U.S. Gives 19 Crore to Fight Tuberculosis in India

September 26, 2006

Photo Credit: Vikas Narula

NEW DELHI – U.S. Ambassador to India David C. Mulford and World Health Organization (WHO) representative to India Salim Habayeb today signed a joint agreement for tuberculosis control in India. The United States is giving the World Health Organization 19 crore rupees ($4.17 million) for research and state level implementation of the national disease control program.

Speaking at the event Ambassador Mulford said, “Our government supports tuberculosis control in India because of our over-riding value of the relationship and because of the enormous public health impact and economic burden of the disease. Each day, one thousand Indians die from the disease.”

Highlighting U.S.-India cooperation on medical research, the Ambassador added, “President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have agreed to expand joint efforts in the area of science and technology, including medical research to address issues of global concern such as infectious disease control.”

The joint statement emphasizes the sustained commitment by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide financial and technical support to WHO for strengthening the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program in India. The United States has invested 183 crore rupees ($40 million) in the fight against tuberculosis in India since 1998.

USAID and WHO have achieved significant progress over the past ten years. Their partnership has resulted in preventing and controlling tuberculosis and other major diseases, such polio, malaria and avian influenza. USAID investments of 256 crore rupees ($56 million) for these activities have helped build and strengthen the capacities of local institutions and have leveraged resources from other development partners.

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among the adult population (18-59 years) in India. India has more cases of tuberculosis than any other country in the world and twice as many as China, the next highest. Social and economic losses due to the disease are enormous, costing about 13.7 thousand crore rupees ($3 billion) per year.

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