SunstarTV Bureau: The US confronted his will to an overarching memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance health partnership with India and also pointed of successful collaboration in health and biomedical research between two countries on Covid-19 pandemic.
On Monday, the US has crossed the grim milestone of 500,000 Covid-19 deaths. With 28,184,218 coronavirus cases and 500,172 deaths due to the disease so far, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University, America is the worst-affected nation.
The total number of coronavirus cases in India stands at 1,10,05,850 with as second in the world after the US. The death toll is 1,56,385 and stands fourth globally.
Known as the ‘pharmacy of the world’, India produces 60 per cent of vaccines globally. India has sent consignments of domestically manufactured coronavirus vaccines to several countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Seychelles, Myanmar, Mauritius, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco.
From the initial days of the Covid-19 outbreak, Indian and US scientists and institutions have been actively engaged in exchange of information, supply of medicines and medical supplies. Indian vaccine companies are collaborating with US based agencies to develop and produce a vaccine against Covid-19 on a rapid platform.
Six such vaccines are currently under development, in addition to several research initiatives aimed at developing therapeutics and diagnostics to combat the pandemic.
The vaccines under India-US Joint collaborations are Bharat Biotech and Precision Virologics (based in St Louis, Missouri); Bharat Biotech and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia; Serum Institute of India and Codagenix; Serum Institute and Novavax; Bharat Biotech and University of Wisconsin-Madison and Flugen; and Pune-based Gennova and HDT Biotech Corporation, Seattle.
India recently stepped up to provide vaccines to neighbouring countries and other partners, including in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
