Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response Framework

Syllabus: Governance

Source: IE

 Context:  Four years after the outbreak of Covid, an expert group constituted by NITI Aayog has recommended setting up a comprehensive framework to effectively manage future public health emergencies or pandemics.

Summary of report:

Challenges and Learnings from COVID-19 Pandemic:

1. Governance: Lack of clear risk communication systems and rapid response SOPs for delegation of power.
2. Legislation: NDMA and EDA were insufficient for modern pandemic management; need for a specific Public Health Act.
3. Surveillance and data management: Challenges in data integration, forecasting, and early warning systems; lacked comprehensive pandemic surveillance integration.
4. Research and development: Public-private collaborations were effective, but structured mechanisms linking research institutions with industries are required.
5. Regulatory reforms: Delays in emergency authorization due to unclear and unharmonized global regulatory norms.

Future Pandemic Threats and Preparedness:

1. Global preparedness: Align country preparedness with global core capacities to prevent cross-border spread.
2. Cross-sectoral collaboration: Enhance coordination between public health authorities and disaster management agencies for effective pandemic management.
3. Risk assessment and community engagement: Focus on accurate information dissemination and proactive engagement with communities to counter misinformation.
4. Resource availability: Ensure availability of necessary funds and resources to support pandemic response efforts.
5. One Health Approach: Develop coordinated surveillance and response systems for zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases.

NITI Aayog’s Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response Framework:

1. PHEMA (Public Health Emergency Management Act):
   • Recommended to replace the outdated Epidemic Diseases Act (1897) and National Disaster Management Act (2005) for better management of health emergencies.
   • The new law would empower governments to respond to pandemics, non-communicable diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism.
   • Establishes public health cadres for national and state levels.
2. Empowered group of secretaries (EGoS):
   • Proposed panel headed by the Cabinet Secretary for pandemic preparation and response.
   • EGoS will develop SOPs for pandemics and guide governance, finance, R&D, and surveillance during health crises.
3. Strengthening surveillance:
   • Focus on monitoring human-bat interfaces, considering viruses linked to bats (e.g., Covid-19).
   • Creation of a national biosecurity and biosafety network for disease surveillance.
   • Establishment of an emergency vaccine bank for rapid response.
4. Early warning and forecasting:
   • Build an epidemiology forecasting network for predicting transmission and monitoring countermeasures.
   • Establish Centres of Excellence (CoE) to develop diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics for priority pathogens as identified by WHO.

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