Representatives from Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and India on Friday came together in New Delhi to forge stronger regional collaboration in health research, with a focus on aligning scientific work with policy and building future-ready systems.
The high-level dialogue, hosted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Health Research (DHR), marked a significant step towards creating sustainable health research frameworks in South and Southeast Asia.
The meeting was attended by experts and senior officials including NITI Aayog member Dr V.K. Paul, Department of Pharmaceuticals Secretary Amit Agrawal, Drugs Controller General of India Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, former Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, and Dr Shamika Ravi of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, among others.
Sharing India’s achievements in medical technology, Agrawal said the country was at the forefront of health innovation and called upon regional partners to actively engage with India’s open innovation platforms to nurture start-ups and deliver affordable solutions.
ICMR Director-General Dr Rajiv Bahl underlined the importance of science diplomacy and South–South cooperation, stressing that research must directly serve people’s needs.
The countries reached consensus on intensifying cooperation in tackling regional challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, non-communicable diseases and pandemic preparedness. They also agreed to collaborate on medical technology innovation, training, ethics, and quality assurance.
ICMR offered to share tools including common ethics review forms and free online training modules with partner nations to strengthen emerging research systems. The nations decided to set up structured mechanisms for collaboration through regular meetings, exchange visits and joint capacity-building programmes.
The dialogue concluded with a collective pledge to move beyond knowledge-sharing towards joint action, with each country exploring leadership roles in thematic areas such as One Health, maternal health, infectious diseases and vector-borne diseases.