NITI Aayog released ”Vision 2035 – Public Health Surveillance in India”

NITI Aayog has released a “white paper Vision 2035 – Public Health Surveillance in India” on December 14, 2020.

Highlights

• This document lays out India’s vision for public health surveillance.
• It lays the vision by integrating the three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat.
• This vision would explain the need of expanded referral networks and enhanced laboratory capacity.
• The vision has been build by an interdependent federated system of governance between the Centre and states.
• The white paper was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar.

Purpose of the document

The white paper has been released by NITI Aayog with a vision to make India’s public health surveillance system more responsive and predictive. Thus, it seeks to enhance preparedness for the action at all the levels. This is a Citizen-friendly public health surveillance system. It will ensure individual privacy and confidentiality. It also comprise of a client feedback mechanism. With this vision, India aims to provide regional and global leadership to manage the events that can constitute a public health emergency of international concern.

Public health surveillance

It is the also called as the epidemiological surveillance, clinical surveillance or syndromic surveillance. Public health surveillance is used to track the emerging health-related issues at an early stage. It helps in finding the active solutions in a timely manner. The surveillance system is called to provide the information about when and where the health problems are occurring and who is affected by the problems. This surveillance systems can be passive or active. Passive surveillance system comprise of the regular, ongoing reporting of diseases and conditions. It is less time-consuming and less expensive. While in the active surveillance system health facilities are visited. In this system, health care providers and medical records are also reviewed so as to identify the specific disease or condition.