PATNA: Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates met with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday and discussed the state's health and nutrition agendas.
Elated at meeting with Kumar, he reiterated his commitment and said, "The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed for the continued partnership to find solutions to the state’s critical health and development goals."
Gates reportedly discussed on prioritization of structural reforms in the health sector with a need to strengthen the primary health cares by building a robust, resilient and responsive health system in Bihar.
According to an official statement, “An impetus to monitor progress system and learnings of the inclusive Agriculture Transformation Plan and Livestock Master plan implementation through digital dashboards and decision supports systems was also discussed”.
CM Nitish Kumar also apprised him of steps taken to combat climate-change resulted effects, in response to which Bill Gates said, "Over the past 20 years, few places have made progress against poverty and disease than Bihar. Compared to her mother-born two decades ago, a child born today in Bihar is more than twice as likely to reach her/his 5th birthday”.
“Now, we have to make sure that all children are able to grow up healthy and get a good education. And our foundation remains committed to working with the state government to make that happen.”
CM Nitish Kumar said that collaboration of state with the Gates Foundation to improve public health services, community-level behaviour change, scaling up innovation across health, nutrition and agriculture will continue progressing.
Gates was informed that Bihar has developed Public Health Management Cadre also and made unprecedented growth in the scale of Self-Help Groups reaching almost, 9 lakhs.
He was apprised of the state’s work that efforts are underway towards including women in health and development discourse through Jeevika.