Efforts on to improve primary healthcare centres in India: Min

Government today said that it is committed to the vision of a "Healthy India" and is making efforts to improve health systems in the country, particularly at the level of primary healthcare centres.
Stating this to Melinda Gates, the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Health Minister JP Nadda also termed her organisation an "active partner" in the efforts of the government to meet its envisaged goals.
The minister discussed with Gates the potential areas of enhanced collaboration in the health sector between the government and BMGF.
"He (Nadda) stated that the deep involvement of BMGF with various health issues is truly commendable. The government is committed to a 'Healthy India' and is making efforts towards improving health systems in the country, particularly at the level of the primary healthcare centres," said an official statement.

It added that Nadda had said "BMGF is viewed as an active partner in the efforts of the ministry to meet its envisaged goals".
Gates, meanwhile, has lauded the efforts for enhancing the immunisation coverage through the recently-launched Mission Indradhanush, which aims to cover all children who are either unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated against seven preventable diseases by 2020.

Calling for improving healthcare systems in the country through evidence-based data support, Gates said that for the family planning programmes to be effective, women should be given a basket of options to choose from.
"It is important to ensure compliance with quality assurance guidelines," she said while discussing the progress so far in this regard.

Other health issues pertaining to enhanced cooperation and active collaboration with BMGF for extending technical and logistical support in routine immunisation and introduction of new vaccines such as Pentavalent vaccine, IPV, Measles Rubella (MR) vaccine and Rotavirus vaccine were also discussed during the meeting.
The discussions between Nadda and Gates also touched upon enhancement of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities to increase demand generation for health services, elimination of Kala Azar in endemic states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, support for controlling TB and issues related to family planning.