourced from the Iranian power grid today.

As pressure grows in the political conflict between the United States and Iran, Iraq has been increasingly pressured to reduce reliance on the Iranian power grid, as it relies on the United States for over $1 billion in aid.18 Iraq is a rare exception to countries that receive sanctions from the United States for significant business with Iran, however there has been grow-ing pressure for Iraq to divest energy resources from Iran and to increase energy outsourcing from countries such as Jordan, which is an excess in their energy grid.19 The focus on energy divestment in Iraq is vital as conflict grows with Iran in the region and as Iraq’s economic stability stemming from the lu-crative fossil fuel industry begins to falter. Political updates in the region will determine the urgency of Iraqi divestment from the Iranian energy grid, as well as the methods and levers used for divestment.

Conclusion

Although the IBRD background guide should be the delegate’s 14 Lorenzo Kamel, “Soleimani and the Weight of History,” Al Jazeera, 19 January 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/soleimani-weight-history-200115075749561.html.15 “Confrontation in Congress Looms Over Iran Conflict,” The New York Times, 8 January 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/08/world/middleeast/iran-us-missile-attacks.html#link-22f2cc37.16 Robert Bryce, “Iran’s Power over Iraq Includes Electricity,” The Hill, 9 January 2020, https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/477371-irans-power-over-iraq-includes-electricity.17 Ibid.18 Yeganeh Torbati, “Who Is Overseeing $1 Billion in U.S. Aid to Iraq?” Truthdig, 25 November 2019, https://www.truthdig.com/articles/whos-overseeing-1-billion-in-u-s-aid-to-iraq/.19 Isabelle Coles, “Iraq Moves to Pull Plug on Its Iran Power Cord,” The Wall Street Journal, 27 August 2019, https://www.wsj.com/ar-ticles/iraq-moves-to-pull-plug-on-its-iran-power-cord-11566898321.

number one resource when it comes to research and prepara-tion material, this update paper, which formulates ideas from recent publications on the current events and solutions for the greater problem at hand, should serve as a guideline. The three topics outlined above are the main ideas and issues that delegates are urged to consider throughout the flow of debate in committee sessions. It is crucial for delegates to acknowl-edge the underlying theme within all three topics, in the sense that every concern on the development of Iraq should be viewed as interconnectedness approach for economic pros-perity. Acknowledging alternative fossil fuel technology, eco-nomic diversification in oil-exporting Arab countries, and grid integration heavily relies on each other is important because one solution has the potential to be applied to all three ideas.

IBRD

NHSMUN 2020

Photo Credit: Sistak

Topic B:Neglected Tropical Diseases in India

10|Topic B: neglecTed TropicAl diseAses in indiAloAn requesT

Loan Request

1 WHO, “Health Ministers Meet to Address Priority Health Issues, Advance Health across WHO South-East Asia Region,” WHO, 2 September 2019, https://www.who.int/southeastasia/news/detail/02-09-2019-health-ministers-meet-to-address-priority-health-issues-ad-vance-health-across-who-south-east-asia-region.2 Ibid.3 Khetrapal Singh, Poonam, “Heal the Neglected, Lift the Disease Burden, Let’s Leave No One behind,” The Asian Age, 4 November 2019, https://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/041119/heal-the-neglected-lift-the-disease-burden-lets-leave-no-one-behind.html.4 Ibid.5 ETHealthWorld, “It is time to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by scaling up Triple Drug Therapy : Dr. Harsh Vardhan,” The Economic Times, 31 October 2019, https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/eliminating-lymphatic-filariasis-by-scaling-up-triple-drug-therapy/71834177.6 WHO, “Regional Plan of Action for the WHO Global Strategy on Health, Environment and Climate Change,” WHO, 2-6 September 2019, https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/327910/Agenda8.5-sea-rc72-10-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.7 Ibid.8 WHO, “The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023,” WHO, 9 October 2019, https://www.who.int/india/country-coop-eration-strategy-2019-2023.9 Ibid.

First, the current status of NTDs both globally and in India will be discussed. This section will report about new preventative measures taken to combat NTDs. Second, there will be an examination of the possible feasibility of implementing new emerging medical and economic procedures that could reduce the effects of NTDs. Last, a case study will be presented which analyzes the process China took to eradicate NTDs. It is crucial for delegates to internalize how these three subtopics are related to the IBRD’s mission of reducing poverty by promoting sustainable development.

Current Status of NTDs

The Seventy-Second Session of the Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Southeast Asia Region was held from 2-6 September 2019. According to Regional Director Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the pur-pose of this committee session was to deliberate the issue of eliminating neglected tropical diseases, among many other health-related topics.1 Through collaborative effort between the Indian government and WHO’s southeast Asia sector, In-dia is currently yaws-free.2 Meanwhile, India aims to eradicate visceral leishmaniasis and lymphatic filariasis by 2025.3 India aims to eradicate visceral leishmaniasis through identifying en-demic areas and ensuring interventions are calibrated accord-ingly. This consists of implementing independent monitor-ing missions together with the affected community, allowing the affected community to get involved with treatment.4 For lymphatic filariasis, India seeks to mobilize a triple drug treat-ment (consisting of a single dose of a three-drug regimen of ivermectin plus diethylcarbamazine plus albendazole) where direct observation of treatment will be implemented.5

Other recent developments include the Regional Plan of Ac-tion for the World Health Organization Global Strategy on

Health, Environment and Climate Change, a proceeding of the Seventy-Second Session of the Regional Committee, which intends to include and support further implementa-tion of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Initiative (WASH) for neglected tropical diseases along with the region’s flagship priorities into its Global Plan of Action.6 More specifically, this Regional Plan of Action calls up member nations and the WHO to develop, update and disseminate norms and tools aimed to combat NTDs. This includes strengthening govern-ment mechanisms to promote health-related policies, building health sector capacity at country and regional levels to im-prove WASH protocols, and monitoring Member states’ prog-ress towards health-related goals.7

The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019-2023 seeks to outline strategic priorities in order to reconcile cur-rent legislation to yield utmost effectiveness.8 These strategic priorities include accelerating progress on Universal Health Care (UHC) and promoting health and wellness by address-ing determinants of health. Specifically, this strategy builds upon the relatively recent and successful Ayushman Bharat Yo-jana, India’s preeminent national health scheme. This health-care scheme has successfully treated over 4.56 million patients while extending coverage to 32 states and territories.9 Through

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political collaboration and emphasizing the importance of universal healthcare, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana has stipulated the importance of eradicating NTDs and other vector-borne diseases.10

The inequitable access to treatment is another obstacle that could prevent the elimination of NTDs. According to a study in the Lancet Global Health Journal, mass deworming, a treat-ment for soil-transmitted helminthiasis, was found to be dis-proportionately administered to wealthier populations than poorer populations.11 More specifically, out of the 31 coun-tries studied, 30 surpassed the 75% deworming coverage rate; however, those 30 countries displayed an inequity in treatment between wealth quintile where wealthier areas within each country had greater coverage.12 The issue of coverage inequity 10 India, National Health Authority, Ayushman Bharat Annual Report, (New Delhi: National Health Authority, 2019). https://pmjay.gov.in/sites/default/files/2019-09/Annual%20Report%20-%20PMJAY%20small%20version_1.pdf.11 Lo, Nathan C, Sam Heft-Neal, Jean T Coulibaly, Leslie Leonard, Eran Bendavid, and David G Addiss, “State of Deworming Coverage and Equity in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries Using Household Health Surveys: a Spatiotemporal Cross-Sectional Study,” The Lancet Global Health 7, no. 11 (November 2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(19)30413-9.12 Ibid.13 WHO, “Neglected tropical diseases: treating over one billion people for the fourth successive year,” WHO, 29 October 2019, https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/news/treating-over-one-bill

ion-people-for-the-fourth-successive-year/en/.14 Ibid.

is one that is imperative for delegates to address, given that the majority of NTDs tend to affect the poorest populations.

Ensuring the feasibility of implementation of economic poli-cies and loan proposals are crucial to guaranteeing effective-ness when combating NTDs. A recent publication by the WHO from October 2019 highlights the effectiveness of proper implementation by treating over 1.7 billion people for five major NTDs, including onchocerciasis, lymphatic fila-riasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthia-ses.13 According to WHO, a coordinated effort of effective mass drug administration (MDA), effective supply manage-ment, and minimizing waste and misuse of medicines are es-sential considerations for improving feasibility of implemen-tation.14 In addition to logistical considerations, it is essential

Pakistani farmer deworming his cow

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to acknowledge the direct macroeconomic impact of NTD eradication. In a study conducted in northern Sudan investi-gating the impacts of Onchocerciasis, a parasitic worm affect-ing 20.9 million worldwide, on the workforce, it was found that eradication of the disease improved labor force participa-tion rates.15 This allowed for the further utilization of human capital with only 0.6% of participants in the study reporting unemployment.16 These studies show that the elimination of NTDs seems to directly correlate with the improvement of economic conditions.

Emerging medical and economic methods in combating NTDs

An important aspect of eliminating NTDs is being able to accurately survey a location acutely affected by NTDs and collect data on infection levels to determine whether pro-grams can be successfully ended. The concession in many cases, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Genetics, is between the balance of expense and ease of use versus specificity and sensitivity in diagnostic assays for helminth disease.17 Being able to use sophisticated technol-ogy for detecting NTDs in impoverished and rural regions is oftentimes logistically or financially impossible. This same study, however, analyzes the use of molecular diagnostics, as opposed to the more commonly used microscopic methods such as FLOTAC or Kato-Katz (KK). FLOTAC and KK are sensitive, accurate, and precise microscopy techniques for the diagnosis of helminths in humans and animals. Molecular di-agnostics shows potential for being less expensive and more accurate than traditional microscopy techniques.18 Emerging technology such as molecular diagnostics may play a key role in the policy of countries seeking to advance the success rate of their MDAs.15 WHO, “Onchocerciasis,” WHO, 14 June 2019, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/onchocerciasis.16 Ahmed, Ayman, Anas Elbashir, Asgad Adil, Asha A. Alim, et al, “Socioeconomic impacts of elimination of Onchocerciasis in Abu-Hamed focus, northern Sudan: lessons after elimination,” Biorxiv, Preprint, (28 November 2019), https://doi.org/10.1101/858878.17 Grant, Jessica R., Nils Pilotte, and Steven A. Williams, “A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensi-tive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths,” Frontiers in Genetics 10 (September 2019), https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2019.00883.18 Ibid.19 Dean, Laura, Kim Ozano, Oluwatosin Adekeye, Ruth Dixon, et al, “Neglected Tropical Diseases as a ‘Litmus Test’ for Universal Health Coverage? Understanding Who Is Left behind and Why in Mass Drug Administration: Lessons from Four Country Contexts,” PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 13, no. 11 (21 November 2019), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007847.20 WHO, “China: Economic Growth Fuels Move to Defeat Neglected Tropical Diseases,” World Health Organization, World Health Organi-zation, 29 October 2019, https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/news/China-economic-growth-fuels-move-to-defeat-NTDs/en/.21 Ibid.22 Ibid.

No treatment is effective unless the MDA undertaken is ap-plied to the correct population affected by NTDs. As men-tioned earlier, poorer populations tend to inequitably receive treatment with respect to wealthier demographics. A study published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) considers the effectiveness of MDAs for these marginalized popula-tions, coming to the conclusion that “inequities are influenced by health systems challenges and limitations” caused by, “gen-der, power and equity issues.”19 Barriers to universal health coverage, an overarching goal of the IBRD, include a lack of scope when administering MDAs, as certain groups, specifi-cally those of the poorest wealth quintile, are left behind. New and emerging technologies, such as the aforementioned mo-lecular diagnostics, may provide a better evaluation of infec-tion levels along with more cost-effective treatment, possibly making it more available for those communities left behind. These are considerations for delegates to make when crafting their loan proposals, as the inclusion of these groups, those affected most severely by NTDs and which are less likely to receive treatment, is pertinent to achieving the goals of the IBRD.

Case Study: China on the Eradication of NTDs

According to WHO, before the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, approximately 50% of the country’s re-gions were endemic with trachoma and lymphatic filariasis.20 Additionally, throughout the 1950s, 31 million people were af-fected by lymphatic filariasis, 11.6 million with Schistosomia-sis, and 530, 000 were affected with visceral leishmaniasis.21 Subsequently, in the 1980s, about 646 million people were infected with some form of a soil-transmitted helminth.22 It is compelling to note that China’s situation before the 21st century is quite similar to that of India’s, albeit fewer people

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are currently afflicted with these diseases in India. However, by 2006, China had lymphatic filariasis completely eradicated, making it the first country to do so on the global stage.23 Fur-thermore, by 2015, only about 29.1 million people were af-fected by soil-transmitted helminthiasis; in 2017, only about 37,600 people were affected by schistosomiasis.24 These im-provements in the infection level of the Chinese population yield itself as a testament to the effective strategies that the Chinese government implemented to try to eliminate these diseases.

According to a study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases of Poverty, the elimination of many of these NTDs 23 Ibid.24 Ibid.25 Qian, Men-Bao, Jin Chen, Robert Bergquist, Zhong Jie-Li, et al, “Neglected tropical diseases in the People’s Republic of China: progress towards elimination,” Infectious Diseases of Poverty 8, 86 (2 October 2019), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-019-0599-4.26 Ibid.27 Ibid.

was catalyzed by the Patriotic Public Health Program, a pro-gram in which strict and rigorous systems of sanitation and water piping were implemented, which emphasized the need for clean toilets.25 In addition to the increase in critical infra-structure, China effectuated a massive epidemiological surveil-lance and monitoring medical task force, which brought about a surfeit of information to be analyzed to swiftly detect areas which might be or are already under risk of NTDs.26 China also invested in research and development of further diag-nostic techniques, preventive chemotherapy, drug and drug administration, and reduction of operations costs.27 For ex-ample, the recent distribution of diethylcarbamazine-fortified salt (diethylcarbamazine is a medication used in the treatment

School children in Dien Bien, Vietnam, receiving NTD medicine

14|Topic B: neglecTed TropicAl diseAses in indiAloAn requesT

of filariasis including lymphatic filariasis) against lymphatic filariasis has been proven effective in increasing coverage and compliance of treatment. A heavy emphasis was placed on operations which piloted both efficient implementation and coverage as well as cost-effectiveness. Successful operations would then work in tandem with surveillance techniques to maximize the capacity to eliminate NTDs. With this in mind, it is crucial for delegates to understand the methods by which China managed to reduce the prevalence of NTDs, thus they may determine, in turn, which of those tactics are most effec-tive in eradicating NTDs in India to facilitate the growth of human capital and to boost its economy.

Conclusion

This update paper examines the current status of NTDs in the political, social, and economic spheres, and explores the emerging forms of treatment or analysis for NTDs. These two sections allow delegates to subsume themselves with direct information from recent proceedings, along with al-lowing them to contemplate new techniques for tackling the issues encountered with the recent proceedings. The final sec-tion, the case study on the progress of China’s eradication of NTDs, yields itself as an application of the previous two sec-tions. New and emerging techniques were actually explored by the Chinese government, such as molecular diagnostics or implementation improvements. Delegates should seek to use all this information presented in a cohesive manner in order to understand the bigger picture of the issue with NTDs so the most effective loan proposals may be crafted.

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Works Cited

Topic A

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This source aims to provide the constraints of grid integration.

Alsaffar et al. “Sustainable development and Renewable Energies and Their Application In Some Modern Residential Com-plexes” Plant Archives 19, no. 2 (2019): 270-275. Accessed 19 December 2019.

This study evaluated the use of renewable energy, specifically solar energy, in 6 residential compounds in Baghdad.

Alvarado, Rafael, Cristian Ortiz, Diana Bravo, and José Chamba. “Urban concentration, non-renewable energy consumption, and output: do levels of economic development matter?.” Environmental Science and Pollution Research(2019): 1-13. Ac-cessed 17 December 2019.

This article examines the causal relationship between urban concentration, non-renewable energy consumption and real per capita output in 110 coun-tries.

“As wind and solar power rise, EU seeks more grid ‘flexibility’.” Euractiv. 20 December 2019. https://www.euractiv.com/sec-tion/energy/news/as-wind-and-solar-power-rise-eu-seeks-more-grid-flexibility/.

Article describing the EU’s overall strategy to move towards renewable energy sources.

Bryce, Robert. “Iran’s Power over Iraq Includes Electricity.” The Hill. 9 January 2020. https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/477371-irans-power-over-iraq-includes-electricity.

A summary of Iranian involvement in Iraq’s electricity sourcing.

Coles, Isabelle. “Iraq Moves to Pull Plug on Its Iran Power Cord.” The Wall Street Journal. 27 August 2019. https://www.wsj.com/articles/iraq-moves-to-pull-plug-on-its-iran-power-cord-11566898321.

Describes the pressure on Iraq to divest energy reliance from Iran.

“Confrontation in Congress Looms Over Iran Conflict.” The New York Times. 8 January 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/08/world/middleeast/iran-us-missile-attacks.html#link-22f2cc37.

This article provides a comprehensive summary of the conflict between the United States and Iran in Iraq.

“Energy.gov.” Energy.gov. 6 November 2019. https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-announces-80-million-new-grid-modernization-lab-call-projects.

This press release by the U.S. Department of Energy announced the results of the 2019 Grid Modernization Lab Call as well as the goals of grid integration in the U.S.A.

“IBRD Project Appraisal Document On A Proposed Loan In The Amount of US$200 Million To The Republic of Iraq For An Electricity Services Reconstruction and Enhancement Project.” The World Bank. April 19, 2019. http://documents.

16|iBrdWorks ciTed

worldbank.org/curated/en/504001557108087756/pdf/Iraq-Electricity-Services-Reconstruction-and-Enhancement-Project.pdf.

Gives reference to the current electricity situation in Iraq.

Kamel, Lorenzo. “Soleimani and the Weight of History.” Al Jazeera. 19 January 2020. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opin-ion/soleimani-weight-history-200115075749561.html.

Describes the current conflict between the United States and Iran after an American attack killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

Le, Hoang Phong, and Ho Hoang Gia Bao. “Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Consumption, Government Expenditure, Institution Quality, Financial Development, Trade Openness, and Sustainable Development in Latin America and Ca-ribbean Emerging Market and Developing Economies.” International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy 10 no. 1 (2020): 242-248. 2 November 2019.

This research paper shows that the development of renewable promotes positive economic growth in combination with other factors such as government expenditure and trade openness in Latin America and Caribbean economies.

Mohammed, Bashaer, Oday Ibraheem Abdullah, and Amani I. Al-Tmimi. “Investigation and Analysis of Wind Turbines Opti-mal Locations and Performance in Iraq.” ratio 1, no. 1: 8. Accessed 15 December 2019.

This research paper investigates optimal wind turbines and turbine sites in Iraq.

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A source for important facts for Nigeria.

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Gives data for countries of OPEC share of World Crude Oil Reserves.

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This presentation by Jacquelin Cochran of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory identifies challenges and solutions to grid integration.

Tagliapietra, Simone. “The Impact of the Global Energy Transition on MENA Oil and Gas Producers.” Energy Strategy Reviews, Elsevier. 3 August 2019. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X19300902.

Gives insight into energy transition impact in MENA region.

Torbati, Yeganeh. “Who Is Overseeing $1 Billion in U.S. Aid to Iraq?” Truthdig. 25 November 2019. https://www.truthdig.com/articles/whos-overseeing-1-billion-in-u-s-aid-to-iraq/.

An overview of U.S. Aid to Iraq.

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os_Report_FINAL_for_website.pdf.This report presents the energy challenges in all parts of the world.

Yousif, Kamil M., Diyar A. Bleej, Alan I. Saeed, and Rezheen A. Bleej. “Analysis of Wind Energy Potential Inside a Tunnel Located on the Highway.” In Green Buildings and Renewable Energy, pp. 481-490. Springer, Cham, 2020. Accessed 17 De-cember 2019.

This research paper explores the possibility of generating electricity from wind energy due to vehicle motion in the Gali-Zakho Tunnel in northern Iraq.

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This scholarly article examines the past, present and future of Germany’s energy transition.

Topic B

Ahmed, Ayman, Anas Elbashir, Asgad Adil, Asha A. Alim, et al. “Socioeconomic impacts of elimination of Onchocerciasis in Abu-Hamed focus, northern Sudan: lessons after elimination.” Biorxiv. Preprint, (28 November 2019). https://doi.org/10.1101/858878.

This preprint shares the socioeconomic effects of having an NTD eliminated from a particular region.

Dean, Laura, Kim Ozano, Oluwatosin Adekeye, Ruth Dixon, et al. “Neglected Tropical Diseases as a ‘Litmus Test’ for Univer-sal Health Coverage? Understanding Who Is Left behind and Why in Mass Drug Administration: Lessons from Four Country Contexts.” PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 13, no. 11 (21 November 2019). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007847.

This article shares how NTDs determine access to healthcare and how MDAs play a role in increasing access thereof.

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This article highlights the Union Health Minister of India’s strategy of triple drug therapy to combat lymphatic filariasis.

Grant, Jessica R., Nils Pilotte, and Steven A. Williams. “A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths.” Frontiers in Genetics 10 (Septem-ber 2019). https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2019.00883.

This article reports on emerging cost-effective method for reducing the prevalence of Soil-Transmitted Helminths.

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This government publication offers an update on the status of the Indian health care scheme, Ayushman Bharat, one year after its launch in September 2018.

Khetrapal Singh, Poonam. “Heal the Neglected, Lift the Disease Burden, Let’s Leave No One behind.” The Asian Age. 4 No-

18|iBrdWorks ciTed

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This news article explains the status of India and surrounding regions’ efforts on eradicating NTDs.

Lo, Nathan C, Sam Heft-Neal, Jean T Coulibaly, Leslie Leonard, Eran Bendavid, and David G Addiss. “State of Deworming Coverage and Equity in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries Using Household Health Surveys: a Spatiotem-poral Cross-Sectional Study.” The Lancet Global Health 7, no. 11 (November 2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(19)30413-9.

This scholarly article provides an in depth-analysis on the state of mass deworming among low and middle-income states.

Qian, Men-Bao, Jin Chen, Robert Bergquist, Zhong Jie-Li, et al. “Neglected tropical diseases in the People’s Republic of China: progress towards elimination.” Infectious Diseases of Poverty 8, 86 (2 October 2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-019-0599-4.

This scholarly article gives an in depth-analysis of China’s progress towards the elimination of NTDs.

WHO. “China: Economic Growth Fuels Move to Defeat Neglected Tropical Diseases.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization. 29 October 2019. https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/news/China-economic-growth-fuels-move-to-defeat-NTDs/en/.

This article describes how China is trying to quickly defeat NTDs in order to fuel economic growth and boost standard of living.

WHO. “Health Ministers Meet to Address Priority Health Issues, Advance Health across WHO South-East Asia Region.” WHO. 2 September 2019. https://www.who.int/southeastasia/news/detail/02-09-2019-health-ministers-meet-to-address-pri-ority-health-issues-advance-health-across-who-south-east-asia-region.

This WHO press release indicates health ministers meeting to discuss health policies in WHO’s Southeast Asia region.

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This report describes the success of ensuring treatment for NTDs to over 1 billion people and the process of its implementation through MDAs.

WHO. “Onchocerciasis.” WHO. 14 June 2019. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/onchocerciasis.This WHO fact sheet examines the statistics surrounding Onchocerciasis.

WHO. “Regional Plan of Action for the WHO Global Strategy on Health, Environment and Climate Change.” WHO. 2-6 September 2019. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/327910/Agenda8.5-sea-rc72-10-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.

This WHO committee document depicts the plan of action for WHO in the Southeast Asian region.

WHO. “The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023.” WHO. 9 October 2019. https://www.who.int/india/country-cooperation-strategy-2019-2023.

This WHO press release dives into the details of the Country Cooperation Strategy.

The National High School Model United Nations Con-ference (NHSMUN) is a project of IMUNA, a non-profit organization formally associated with the Unit-ed Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC). IMUNA is dedicated to promoting global issues education through simulation.

Written by Lucas Chaves Meyles and Anikait Panikker

Edited by Michael Beeli, Alex Burr, Annica Denktas, Walker Heintz,

and Althea Turley

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