UW-Madison Global Health Institute, Ella Foundation to set up UW-Madison One Health Center in India

University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Global Health Institute (GHI) and the Ella Foundation signed a bilateral agreement to establish the ‘UW-Madison One Health Center’ in Bangalore, India. The Center is expected to be operational by end of 2023 and was announced at the UW-Madison Badger Utsav titled, “Meet Badgers Who Are Building a Better World,” in New Delhi.

A release informed, “UW-Madison One Health Center will advance the development and production of new vaccines for India. Furthermore, the partnership will enable collaboration across disciplines and geographic boundaries, provide Indian students and researchers access to UW expertise and training, and build research capacity in India.”

It adds, “One of the key benefits of the One Health Center is to provide opportunities for UW students and researchers to work first-hand with emerging infectious diseases, collaborate with new colleagues, and see how environment, politics, and social structures affect health.”

“Establishing the UW-Madison Global One Health Center holds great significance as it will advance global health through research, education, and community engagement by facilitating student, faculty exchanges, research and education,” said Dr Krishna Ella, Director, Ella Foundation, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech.

Dr. Jorge Osorio, GHI Director, UW-Madison said, “The partnership between GHI and the Ella Foundation will continue GHI’s outreach efforts to establish a One Health Center in India. The India One Health Center joins a global network that includes Africa and Latin America and will open new opportunities for research, education, and provide actionable outcomes to benefit humans, animals, and ecosystems that advance equitable and sustainable health across India and the world.”

In her address, Suchitra Ella, Director, Ella Foundation, and MD, Bharat Biotech stated, “This agreement holds great value as it expands interdisciplinary collaborations between UW-Madison Global Health Institute (GHI), Ella Foundation, and Bharat Biotech to address the complex determinants of health and disease and assess local needs and priorities that will drive research and intervention.”

Erik Iverson, CEO of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), shared real stories of how their mission works to support scientific research within the UW-Madison community by providing financial support, actively managing assets, and moving innovations to the marketplace for a financial return and global impact.

A policymaker panel discussion was also held with panellists Dr S Chandrasekher, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE), Director General (ICAR), and Dr Rajesh S Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr Krishna Ella and Dr Jorge Osorio, highlighting the development of the India One Health Center and the importance of addressing global health for a healthy India and a healthy world.

More than a dozen high-ranking officials from UW-Madison in the US attended the Utsav event and held meetings with the private sector and the Government of India. The UW-Madison delegation will travel to Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore to develop more relationships to enhance global health innovation.