CSIR to take the lead in GRA health programme

CSIR South Africa will take the lead in developing the Global Research Alliance’s health programme, with CSIR's Dr Colin Kenyon as the facilitator. This was one of the outcomes of a workshop held in Pune, India, from 11-16 July 2004, which was attended by twenty-nine representatives of six Global Research Alliance member organisations from Australia, Finland, Germany, India, South Africa and the United States of America.

The purpose of the meeting was to establish a framework for moving forward the GRA health programme. By working together, the GRA can address global health challenges that require a broad range of skills and expertise not held in any one organisation.

Dr S Sivaram, Director of the National Chemical Laboratory of CSIR India, opened the meeting. Dr R A Mashelkar, Director-General of CSIR India, delivered the keynote address entitled The Golden Triangle - the Alternative Pathway to New Therapeutics.

Leading experts in the health arena gave various presentations. Prof V Mohan of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation presented on Challenges in Diabetes with Special Reference to Developing Countries. Prof G Padmanabhan of the Indian Institute of Science presented a paper on Winning the Battle against Malaria and Prof N K Ganguly, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research read a paper on Addressing Public Health Challenges in Developing Countries.

Prof M K Bhan, Secretary to the Government of India of Department of Biotechnology, presented on Biotechnology for Public Health. Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Ltd gave a presentation on Preventive Health through Vaccines: Opportunities in the Developing World. This was followed by presentations by Dr C B Koppiker on The Cancer Burden and Dr Narendra Bhatt on Ayurveda - Global Potentials.

The GRA workshop identified three thematic areas which are necessary conditions for achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals:

• Medicines for the Developing World, with Dr Girish Sahni as the theme facilitator, assisted by Prof Rainer Fischer
• Diagnostics, with Dr Anna-Maria Nuutila as the theme facilitator, assisted by Dr Joyce Johnson
• Food and Nutrition, with Dr Graeme Woodrow as the theme facilitator, assisted by Dr Girish Sahni

It was agreed that GRA Health, via its Lead Team, would attempt to influence policy making and project deployment regarding major integrated programmes, involving technical and management health issues at the donor and country level, through the provision of high-level, unbiased advice.

Representatives from six GRA member organisations, who attended the fifth GRA workshop in Pune, India, which focused on moving fthe GRA health programme forward