South Asian countries must collaborate to enhance health research, innovations: ICMR

New Delhi: South Asian countries must collaborate and work together to strengthen health research and innovations, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday.

The Department of Health Research (DHR) and the ICMR inaugurated a two-day regional meeting in the national capital.

The event, held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, brought together senior representatives from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Timor-Leste to deliberate on strengthening health research systems, facilitate the exchange of good practices, and promote cross-border collaboration in South and Southeast Asia.

“The issues we face are common to all of us, and it is time for our region to move towards shaping its own narrative. Research is the way forward, and by learning from each other’s research ecosystems, we can build stronger systems, generate knowledge that reflects our realities, and translate it into better health for our people,” said Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR, and Director General of ICMR.

Delivering the plenary address, Dr. V.K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, commended the participating countries for their significant progress in advancing the health and well-being of their citizens.

“The progress we see across these countries is a testament to their commitment to health. There is tremendous scope for us to learn from each other, co-create research products, and translate science into action. By working together, we can accelerate progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals across the region,” said Dr. Paul.

The meeting is part of the Regional Enabler for South and Southeast Asia Research for Health (RESEARCH) Platform, which aims to foster solidarity, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among participating countries.

Representatives from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Timor-Leste also shared health concerns such as anaemia, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, vector-borne diseases, and non-communicable diseases, which affect their populations.

They highlighted the importance of sustained investments in capacity building alongside expanding infrastructure and reiterated their commitment to regional solidarity in advancing health research and innovations.

Over the next two days, the meeting will include deliberations on diverse aspects of health research systems, including governance structures, research financing, mechanisms for prioritising research agendas, and approaches to ensuring transparency and ethics.

Countries will also discuss strategies to foster medical technology innovations, translate research into policy and programmes, and strengthen collaboration across sectors and with international partners.

–IANS