The State government has issued the gazette notification on Kerala Public Health Act 2023, the new and comprehensive law to guide public health activities in the State.
The new Act, which unifies the provisions in the Madras Public Health Act, 1939 and the Travancore-Cochin Public Health Act, 1955, was passed by the Assembly in March this year after several rounds of discussions with experts from various public health fora and after gathering public opinion on various aspects of the proposed law.
The Kerala Public Health Act 2023 is a comprehensive Act which takes into account the contemporary health challenges that the State has to tackle. It has been drawn up on a much broader premise that public health protection should adopt the ‘one health’ approach and that public health should focus on improving the social determinants of health such as clean water and environment, sanitation and waste management, rather than just curative care. It also touches upon how Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the newest and the growing global challenge to health, should be tackled.
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The new public health Act also explores the challenges or threats to health posed by climate change, new and emerging viruses, heightened threat of the spill over of zoonotic diseases, non-communicable diseases spiralling out of control and the need for special care and attention for the vulnerable, including the elderly, chronically bedridden, and the differently-abled, food safety, biomedical waste management, and ensuring adequate toilet facilities in public spaces.
The Act also proclaims the Director of Health Services (DHS) as the State Public Health Authority with powers to constitute ad hoc public health advisory committees to manage public health emergencies. The DHS, as the supreme authority on State’s health, will have the power to seek data from the public and private healthcare establishments in the State on public health matters.
