Bill Gates to continue funding fight against deadly diseases

Microsoft founder Bill Gates held a long meeting with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday when they agreed to extend and expand welfare projects being carried out by the charity that Gates runs along with his wife.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) will continue for another five years its assistance to the state government in fighting Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), diseases that claim the lives of hundreds of children every year.

With 3,858 acute encephalitis syndrome (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, reported 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.

CONTINUED SUPPORT BMGF has been helping out in those efforts since 2012 when they formed a five-year understanding with the then administration.

In addition to renewing the pact, the BMGF will now also help strengthen the National Institute of Virology’s regional field station in Gorakhpur and provide technical help to improve soil in order to help better farm incomes.

The CM said informed Gates about the immunisation programme launched by his government that has covered over 92 lakh children this year.

BMGF has also agreed to help in fighting Kala-azar in Kushinagar district.

A spokesperson said BMGF would provide soil testing technology spectroscopy to support the state government’s endeavour of increasing income of famers.

An official spokesman said while Gates left to attend a programme on farmers in Andhra Pradesh, meetings between the state government and BMGF officers were still on to give final touches to the memorandum on the scope of cooperation.

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