Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday briefed the Union Cabinet on two agreements signed with Nepal and Myanmar for joint research activities on health issues.
The agreement was signed between both the bordering countries with the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) and the Department of Medical Research (DMR), Ministry of Health and Sports of Myanmar.
The MoU signed between the three countries outlines collaborative efforts on research activities research activities of mutual interest such as cross-border health issues, Ayurveda/traditional medicine and medicinal plants, climate change and health, non-communicable diseases, mental health, and population-based cancer registry, according to , according to an official statement.
The other areas of collaboration will be tropical diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, malaria and Japanese encephalitis, influenza, clinical trial registry, health research ethics, and capacity building through exchange of knowledge, the statement said.
Each party shall fund the components of the research approved under this MoU to be conducted in their country or may apply jointly for third party funding.
For the exchange of scientists under approved collaborative projects, the sending party shall bear the cost of travel of visiting scientists whereas the receiving party will provide the accommodation and living expenses of the scientist/researcher.
 Commitment of funds for workshops/meetings and research projects may be decided from time to time as per the funds available at that time. Arrangements to implement and execute all these activities shall be agreed to by the parties prior to commencement of the activity, the statement said.