NITI Aayog releases Expert Group Report on Future Pandemic Preparedness

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Report reflects on challenges faced during COVID-19 pandemic and proposes a comprehensive strategy for future pandemic preparedness.

It emphasizes "One Health" approach to address growing threat of zoonotic diseases.

Issues faced during COVID-19:

Legislative: Provisions of NDMA & Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA) are not entirely suited for a public health emergency.
Surveillance and Data Management: Multiple data sources were not well-integrated, affecting decision-making.
Research and Innovation: Research bodies are not linked with industries for rapid development of diagnostics & vaccines.

Governance:
- Enacting Public Health Emergency Management Act(PHEMA) to address aspects beyond epidemics, including non-communicable diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism,
- Creation of an Empowered Group of Secretaries on Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response (PPER) chaired by Cabinet Secretary.
- Setting up of a special PPER fund
Data Management, Surveillance and Early Predictive Warning:
- Creating a well-connected/integrated robust surveillance network
- Building a solid modeling and forecasting network for early prediction
Research and Innovation:
- Setting up an Institute of Innovation for New Platform technologies and vaccine development
- Creating Centers of Excellence for Skilling Human Resources in identified gap areas.

'Public Health and Sanitation' is under Entry 6 of the State list (Seventh Schedule).
Entry 29 of Concurrent List empowers center and State both to legislate for prevention of infectious or contagious diseases from one state to another.
International Health Regulation (2005) provides legal framework for States in handling public health emergencies.
EDA 1897 is main legislation on subject matter.
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme provides for disease surveillance