BWI: Ananya Website Launched to Promote Knowledge Sharing Across Bihar

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Ananya
Friday, February 01, 2013 08:00 PM IST (02:30 PM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Entertainment, People, Social issues; Business: Business services, Information technology; Technology
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Ananya Website Launched to Promote Knowledge Sharing Across Bihar


Patna, Bihar, India, Friday, February 01, 2013 -- (Business Wire India) -- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation along with its partners today has launched a new website (http://www.ananya.org.in/) for the Ananya Program, a partnership with the Government of Bihar to improve key health, nutrition and sanitation indicators in the state. The website provides an overview of the program and serves as a platform for learning. The website was launched by the foundation team and Ananya partners.

With the primary objective of creating awareness about Ananya, the website provides an overview of the partnership and will create a better understanding about the program along with the various solutions used along with the portfolio of investments in the state. The launch of the website serves as a key milestone for the programme and showcases the progress built through this partnership. The aim is to create a better understanding of the program that can spread its best practices to other neighboring states.

"Ananya partners are doing some of the most innovative and impactful work in the interior areas of Bihar, along with the state, district and block officials. We have made significant progress and it is important to share our best practices and experiences with those tackling similar health and development challenges." said Anand Sinha, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Key developmental partners and stakeholders will now have access to any information around Ananya while providing newer partners help understand the program better. Furthermore, Ananya's impact goals are aligned with those of the Government of Bihar and other development partners. Ananya aims to contribute to the development goals set by the government, which will in turn contribute to achieving the relevant Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and ensure that the people of Bihar will have the right to high quality health care.

"Bihar has done a commendable job in reducing the state's maternal and child mortality rate which can serve as a great example to other neighbouring states. The foundation has been actively involved with eight districts of Bihar in the healthcare sector and it is extremely encouraging to witness the successful new associations made with the ASHA workers, ANM nurses and the women running the anganwadi as we expand to other districts in the state. My recent meeting with Chief Minister Kumar reaffirmed the faith we have in this initiative and we look forward to a continued partnership in improving overall health conditions across the state. The website will be a great way of letting people know of these invaluable efforts made by the state for the people of Bihar" said Melinda French Gates, Co-Chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In May 2010, the Government of Bihar entered into a five-year partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support a faster progress towards the state's health goals through a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC). Through the partnership and our portfolio of investments called the "Ananya (meaning unique) Program", the foundation agreed to support the state in the areas of maternal neonatal child health, nutrition, family planning, immunization, infectious diseases management [(diarrhoea, pneumonia, tuberculosis and visceral leishmaniasis (VL)] and water, sanitation and hygiene. All projects are targeted towards improving health services and shaping their demand in Bihar. These include initiatives to test and implement innovative approaches, and to measure and learn from the progress of each project. The website would be a primary source of information and learning on maternal and child healthcare, nutrition and water and sanitation programmes and will highlight the work carried out by frontline health workers, primary health center staff and district officials and the positive impact they have had in the district.

Ananya

In May 2010, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation entered into a five-year partnership with the Government of Bihar to support acceleration of progress towards the state's ambitious health goals through a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC). Through the partnership and our portfolio of investments called "Ananya" (meaning unique), the Foundation agreed to support the state in the areas of maternal, neonatal and child health, nutrition, family planning, immunization, infectious diseases management (diarrhea, pneumonia, tuberculosis and visceral leishmaniasis) and water, sanitation and hygiene.

The five-year partnership (2010-15) brings together the Foundation and the state's departments of Health and Family Welfare, Social Welfare, Rural Development, and Public Health Engineering, along with other stakeholders, including the private sector.

The Foundation has agreed to support the state in the following goals:

-- Reduce maternal, neonatal and child mortality and improve key nutrition and health outcomes, by developing, testing and supporting the state government on innovative solutions, using the public and private sectors, to improve the reach, coverage and quality of:

- Essential health and nutrition services for children under five and men and women of reproductive age, especially pregnant women, newborns and children under two

- Diagnostic and disease control services for pneumonia, diarrhea, tuberculosis and visceral leishmaniasis

-- Enable the statewide scale-up of proven solutions by integrating them into state government plans and programs.

-- Document and disseminate the results and lessons to influence related health and nutrition programs within India and other developing countries.



CONTACT DETAILS
Shelley Thakral, Senior Communications Officer, India, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, +91 (11) 41003100, media@gatesfoundation.org
Ameya Sirur, Bite Communications, +91 9899931853, ameya.sirur@biteglobal.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, ENTERTAINMENT, PEOPLE, SOCIAL, BUSINESS SERVICES, IT, TECHNOLOGY

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