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India, US pact on maternal, child health

Shanthi Shankarkumar

India and the United States have now agreed to expand their program of Maternal and Child Health and Human Development Research. The Indian embassy in Washington today issued copies of a joint statement to this effect, to be signed by India's minister for health and family welfare and the US secretary, department of health and human services.

To address shared women and children's health and developmental research concerns, Indian and American scientists will undertake a co-ordinated program which will involve participation in co-operative peer reviewed research projects, scientific workshops and conferences, research training and technology transfer.

Specific areas to be addressed within this program include but are not limited to:

• Prevention and treatment of leading causes of unhealthiness or death in mothers and infants. These include blood poisoning hemorrhage, sepsis, birth asphyxia and trauma, accidents, diarrhoea and other infectious diseases, etc.
• Prevention and treatment of low birth weight and growth retardation in the womb.
• Studying birth defects, genetic disorders and development research. The idea is prevent and treat infectious diseases in women and children including childhood asthma, acute respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal infections, reproductive tract infections and malignancies and HIV/AIDS.
• Studying reproductive health, including socio-behavioral aspects, birth practices and development and evaluation of newer contraceptives.
• Studying traditional systems of medicine and practices that have an impact on the health and well-being of women and children.

  Provision of emergency obstetric care for miscarriages and other problems of pregnancy, including fluid retention, high blood pressure, hemorrhage and blockage

• Nutrition, fetal growth/development and degenerative diseases in later life
• Analysis, consensus-building and policy-formulation on public health benefits and the cost-effectiveness of new approaches to improve maternal and child health.

This expanded program will be closely co-ordinated with other Indo-US co-operative biomedical, behavioral and public health activities. These include the Vaccine Action Program, the Contraception and Reproductive Health Research Program, the initiative on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases and Disease Surveillance and the collaboration on prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.

It also will be implemented keeping in mind the activities of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Global forum on Health Research, UNAIDS, and other regional and international organizations concerned with the health of women, children and adolescents.

Under this joint statement participating institutions in India will include the Indian Council of Medical Research (with its network of institutes and Human Reproduction Research Centers), the ministry of health and family welfare, the department of women and child development, the department of biotechnology, the National AIDS Control Organization and other Indian agencies, academic institutions, research facilities, and non-governmental organizations.

The participating institutions in the United States will include the National Institutes of Health (the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fogarty International Centers, and other NIH Institutes), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Agency for International Development, and other US government agencies, academic institutions, research facilities and non-government organization.

Activities carried out under this joint statement will operate on a principle of reciprocity and joint support. Both parties agree to make their best efforts to identify appropriate sources of funds to provide shared support for all aspects of this collaboration.

Research proposals developed collaboratively will be submitted to appropriate agencies and/or foundations in both countries for peer-review and subsequent support. When funds are identified and approved for a collaborative project, workshop or other activity, the respective scientific and administrative responsibilities (including funding) of each party will be clearly specified in each project agreement.

Steps for implementing this initiative are to be developed through consultations after the joint statement is signed.

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