Singapore: The recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi to the US, has turned out to be a game changer for the healthcare sector. The meeting has spurred efforts to foster the biotech industry and develop new and affordable vaccines to combat endemic diseases like dengue, malaria and tuberculosis.

A top government official of India said that the country's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Biotechnology and the US National Institutes of Health will collaborate to develop novel vaccines for these diseases.

The official further said that the countries will also collaborate to develop novel cancer therapies. The US National Cancer Institute has agreed to help develop the upcoming National Cancer Institute at the Jhajjar (Haryana) campus of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The US will also help in improving water and sanitization facilities for 500 Indian cities, added the official.