In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, two global health initiatives, namely the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) and the Big Catch-Up, were launched to enhance future preparedness for pandemics of similar magnitude and to boost children’s vaccination rates.
Understanding the PRET Initiative
The World Health Organisation (WHO), under the purview of the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, introduced the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Initiative. It was unveiled at the Global Meeting for Future Respiratory Pathogen Pandemics in Geneva, Switzerland. This initiative aims at enhancing pandemic preparedness for pathogen groups based on their transmission methods.
Three Tiers of Pandemic Preparedness
PRET recognizes three system tiers essential for pandemic preparedness: those that are cross-cutting for all or multi-hazards; those suitable for groups of pathogens like respiratory, arboviruses etc.; and those specific to a pathogen.
Coordinating Efforts Towards Preparedness
As part of the initiative, WHO launched the Respiratory Pathogens Partners Engagement Forum (R-PEF) allowing information exchange and coordination on planned activities. In February 2023, WHO also published a ‘Zero-Draft’ of the Pandemic Treaty aimed at enhancing global coordination and collaboration in preparing for and responding to pandemics and other global health emergencies.
The Big Catch-Up Initiative: A Closer Look
The Big Catch-Up Initiative, a joint venture by WHO, UNICEF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others, aims to escalate global vaccination efforts. The primary objective is to protect populations from vaccine-preventable outbreaks like measles, diphtheria, polio, and yellow fever and to strengthen national health systems.
Focus Countries of Big Catch-Up Initiative
The initiative will pay special attention to 20 countries, including India, which house a majority of children who have missed their vaccine doses.
Key Elements of the Plan
Salient features of the plan include strengthening health care workforces, improving health service delivery, building trust within communities for vaccines, and addressing gaps and obstacles to restoring immunization.
The Need for the Initiative
The pandemic affected immunization levels in over 100 countries due to burdened health services, disrupted medical supply imports and exports, strict lockdown measures, travel restrictions, and depleting financial and human resources. India is among the countries where about 75% of children missed essential immunization against preventable but critical diseases in 2021.
India’s Vaccination Efforts Amidst Pandemic
Despite the pandemic, India managed to record a strong recovery in essential vaccines in 2022. Major initiatives include the Covid Vaccine Drive, Universal Immunization Programme (Indradhanush 4.0), Mass Immunization Campaign for Measles-Rubella (MR), Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), CERVAVAC vaccine for cervical cancer prevention, and Pulse Polio Programme.
World Immunization Week
Coordinated by WHO and celebrated annually in the last week of April, World Immunization Week promotes the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
The above initiatives and measures are critical to combat the impact of Covid-19 and prepare for future pandemics. These global efforts prove that with collaboration and strategic planning, we can achieve substantial progress in managing public health emergencies and increasing immunization rates around the world.