Resolution to Strengthen India's Health Preparedness Framework

Although COVID-19 has ended, the threat of new and re-emerging zoonotic viruses remains, the most recent cases being the Nipah virus (NiV) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) outbreaks; there is also the risk of accidental or intentional biological threats. Addressing them requires effective surveillance systems and response mechanisms within a health emergency preparedness framework. Strengthening India's ability to identify and respond to pathogens depends on technological breakthroughs in a defined framework, an innovation-based ecosystem, and sustained international collaboration.

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Global public health systems were put to the ultimate test during the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed systemic flaws in existing frameworks that enable surveillance, readiness, and responsiveness. The crisis in India exposed significant gaps in the country's institutional and legal framework for handling serious biological threats. The Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897, a colonial-era law, and the National Disaster Management Act of 2005, which is disaster-centric, were used to manage the pandemic, but lack a thorough public health and clinical management framework. These legal tools were not created to address the complexity of a pandemic in the twenty-first century, nor were they in line with international standards for health emergency governance, despite the admirable efforts of health authorities.

India quickly saw a rise in domestic innovation, replacing its early reliance on imported diagnostics and materials. The pandemic sparked public-private partnerships (PPPs), as evidenced by the rapid development of diagnostic kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), and several domestic vaccines, including ZyCoV-D and COVAXIN. Scaling up domestic research and production was aided by government programmes like Mission COVID Suraksha and institutional leadership from organisations like the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). However, there were still issues with standardising emergency regulatory approvals, accommodating global supply chain shocks, predicting public health demands, and establishing long-lasting connections between research institutions and industry partners.