(a) whether India has discussed with the USA regarding the areas of collaboration in health care to reap the benefits of global health services Sector;
(b) if so, the outcome thereof;
(c) whether India lacks strength in research in basic and clinical sciences;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the steps taken by the Union Government to augment the same?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a)& (b) Yes. 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 are given at Annexure.
(c) to (e) 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.
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.