New Delhi: Multi-lateral development lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday approved a $170 million (over Rs 1,418 crore) policy-based loan to improve India's health system preparedness and capacity to respond to future pandemics. The Strengthened and Measurable Actions for Resilient and Transformative Health Systems will support the government's National Health Policy 2017, which aims to provide quality health care services to all, ADB said in a statement.

This policy-based loan will help fill the gaps in policy, legislative, and institutional governance and structures and contribute to India's goal of providing universal access to quality and affordable healthcare services to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response, it said. The programme will strengthen disease surveillance systems to effectively respond to public health threats, it said. It will set up laboratory networks for infectious disease surveillance at the state, union, and metropolitan levels and will also support the establishment of robust data systems to monitor and coordinate national health programmes for the poor, women, and other vulnerable groups.

The programme will improve the governance and coordination of India's One Health approach, its multi-sector response to emerging infectious diseases, it said. ADB will support policy reforms that will ensure there are adequate and competent health professionals and workers, it said. This includes legislation that will regulate and maintain standards of education, services and professional conduct of nurses, midwives, allied workers, and doctors, it said. It will help public health and health management teams deployed in some states to support public health functions and improve service delivery, it added.