J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare on 25th of April has announced India’s first public-private-partnership (PPP) agreement for research and Innovation in preventive health between ICMR and Sun Pharma.
Presiding over the signing of this agreement by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, DG, ICMR and Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director of Sun Pharma, Shri J P Nadda noted that this unique initiative was a significant step in the health sector and reiterated the commitment of the Government to strengthen health research in the country.
Speaking on the occasion of the celebration of World Malaria Day, the Union Health Minister added that this collaboration will prove to be a notable milestone in the Government’s strategy to eliminate Malaria from the country. India is party to the commitment at the East Asia Summit for malaria elimination by 2030, so today’s announcement of malaria elimination demonstration project is of special significance, Shri Nadda pointed out.
Noting that Malaria is a major Public Health problem, and Malaria endemic countries have shown significantly lower rates of economic growth, the Health Minister informed that as part of the partnership, ICMR and Sun Pharma will establish a malaria elimination demonstration project- ‘Malaria Free India’ to support the National Framework for Elimination of Malaria which was announced by the Health Ministry in February 2016.
