A joint India and the United States collaboration will advance scientific discovery and management of global health threats, Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said here on Monday.

Addressing an inaugural session of the 4th Indo-US Health Dialogue, being hosted by India, at the Ministry of Health, she said “Collaboration between our countries will advance scientific discovery and management of global health threats.”

Marking the beginning of the two-day dialogue, Pawar said the platform will provide an opportunity to all the participants for detailed deliberations, which may be used to broaden the scope of partnership on the health agenda with multiple agencies both in India and the US.

Multiple ongoing collaborations between the two countries in the health sector are the focus of the meet, the ministry said in the statement.

This also includes several areas of concern pertaining to strengthening of epidemiological research and surveillance, vaccine development, the “One Health” approach, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, health systems and health policies etc., it added.

The US delegation for the dialogue is led by Loyce Pace, Director, Office of Global Affairs at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

She lauded the way in which the two countries have enhanced collaboration in research and development, especially with respect to pharmaceuticals, therapeutics and vaccine development, which could be seen in Indian manufacturers collaborating with US-based agencies to develop Covid vaccines, the statement said.

Pawar appreciated a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2020 on mental health that enhanced cooperation and strengthened bilateral ties between India and the US in the health sector.

Another MoU between the Ministry of Health and the US Department of Health and Human Services in the health sector has been finalised, that is likely to cover issues such as health safety and security, communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases, health systems and health policy, the statement said.

Pawar recapitulated the need to focus on these emerging areas to prevent and control infectious diseases, relying on well-designed and validated scientific approaches and collaboration between countries to aid in advance scientific discovery and management of global health threats, it added.

She also said the public and private sector should work together and combine their strengths in fighting the inequities of the health systems through innovations.

Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and Secretary, Health Research among other senior officials of the Ministry represented India at the event.