India-US Team Up to Tackle Global Drug Crisis and Boost Healthcare

Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the Biden Administration, urged strengthening the US-India partnership to tackle global challenges.

In an interview with PTI, Gupta emphasized the significance of collaboration between the US and India. He stated that this partnership is crucial for ensuring the safety, security, and health of the world. According to Dr. Gupta, “When the US and India collaborate on global issues, it makes for a strong alliance that can make headway on matters that affect the world at large”.

“This relationship allows not only the two countries, but entire continents, to come closer, understand each other better, and solve pressing global problems as one unit,” Gupta said. He believes this joint effort can inspire other nations to collaborate democratically. Together, they can address issues in ways that benefit the entire planet.

Strengthening Drug Policy and Public Health Cooperation

Dr. Gupta has been a key player in the fight against the opioid crisis in the US. He said that the next phase of US-India cooperation will be on advancing drug policy frameworks. He identified three pillars of cooperation between the nations: counter-narcotics, public health, and pharmaceutical innovation.

The first pillar, counter-narcotics cooperation, is working together to combat the global drug trade and its impact on public health. The second arm is public health, which addresses the fact that the progress to be made will be shared among both countries and supported. Academic institutions, providers of treatment, and healthcare staff must collaborate on this, argued Dr. Gupta. He continued by stating the US lacks an adequate number of mental health specialists, including psychiatrists and counselors, and may need India to fill this lacuna.

Pharmaceutical Innovation and Future Technologies

The third pillar is based on developing a strong supply chain for pharmaceutical production to face future health challenges. According to Dr. Gupta, this collaboration between India and the US would further develop technology and drug discovery. He highlighted the shortage of mental health specialists in the US, including psychiatrists and counselors. He added that India could play a vital role in addressing this gap. The medicines will be more accessible to the global population.

“India has already proved its capability by distributing vaccines to countries all around the world with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Gupta. “This model can be followed to address other health issues like addiction, high blood pressure, and diabetes.” He emphasized that AI can accelerate drug discovery, benefiting both nations and the world at large.