Singapore: India and the United States of America (USA) have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on Cooperation on Cancer Research, Prevention, Control, Management and Collaboration in Environmental and Occupational Health, and Injury Prevention and Control, and a Letter of Intent (LoI) on Antimicrobial Resistance Research.

The MoU on Cancer Research and LoI on Antimicrobial Resistance Research were signed by Shri B P Sharma, Secretary (Department of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Health Research), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Prof. K Vijay Raghavan, Secretary (Department of Biotechnology), Ministry of Science and Technology and Mr Richard Verma, Ambassador of the USA to India. While, the MoU on Collaboration in Environmental and Occupational Health and Injury Prevention and Control was signed by Mr BP Sharma and Mr Richard Verma.

The MoU for cooperation on cancer research prevention, control and management was signed between the National Cancer Research Institute of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology and National Cancer Institute of the National Institute of Health and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), USA.

The MoU intends to strengthen the collaboration on the following, Promotion and development of cooperation in the fields of clinical cancer research and patient care delivery; Infrastructure development, training, and capacity building; Collaboration in cancer research including basic, translational and survivorship research, epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis, screening, treatment and control; Direction of increased collaboration between appropriate Centers of Excellence and Institutions in both countries, as recommended by the Participants; and Assessment and application of new and cost effective cancer diagnostic technologies for public health benefits, and the translation of technologies for global health.

The second MoU was signed between the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services of the USA and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Collaboration in Environmental and Occupational Health and Injury Prevention and Control. The MoU aims to further the cooperation in the fields of environmental and occupational health and injury prevention and control research, education and training, infrastructure development, and capacity-building for their reciprocal and mutual benefit.

A Letter of Intent (LoI) on Antimicrobial Resistance Research was signed between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services of USA. This aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in antimicrobial resistance research.

The signatories welcomed signing of the agreements and hoped that these MoUs/LoI will usher in greater cooperation in the health sector which will benefit people of both the countries, in addition to further deepening and strengthening of cooperation and collaboration between the countries.