Mysuru hosts PHEDM Tier-III programme to build district-level disaster response capacity

Published 2 July 2026 · health

The Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in partnership with the Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Ministry of

The Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in partnership with the Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) India Country Office, has developed a five-tier Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management (PHEDM) framework. The nationally designed capacity-building initiative aims to strengthen preparedness and response capacities at all levels through a structured, multi-sectoral and multi-tiered approach. The PHEDM framework, a press release said, is unique because it brings together Public Health Emergency Management and Disaster Management on a common platform, recognising that today’s emergencies require integrated and coordinated action.

It further introduces a mentor-mentee model, creating a sustainable mechanism for knowledge sharing, continuous learning, and institutional capacity development. Rather than being a one-time training programme, PHEDM establishes a network of trained professionals who can guide, mentor, and strengthen preparedness within their own districts and institutions, it added. “Within the five-tiered framework, PHEDM Tier-III focuses on district and operational-level functionaries who form the backbone of emergency preparedness and response. Through technical sessions, practical exercises, case studies, simulations, and group-based learning, the programme equips them with the competencies required to assess risks, coordinate multisectoral response, communicate effectively, and manage public health emergencies and disasters with confidence and efficiency,” it added.

The impact of this initiative is already visible as PHEDM Tier-III has been successfully implemented in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh, where more than 900 officials have been capacitated. These trained professionals have significantly strengthened preparedness and supported effective emergency response within their respective states, it said. Karnataka has now joined this movement to build resilient health systems. The journey began with the completion of training for the first batch in Bengaluru in June, which capacitated 34 officials. The second batch in Mysuru is currently strengthening the capacities of 34 officials from various line departments, including health, disaster management/revenue, animal husbandry, fire, city corporation, airport health authority, and police, from the Mysuru division.