Gates foundation to invest in UP's health, agri sectors

Co-chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates assured Uttar Pradesh  Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday that the Foundation will work in partnership with the state to develop the latter’s health and agriculture sectors.

Official sources said the issue of health occupied centre stage of the discussions. The problem of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and TB, which have afflicted large parts of the state, were discussed.

Akhilesh Yadav sought technical and knowledge support of the Foundation  to tackle health related challenges, including innovative methods for delivery of services and organisation and management of health systems, ICT based solutions, tele-medicine and capacity building of grassroots level health workers instead of providing monetary funding.

Gates promised to provide technical and managerial support along with advocacy to the state. He indicated the Foundation's keen interest in developing partnerships in priority areas like maternal and neonatal health, nutrition, child health, particularly routine immunisation coverage, introduction of effective vaccines, family planning and fighting polio.

He also offered to work in the field of agriculture and develop financial services for the poor by expanding digital payment systems and connect those payments to enhanced savings, credit and insurance services.