New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS): Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the development, conduct and promotion of health research in India.

Gates Foundation and CSIR will work together to identify opportunities to initiate scientific and technological collaborations. These will focus on developing and testing new preventions, therapies and interventions that can help to solve major health concerns that affect India and other developing countries.

As per the MoU, areas of research collaboration would include genetic diseases that impact infant and neonatal mortality; new diagnostics and devices for infectious disease and environmental surveillance; development of cost-effective processes for drug, vaccines, biologics, and diagnostics manufacturing; novel microbiome-directed foods; socio-economic impact of science and technological tools; and other areas of health and development.

The MoU was signed by Hari Menon, Director, India Country Office on behalf of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and G.N. Dayananda, Head, Technology Management Directorate – Industry Interface, CSIR.

Talking about the importance of this collaboration, Menon stated, "Under this MoU, we look forward to collaborating with CSIR on many important themes linked to India's health and development priorities. We are excited about the innovation potential of CSIR's wide network and the promise of our partnership to develop innovative tools and solutions for public health challenges in India and globally."

On the occasion of the signing of the MoU, DG-CSIR, Shekhar C Mande, said: "The opportunity to work closely with Gates Foundation on broad spectrum of activities in health and development, will accelerate the R&D and implementation of innovations in the coming years that are not only relevant to India but to the world."