Tremendous scope for India-US cooperation in health technology and pharma, says expert

As the US government stepped up its support to India in its fight against a deadly wave of COVID-19, an Indian public health expert pointed out the enormous scope for collaboration between India and the US on health technology and pharmaceuticals.

"Now that we are out of the crisis, health technology and pharmaceuticals are two areas where there is tremendous scope for India-US collaboration," said Indian official Dr. Mrinalini Darswal, who is currently doing a PhD in public health with a focus on COVID-19 at Harvard University, tells.

Darswal, a 2002 IAS officer for Odisha cadres, said India had demonstrated its expertise in the health sector, particularly in terms of speed of innovation, manufacturing and cost efficiency.

It would be beneficial for the US to leverage India's technical expertise and installed drug manufacturing capabilities to source healthcare equipment, drugs, personal protective equipment and vaccines now at competitive prices, she said.

"This will also reduce the US's reliance on China, which has proven to be a treacherous partner, aside from having no regrets of hiding the source of COVID-19 and, consequently, putting the planet in its current position," said Darswal.

Noting that globalization and interconnectedness accelerated the spread of the coronavirus within a few weeks in November 2019, Darswal said that the same forces of interdependence and reciprocity would help the world overcome the crisis.

"The US and India - the world's largest democracies - are able to pave the way for normalcy for the entire planet by working together and working together to overcome the common enemy without borders," said Darswal.

According to her, the American motto of "value-based care", which aims to reduce unnecessary care costs and incentivize a reduction in readmission to health care facilities by maintaining healthier patient parameters, would be useful in creating a new vision for health in India .

In the same vein, the US could curb its rising healthcare costs for therapeutics and diagnostics by sourcing these goods from India at very competitive prices.

"We know that India's labor force is very competitive compared to China and that bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing standards in India are state-of-the-art," she said.

India, she said, is in a critical position today. "It is a repeat of the (coronavirus) health disaster of unprecedented proportions that struck the US, UK, France, Spain and many other nations in 2020. They are now slowly emerging, having suffered several deadly waves and still not completely no more water, "she remarked.

"The proliferation of the British variant proves that no country is free from the pandemic unless all the nations of the world are. Therefore, all countries must come together to help a populous country like India defeat the pandemic. That will Be essential to achieve a pandemic-free world in the near future, "said Darswal.

"India needs immediate help with the provision of oxygen generators, concentrators and antiviral drugs of ramdesivir

and raw materials for vaccines. It is encouraging to know that the US has agreed to source vaccine raw materials into India and provide assistance on other fronts as well, "she said.

India is in the middle of a deadly wave of COVID-19. Over 4 new lakh infections were reported on Saturday, bringing the number of cases to 1.91,64,969. The death toll stands at 2,11,853, according to the Ministry of Health.

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