India, US working together to fight TB, dengue: US envoy

New Delhi, Jan 11 (PTI) India and the United States areworking together to develop vaccines against diseases such astuberculosis and dengue, Washin...

New Delhi, Jan 11 (PTI) India and the United States areworking together to develop vaccines against diseases such astuberculosis and dengue, Washington's envoy to New DelhiKenneth Juster said today, describing issues related to healthas an "important shared" responsibility.

In his first policy speech after taking over as theambassador to India, Juster said the two nations were alsoengaged in the "Global Health Security Agenda", which includedacting to combat anti-microbial resistance and strengtheningthe detection and prevention of epidemics.

The agenda is a partnership of nations, internationalbodies and non-governmental stakeholders on health.

"Issues related to health, in particular, are animportant shared responsibility, not just because of theirdirect impact on the safety and well-being of our people, butbecause of their indirect impact on economic productivity andoverall social welfare," he said.

Juster said India and the US were looking at novel waysto manage disease.

"We jointly developed the first indigenous Indian vaccinefor rotavirus, and are now cooperating to develop vaccines tocombat tuberculosis, dengue and other emerging globalthreats," he added.

The health agenda of the two countries addressed thecomplex problem of HIV as well as the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, the envoy said.

"We are also engaged in the Global Health SecurityAgenda, which includes acting to combat antimicrobialresistance and strengthen detection, prevention (of) andresponse to epidemics," he said.

Juster said a fourth pillar of the India-US partnershipwas the focus on sustainable and inclusive development withregard to the welfare of the people. This included criticalwork in science, technology and health, he pointed out.

"Our US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund hassupported a range of innovative projects, including those toadvance health care, improve the environment and moderniseagriculture.

"And beyond earth and into space, NASA and ISROscientists frequently collaborate – demonstrating that theretruly are no boundaries to our partnership," he said. PTI TDSBDS.

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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