By IANS,
New Delhi : Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Tuesday met software billionaire Bill Gates and wife Melinda, and urged them to continue their support for the fourth phase of the National AIDS Control Programme through the Gates Foundation, a health ministry release said.
The release said the couple met Azad Tuesday morning and discussed various issues related to health programmes.
“Azad thanked the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for extending help in bringing about innovations in health, development and learning to the Indian community. He also urged the Gates to continue their support for the fourth phase of the National AIDS Control Programme so that the momentum of the programme is maintained,” it said.
The software billionaire and founder of Microsoft and his wife who co-chair the international philanthropic organisation Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, are in India to meet policy makers, NGO partners and community leaders.
The foundation has on its list health challenges like polio, development and delivery of life-saving vaccines, maternal health, and public-private partnerships for tuberculosis.
“Issues relating to immunisation programme, pentavalent vaccine, polio vaccination efforts, HIV control and capacity building were discussed during the meeting,” the release added.
Bill Gates appreciated the efforts made by the ministry of health and family welfare in containing polio and HIV cases, and noted that intensification of efforts for eradicating polio were evident from the 2010 figures.
“He (Gates) offered that his foundation would be happy to help with comprehensive family planning services as the ministry would deem fit,” the release said.