India and U.S. work closely on health and wildlife after Modi's visit

India and U.S. work closely on health and wildlife after Modi's visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. has spurred efforts by the two countries to develop affordable vaccines to combat dengue, malaria and tuberculosis, and to manage wildlife parks such as Corbett, Gir and Panna.

Both countries agreed to cooperate in fields aimed at promoting India’s development during Modi’s recent visit.

India’s Health and Family Welfare Ministry will work with the US National Institutes of Health and Center for Disease Control to develop ‘affordable vaccines’ to fight dengue, malaria and tuberculosis, said a top government official.

The US National Cancer Institute will cooperate to develop the National Cancer Institute coming up at the new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Jhajjar in Haryana, the official said.

The institute, located at Badhsa village in Jhajjar, is slated to have over 700 beds and facilities, like surgical and radiation oncology, medical oncology, anaesthesia and  palliative care and nuclear medicine. It will also have the first tissue repository in India.

Besides healthcare, India and the US will also collaborate on the management of national wildlife parks like Corbett, Gir and Panna.

India’s Wildlife Research Institute and the US National Parks Service and other institutions will collaborate and exchange experiences on managing such parks.

“This would include collaboration in terms of conservation, facilitation of visitors, professional and academic exchanges, research, training and outreach for activities which would help the parks be raised to world standards,” the official said.

The US will also help in developing and improving water and sanitation facilities for 500 Indian cities with a population of over one lakh, the official said. He also described Modi’s visit as a “game-changer”.