Lok Sabha Question No. 944 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-22
Subject: Agreement for Health Sector
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAJENDRA AGRAWAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 944 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND JULY, 2016

## AGREEMENT FOR HEALTH SECTOR

## 944. SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to collaborate with other countries in healthcare sec research and development, capacity building, increasing efficiency and providing accessib affordable healthcare ser vices; and
- (b) if so, the details of agreement already signed or proposed to be signed in this re date?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a) & (b): As informed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), there are several bilateral Science & Technology (S&T) cooperation agreements with other countries to faci cooperation in the area of biomedical research. The International collaborations are soughtby ICMR under bilateral and/or multilateral collaborative framework for facilitating a strengthening interactions among international agencies and institutions in he research areas of mutual  interest. ICMR  operates  in  close  cooperation  with  the  I ndian  Ministry  of  Health  & Family  Welfare,  Ministry  of  Science  &  Technology,  Ministry  of  External  Affairs,  Ind missions abroad and foreign missions in India for international collaborations.

Various collaborative programmes are ongoing/ proposed under bilateral agreements/MoUs/Joint Statements in various areas of health sciences by ICMR either dire or through Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with various international organizations and institutions. Details are placed at Annexure .

## INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH Details on MoUs of ICMR/DHR for Bilateral/Multilateral Co-operation

|   Sr. No. | Country   | Ministry/Deptt. involved                                                                               | Brief objectives of MoUs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Year of signing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Validity           |
|-----------|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
|         1 | USA       | Joint Statement on HIV / AIDS &STDs between Ministry of Health and F.W., Govt. of India and DHHS, USA  | To promote and develop cooperation in the field of STDs and HIV / AIDS basic, clinical, translational, prevention research training and infrastructure strengthening.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | Signed on 13 June, 2000. Renewed on 29 June, 2006 by the then Hon'ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare, GoI during his visit to USA. Further renewed from US side on 20 October, 2011 at Bethesda, Maryland, USA and from ICMR side signed on 25 October, 2011 at New Delhi. Renewed in June,2015 | Up to June, 2020   |
|         2 | USA       | Joint Statement on Diabetes Research between Ministry of Health and F.W., Govt. of India and DHHS, USA | To generate a better understanding of the molecular and biological mechanisms underlying diabetes, to characterize the genetics, social and environmental determinants and to identify innovative approaches for improving prevention and treatment of diabetes, developing cost effective tools and approaches to translate research results into policies and actions to improve public health. | Signed on 12 June, 2012 in USA by the then Hon'ble Minister of Health and F.W. Govt. of India during his visit to USA                                                                                                                                                                                   | Up to June, 2017   |
|         3 | USA       | ICMR and International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) on cooperation in AIDS Vaccine Development, USA  | To collaborate and contribute their experience and resources on AIDS vaccine development and evaluation of one or more safe and effective AIDS vaccines primarily for use in, but not limited to, India and other biomedical tools for prevention of AIDS based on mutual agreement. The collaboration will in the form of specific research projects.                                            | Signed on 15 Oct,2014 from IAVI side at New York and on 10 Nov ,2014 from ICMR side at New Delhi                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Up to October 2019 |

| 4.      | USA     | ICMR, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and F.W., Govt. of India and DHHS, USA                                                                                                                                               | To promote and develop cooperation in the field of Environmental and Occupational Health, Injury Prevention and Control research, education and training, infrastructure development and capacity building.                                                                                                  | Signed in 2002 as indo-US Joint Statement Renewed in June, 2006 by the then Hon'ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare, GoI during his visit to USA. Renewed asMoU in June, 2015 at New Delhi   | Up to June,2020   |
|---------|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
| Sr. No. | Country | Ministry/Deptt. involved                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Brief objectives of MoUs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Year of signing                                                                                                                                                                                     | Validity          |
| 5.      | USA     | The National Cancer Institute of AIIMS,, MOHFW; The ICMR, Department of Health Research, MOHFW; DBT,, Ministry of Science & Technology, GoI and National Cancer Institute of NIH, Department of Health and Human Services, Government of USA | Cooperation on Cancer Research Prevention Control and Management was signed in June, 2015 at New Delhi for establishment of the general framework of collaboration for promoting and conducting high quality research to strengthen evidence base necessary for cancer prevention, treatment and management. | Signed at New Deli in June,2015                                                                                                                                                                     | Up to June,2020   |

| 6.      | USA     | The ICMR, Department of Health Research, MOHFW; DBT, Ministry of Science & Technology, GoI and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of The National Institute of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Government of The United States of America- LOI   | Letter of Intent on Antimicrobial Resistance Research .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Signed at New Deli in June,2015                                                                                                                                                  | Up to June,2020                                                                                                 |
|---------|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 7.      | USA     | ICMR -University of Minnesota ( UoM ), USA                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest - Epidemiology, cardiovascular medicine, cancer, infectious diseases, immunology, metabolic diseases, obesity, diabetes and public health initiatives.                                                                                                                                               | Signed in October, 2006 at New Delhi. Renewed in Nov., 2011 at New Delhi.                                                                                                        | Up to Oct, 2016                                                                                                 |
| Sr. No. | Country | Ministry/Deptt. involved                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | Brief objectives of MoUs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Year of signing                                                                                                                                                                  | Validity                                                                                                        |
| 8.      | Germany | ICMR-BMBF, Germany                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest - Infectious diseases including AIDS, oncology, family planning and reproduction with special emphasis on birth control, health for mother and child, prenatal medicine, research on scientific basis of traditional medicine with emphasis on composition and pharmacological properties of natural | Signed in January/Feb., 1976 and renewed in 1990 under Indo-FRG Agreement on Science & Technology cooperation of January/March, 1974 Addendum signed in 2005 at Bonn / New Delhi | Continuing at present. It is part of Indo-German Committee on S&T(IGC) coordinated by DST, Ministry of S&T, GoI |

|         |                |                                                    | products, environmental toxicology, drug development related to tropical diseases/infectious diseases, bioethics and other biomedical research aspects related to human health.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                               |
|---------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 9.      | Germany        | ICMR -Helmholtz Association (HGF), Germany         | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest - Infectious diseases, oncology & biomedical research related to health, translational research. A virtual Indo-German Science Center for Infectious Diseases (IG-SCID) was jointly inaugurated at ICMR Hqrs, New Delhi by the then Director General, ICMR and President of the Helmholtz Association on April 3, 2007 at ICMR Hqrs., New Delhi. IG-SCID completed its tenure on 31 st Dec, 2013. | Signed on 24 April, 2006 at Hannover, Germany during the visit by the then Prime Minister of India to Germany. Renewed on May 31, 2011 and signed by the former Secretary, DHR, MOH&FW, GOI &DG, ICMR and the Scientific Director, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) at New Delhi in the presence of the thenPM of India and H. E. Chancellor of Germany. | Up to May, 2016 Being renewed |
| 10.     | United Kingdom | ICMR-Medical Research Council ( MRC ), UK          | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest - Persistent, new and emerging infections; Chronic non-communicable diseases; Impacts of environmental change (including climate) on health. Renewed for research on Antimicrobial Resistance, Dementia, Maternal and Child Health, Impacts of environmental change (including climate) on health                                                                                                 | Signed on 17 February, 2010 at New Delhi Renewed a t New Delhi on 10 th November,2015                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Up to November,2020           |
| Sr. No. | Country        | Ministry/Deptt. involved                           | Brief objectives of MoUs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Year of signing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Validity                      |
| 11.     | United Kingdom | DHR -National Institute for Health Care Excellence | For strengthening evidence based clinical policy making in our health care system through Medical Technology Assessment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Signed on 14 June, 2013 at London.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Up to June, 2018              |

|    |                | ( NICE )MoU, UK                                                                    | Board (MTAB.) Under MTAB an Advisory Group has been constituted to advise the development framework for establishing MTAB. The advisory group has suggested a three phase Action Plan such as inviting suggestions from various stake holders to identify medical technologies/treatment methods/ diagnostics / vaccines etc., then its evaluation followed by techno-economical feasibility analysis and medico-social acceptability.                                    |                                          |                                |
|----|----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 12 | United Kingdom | ICMR and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM ), MoU UK            | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest -Public Health, including evaluation and health systems research; Disabilities(Prevention and Rehabilitation) and Impact of Environment on Health; Infectious Diseases including vector borne diseases; Maternal and Child health; Nutrition (under- and over-nutrition), including the role of Agricultural policy and practices; Statistics and methodology; Research support to National Health Mission of India | Signed on 8 th December, 2015 at London. | Up to December,2020            |
| 13 | Switzerla nd   | ICMR and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics( FIND ), Switzerland            | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest - Tuberculosis, Malaria, HIV, Leishmaniasis and other communicable diseases.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Signed on 7 July, 2011 at New Delhi.     | Up to July, 2016 Being renewed |
| 14 | Switzerla nd   | The Indian Council of Medical Research and Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative | Cooperation in neglected diseases                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Signed at New Delhi in October, 2015     | October,2020                   |

|         |                           | ( DNDi ), Switzerland                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |                      |
|---------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|
| 15.     | Finland                   | ICMR- Academy of Finland ( AF ), Finland                                                    | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest - Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases, Diabetes and Challenges in Health Services Research.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Signed in Nov., 2012 at New Delhi.                                                                                                                                                                                 | Up to Nov., 2017     |
| Sr. No. | Country                   | Ministry/Deptt. involved                                                                    | Brief objectives of MoUs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Year of signing                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Validity             |
| 16.     | Norway                    | ICMR and Research Council of Norway (RCN) on Health Research, Norway                        | Encouraging research in a range of health areas of mutual interest, these may include Human Vaccines; Infectious Diseases; Antimicrobial resistance and any other area of mutual interest.                                                                                                                                                                                        | Signed o 14 October, 2014 at Oslo, Norway by Indian Ambassador to Norway and Director General of RCN during the visit of Hon'ble President of India to Norway.                                                     | Up to October 2019   |
| 17.     | Sweden                    | ICMR and Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare (FORTE), Sweden - MoI | Bilateral cooperation between Sweden and India in the field of Ageing and Health between two countries to enhance the understanding of demographic change and impact of migration on physical and mental health and well-being of the elderly forms and systems of care of the elderly and use of ICT assistive technology and addressing issues related to nutrition in elderly. | Signed on 1 st June, 2015 at Stockholm, under India -Sweden agreement on cooperation in the field of healthcare and public health during the visit of Hon'ble President to Sweden.                                 | Up to June, 2020     |
| 18.     | Russia                    | ICMR and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research ( RFBR ), Russia                         | Envisages programme of cooperation in specific areas of health research such as oncology, bioinformatics and bio-imaging, neurosciences, new generation vaccine research and research in HIV/AIDS.                                                                                                                                                                                | Signed on 11 December, 2014 at New Delhi by the Secretary, DHR, MOH&FW, GOI &DG, ICMR and the Chairman, RFBR at New Delhi in the presence of the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and H.E. the President of Russia. | Up to December, 2019 |
| 19.     | Multi- Countries Alliance | ICMR and Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD)                                        | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest - Control of diabetes and obesity; characterization, quantification of risk                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Signed on 4 April, 2011 at New Delhi. The addenda- one, two, three as GACD secretariat funding and collaboration                                                                                                   | Continuing           |

|         |                         | among -Australia, Canada, China, UK, USA, India, South Africa, European Union, Mexico and Thailand   | factors (tobacco and environmental pollution), and development of control measures for chronic obstructive airways disease, cancer cardiovascular disease and other disorders; and implementation research of interventions to address these and other priorities.                    | agreement signed by ICMR on 20th Nov., 2012,; March, 2014 and 17 June, 2014 at New Delhi                                    |                                                                                                |
|---------|-------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 20.     | Australia               | ICMR -University of Sydney ( UoS ), Australia                                                        | Joint research in identified mutual areas of interest - Public health and clinical aspects of chronic diseases, HIV/AIDS, road traffic injuries, maternal and child health, health systems.                                                                                           | Signed in Nov., 2007 at Hyderabad. Renewed from ICMR side on 25 January,2015 at New Delhi and from UoS side on 9 March,2015 | Up to March,2019                                                                               |
| Sr. No. | Country                 | Ministry/Deptt. involved                                                                             | Brief objectives of MoUs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Year of signing                                                                                                             | Validity                                                                                       |
| 21.     | European Union, Belgium | Letter of Intent (LoI) between ICMR and European Union                                               | Research is expected to contribute to the bilateral S&T agreement of Nov., 2007. Letter of Intent is in identified areas of mutual interest - Cancer & Neurodegenerative Diseases                                                                                                     | Signed in March/April, 2011 at New Delhi/Brussels                                                                           | Continuing at present. It is part of Indo-EU S&T agreement coordinated by DST, Ministry of S&T |
| 22.     | Australia               | ICMR- National Health And Medical Research Council ( NHMRC), Australia                               | The focus areas - Infectious diseases, Oncology, Chronic diseases pursued via each Party's membership of the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, Public health and clinical aspects of chronic diseases, HIV/AIDS, Road traffic injuries, Maternal and child health, Health systems | Signed on 28 th January,2016 from ICMR side and on 10 th February,2016 by NHMRC                                             | Up to February,2021                                                                            |
| 23.     | Japan                   | ICMR and National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Japan- LoI                                | On Antimicrobial Resistance Research. The collaboration is in the area of Development of integrated surveillance program covering epidemiology data and genomic data of antimicrobial resistance in each country and                                                                  | Signed on 16 th April 2016 at Japan                                                                                         | Up to April,2021                                                                               |

|         |         |                                                                                                                                                                                 | Mutual exchange of information of molecular and epidemiological data of antimicrobial resistance by developing of comparable surveillance program in each country                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                               |                 |
|---------|---------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| 24.     | Canada  | Department of Health Research and The International Consortium on Anti- Virals (ICAV), Canada                                                                                   | Cooperation and the acceleration of the development of anti-infective therapies with a particular focus on those for neglected, newly-emerging and re-emerging viral, bacterial and parasitic threats to the population of India                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Signed on 10 th June,2016 at New Delhi                                                                        | Up to June,2021 |
| 25.     | USA     | MoU between The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, USA and ICMR for Cooperation on an International Centre of Excellence in Research in Chennai, India | The scientific focus of the agreement is to continue ongoing activities and to expand cooperation in the areas of epidemiology, molecular biology, medical entomology, parasitology, immunology bacteriology, microbiology, virology etc. with emphasis on techniques for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tropical infections and allergic diseases.                                                                                                         | Signed in June, 2003 and extended in May, 2008 up to May, 2013. Further renewal is under consideration of GoI |                 |
| Sr. No. | Country | Ministry/Deptt. involved                                                                                                                                                        | Brief objectives of MoUs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Year of signing                                                                                               | Validity        |
| 26.     | USA     | DHR and Bill Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), USA                                                                                                                               | Purpose of the collaboration is to build upon the synergy of expertise of each Party for the development, conduct and promotion of health research. Scientific and technological cooperation is proposed in the areas of Communicable diseases;Surveillance of communicable diseases, particularly those responsible for mortality in children under five years of age;Family Planning;Disease modeling;Telemedicine for rural/remote health improvement and for making | Proposed MoU. Approval under consideration of GoI                                                             |                 |

| available to rural/remote communities;Other areas of mutual interest including innovations in routine immunizations, as well as Information applications for health care   | healthcare Technology   |
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