U.S.-India Health Cooperation
U.S.-India Health Cooperation
Fact
Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington,
DC
September 30, 2014
Our partnership on health ranges from research and development of vaccines to implementation of disease detection centers. Both the United States and India support cutting edge research in health and our partnerships in this sector will continue to develop solutions for emerging health challenges that can transform development across the globe.
• Global Health
Security Agenda: The United States and India have
partnered to increase global capacity, resources and
coordination necessary to tangibly reduce threats posed by
infectious disease outbreaks, including Ebola. The United
States will look to India’s leadership with the Agenda,
and to deepen collaborations, specifically in the areas of
Antimicrobial Resistance and Immunization, where India has
interest and expertise.
•
• Ending
Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths: As
co-conveners of the global Call to Action, India and the
United States have helped catalyze efforts around the world
to save the lives of mothers and children. In support of the
Call to Action and India’s role as a co-convener, the new
partnership supports national-level policy development and
implementation across 184 highly burdened Indian districts
and strengthened service provision in up to 11 states with
high rates of child and maternal deaths.
•
• Environmental and Occupational
Health and Injury Prevention and Control: The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services and Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare will sign a Memorandum of
Understanding on Environmental and Occupational Health and
Injury Prevention and Control. The MOU furthers cooperation
in research efforts, education and training and
capacity-building activities in a number of focus areas
including public health aspects of household and ambient air
pollution, water quality and access, exposures to hazardous
substances, strengthening of laboratory capacity, road
safety and burn injuries.
•
• Global
Disease Detection: U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the Government of India are collaborating
to increase global security from threats of new and
reemerging diseases in support of International Health
Regulations. The India GDD Regional Centre was established
in 2009.
•
• Global Transfer of
Health-related Development Solutions: Recognizing
India’s unique position to develop and scale solutions to
difficult health problems, USAID is working with India to
highlight India's achievements as a model for improving
health outcomes. Activities include learning exchanges and
India providing technical assistance on HIV/AIDS prevention
and control approaches to African
countries.
•
• India Epidemic
Intelligence Service (EIS) Program: The Indian
National Centre for Disease Control and the U.S. CDC
partnered to build public health leadership capacity in
India and launched the India EIS program in 2012. India EIS
officers have recently investigated multiple vaccine
preventable illness (measles, mumps, diphtheria) outbreaks,
acute encephalitis/Japanese encephalitis, food and water
borne illnesses, and a recurring outbreak of an acute
neurologic outbreak occurring in small children during
litchi harvest season in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Changes in
clinical management of the children made based on the
investigation findings reduced deaths by almost 50% in those
affected compared with the previous year. India EIS officers
are also being deployed for the response to the floods in
Jammu and Kashmir.
•
• Food
Safety: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and the Government of India regulators work together
on training, sharing best practices, and conducting joint
inspections to ensure good manufacturing processes and safe
handling. This cooperation protects both American and Indian
consumers.
•
• Partners in Global Polio
Eradication: India has shown exceptional
leadership in eliminating polio. In 2013, India celebrated
three years without wild poliovirus and was declared
polio-free. We hope to strengthen U.S.-India collaboration
on diseases for which tools of control and prevention exist,
especially polio.
•
• Health Research:
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and
the Government of India's Department of Biotechnology and
the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have enjoyed a
long history of successful research and research training
collaborations on maternal and child health, nutrition,
HIV/AIDS, vaccines, eye disease, neuroscience, diabetes,
cancer, TB, neglected tropical diseases, behavioral and
social sciences, and other infectious and non-communicable
diseases that are priorities for both countries. In May
2014, the NIH and ICMR published a bilateral funding
opportunity announcement to foster the formation of
Indo-U.S. scientific teams conducting diabetes research of
mutual interest and benefit to both countries. Awards are
anticipated by September
2015.
•
• Rotavirus Vaccine
Development: Rotavirus causes an estimated 78,000
deaths, 800,000 hospitalizations, and 3 million episodes of
severe diarrhea each year in Indian children. Rotavac, a low
cost rotavirus vaccine that has been recommended in India
for routine immunizations, is the product of a longstanding
Indo-U.S. Vaccine Action Program collaboration that includes
government, private sector, and academic partners.
•
• Global Neglected Tropical Diseases
(NTDs): The Global Neglected Tropical Diseases
community has wanted to engage with India to learn from
their abilities to monitor and manage diseases. As part of
the London Declaration, Uniting to Combat NTDs, an
operations research working group has engaged to identify
global research priorities around combatting NTDs. USAID
will facilitate participation by the premiere Indian
Leishmaniasis researchers in this global research in the
November 2014 Annual Tropical Medicine Meeting in New
Orleans, including a two-day breakout group prior to the
meeting focused specifically on Leishmaniasis. India’s
contribution to the global research agenda can then be used
to inform NTD strategies around the world, at the country
level as well as the donor agency
level.
•
• Cancer Research:
Cancer research remains a leading priority of our broader
health partnership. The U.S. National Institutes of Health
and the Government of India announced a partnership to
increase capacity in cancer research and patient care
delivery through infrastructure development, training, and
capacity building and will develop an MOU for this
collaboration.
•
• Innovative
Partnerships and Development Challenges: USAID’s
Health Partnerships Action Plan will leverage multi-billion
dollar national health programs of the Government of India
and private sector financial resources, skills, and
expertise. The plan identifies platforms for catalyzing
direct private sector engagement and strengthening
governmental stewardship of public-private partnerships to
accelerate desired health outcomes.Through issues
development challenges, USAID funds innovative ideas coming
from local Indian researchers and institutions around issues
such as tuberculosis medication compliance to neonatal
thermoregulation.
•
ENDS