Biological Disasters

Also see: UPSC Preparation Books

Biological Hazards

• It refers to the biological substances or organic matters produced by parasites, bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protein that threaten the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans—also known as Biohazards
• This comprises the medical waste and samples of a microorganism, virus, or toxin from numerous biological sources that can influence the health of the human body

Biological Warfare (BW)

• Also termed Germ Warfare, it is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi to kill or incapacitate humans, animals, or plants as an act of war
• Biological weapons (often termed “bioweapons,” “biological threat agents,” or “bioagents”) are living organisms or replicating entities (viruses, which are not universally considered “alive”) that replicate within their host victims
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is the nodal ministry for Biological Warfare and associates with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in its management
• MHA is in charge of evaluating threat perceptions, setting up deterrent mechanisms, and providing intelligence inputs

Important Pages

Biological Disaster – Legal Framework –The Epidemic Diseases Act 1897

The act was enacted to manage the bubonic Plague of Mumbai in 1897.

The law provides legal frameworks to manage disasters by providing special powers:

• State Governments: Regulation and Framework to manage Endemic affected regions, including Travel restriction
• Central Government: Power to form regulations and prescribe framework and restriction on travel.
• Penalty Under Sec 188 of Indian Penal Code.
• People acting under the Act to be protected against any legal proceedings

Biological Disaster Management System

• In India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is the nodal ministry for controlling epidemics, decision-making, an advisory body, and emergency Medical Relief provider
• In the opinion of the Constitution, health is a state subject. So, the fundamental responsibility of dealing with biological disasters lies with the state governments
• The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) is the nodal agency for exploring outbreaks in the country
• The NICD/Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) imparts teaching/ training, research, and laboratory support

Prevention of Biological Disasters

Following are the essential means for the prevention of biological disasters:

• Vulnerability Analysis and Risk Assessment
• Environmental Management
• Proper maintenance of sewage pipelines and safe water supply can go a long way in preventing biological disasters and epidemics of waterborne origin such as cholera, hepatitis, diarrhoea, and dysentery
• Mass awareness about personal hygiene can be created in the community about the importance
• Vector control measures like the elimination of breeding place by water management, keeping a watch on the rodent population
• Integrated Disease Surveillance Systems
• Pharmaceutical Interventions in the form of Chemoprophylaxis, Immunization, and other preventive measures

NDMA guidelines on Management of Biological Disasters

1. Vulnerability analysis and risk assessment are required to be carried out at the macro and micro levels for present diseases with epidemic potential, emerging and re-emerging diseases, zoonotic diseases with the potential to cause human infections, etc.
2. Important buildings and those vital housing installations need to be protected against biological agents wherever deemed necessary.
3. When exposure is suspected, the affected persons shall be quarantined and put under monitoring for any atypical or typical signs and symptoms taking shape during the period of observation.
4. Health professionals associated with such investigations will have adequate protection and adopt recognized universal precautions.
5. Health care workers shall be equipped with gloves, impermeable gowns, N-95 masks, or powered air-purifying respirators, they must sanitize their hands before donning PPE for patient contact.
6. With due consideration to the social, ethnic, and religious issues involved, utmost care will be taken in the disposal of dead bodies.
7. Necessary awareness regarding the importance of personal hygiene and measures to achieve this will be created in the community, this includes the provision of washing, cleaning, and bathing facilities, avoiding overcrowding in sleeping quarters, etc.
8. All manufacturers of antibiotics, chemotherapeutic, and antiviral manufacturers shall be listed and their installed capacity ascertained. The center/state governments will ensure the availability of all such drugs and antitoxins needed to combat a biological disaster.
9. Attention is to be given to developing infrastructural facilities in terms of trained human resources, mobility, connectivity, knowledge enhancement, and scientific up-gradation for all stakeholders concerned with the management of biological disasters.
10. Biological disaster-related education shall be given in several vernacular languages. Simple exercise models for building awareness will also be composed at the district level.
11. Toll-free numbers and an award system for providing necessary information about any oncoming biological disaster by an early responder or the public will be helpful.
12. Those families subjected to bereavement of their near and dear ones would also reflect higher psycho-social morbidity. MoH&FW, Through its mental health institutions and NGOs, would provide sufficient  psycho-social care.
13. The management of pandemics also requires a transparent and collaborative approach, wherein the affected countries will make a fused effort to reduce the impact.

Conclusion

The Epidemic Act, 1987, provides various tools to both the State and Central Government of India to take various measures and prescribe regulations to effectively manage Biological Disaster.