Original Research Paper

Covid-19: The Eye Opener For A New Act To Combat And Control New Health Emergencies With Pandemic Potential In India

Abstract :

Despite comparative decline in communicable diseases, India still witnesses hundreds of outbreaks every year. Including the current COVID-19 pandemic India also has suffered from several major pandemic/large scale epidemics over the couple of centuries. However, the response to majority of the epidemics has been inadequate and often failed one. The EDA 1897 has been in action and is based on the contemporary science and socio-political environment. India has several legal mechanisms to help contain and control spread of epidemic but in different platforms. There has been a paradigm shift in socio-political milieu and advancement in scientific approach. The century old EDA 1897 with limited scope has not been optimally effective in containing and controlling the epidemics/pandemics as has been witnessed during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the existing EDA 1897 needs a revisit, and should include appropriate structural scalar chain, clear cut and un-ambiguous terms/definitions and guidelines, ethics and human rights, duties and responsibilities of the affected population/community, involvement of private health sectors and appropriate punitive measures to deter repeated violations of promulgated orders.

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