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The visiting Chairman of Microsoft, Mr. Bill Gates
and Members of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had
a fruitful discussion with the Minister for Health and
Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss and his team,
here today. Mr. Bill Gates lauded India's efforts in
taking health care delivery to the masses. He wanted
India to take up trials part of vaccines and immunizations
currently under way, as well as in the development stage.
He said India has all the infrastructure and the human
resource to take up the task. He said his Foundation's
priority is combating what he called the "tough
twenty" diseases. Mr. Bill Gates underscored the
need to have effective vaccines and drugs for curing
and eliminating the twenty diseases and ills that afflict
the mankind. Some of them identified were, HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis, Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis,
Polio, etc.. He agreed to the suggestion of Dr. Ramadoss
that a new initiative for finding more effective cure
for tuberculosis!
is the need of the hour. Dr. Ramadoss also told him
that India will announce soon that it is Leprosy free.
About Polio, Dr. Ramadoss told him, that by next year,
India will also become free from Polio.
The Health Minister gave Mr. Bill Gates an elaborate
picture of the Government's efforts at controlling infectious
diseases, development of vaccines and drugs for controlling
them and about the recently launched National Rural
Health Mission. The progress being made on the HIV/AIDS
front, infant and maternal mortality, vector borne diseases
control, Cholera, Kala-ahzar, starting of public health
schools were conveyed to Mr. Bill Gates. Dr. Ramadoss
also told him that the Government is focussing on prevention,
which includes awareness creation and development of
vaccines. He also spoke of the setting up of a National
Drugs Authority, Medical Tourism and integration of
AIDS control with primary health care and TB control.
He disclosed that the third phase of the National AIDS
Control Programme will begin next year and solutions
will be found to the shortcomings came across in the
first two phases. The focus will be on youth and more
visible condom promotion, He said.
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