India and the United States are expected to sign memoranda of understanding on cancer research and Ebola control when U.S. President Barack Obama arrives here later this month.
On Wednesday, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda said the two countries had agreed to jointly fight Ebola.
Under the agreement, Indian health care personnel will be trained in Ebola control and treatment procedures. “The Indian Council of Medical Research is already working on producing a vaccine for Ebola. But this MoU will focus on capacity building in areas of Ebola control,” a senior official of the Ministry said.
Though India has had no reported cases of Ebola, the disease has so far claimed over 7,000 lives in the affected countries. A 26 year-old, who had travelled from Liberia to India and was found carrying the virus in his semen, remains in isolation.
Another MoU is to be signed between the National Cancer Institute, U.S., and the upcoming National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, for sharing of treatment plans, expertise and research. The NCI in the United States coordinates the National Cancer Programme, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programmes with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation and the continuing care of cancer patients and their families.
At the institute in Jhajjar being developed by the AIIMS, cancer research will be the area of focus apart from patient care and management.
India reports 11 lakh new cases of cancer every year, with a mortality rate of 5.5 lakh per year. Cancer treatment facilities in India are inadequate, compared to WHO standards, which requires one radiotherapy machine per million population. India at present has 0.41 machine per million population.
A third MoU is expected to be signed on sharing information and expertise on communicable and non-communicable diseases.
