Collaboration in Health Sector Between India and the USA

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COLLABORATION IN HEALTH SECTOR BETWEEN INDIA AND THE USA

A statement at the LOK SABHA

India and the USA have discussed areas of collaboration in health

care and thereafter several MOU/Agreements have been signed for

various Indo-US collaborative efforts. Details of such agreements and

areas of collaboration can be seen at Annexure.

India has developed the infrastructure and expertise in basic as well

as clinical research. However, there are various areas in health

research, which are marked by complex technologies and multi-

disciplinary involvement. In some areas where US has more experience

than India, joint collaboration focus is on transfer of technology

through training of the research staff in the US and in Indian

laboratories, who will then implement this training using the

infrastructure available in India.

Under various Indo-US collaborative research activities, ICMR has

been conducting studies and making efforts to help Government of

India to develop various strategies in Health sector such as capacity

building in the field of emerging and re-emerging diseases,

developing HIV Vaccine, containing Kala-azar, development of network

for surveillance of human Influenza, Rota-Virus and Haemophilus

Influenza B. Agencies like Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), USA and the Indian agencies viz. National

Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and Indian Council of

Medical Research (ICMR) shall partner in the network of disease

surveillance activities to derive maximum benefit from the

collaboration.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Health &

Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi in a written reply to a

question in the Lok Sabha.

KR/SK/284 – LS

ANNEXURE

DETAILS OF THE AREAS OF COLLABORATION IN HEALTH CARE BETWEEN THE

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Four Indo-US Joint Statements were signed between the Governments of

India and the United States of America in the following fields:

(i) Indo-US joint Statement on prevention of STD and HIV/AIDS

(ii) Indo-US Joint Statement on Maternal and Child Health and

Human Development Research

(iii) Indo-US Joint Statement on Environment and Occupational Health

(iv) Indo-US Joint Statement on Emerging and Re-emerging

Infectious & Diseases Surveillance.

Apart from the above, the following MOU's/Agreements have been signed

between agencies/organizations of the two countries in the

following fields of research activities:

(i) Tripartite agreement for HIV/AIDS between Ministry of Health

and Family Welfare, ICMR & IAVI.

(ii) ICMR-CONRAD MOU for microbicide research.

(iii) ICMR-NIH Policy Forum on Biomedical Research established in

New Delhi.

(iv) MoU between ICMR, New Delhi and University of Minnesota, USA

to work together in the areas of health research such as field

epidemiology, cardio-vascular medicine, cancer, obesity, diabetes etc.

(v) MoU between ICMR and the University of California, Los

Angeles, USA to work together in the identified areas of clinical,

translation research, basic and fundamental health related sciences.

(vi) Letter of intent between ICMR and the Boston University, USA

to develop an MoU in the areas of mutual interest such as emerging

infectious diseases and public health.

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