Microsoft founder Mr Bill Gates met the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday in Lucknow. The focus of the meet was on healthcare, which the Bill and Melinda Foundation plans to take up in the State.
Mr Gates presented a five-point healthcare programme that his foundation plans to launch in UP. The programmes address areas such as neo-natal care, maternity, nutrition, family planning and child health. Mr Gates is understood to have expressed interested in taking up polio eradication projects in the State.
An advance team from the foundation had met senior officials in the State last week and done the ground work for the meeting.
Mr Gates will be in Delhi on Thursday and is expected to meet number of Government functionaries including the External Affairs Minister Mr S.M. Krishna and the IT Minister, Mr Kapil Sibal. He will also meet the leadership team of Rotary to discuss India Polio campaign.
Rotary International is a partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative – that consists of WHO, UNICEF, CDC and Rotary – together with Bill Gates have been instrumental in bringing out the resolution recently by the World Health Assembly to declare Polio a global public health emergency.
At the meetings, the need for continued Government support and leadership in addressing challenges in the endemic nations and the importance of raising funds for the global fight that is facing a huge financial deficit are likely to be discussed.