Microsoft co-founder and co-chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, on Wednesday met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and offered to work closely on health and development related issues.
The foundation is active in UP through projects like Sure Start, Manthan and Urban Health Initiative.
Meanwhile, the state government and the foundation would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) soon wherein the foundation would provide technical, management and programme design support in neonatal, child health, vaccination and other health and agriculture related programmes.
Yadav apprised Gates of his government’s efforts to tackle poor health scenario of high mother/infant mortality rates, immunization, malnutrition among children, high fertility rate etc.
He asked the foundation to consider a comprehensive and long term programme to address the maternal and child health issues in the state.
Gates also assured support by the foundation to develop innovative solutions and to provide catalytic, technical, managerial and advocacy support to the state.
He expressed his interest in developing partnerships in some priority areas like maternal and neonatal health, nutrition, child health, introduction of new life saving vaccines and consolidation of the gains against polio, family planning through access to modern contraceptives. He offered to work in agriculture and developing financial services for the poor by expanding digital payment systems into poor and rural communities, and connecting those payments to enhanced savings, credit and insurance services.