An agreement to this effect was signed between Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and US Secretary, Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius during a bilateral meeting.
The primary aim of this collaboration is to initiate a health research relationship between the two countries to generate a better understanding of the molecular and biological mechanisms underlying diabetes, to characterise the genetic, social and environmental determinants, and to identify innovative approaches for improving prevention and treatment of diabetes.
The two countries will promote and develop cooperation in the field of basic, clinical, and translational research in the areas of diabetes mellitus, on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit, a Health Ministry statement said here.
Joint efforts will also focus on developing cost-effective tools and approaches to translate research results into policies and actions to improve the public health.
As part of this collaboration joint research programmes in diabetes will be developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Department of Biotechnology of the Ministry of Science and Technology, with National Institutes of Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, United States.
The collaboration India and the US is significant in view of rising burden of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in both countries. This is the eighth agreement between the two countries in the field of health and medicine.
Diabetes is a debilitating disease that affects tens of millions of people in the US and India, and it is amongst the leading causes of death worldwide. (MORE)
