USAID, IACC extend pact for 5 yrs

New Delhi: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Indo-American Chamber of Commerce on Friday renewed their MoU for five years to enhance collaboration between American and Indian business communities across sectors including health, climate change, economic growth, education and women's empowerment.

Addressing the MoU signing event here, USAID Mission Director Veena Reddy said the MoU leverages the combined capacities of the US government and the American and Indian private sectors to support shared development goals.

"The US is consistently India's biggest source of FDI, so the affirmation that we do today builds upon our work together with IACC and its members in development areas including women's economic empowerment, supporting new healthcare technologies and addressing malnutrition," said Reddy.

She said that under the renewed MoU, areas of mutual interest are being expanded to include maternal and child health, tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS, pandemic preparedness and global health security, primary healthcare and health systems strengthening, energy, environment, forests, water sanitation, gender, issues concerning youth, inclusive economic growth and financial inclusion, among others.