India, Bangladesh to cooperate on fighting communicable diseases

Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad with his Bangladeshi counterpart A F M Ruhal Haque in Dhaka, on February 14, 2010.

India and Bangladesh have agreed to ensure better cooperation between the two countries to contain cross-border transmission of communicable diseases.

At a meeting between visiting Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad with his Bangladesh counterpart A F M Ruhal Haque in Dhaka today, the two sides agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) covering health-related issues on which there could be mutual sharing of expertise, knowledge and information.

They also decided that the two countries, as well as Pakistan and Afghanistan, would try and have common immunisation days to ensure that the population on both sides of the border are adequately covered.

Mr Azad offered India's help to Bangladesh in developing super-specialty skills by typing up with centres of excellence in India.

Prof Haque said Bangladesh was keen to learn from the expertise gained by India in curbing the influenza pandemic. Mr Azad invited experts from Bangladesh to visit the testing centres developed by India.

India's plan to introduce a new curriculum for rural medical practitioners in the country also evoked interest. Mr Azad invited Prof Haque to visit India to take the discussion forward, the release added.

NNN