Unavoidable bulwark

The COVID-19 pandemic came as an unprecedented blow to the entire world. In a fast-paced era when issues come and go at lightning speed, the horrors of the pandemic have refused to die down. It came as an existential crisis where humans not just died in uncountable numbers but also dreaded being in touch with even the most proximate and loving kins. It won’t be wrong to say that humans died and humanity was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic. No wonder then that many countries and global institutions, sensing the possibility of recurrence of the deadly crisis in some form or the other, started endeavouring towards institutionalising ways in which the threat of future pandemics could be minimised, and their impact moderated. Through what is termed as ‘pandemic treaty’ or ‘pandemic accord’, the World Health Organisation aims to institutionalise prevention and containment measures against future pandemics. The treaty is still in the process of being signed. Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and France have already come up with well-crafted legislations to tackle future pandemic outbreaks seamlessly. The writing on the wall is clear: the trend of pandemics is here to stay, and all must stay ready for unannounced tragedies with a pragmatic bent of mind. It is only reassuring that India, too, is making efforts in this direction.

For India, with over 5,30,000 recorded deaths, the pandemic had exposed serious gaps in preparedness and the ability to respond to public health emergencies. Perhaps acknowledging this, NITI Aayog's expert group has put forth a comprehensive ‘Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response’ (PPER) framework to better prepare for future crises. The framework envisions enactment of a new law, the Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA), which aims to equip both the central and state governments with the necessary tools to manage pandemics and other public health emergencies, such as bioterrorism or health crises caused by non-communicable diseases. The inadequacy of outdated laws, such as the Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA) of 1897, which failed to define crucial terms like ‘infectious’ and ‘contagious’ diseases, became glaringly obvious during the COVID-19 crisis. Similarly, while the National Disaster Management Act (NDMA) of 2005 played a crucial role, it was not designed to handle health emergencies specifically. PHEMA, therefore, seeks to address these gaps in a bid to ensure a more robust legal foundation for future crises.

One of the key institutional reforms suggested by the expert group is the creation of an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS). This body, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, would be responsible for pandemic preparedness during non-crisis times and would ramp up response efforts during outbreaks. The EGoS would oversee governance, research, finance, and collaborations with global institutions, making sure that India’s response is swift and coordinated. This centralisation of authority would streamline decision-making processes and avoid the ad hoc measures seen during the COVID-19 outbreak. Another notable aspect of pandemic preparedness is disease surveillance and early warning systems. The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by zoonotic diseases. The need for constant monitoring at the human-animal interface, thus, assumes paramount importance. The expert group proposes creating a national biosecurity network, linking research institutions, biosafety labs, and genome sequencing centres. This network would facilitate real-time monitoring, using AI and other technologies, to detect potential outbreaks early. Enhanced data collection systems and coordination between public and private healthcare facilities are also mentioned in the report. This is very important because India’s pandemic response was largely hampered by the absence of a cohesive database of healthcare facilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for the world, but it also provided invaluable lessons, and made us aware that meticulous use of science could ward off the worst of crises. The expert group’s recommendations, if implemented effectively, have the potential to transform India's public health preparedness. The challenges ahead are substantial, but with the right measures, India can build a resilient system ready to tackle the health crises in the future.