Gates’ Foundation inks MoU with UP on health, agro-based issues

Microsoft co-founder and co-chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, inked an MoU with the Uttar Pradsesh Govt in order to work on health and development related issues.

Objective: MoU will aim at providing technical, management and programme design support in Neonatal, Child health, Vaccination and other health and agriculture related issues. The foundation also intends to provide support in agriculture and develop financial services for the poor by expanding digital payment systems into poor and rural communities, and linking those payments to improved savings, credit and insurance services.

The foundation is already supporting the following projects in Uttar Pradesh:

• Sure Start : promotes healthy pregnancy practices for mothers to reduce neonatal and maternal death
• Manthan: with partners PATH and Population Council , it aims to improve the health of the mothers and newborns in Northern India. Uttar Pradesh has the highest percentage of maternal and neonatal deaths in India. This project provides technical help to the Department of Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, to implement evidence based maternal and newborn health (MNH) interventions during antenatal, delivery and the immediate postpartum period, and the first 28 days of life. The Department of Family Welfare, GoUP, has helped the project identify two districts—Jhansi and Bahraich—to demonstrate and propagate ways to bring evidence based maternal and neonatal health interventions to scale in Uttar Pradesh; the results and experiences of which are expected to serve as a basis for future resource allocation to maternal and neonatal health programs in Uttar Pradesh
• Urban Health Initiative: a consortium of organizations working together to improve the health of the urban poor. It is also active in Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2012