Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that the research work on diseases like TB, Malaria, Dengue is being carried out in the country on a very small scale and if so, the reasons therefor;
(b) whether the Government is contemplating to undertake research to discover new medicines to cure the said diseases; and
(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) to (c): No.
Research work on diseases like tuberculosis, malaria and dengue is being supported by Indian Council of Medical Research, D/o BioTechnology & D/o Science & Technology through various initiatives under National and International R&D programmes as indicated hereunder:-
i. Launch of Malaria Elimination Research Alliance,
ii. Establishment of India TB Research Consortium (ITRC) to give thrust to research in TB, by supporting development of new tools to combat TB,
iii. Mission AMR (Anti Microbial Resistance),
iv. Major projects for development of vaccines for Malaria, Tuberculosis and Dengue,
v. Malaria Vaccine Development Programmes,
vi. Dengue subunit VLP based vaccine candidate,
vii. Special Call for research proposals on Dengue,
viii. Regional Prospective observational Research for Tuberculosis India under Indo-US vaccine Programme,
ix. Technology developed by ICGEB, New Delhi has been transferred to Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for development of phytopharmaceutical drug for dengue,
x. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, a Public Sector undertaking of D/o Biotechnology also supports in R&D activities in these areas.
xi. Funding by D/o Science & Technology to Collaborative Projects under Public Private Partnership, creation of 57 state of the art infrastructure for Pharmaceutical R&D, Grants-in-aid to Indian Pharma Industries for clinical trials in neglected diseases including malaria, kala-azar etc.
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