Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today discussed the progress of vaccination drive in Bihar with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and urged it to join research on Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) which has claimed many lives, particularly in Muzaffarpur and Gaya districts.
Kumar intimated the Foundation Co-President Melinda Gates about research being carried by a team of experts from different institutions on AES and urged the Foundation to join the research to which she agreed, a statement from Chief Minister's Office said.
Melinda met Kumar and praised the sustained improvement in human resources development index, intense vaccination drive and anti-Kalazar programme on which the foundation is working with the state government.
The foundation expressed happiness over fall in neonatal mortality rate, newborn child death rate and death rate among children below 5 year of age, the statement said.
Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and Principal Secretary Health Brajesh Mehrotra were present during the meeting.
