Centre aims to shift tracking of 6 key vaccine-preventable diseases to states by March 2027

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New Delhi: The government plans to overhaul the monitoring of six vaccine-preventable diseases and shift it from the WHO-supported National Public Health Support Network to state health systems under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) by March 2027, according to two officials and a document reviewed by Mint. An official familiar with the matter said nearly half of the country's districts have already completed the operational handover.

However, at least one public health expert cautioned that the transition could compromise surveillance quality unless critical shortages of dedicated ground-level staff are addressed and tight coordination with immunization drives is maintained.

As part of the plan, the union health ministry has instructed states and Union territories to assume full responsibility for tracking acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, and neonatal tetanus.

Overseen by state health departments and technically supported by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) operating under the union health ministry, this phased handover aims to build domestic capacity without compromising global surveillance standards.

The roadmap mandates integrating digital reporting through the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance Information Management System linked to the Integrated Health Information Platform. The system unifies case forms, laboratory requests, sample tracking, and outbreak data.

Under the mandate, state and district surveillance officers will join immunization taskforces to monitor performance metrics, sample transport, and laboratory timelines. States will perform resource-mapping to identify gaps in personnel, cold chains and logistics, while health facilities and medical colleges will provide weekly reports and district teams will investigate notified cases within 48 hours.

National oversight will be handled through an oversight committee and a joint working group tasked with evaluating progress across states. Structural realignments specify that the IDSP state surveillance officer should join the state task force, while the IDSP district surveillance officer should join the district task force.

State health societies will secure operational funds by submitting proposals under the National Health Mission flexipool in State Program Implementation Plans. Funding covers mobility, contractual monitors, diagnostic kits, courier shipping, and digital maintenance.

Mint first reported about India's plan to transition polio surveillance to state health systems under the IDSP by 2027 in March 2025.

“These guidelines were developed to aid medical officers and functionaries as the government surveillance system takes over monitoring functions in its entirety from the National Polio Surveillance Project structure. The earlier guidelines were quite old, and these latest guidelines have been updated taking inputs from the immunization division, state surveillance teams, and key public health stakeholders,” said an official familiar with the matter, requesting anonymity.

"The framework provides clear instructions on case definitions, sample collection, and outbreak reporting to ensure operational consistency across districts. The transition process is already underway, with nearly half of the country’s districts having completed the operational handoff. The complete structural transition across all districts remains on track for completion by the March 2027 deadline,” the official added.

Queries emailed to the health ministry spokesperson on Wednesday remained unanswered.

Standardized collection protocols mandate distinct operational rules across diseases, with diagnostic samples routed to designated WHO-accredited and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) network laboratories.

To retain global sensitivity benchmarks, the framework sets explicit performance targets, including a non-polio acute flaccid paralysis rate of at least 2 per 100,000 children under 15 years, a stool adequacy rate of at least 80%, and a non-measles non-rubella discard rate of at least 2 per 100,000 people.

Reporting facilities must adhere strictly to weekly zero reporting protocols. Cases with delayed stool collection or isolated vaccine strains require a 60-day follow-up examination to record residual weakness before submitting documentation to the expert review committee.

Dr Sujeet Singh, former director of the National Centre for Disease Control, said the transition requires strengthening ground-level personnel and resources, as the IDSP network focuses primarily on the surveillance of outbreak-prone diseases for timely detection and intervention.

Dr Singh highlighted that transferring surveillance responsibilities without adequate competent manpower at the district level could affect surveillance quality. "The main issue appears to be the shortage of dedicated manpower on the ground. IDSP primarily manages outbreak surveillance, whereas disease elimination programs require specialized strategies and continuous tracking that is aligned with national programmes. Additionally, there is a need to link surveillance to immunization drives and maintain global quality benchmarks, which will remain a major operational challenge."

“To prevent disease resurgence, surveillance data must connect directly with actual public health measures, including catch-up vaccination campaigns, to address immunity gaps built up during the outbreaks. The state health systems must have dedicated personnel, strong laboratory linkages, and close coordination between surveillance officers and immunization teams to ensure seamless disease tracking across districts," he added.

Priyanka Sharma is a journalist at Mint, where she covers the Union Ministry of Health and the pharmaceutical industry. Her work focuses on explaining government policies and how they impact healthcare and the medicine market in India. With 12 years of experience in journalism, she has built a reputation for providing clear and honest news on important health topics that affect the entire country.

Her educational background includes a journalism degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and specialized training in public health from the Public Health Foundation of India. Before her current role at Mint, Priyanka worked with India Today, The Pioneer, and ANI. She also served as a lead consultant for the National Health Authority, which gave her firsthand knowledge of how the government manages large-scale health programmes.

Priyanka is based in New Delhi and is an avid traveller who loves visiting the mountains. She has a great interest in regional flavours, particularly South Indian food.

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