NITI Aayog has released an Expert Group report titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response- A Framework for Action’. The expert group in the report has provided a blueprint for the country to prepare for any future public health emergency or pandemic and have a rapid response system in place.

Given the unpredictably, changing planetary ecology, climate and human-animal-plant dynamics, new potentially, large-scale infectious threats to human health are inevitable. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned the world that 75% of future public health threats are likely to be zoonotic threats (which could be due to emerging, re-emerging and new pathogens).

In view of this, NITI Aayog constituted an Expert Group to prepare a Framework for Action for Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response. The Terms of Reference for the group were to examine how COVID-19 was managed at the national and global levels, pick up the key learnings both from the success stories and challenges faced, and assess the key gaps which need to be addressed to help us prepare and respond more efficiently and effectively in any future public health crisis.

The recommendations of the Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response Framework (PPER) are in four pillars:

1. Governance, Legislation, Finance and Management
2. Data Management, Surveillance and Early Predictive Warning, Forecasting and Modelling,
3. Research and Innovation, Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Capacity building/Skilling
4. Partnership, Community engagement including risk communication, Private sector partnerships, and international collaborations

Preparing the proposed framework for action for future pandemic preparedness and emergency response involved consultations with over 60 experts and stakeholders, analysing the experience so far, examining national and global success stories and identifying key gaps that need attention. 

The expert group in the report has provided a blueprint for the country to prepare for any future public health emergency or pandemic and have a rapid response system.