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          New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Software billionaire Bill Gates and   his wife Melinda, who co-chair the international philanthropic organisation Bill   and Melinda Gates Foundation, will be visiting India this week to meet policy   makers, NGO partners and community leaders, a statement said   Monday. 
 
 |  Gates said in the statement: "We would be visiting India this week to meet   policy-makers and public health figures to explore ways to build on achievements   in health and development and tackle the significant burden of disease that   still exists. 
 "We are proud to partner with India because its innovative   approaches are saving and improving lives every day. Yet, despite remarkable   achievements, India endures some of the greatest health and development burdens   in the world," Gates added in his statement.
 
 The foundation has on its   list health challenges including polio, the development and delivery of   life-saving vaccines, maternal health, and public-private partnerships for   tuberculosis.
 
 According to the statement, the couple will also visit   Bihar and meet community health workers and state officials to see first-hand   the launch of a five-year, $80 million grant made in partnership with the state   government.
 
 "India has done a great job prioritizing maternal and child   health through the National Rural Health Mission, and we hope our partnership   with the government of Bihar will help to accelerate progress," said   Gates.
 
 There is no official statement on the exact dates of the couple's   five-day visit to the country this week.
 
 
      
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