Rapid Fire
Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA)
- 14 Sep 2024
- 1 min read
An expert group constituted by NITI Aayog has recommended a new Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA) to deal with the public health crisis.
- PHEMA aims to create health cadres at national and state levels and also empower public health agencies to take urgent action.
- It would cover epidemics, non-communicable diseases, disasters, and bio-terrorism.
- Key Recommendations:
- Formation of an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS): It will coordinate pandemic preparedness and emergency response efforts and is proposed to be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
- Implementation of a Scorecard Mechanism: A structured scorecard will track progress against key targets to ensure preparedness and responsiveness.
- Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response Fund: To finance activities like genomic surveillance, vaccine development, and shared infrastructure.
- Global Harmonisation: Advocates for aligning Indian regulatory norms with global standards to facilitate international acceptance of regulatory data.
- Development of a Clinical Trial Network: To accelerate access to globally developed practices and enhance India's participation in international research efforts.
