India and China are likely to sign an agreement for ensuring adequate supply of raw material needed for the manufacture of avian flu vaccine. Union Health Minister Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang to help facilitate the supply of the raw material on cost-effective basis.

The health minister's ongoing visit to China is also to see the signing of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the health sector. This was decided during talks Dr Ramadoss had with his Chinese counterpart and other authorities in Beijing, stated an official press release. Dr.Ramadoss has asked the Indian Ambassador in Beijing to follow-up and to complete the formalities for signing of the MoU.

The ministers have also mooted the idea for a tie-up between the two countries in medico-commercial sector. India is the fourth highest in world's global pharmaceutical industry, which is having largest number of US-FDA approved drugs and pharmaceutical items. Since their quality is proven, the Chinese side was keen on having a tie-up in this regard with India.

The two countries, which have effective traditional systems of medicine, also wanted to have collaboration in the sector, particularly in testing and scientific validation of traditional medicines. The National Medicinal Plants Board in India will have a tie-up with the Chinese side for further improvement in processing, preserving and export of medicinal plants. The two sides agreed that their experiences in registering intellectual property rights on traditional medicines should be shared between the two.

China was keen on sharing India's experiences in the areas of emerging infectious diseases like the bird-flu, collection of epidemiological data for having better network towards disease surveillance as well as combating HIV/AIDS.