India capable of leading global health research: Jitendra Singh

Lucknow, Aug 16 (PTI) Union Minister Jitendra Singh here on Friday asserted that India is poised to lead global research in the health sector, having made significant contributions to medical health, research and education.

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences made the remarks during the inauguration session of the 9th Annual Conference of the American College of Physicians (ACP) India Chapter in Lucknow, where he was conferred with the “Distinguished Mentor of the Year” award.

Singh, who also holds key portfolios in the Prime Minister’s Office, including the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Space, emphasised the role of collaboration between the private and public sectors, as well as with international organisations, in advancing medical sciences, an official statement said.

He highlighted how the success of India’s space sector, which was opened to private investment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has led to investments worth several thousand crores within a few months, and led to a substantial increase in the number of space startups, the statement said.

Singh said that India is experiencing a rise in non-communicable diseases but the communicable diseases are also persisting simultaneously, while western countries which earlier faced more of non-communicable diseases are now also facing infectious diseases, particularly after emergence of AIDS and COVID pandemic.

In his address, Singh underlined the potential for deep collaboration between India and the USA, leveraging India’s cost-effective research facilities, diverse medical conditions, and traditional medical knowledge, according to the statement.

He also stressed the importance of prioritising preventive healthcare among the younger generation, stating that their health and well-being are crucial to realising Modi’s vision of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.

The Minister cited the example of Indian astronaut-designate ollaboration, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is set to join his American and other counterparts on an expedition to the International Space Station, as a testament to the expanding cooperation under Modi’s leadership.