Why in news?

NITI Aayog has released an Expert Group report titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response —A Framework for Action’. This report has provided a blueprint for the country to prepare for any future public health emergency or pandemic and have a rapid response system in place.

What’s in today’s article?

• Background – the formation of an expert group
• Key recommendations of the report

Background – the formation of an expert group

• COVID 19 – Not the last pandemic
  • The COVID-19 contagion is undoubtedly not the last pandemic.
  • Given the unpredictably, changing planetary ecology, climate and human-animal-plant dynamics, new potentially, large-scale infectious threats to human health are inevitable.
  • The WHO has warned the world that 75% of future public health threats are likely to be zoonotic threats (which could be due to emerging, re-emerging and new pathogens).
• Formation of an expert group
  • In June 2023, NITI Aayog, recognizing the likelihood of future pandemics due to changing planetary ecology, climate, and human-animal-plant dynamics, constituted an Expert Group.
  • The expert group was created to provide a Framework for Action for future pandemic preparedness.
  • Its key task was to analyze how COVID-19 was managed both nationally and globally, identifying lessons learned from successes and challenges.
  • The group aimed to pinpoint gaps in response strategies to enhance preparedness for future public health emergencies.
  • Their report provides a comprehensive blueprint for efficient and effective responses to large-scale infectious threats.

Key recommendations of the report

Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA)

• Highlights the limitations of the existing legal framework
  • The report highlights the limitations of the existing legal framework used during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA) of 1897 and the National Disaster Management Act (NDMA) of 2005.
  • The EDA lacks definitions for key terms like "dangerous" or "infectious" diseases and doesn't address processes for drug distribution, vaccines, quarantine, or preventive measures.
  • Similarly, the NDMA was not designed to manage health emergencies, as it primarily focuses on natural disasters.
• Enacting a new Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA)
  • To address these gaps, the report recommends enacting a new Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA).
  • This law would empower central and state governments to respond effectively to pandemics and other health emergencies, including non-communicable diseases, disasters, or bioterrorism.
  • PHEMA would equip public health agencies with urgent action powers and create trained public health cadres at national and state levels to act as first responders.

Empowered panel of Secretaries 

• The report proposes establishing an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), headed by the Cabinet Secretary, to oversee public health emergency preparedness and response.
• This committee will operate during non-crisis periods to strengthen governance, finance, R&D, surveillance, and partnerships, ensuring a rapid response when emergencies arise.
• EGoS will also create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling pandemics and set up sub-committees to manage these key areas effectively, enhancing the nation's readiness for future health crises.

Strengthen surveillance

• The report emphasizes the need to strengthen India's disease surveillance network, particularly in light of past epidemics and pandemics, many of which were linked to viruses originating from bat species.
  • It stresses the importance of constant monitoring at human-bat interfaces.
• Key recommendations include establishing a national biosecurity and biosafety network, which would connect leading research institutions, biosafety containment labs, and genome sequencing centers.
  • This system should operate in a coordinated, automated manner to respond swiftly to early warning signs of a public health threat.
• Additionally, the report proposes creating an emergency vaccine bank, which would source vaccines domestically or internationally, ensuring rapid access during health emergencies.

Network for early warning

• The report advocates for creating an epidemiology forecasting and modeling network to predict the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases and assess the effectiveness of countermeasures like vaccines in various scenarios.
• It also calls for a network of Centres of Excellence (CoE) focused on researching priority pathogens.
• These CoEs would work on diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for priority pathogens identified by the World Health Organization, developing them in advance to ensure preparedness for future public health emergencies.

Independent drug regulator

• The report stresses the need for India to establish a robust clinical trial network recognized by international regulatory authorities to ensure rapid access to innovative medical products during public health emergencies.
• It highlights the importance of making the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) an independent body with special powers.
• Currently, the CDSCO, responsible for regulating drug import, sale, manufacture, and distribution, operates under the Ministry of Health, but greater autonomy is recommended for faster and more efficient responses in crises.

Other recommendations

• 100-Day Preparedness Strategy: The experts realised that responding in the first 100 days of an outbreak is crucial for effective management. Hence, it emphasizes a rapid response system to be fully operational within the first 100 days of an outbreak.
• Public Health Workforce: Expanding and enhancing the public health workforce, especially in rural and underserved areas.
• Supply Chain Resilience: Developing a robust supply chain for essential medical supplies, vaccines, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Digital Infrastructure and Data Sharing: Leveraging technology and data-sharing frameworks to ensure transparency, coordination, and swift action.