Gates Foundation signs pact to promote health research in India
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, FEB 20, 2021: THE Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has signed an agreement with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to support the development, conduct and promotion of health research in India.
As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Gates Foundation and CSIR will "work together to identify opportunities to initiate scientific and technological collaborations. These will focus on developing and testing new preventions, therapies and interventions that can help to solve major health concerns that affect India and other developing countries."
The areas of research collaboration would include genetic diseases that impact infant and neonatal mortality, new diagnostics and devices for infectious disease and environmental surveillance and development of cost-effective processes for drug, vaccines, biologics, and diagnostics manufacturing.
They will also cooperate on novel microbiome-directed foods, the socio-economic impact of science and technological tools, and other areas of health and development.
The MoU was signed by Hari Menon, Director, India Country Office on behalf of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr G N Dayananda, Head, Technology Management Directorate – Industry Interface, CSIR.
"We are excited about the innovation potential of CSIR's wide network and the promise of our partnership to develop innovative tools and solutions for public health challenges in India and globally," said Mr Hari Menon, Director, India Country Office of the foundation.
The collaboration on a broad spectrum of activities in health and development will accelerate the research and development, and implementation of future-ready innovations.