- Minister for Health
A landmark Memorandum of Understanding between Victoria and India will see the two jurisdictions work together to drive down chronic disease, boost health awareness and reduce smoking.
Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos met with the Public Health Foundation of India in New Delhi to celebrate the MoU between the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and the Public Health Foundation of India.
The Health and Wellness Centre curriculum co-design project is the primary project under the MoU. It focuses on leveraging Victoria’s health education expertise to support the training of Community Health Officers in India.
Ms Mikakos and Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton also visited Bangalore and New Delhi in India to progress existing partnerships developed over the past two years under Victoria’s India Strategy.
This included the announcement of a joint Victoria-India call for innovative solutions from start-up companies to produce low-cost, technology-enabled initiatives.
In one of the many highlights of the trip, Ms Mikakos met with the Managing Director of Biocon and Victorian Business Ambassador, Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. Biocon is India’s largest biopharmaceutical company, which helps make life-saving biotherapeutics affordable to patients around the world. During the meeting they discussed health technology and preventing hospitalisation for patients who can be treated in the comfort of their home.
In Singapore, Ms Mikakos met with leaders in healthcare, including Singapore’s Minister for Health, Mr Gan Kim Yong. They discussed many important issues including healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco control, integrated care, cyber security, infectious disease management, disease surveillance, outbreak response and antimicrobial resistance.
The tour is part of the Labor Government’s International Health Strategy and broader international engagement and will help foster partnerships in the development of new health care solutions and improved services, in Victoria and internationally.
As noted by Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos
“The MoUs we’ve signed on this trip will deepen ties with the world’s second-fastest growing economy India and help create opportunities for greater collaboration and investment.”
“We are committed to working closely with India on new and innovative ways to improve our health systems, create jobs, grow the economy and deliver better health outcomes.”
“Like Victoria, Singapore boasts world-class health facilities and expertise. We are very keen to share information and partner with Singapore to develop and improve our own health system.”
