Gates meets Yogi, to boost co-op in health, agri sectors
YOGI INFORMED GATES ABOUT THE IMMUNISATION DRIVE LAUNCHED BY HIS GOVT THAT HAS COVERED OVER 92 LAKH CHILDREN THIS YEAR
LUCKNOW: Microsoft founder and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) co-chair Bill Gates and chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday agreed to broaden the scope of UP’s partnership with the foundation in social welfare, healthcare and agriculture sectors.
As its memorandum of cooperation with UP government was about to expire by the end of 2017, BMGF decided to extend it for another five years.
The hour-long meeting between Gates and Yogi was held at the CM’s office here.
An official spokesman said officers of state information technology (IT) department also requested Gates for an agreement on the pattern of the understanding between Microsoft and Andhra Pradesh government. Gates asked his team to explore the possibilities of cooperation in IT sector as well.
BMGF will now join hands with the state government in the fight against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), diseases that claim the lives of hundreds of children every year.
“The CM and BMGF co-chair agreed to broaden and extend the memorandum of cooperation to fight vector-borne and waterborne diseases with focus on AES and JE. BMGF will provide technological support for better healthcare facilities and also to boost the income of farmers,” the spokesman said.
The UP government has consistently faced flak for the death of hundreds of children in Gorakhpur region every year due to the outbreak of JE and AES.
With 3,858 AES cases and 464 deaths, Uttar Pradesh accounted for a third of India’s 11,280 AES cases and more than half of its deaths till November 11, as reported by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, India’s nodal agency for tracking vector-borne infections. In the same period, 1,726 JE cases and 152 deaths were reported from 15 states across India, with 505 of those cases and 10 deaths occurring in UP.
A special mention will be made in the memorandum about the collaboration to strengthen National Institute of Virology’s regional field station in Gorakhpur. An AIIMS is already coming up in Gorakhpur and the state government, in coordination with BMGF, will intensify the immunisation programme. Yogi informed Gates about the immunisation programme launched by his government, which has covered over 92 lakh children this year. About 26 lakh children were immunised under the Indradhanush programme.
Gates said BMGF was working with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in fighting vector-borne diseases and would train auxiliary nursing midwives and Asha workers and provide technological support to connect them through mobile network.
The foundation and state government will also cooperate to check malnutrition and provide drinking water in the state. It has also agreed to help in fighting kala-azar in Kushinagar district.
The foundation has already undertaken a pilot project in Unnao for treatment of sewage water. Under the new technology, treated water will be transferred to rivers. A special mention will be made in memorandum of cooperation about collaboration in treatment of urban sewage and disposal of urban waste in the state.
BMGF will provide soil testing technology spectroscopy to support the state government’s efforts to increase the income of farmers. It will also work with the state government to provide flood-resistant seeds. Efforts will also be made to check filaria with the use of three drugs, instead of two.
After Gates left Lucknow to attend a programme on farmers in Andhra Pradesh, officials of the state government and BMGF met again to discuss the modalities of the memorandum of cooperation to be signed in the days to come.