The US-based National Institutes of Health (NIH) has signed a United States-India Statement of Intent for collaboration on expansion of vision research with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in India. The agreement, signed by Dr. Maharaj K. Bhan, Secretary, DBT, and Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, symbolizes an increased commitment for joint collaborations on eye disorders.

According to the statement of intent, both parties will build upon previous research cooperation by drawing on the expertise of Indian and US scientists in both public and private institutions to identify, promote and support collaborative biomedical and clinical research that would result in new and improved approaches to prevent visual disability and blindness.

In addition to possible joint research projects, the collaboration plans to hold organization of workshops, identification of training opportunities for researchers, exchange of scientists, exchange of scientific information and exchange of biological materials.

It is expected that the parties could pursue the broad scientific areas of epidemiological studies to understand the genetic and environmental factors that underlie common eye diseases including the genetic basis for susceptibility to environmental influences, genetics of inherited retinal disorders, congenital glaucoma, cataract and other eye diseases, adult stem cell research and embryonic stem cell research in conformance with US Government policy on such research as articulated by the President of the US in 2001 for treating eye diseases, and related policies of the Government of India. Further, mechanisms of cataract formation and pharmacological modes of retarding the progression of cataract, traditional medicine and ethno-pharmacy research to provide clues to new drugs and related substances, analysis and policy formulation on the cost-effectiveness and public health benefits of new approaches to prevent and treat vision abnormalities are some other areas identified to pursue research.

It is anticipated that steps for implementing this initiative will be developed through consultations. On the Indian side, the Department of Biotechnology should serve as the nodal agency, with the expectation of the involvement of other interested governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Similarly, on the United States side, the HHS/NIH National Eye Institute intends to serve as the nodal agency. The parties may identify scientific co-chairs in both countries to ensure appropriate liaison and implementation of research collaborations.

Eye disorders are responsible for 3.1 per cent of the global burden of disease, according to The World Health Report 2003 produced by the World Health Organization. These disorders rank ninth in global disease burden, behind such diseases as HIV/AIDS, malaria and perinatal conditions. Worldwide, more than 37 million people are blind. In India, the number is more than 12 million and in the United States, over 1 million. The societal cost of visual disorders and disabilities in the United States exceeds $67 billion. For India, the World Bank committed nearly $100 million to cataract blindness control programs from 1994 to 2001.

The agreement, developed jointly by the NEI and the DBT with support from Fogarty International Centre, was signed at the Lawton Chiles International House on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.