Need research on diseases affecting South Asia: Azad

Pakistan Telegraph (IANS) Sunday 5th February, 2012

South Asian countries should together work for research on diseases affecting them and which are responsible for a high mortality rate, India's Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said here Sunday.

"Each country in south Asia can take a lead in one of many areas of healthcare through collaborative research. We must work together in the region to ensure that all nations benefit in finding indigenous solutions to diseases such as malaria, kala azar, cholera, drug resistance, and other health problems," Azad said at the inauguration of the South Asian Forum for Health Research (SAFHer).

"These diseases have been contributing to mortality rate in the region," Azad said.

The countries participating in the conference are Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, among others.

The minister emphasized on the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) playing a pivotal role in taking ahead the South-South cooperation. ICMR is India's premier health research body.

"I hope we have concrete plans on healthcare emerging from this meet. This could be in terms of personnel, training, or multilateral research project"," Azad added.