Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has invited Sweden to be a partner country in developing the health infrastructure in India, particularly in the fields of diagnostics and pharmaceuticals.

Speaking in the context of the on-going Indo–Swedish Health week, Azad said that the potential for investments is huge in India and greater investment is expected particularly in the fields of diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. He also asked for a partnerships to be structured in a way that allows transfer of technology leading to sustainable capacity building.

The minister offered India’s expertise in the field of high quality and cheap generic drugs. India has the highest number of US FDA approved drug manufacturing facilities outside USA and could be a potential exporter to Sweden. Growth of cheap generic drug industry is also of vital interest for world health as all health related millennium development goals in the developing countries are dependent on it, he said.

The health minister also emphasized that India can offer its expertise in yoga and ayurveda. “Many countries such as USA, France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Canada are asking for teachers and qualified manpower in this area. Swedan may also find ayurveda and yoga to be quite useful and beneficial in the public health area”, Azad said.

He expressed hope that Sweden will find it productive to collaborate in the fields of diagnostics, geriatric care and mental health. He also said that the two countries have agreed to work together in the forthcoming World Health Assembly for eventually instituting a framework convention on alcohol control.

The Indo Swedish week, to commemorate the first anniversary of the signing of the MoU between the two countries,is being observed from February 1 to 5. Maria Larsson, minister of elderly care and public health, Sweden, is leading a delegation comprising of Karin Johansson, state secretary to the minister for health and social affairs, and around 70 delegates from Sweden. The two countries have identified common areas of collaboration for which thematic workshops in six fields viz antimicrobial resistance, pharmaceuticals, medical research, health policy research, alcohol policy and adolescent health was organised at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare on February 2.