India’s health system made major strides in disease tracking during the COVID-19 pandemic, but many gaps remain in sustained surveillance for emerging infections. Zoonotic diseases like Nipah, avian flu, and H3N2 often go undetected in early stages due to limited integration between human and animal health systems (One Health approach). Many rural and peripheral health centers still lack digital infrastructure or trained personnel to report cases in real-time. Sentinel surveillance networks are underutilized, and genomic sequencing capacity outside major metros remains limited.
This delays early detection and containment. Private sector data is often unlinked to national surveillance systems like IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme), making it difficult to capture full epidemiological trends. Budgetary constraints and fragmented responsibilities across central and state…