Bill Gates and Modi discuss COVID-19 situation, vaccine to fight pandemic

PM Modi and Bill Gates

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today interacted with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair, Mr. Bill Gates via video conference. The dignitaries discussed the global response to COVID-19, and the importance of global coordination on scientific innovation and R&D to combat the pandemic.

Prime Minister appreciated the health related work being done by the Gates Foundation not only in India but also in many other parts of the world, including for coordinating global response to COVID-19. He sought suggestions from Mr. Gates on how India’s capacities and capabilities could be better leveraged for the general benefit of the world.

Both of them explored in this context included drawing upon India’s unique model of last-mile health service delivery in rural areas, dissemination of the effective contact-tracing mobile app developed by Government of India, and above all by leveraging India’s massive pharmaceutical capacity to scale-up the production of vaccines and therapeutics upon their discovery.

Prime Minister also suggested that the Gates Foundation could take the lead in analysing the necessary changes in lifestyles, economic organisation, social behaviour, modes of disseminating education and healthcare, that would emerge in the post-COVID world, and the associated technological challenges that would need to be addressed. He said that India would be happy to contribute to such an analytical exercise, based on its own experiences.

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