UP CM Aditya Nath Yogi with Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Friday

LUCKNOW: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) will help Uttar Pradesh government intensify the ongoing battle against encephalitis — one of biggest health challenges of the state. In 2017 alone, encephalitis affected 4,772 children of whom 588 died. In a meeting with chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi, Microsoft founder Bill Gates assured him of extending all possible help for prevention and control of encephalitis.

Confirming a verbal agreement on the inclusion of encephalitis as an area of engagement, principal secretary, health and family welfare, Prashant Trivedi said, “We look forward to their support on areas like tracing the aetiology and causes of disease, strengthening research, capacity building for treatment, suggesting a plan for inter-sectoral coordination for encephalitis control which the Gates foundation has agreed.” The foundation has already extended help to China for development of encephalitis vaccine.

Encephalitis in Gorakhpur became a big cause of concern for the state government in August where there was a spurt in death of children undergoing treatment for the disease at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, which is the nodal centre for the treatment of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

Although over 50 children died in August at Gorakhpur medical college on a day the Oxygen supplier allegedly snapped supply due to non-payment, the Opposition outcry and and media attention brought the spotlight back on the menace. The CM also informed Gates about the recent drive in which over 90 lakh children were immunised against the disease.

BMGF came to UP in 2012 with a mandate to extend technical support to the health department on key health issues, primarily women and child health. The Friday meeting precedes the deadline on which a previous memorandum of cooperation (MoC) between BMGF and UP government is due to expire in December 2017.

Gates interested in anganwadi centres

The meeting gave an opportunity to look back and plan for the future. New areas of engagement are to be listed while lesser important ones are to be dropped. For example: Polio is not as important as it was five years ago whereas encephalitis or immunisation need more attention,” Trivedi told TOI. The talks will now translate into a document draft for the new MoC which in all probability would be signed within the next four weeks.

The other areas of engagement besides encephalitis included routine immunisation, reproductive health and nutrition, vector borne diseases control programme, TB control, sanitation and drinking water. Bill Gates expressed his willingness to work on issue of strengthening Anganwadi centers to tackle issue of child malnutrition and fortify their diets through existing government programs. He also stressed on the need for promoting usage of birth spacing tools to help improve maternal and neonatal health in UP Taking a look at the past experience, UP government has asked BMGF officials to draft a more detailed plan of action. "Mere citing that they (BMGF) will provide technical assistance on a certain issue won't be enough. We are looking at a detailed strategy with specifics like what exactly will be the intervention, districts where the work will be done, time-lines, outcome evaluation and so on," Trivedi stated.



In Video: Bill Gates to help UP in tackling encephalitis