Microsoft chief Bill Gates' The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has deputed a taskforce, led by its countryhead Ashok Alexander.The eight-member taskforce visited several flood-hit areas in Bihar.
After having fruitful talks with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Microsoft chief Bill Gates' The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has deputed a taskforce, led by its countryhead Ashok Alexander, to explore the areas of cooperation in the health sector in Bihar.
The eight-member taskforce visited several flood-hit areas in Bihar before meeting Kumar at a high-level meeting here yesterday, state Health department's Principal Secretary CK mishra said today.
With the thrust on undertaking further study of the areas where the foundation could reach help and play a big role, Mishra said the members of the taskforce discusssed various health schemes.
Mishra said the team was impressed with the success rate of the health schemes launched in Bihar. The team, which arrived on August 26, visited flood-affected Madhepura and Samastipur districts to explore areas where the foundation could extend help. It is already working in the state through an ngo in the field of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar).
It was a fruitful visit and we discussed health-related issues. The aim of the trip was exploratory in nature. We wanted to understand the situation first before deciding the area where the foundation could play a role, Alexander told mediamen here yesterday. Alexander said the team was impressed with the routine immunisation and institutional delivery system in Bihar.
The team observed that immunisation level had gone up in the state from a meagre 11 per cent in 1998-99 to 51 per cent in 2008, while Vitamin A coverage had jumped from 8.9 per cent in 2002 to 71 per cent in 2008.
Principal Secretary (Health), C K Mishra said though the foundation was focusing on kala-azar and polio, they wanted to take stock of the health sector as a whole. Other team members included, Global Health Delivery Director (GHD) Rajeev Venakayya, team leader Gary Darmstadi, Senior Programme Officer Tim Peterson, GHD Deputy Director Girinder Beeitarry and Associate Programme Officer Anand Shah, all from USA.
Kumar had already assured Gates of his government's firm resolve to eliminating kala-azar and polio. Bill Gates had last month evinced interest to partner Bihar in tackling major health concerns, including polio and kala-azar when the chief minister had apprised the former of recurrence of polio cases in Bihar, official sources said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}