TA Title: Revision of Punjab Infectious Disease Act 2020

Program Overview

Evidence for Health (E4H) is a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded programme aimed at strengthening Pakistan's healthcare system, thereby decreasing the burden of illness and saving lives. E4H provides technical assistance (TA) to the Federal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Punjab governments, and is being implemented by Palladium along with Oxford Policy Management (OPM).

Through its flexible, embedded, and demand-driven model, E4H supports the government to achieve a resilient health  system that is prepared for health emergencies, responsive to the latest evidence, and delivers equitable, quality, and efficient healthcare services. Specifically, E4H delivers TA across three outputs:

Output 1: Strengthened integrated health security, with a focus on preparing and responding to health emergencies, including pandemics.

Output 2: Strengthened evidence-based decision-making to drive health sector performance and accountability.

Output 3: Improved implementation of Universal Health Coverage, with a focus on ending preventable deaths.

Terms of Reference

Background and Problem Statement

Infectious diseases remain a major challenge for public health systems, especially in densely populated and resource-constrained settings like Punjab. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for a responsive legal and institutional framework to manage emerging and re-emerging disease threats. Recognising this, the Health and Population Department (H&PD), Government of Punjab, has prioritised legislative reform to enhance alignment with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and global health security standards.

• Although Punjab enacted the Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Act in 2020, significant operational gaps remain. These include limited awareness among enforcement bodies, inconsistent SOPs, fragmented reporting mechanisms, and weak inter-sectoral coordination. Capacity constraints—particularly at the district level—and underutilisation of digital surveillance tools further hinder timely and effective responses.
• At the national level, the NIH-led National Public Health Emergency Management (NPHEM) Roadmap outlines protocols for emergency preparedness and response. However, Punjab’s current legislative and institutional arrangements are only partially aligned with this framework, limiting coordinated action during public health emergencies. The province’s UHC Roadmap also calls for enhanced governance, transparency, and data stewardship in managing health threats.
• Further compounding these challenges are interoperability issues across data systems and insufficient attention to equity and gender responsiveness in surveillance and enforcement. These shortcomings impede timely decision-making and compromise protection for vulnerable populations.
• In response, the Evidence for Health (E4H) Programme is supporting a Technical Assistance (TA) initiative to strengthen Punjab’s legislative and institutional framework for infectious disease control. The TA will provide expert support for legal review, stakeholder consultation, and drafting of Infectious Diseases Prevention the act, institutional capacity-building—anchored in IHR core capacities, WHO benchmarks, and the NPHEM Roadmap.

Strategic Approach

The proposed Technical Assistance (TA) is grounded in both global and national frameworks aimed at strengthening public health security and legal preparedness in Punjab. It is aligned with SDG Target 3.d, which emphasises the need for enhanced early warning and risk management capacities, and draws upon the WHO Benchmarks for IHR Capacities—particularly those related to legislation, coordination, and emergency response.   

• At the national level, the TA complements the operational vision of the National Public Health Emergency Management (NPHEM) Roadmap, ensuring that Punjab’s legal and institutional structures are harmonised with federal emergency preparedness protocols. It also contributes to ongoing efforts under the National Health Support Programme (NHSP-PforR), specifically Disbursement-Linked Indicator 10 (DLI-10), which aims to improve monitoring and accountability mechanisms across primary healthcare.
• Within the Evidence for Health (E4H) Programme, this TA directly supports Output 1 by advancing key governance reforms and institutionalising IHR coordination mechanisms at the provincial level. The intervention is also closely linked to the strategic goals outlined in the Punjab Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Roadmap, particularly those relating to public accountability, system interoperability, and legal oversight of epidemic surveillance.
• Taken together, the TA represents a targeted effort to consolidate public health law and emergency response protocols in Punjab—anchoring international best practices within the evolving health governance framework of the province.

Objectives

The overall objective of this TA is:

To strengthen the legal and institutional framework for infectious disease prevention, detection, and response in Punjab, ensuring alignment with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and national emergency preparedness protocols.

Specific Objectives

• To review and revise the Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Act (2020) in light of implementation gaps, evolving global standards, and federal guidance under the NPHEM Roadmap.
• To identify legal, procedural, and operational gaps through structured consultations with key stakeholders including DGHS, Punjab, Healthcare Commission, and the Law Department.
• To draft an updated legislative framework that enhances intersectoral coordination, strengthens surveillance integration, and enables timely emergency response across the province.
• To develop an implementation roadmap outlining capacity-building, digital integration, and coordination protocols needed for operationalising the revised legislation.

Scope of Work and Methodology

This TA will be implemented through five sequential and interlinked phases, using a participatory, evidence-informed, and legally grounded approach. The overarching aim is to support the Government of Punjab in strengthening its legal and institutional architecture for infectious disease control in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), WHO benchmarks, and the NPHEM Roadmap:

Phase 1: Inception and Situational Analysis

• Conduct an inception meeting with H&PD, DGHS, and relevant institutions to agree on scope, timelines, and coordination mechanisms
• Review the Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Act (2020) and other federal/provincial laws related to public health emergencies
• Map institutional roles, enforcement gaps, and reporting systems, with attention to overlaps across departments
• Identify national and global legislative best practices to inform revisions

Phase 2: Stakeholder Consultations and Gap Assessment

• Facilitate key informant interviews and focused group discussions with public health professionals, legal experts, district health managers, and CSOs
• Assess regulatory and procedural bottlenecks in the enforcement of infectious disease law
• Benchmark alignment with IHR core capacities and NPHEM functions (e.g., risk assessment, emergency operations centres)
• Analyse coordination challenges, SOP adherence, and data governance issues across departments

Phase 3: Drafting of Legislative Framework

• Prepare a consolidated draft or proposed amendments to the Infectious Diseases Act reflecting consultation outcomes and international standards
• Ensure provisions cover emergency declarations, role clarity, gender and equity safeguards, data sharing, and digital integration
• Conduct peer review and legal vetting with relevant departments and public health authorities

Phase 4: Validation and Consensus Building

• Organise a validation workshop to present, review, and refine the proposed legal framework
• Capture stakeholder feedback and document consensus or areas needing further discussion
• Develop a legal brief and institutional roadmap for final tabling and implementation of the Act

Phase 5: Finalisation and Capacity Strengthening

• Finalise the legislation and prepare user-friendly implementation guidelines for field and legal teams
• Recommend practical steps for operationalisation.
• Submit a final technical report, legal framework, and conclusion deck along with operational roadmap to support policy endorsement and roll-out

This methodology ensures that the TA remains participatory, technically sound, and responsive to institutional priorities. Flexibility will be built into each phase to accommodate evolving needs and contextual developments throughout the assignment.

Designated focal points from the Health and Population Department (H&PD) will be actively engaged in key stages of the process to ensure relevance, ownership, and continuity.

Timeline and LOE

The level of effort for the role is 90 days working days, from Aug 2025 – Dec 2025

Role Specific Requirements

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Technical Expertise

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, or relevant degree.
• Minimum of 5 years over all experience.
• With experience in research coordination, qualitative data collection, documentation, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience in facilitating consultations and compiling technical reports.

Competencies

• Working with others
• Planning and delivering work
• Analysis and use of information
• Communicating with others

Deliverables/KPIs

1. Inception Report and Slide Deck
2. Report on Stakeholder Consultations
3. Draft Legislative Framework
4. Final Legislative Document and Legal Brief
5. Conclusion Report and Final Presentation