Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: 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.
