PM Modi talks to Bill Gates: India’s efforts on COVID, vaccine, technology discussed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Bill Gates via video conference and discussed global response to coronavirus pandemic and importance of global coordination on scientific invation and R&D to combat it.

According to an official release, PM Modi underlined conscious approach that India has adopted in its fight against health crisis — an approach based on ensuring public engment through appropriate messaging. He explained how this people-centric bottom-up approach has helped win acceptability for physical distancing, respect for front-line workers, wearing of masks, maintaining proper hygiene, and respecting lockdown provisions.

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Lists measures taken by India

Prime Minister also highlighted how some of previous developmental initiatives taken by Government — expanding financial inclusion, strengning last-mile delivery of health services, popularising cleanliness and hygiene through Swachh Bharat Mission, drawing upon India’s Ayurvedic wisdom to enhance people’s immunity, etc — had helped increase effectiveness of India’s response to present pandemic.

PM Modi appreciated health-related work being done by Gates Foundation t only in India but also in many or parts of world, including for coordinating a global response to COVID-19. He sought suggestions from  billionaire philanthropist on how India’s capacities and capabilities could be better leverd for global good.

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India's role in global response

Some of ideas that two explored in this context included drawing upon India’s unique model of last-mile health service delivery in rural areas, dissemination of effective contact-tracing mobile app developed by Centre, and above all, by leveraging India’s massive pharmaceutical capacity to scale-up production of vaccines and rapeutics upon ir discovery.

y agreed that given India’s willingness and capacity to contribute to global efforts, it was important for country to be included in ongoing global discussions for coordinating responses to pandemic.

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PM Modi also suggested that Gates Foundation could take lead in analysing necessary changes in lifestyles, ecomic organisation, social behaviour, modes of disseminating education and healthcare, that would emerge in post-COVID world, and associated techlogical challenges that would need to be addressed. He said that India would be happy to contribute to such an analytical exercise, based on its own experiences.

(Photo credit: narendramodi.in)

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