Ambassador: Ian Pereira
The recent pandemic of Influenza A (H1N1) is a cause for concern due to its rapid increase and widespread transmission in the summer of 2009, despite the application of prevention and control measures. In April 2009 India enacted its first Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan to prevent and control the transmission of the disease within India. The plan involved the following:
* Enhanced Surveillance
o increased screening
o coordination by expert committees
o mass communication
* More effective Case Management
o standard clinical management protocols for all states
o accumulation of medical supplies
o creation of isolation facilities
o specialized training of healthcare professionals and rapid response teams in:
+ ventilatory care
+ infection control
o specialized training of microbiologists in influenza molecular diagnostics for effective confirmation of disease
* Integrated pandemic plans with other sectors including law and order and essential services
Although able to control the spread of infection for months, due to unmanaged and unforeseen susceptibilities, cases increased rapidly in Augustand led to 1193 cases and 20 confirmed deaths early that month. To date, Susceptibile regions had the following characteristics:
* High population density and lower socioeconomic status
* Subsatisfactory sanitation
* Increased acccess to national and international transportation hubs
* Lack of access to anti-virals
* Subsatisfactory implementation of the Pandemic Response Plan due to poor coordination of directives and limited resources
As a large, diverse, and population dense country India needs to develop a more effective strategy for pandemic preparedeness at the national and international level for a robust response and to mitigate the pandemic impact.
India’s Pandemic Preparedness Response Plan would aim at:
Goals:
* Reducing the morbidity and mortality due to influenza
* Decrease Social disruption and economic loss
Objectives:
* Develop a plan with co-ordination at the International, National State and District Level for preparedness and response, identifying the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders
* Stronger virological surveillance for early detection of novel virus utilizing international knowledge and technologies
* Ensure availability of adequate supply of vaccines and anti viral drugs
* Strengthen hospital systems and planning for optimum utilization of services
* Institute public health measures including infection control practices
* Establish effective communication with community , health care providers and the media
* Establish synergies with other existing programmes nationally and internationally for optimal utilization of resources
India seeks to work with other countries to meet its goals and objectives. Particularly, its major trading partners the UAE, US, China, and Singapore, countries interested in developing international disease surveillance systems for efficient use of resources, organizations interested in investing to strengthen and coordinate disease prevention and control in our hospital systems, and organizations interested in investing to reliably develop and deliver vaccines and anti virals to susceptible populations.