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India and United States have signed a Joint Statement on renewed collaboration relating to emerging infectious diseases. The Agreement was signed by the visiting Health and Family Welfare Minister of India, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss and the Secretary of Health and Human Services of USA, Mr. Mike Leavitt in Washington on Wednesday. As part of this collaboration, both governmental and non-governmental organisations in both the countries will be involved in strengthening disease surveillance, prevention and control, and effective outbreak investigation and response. The Joint Statement will have a five year term.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA being the premier US agency for disease surveillance will serve as the lead agency on behalf of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The Center for Disease Control will involve other US institutions of excellence including the National Institutes of Health. On the Indian side, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) will be the lead agencies in India. The NICD and ICMR would involve other institutions of excellence and Department of Biotechnology as essential partners in the network for disease surveillance.
EK/MK.
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