Secretary level meeting was held between Shri Lov Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ms. Una O’ Brien, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health, here today.

Copies of the MoU regarding cooperation in the field of health sector between India and the UK, which was signed in 2013, were exchanged. The purpose of the bilateral meeting was to further expand the activities under the MoU and the time lines; to indentify more institutional partnerships at national or state levels to further the collaboration in specific areas; to suggest nominations to a Joint Working Group and the governance arrangements to manage the action and implementation plans under the MoU; and discuss other areas/ activities of mutual interest. There was a ceremonial exchange of copies of signed MoU between Dr. Ravikumar (JIPMER, Pondicherry) and Prof. Seshadri Vasan (Public Health England) in the presence of the Health Secretaries from the two countries.

The MoU comprises development of a joint work programme with a set of defined , time specified, activities over a five year period, with the aim to improve collaboration between India and UK and learn from each other’s experience. The priority for the DFID (UK) - Government of India partnership has been improvement of maternal and child health and reducing the burden of communicable diseases.

The areas identified for cooperation in the MoU include:

i.                    Promoting exchange on healthcare policy in India and the United Kingdom;

ii.                  Human resources for health;

iii.                Regulatory issues;

iv.                Health technology development;

v.                  Primary healthcare;

vi.                Strengthening of public health infrastructure and capacity;

vii.              Health security, including cooperation on infectious diseases, emerging infections and drug resistance

viii.            Building on comparative strengths of India and the United Kingdom to work together to improve healthcare services and capacity in other developing countries.

Present at the occasion were Dr Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, Mr. R.K. Jain, AS & DG, Mr. C.K. Mishra, AS (H), Mr. S.K. Rao, JS, Mr. Andrew Soper, Counsellor Prosperity, British High Commission, Dr.(Ms.) Himangi Bhardwaj, Senior Health adviser, British High Commission, Ms. Nel Druce, department of International development and various  other officials of the departments of India and UK.

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MV/GM