Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Software billionaire Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, who co-chair the international philanthropic organisation Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will be visiting India this week to meet policy makers, NGO partners and community leaders, a statement said Monday.

Gates said in the statement: “We would be visiting India this week to meet policy-makers and public health figures to explore ways to build on achievements in health and development and tackle the significant burden of disease that still exists.

“We are proud to partner with India because its innovative approaches are saving and improving lives every day. Yet, despite remarkable achievements, India endures some of the greatest health and development burdens in the world,” Gates added in his statement.

The foundation has on its list health challenges including polio, the development and delivery of life-saving vaccines, maternal health, and public-private partnerships for tuberculosis.

According to the statement, the couple will also visit Bihar and meet community health workers and state officials to see first-hand the launch of a five-year, $80 million grant made in partnership with the state government.

“India has done a great job prioritizing maternal and child health through the National Rural Health Mission, and we hope our partnership with the government of Bihar will help to accelerate progress,” said Gates.

There is no official statement on the exact dates of the couple’s five-day visit to the country this week.