Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], September 24 (HBTV): In a bid to work together to improve the health outcomes of the state, the Meghalaya government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, particularly related to maternal and newborn health and family planning, nursing, and livestock development. 

According to officials, the MoU was signed in the presence of the Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Agriculture, Dr M Ampareen Lyngdoh.

Meghalaya is only the third state in India in area of both health and agriculture, after Uttar Pradesh & Bihar, with whom the Gates Foundation is establishing a partnership.

The MoU signed today called for the realization of efficient and effective healthcare solutions in Meghalaya, and the parties also pledged to undertake numerous activities in the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially the health-related goal for the year 2030.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that - "Today we signed a strategic partnership with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to drive improvements in health, nutrition, and agriculture." 

"With financial and technical expertise of BMGF, the key focus areas include maternal and newborn health, family planning, nursing education, and agricultural development in Meghalaya. As a Govt. we are taking a different approach by taking initiatives based on the problems of the people and this partnership will bring significant transformation in many sectors and will also work towards improving the socio-economic condition of mothers and women," Conrad K Sangma said. 

The MoU will last for four years where both stakeholders shall facilitate successful delivery of the set objectives in the paper with efficiency checkups, monitoring, and evaluation. 

Through the MoU, BMGF will provide both financial and technical support to improve outcomes in twelve key areas: comprehensive primary healthcare, family planning, maternal health and anaemia, neonatal health, immunisation, childhood wasting and nutrition, nursing education, supply chain management, digital health, results based financing and performance management in healthcare, competency mapping and development for government functionaries, and agriculture and livestock development. 

(ANI)