The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the local government in Uttar Pradesh state are planning to work together to address maternal and child health issues in India.
Akhilesh Yadav, the state’s chief minister, and Bill Gates met Wednesday (May 30) to discuss the different health problems afflicting the state’s people. These include malnutrition and low levels of immunization among children, as well as incidences of tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis and acquired encephalitis syndrome in the region.
Yadav sought the philanthropist’s help in the form of technical assistance, including training of local health workers. He asked Gates, through the foundation, to consider a “comprehensive and long-term program” that addresses maternal and child health issues in a “holistic manner,” Economic Times reports.
Gates, meanwhile, pledged to provide “catalytic, technical, managerial and advocacy support” to the state, according to the Times of India. He expressed interest in developing partnerships with the local government in the areas of maternal and neonatal health, nutrition, child health and routine immunization coverage.
The two parties are set to sign a memorandum of understanding in the next two months, The Hindu Times reports.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
