NITI Aayog group proposes separate law to tackle public health crises

Report provides action plan for a 100-day response to any disease outbreak or pandemic

A report by an expert group set up by NITI Aayog has recommended a separate legislation called Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA) to handle disease outbreaks and pandemics.

In its report titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response- A Framework for Action’, the group has proposed setting up of a special fund for Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response (PPER) and creating institutionalised and empowered governance mechanisms.

The four-member group was constituted to prepare a framework for action for future pandemic preparedness and emergency response, in the aftermath of Covid-19.

Its report that the first 100 days of an outbreak are crucial for effective management. “It is critical to be ready with strategies and counter-measures which can be made available within this period”, it adds. The report, therefore, provides an action plan for a 100-day response to any outbreak or pandemic.

 

The proposed recommendations are part of the new PPER framework, which aim to prepare a road map and action plan for preparing for any public health emergency and delivering a well articulated response in these 100 Days.

The expert group has made recommendations in four areas: Governance and legislation, data management and surveillance, research and innovation, and risk communication.  

For governance, the report has recommended enacting a separate legislation (PHEMA) that will allow a holistic approach to health management, covering prevention, control, and disaster response, adding that it could also provide for the creation of skilled public health cadres at national and state levels.

“The PHEMA can address various aspects beyond epidemics, including non-communicable diseases, disasters, and bio-terrorism, and should be in place for a developed country,” said the group's report.

The report also observed that it is critical to be ready with strategies and countermeasures, which can be made available within the first 100 days.

An Empowered Group of Secretaries, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary has also been proposed under the PPER to put a well-oiled machinery into action, which prepares and readies itself before any emergency.

“A well-structured scorecard mechanism should regularly monitor the progress of key targets,” the report said.

According to the report, the priority targets include development of capacities for both human resources and infrastructure, development of innovative countermeasures, appropriate high-risk financing for getting high returns among others.

The report also noted adequate finances need to be made available for pandemic preparation as was the case during Covid-19, when need-based finance packages were made available for some of the emergency response activities like genomic surveillance, vaccine and diagnostic development.

For data management and surveillance, the report recommends establishing of harmonised systems of data collection, access, sharing, analysis, along with a unified data portal for infectious diseases.

“There is also a need for creating a strong biosecurity network of BSL3 and BSL 4 facilities for characterisation and epidemiological study of all priority pathogens”, the report added.

For research and innovation, the group has proposed allocating PPER funds for high-end research to develop countermeasures such as vaccines and drugs against priority pathogens.

The report proposes setting up an institute of innovation for new platform technologies and vaccine research, development and manufacture. “There is an urgent need for scaling manufacturing capacities and logistic supply chains for availability of countermeasures against pathogens”, the report stated.

It recommends setting up of a specialised risk communication unit with pre-approved standard operating procedures (SOP’s) and protocols for release and dissemination of information on a regular basis to different stakeholders.

Emphasising that the Indian regulatory system needs special attention, the report also stated that there is a need for global harmonisation of regulatory norms to allow acceptance of regulatory data across the world’s recognised regulatory authorities and a common framework for innovative technologies and accelerated response for emergency approval.