Bill Gates to Meet Akhilesh

Bangalore: Microsoft founder Bill Gates will meet Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday to discuss healthcare in the state.

The 56-year-old Gates is likely discuss a host of healthcare programmes that the Bill and Melinda Foundation plans to take up in the state.

Gates has expressed interest in working with the government in UP. In a preparatory meeting for the talks, the members of the Gates Foundation were briefed about the various programmes implemented by the state government in the Health and Agriculture sector.

An advance team from Gate's office has met senior officials in the state last week and done the ground work for the Gates-Akhilesh meeting.

Gates is likely to present a five-point programme that his foundation plans to unveil in UP to enhance healthcare in sectors like neo-natal care, maternity, nutrition, family planning and child health.

Under the schemes Gates proposes to suggest and fund include compulsory immunization, timely and extensive care of a would-be-mother and her nutrition.

A meeting was held under the Chief Secretary, Jawed Usmani, and other representatives from Health department, Mother and Child Care, Rural Development and Agriculture took part in the meeting attended by four members of Gates Foundation. “The meeting was in preparation for the talks to be held between the CM and Gates. Four representatives from the foundation attended the meeting, held to decide the priority areas where the foundation can work,” said Mukesh Meshram, Mission Director, NRHM to the Indian Express.

The representatives of the departments presented their work areas and programmes, while the Gates Foundation members also made a presentation regarding their area of expertise. Sada Kant, Principal Secretary, Woman and Child Development  said “The members of the foundation were told about the weak areas where they could work and were asked to decide how and in which sectors they want to work,” as reported by The Indian Express.

Gates is also understood to be particularly interested in taking up drives like polio eradication and other vaccinations, which are in poor state in UP.

(With agency inputs)