NITI group calls for separate law to tackle future public health crisis
The groupβs brief was to draw lessons and experiences, both nationally and globally, on how Covid was managed. | Photo: https://www.niti.gov.in/
An expert group set up by NITI Aayog to develop a framework for future pandemic preparedness has suggested bringing in separate legislation to deal with public health crises.
The report, ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response β A Framework for Action’, says that experts have learned from the experience with Covid-19 that responding in the first 100 days of an outbreak is crucial for effective management.
βA separate Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA) is proposed to facilitate the management of any public health emergency.
“PHEMA can address several aspects beyond epidemics, including non-communicable diseases, disasters and bioterrorism. It should be implemented in every developed country,” the report said.
It enables a holistic approach to health management that includes prevention, control and disaster response, the report said.
βThe law would also provide for the creation of skilled public health cadres at the national and state levels,β the report said.
The report also notes that it is critical to have strategies and countermeasures in place that can be made available within the first 100 days.
The report suggested setting up an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs, to deal with pandemic preparedness and emergency response. A well-oiled machine would be put in place to prepare for emergencies.
βA well-structured scorecard mechanism should regularly monitor progress against key objectives,β the report said.
According to the report, the priority objectives would be: development of capacities for both human resources and infrastructure, development of innovative countermeasures, appropriate high-risk financing to achieve high returns in terms of saving lives and minimizing economic loss, a well-developed robust, responsive regulatory framework, and a strong surveillance network linking epidemiological data with genomic, laboratory and clinical data.
The report also stated that there is a need to link epidemiological surveillance data with genomic data and develop clinical correlates using hospital and laboratory data.
βA strong surveillance network is proposed, allowing seamless transmission of community and hospital data to a unified data portal for access and exchange of data across all relevant sectors,β the report said. It also requires well-formulated policies for data sharing and communication, and empowerment of key decision-makers.
To ensure timely and effective action, a pandemic preparedness and emergency response fund should be established.
The report says that needs-based financing packages have been made available during Covid-19 for a number of emergency response activities, such as genomic surveillance, vaccine and diagnostics development, research resources and shared infrastructure.
However, it was also noted that sufficient financial resources should be made available for pandemic preparedness.
The report highlights that the Indian regulatory system needs special attention. There is a need for global harmonization of regulatory standards to enable acceptance of regulatory data by all recognized regulatory bodies worldwide. There is also a need for a common framework for innovative technologies and an accelerated response to emergency approvals.
βIt has been suggested that there is a need for a clinical trial network for global, multi-site trials,β the report said. This would allow rapid access to globally developed countermeasures, the report said.
The report noted that the supervisory authority (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) requires special powers through legislation and that there is a need to strengthen its technical competence and autonomy in its functioning to meet these requirements.
The group’s mandate was to collect lessons and experiences, both nationally and globally, on how Covid was handled and to visualize elements of preparedness and future pathways for combating an infectious public health crisis.
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First publication: Sep 11, 2024 | 9:04 PM IST