New Delhi, Mar 17, 2025, IANS
New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) India’s digital disease surveillance system is a model for other countries wanting to boost their health infrastructure, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Singh Patel on Monday. She said this while inaugurating the three-day QUAD workshop on pandemic preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region. The workshop, jointly organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of External Affairs, aims to strengthen global health emergency frameworks, enhance preparedness and resilience to health threats, and ensure coordinated responses to evolving pandemics as well as the implementation of the One Health approach. It also addresses human, animal, and environmental health through a multisectoral lens. “India’s digital disease surveillance system offers a valuable model for other countries seeking to strengthen their public health infrastructure,” said Patel. She added that “the rise of emerging and re-emerging health threats in recent times underscores the critical necessity of strengthened preparedness, enhanced surveillance, and well-coordinated international response mechanisms to safeguard global health security.” Patel also highlighted India’s commitment to strengthening global pandemic preparedness and response efforts. “India contributed $10 million towards the establishment of the pandemic fund which was specially conceptualised for fighting pandemics,” the MoS said, adding the country has "further pledged an additional $12 million to support its sustained functioning”. Further, the country has established a comprehensive health emergency coordination framework, strategically focused on preparedness, response, and resilience-building, to create a resilient and pandemic-ready healthcare system, Patel said. For this several key initiatives have been set up such as the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), National One Health Programme for Prevention and Control of Zoonosis, and National Vector Borne Disease Control and Prevention (NVBDCP). Patel also stated that India has led digital health initiatives, leveraging technology to improve health access, and outcomes, and create sustainable, data-driven systems. “These efforts are central to building a health system capable of addressing both current as well as future health and climate challenges,” she said. The Union Minister highlighted that India’s harnessing of digital technology in healthcare through initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and tools like the CoWIN platform, eSanjeevani, National Telemedicine Service, Tele-MANAS to manage mental health diseases, and the Ni-Kshay portal for tracking monitoring and management of Tuberculosis patients. Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor, emphasised the need to strengthen regional health networks and prepare for zoonotic diseases, especially for countries with a significant livestock sector. He stressed on sharing of technologies for better surveillance, disease modelling, and improving public health systems for better preparedness. The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the US. The Quad workshop is a critical milestone in building a more robust, coordinated global health security framework, ensuring that nations are better equipped to face future public health challenges with resilience and unity.