Health Ministry signs MoC with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Health Ministry signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) on Monday. According to an official release, the MoC was signed after a meeting between Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi. It was signed by the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Lav Agarwal and the Director at India Country Office of the BMGF, M Hari Menon. Further reports stated that the BMGF will not be providing technical, management and program design support through its grantees and other partners.

About the MoC

According to reports, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be supporting the Health Ministry to strengthen the primary health aspects like reducing maternal and child mortality, improving nutrition services and increasing the immunization reach. Further, the foundation will also put in efforts to increase access to family planning measures amongst younger women and reduce the burden of select infectious diseases, such as Tuberculosis, Visceral Leishmaniasis, Lymphatic Filariasis. The MoC also includes strengthening of supply chains and monitoring systems while focusing on budget utilization, management and skills of human resources for health, thereby ultimately bolstering the entire health system.

Read: Bill Gates visits PM Modi amid 3-day-review of his foundation's work in India

Harsh Vardhan highlights India's strides

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan highlighted India's efforts in providing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to its citizens and the contribution of Ayushman Bharat with its pillars of Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). Along with it, he also highlighted the reductions in the maternal and child mortality, expanding the coverage of full immunization, and achievements in sectors such as TB. He further mentioned India's ambitious steps in digital health through the National Digital Blueprint framework. According to Vardhan, the MoC with the Gates Foundation will be mutually beneficial. 

Read: Bill Gates overtakes Jeff Bezos as richest person in world

Bill Gates' comment

According to Bill Gates, the Health Ministry has put forward an ambitious vision to improve the primary healthcare system in this country, especially for women and children. He further stated that his foundation supports the Ministry's goal. 

Read: Bill Gates turns 64: Net worth, facts about second richest man

Read: IITF: Union Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurates Health Ministry pavilion

(WITH ANI INPUTS)