Bill Gates praises Bihar’s success at global forum – ToI –18.5.11

‘Bihar Is Still One Of The Poorest In World, But No Longer One Of The Least Vaccinated’

Kounteya Sinha | TNN

New Delhi: For many, Bihar isn't a formidable example of change. However, the much-maligned state was the beacon of hope at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on Tuesday.
    Bill Gates, IT czar-turned-philanthropist, went gaga over Bihar's extraordinary turnaround in the healthcare sector. He showcased the state's success to hundreds of world's top health administrators, heads of states and diplomats at WHA. He singularly praised Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
    "I was struck by the chief minister's popularity. People are hungry for visionary leaders, who not only promise a better future but also deliver upon that promise," he said.
    He urged politicians across the world to emulate Kumar. "Leading a health ministry is a hard job. You face a multitude of complicated choices. The stakes are always life and death. And, you never have enough resources," he said.
    Gates explained, "But, you all have access to one key resource: your own leadership. And leadership can be decisive. The best immunization systems work because leaders hold themselves accountable for results. They diagnose problems, innovate to solve them and spread the best ideas."
    He cited Bihar while elaborating on turnaround in healthcare sector. "Just a few years ago, the Indian state of Bihar was vaccinating about 30% of its children. Then, a new chief minister, Nitish Kumar, was elected. He made it clear that he expected significant improvement. Bihar is still one of the poorest places in the world, but its no longer one of the least vaccinated. Under Kumar, the vaccination rate has more than doubled, and it's still climbing," he said.
    He added, "I visited with chief minister Kumar two months ago, and his mastery of the immunization situation in his state was impressive. He understood the innovations that were being tested. He knew what was working, what wasn't and why. Nitish Kumar has demonstrated that the best leaders can overcome the worst circumstances." "SII has broken the mould for the low-cost manufacture of vaccines. They developed the meningitis vaccine, they are the world's largest producer of the measles vaccines, and they provide the pentavalent vaccine to GAVI at a lower price than any other manufacturer in the world," Gates said.
    "Let me describe the future I see. Early in this decade, we will eradicate polio. By the end of the decade, five or six new vaccines will be available to all countries at prices they can afford to pay. And, crucially, every country in the world will have built a system to deliver vaccines to every last child," he signed off.