DBT, Gates Foundation renew pact to accelerate innovation for global health needs

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), originally signed in 2012, to support innovative approaches for developing new preventions, therapies and interventions needed to solve health (human and animal), food and nutritional inequities.

DBT and the Gates Foundation had in 2012 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of health and development for five years, which was further renewed for 5 years till July 17, 2022. Under this joint partnership, in the last 10 years, programmes in diverse areas under maternal and child health, nutrition, sanitation, infectious disease, data science approaches have been undertaken.

It has also brought together and leveraged the "best of the nation's researchers and innovators with international best-practices to address some of the grand challenges that society faces".

The renewed MoU the partnership pledged a combined $50 million investment to the joint initiative, to continue to explore and expand funding arenas and mechanisms to support innovators, focused on early-mid stage research and product development to tackle health and developmental issues.

"India's health and agricultural systems are already strong, but together we can make them even more resilient. I am excited about the potential of this collaboration to address health and food inequities in India and around the world," said Mark Suzman, CEO, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.