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:

• Governance: Lack of clear risk communication systems and rapid response SOPs for delegation of power.

• Legislation: NDMA and EDA were insufficient for modern pandemic management; need for a specific Public Health Act.

• Surveillance and data management: Challenges in data integration, forecasting, and early warning systems; lacked comprehensive pandemic surveillance integration.

• Research and development: Public-private collaborations were effective, but structured mechanisms linking research institutions with industries are required.

• Regulatory reforms: Delays in emergency authorization due to unclear and unharmonized global regulatory norms.

Future Pandemic Threats and Preparedness:

• Global preparedness: Align country preparedness with global core capacities to prevent cross-border spread.

• Cross-sectoral collaboration: Enhance coordination between public health authorities and disaster management agencies for effective pandemic management.

• Risk assessment and community engagement: Focus on accurate information dissemination and proactive engagement with communities to counter misinformation.

• Resource availability: Ensure availability of necessary funds and resources to support pandemic response efforts.

• One Health Approach: Develop coordinated surveillance and response systems for zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases.

NITI Aayog’s Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response Framework:

• PHEMA (Public Health Emergency Management Act): Recommended to replace the outdated Epidemic Diseases Act (1897) and National Disaster Management Act (2005) for better management of health emergencies.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.

• Recommended to replace the outdated Epidemic Diseases Act (1897) and National Disaster Management Act (2005) for better management of health emergencies.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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Insta Links:

• Pandemic treaty

• Disease X

• What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of society? (UPSC -2021)