AP Joins Hands with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Reinforce Public Healthcare

In a major step towards strengthening public health delivery, the Andhra Pradesh government has partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand preventive and digital healthcare services across the state.

Addressing the media in Amaravati on Monday, AP 20-Point Programme Chairman Lanka Dinakar said the collaboration centres on the flagship ‘Sanjeevini’ project aimed at delivering quality healthcare to the state’s 5.3 crore population.

The programme, envisioned by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, was first piloted in Kuppam constituency, where nearly 2.9 lakh people underwent health screenings. Following its success, the initiative has been expanded statewide, with about 71 lakh people screened so far. Officials said early detection through screening enables timely treatment and reduces mortality risks.

Dinakar noted that digital infrastructure strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic forms the backbone of the project, enabling real-time monitoring of health indicators and ensuring transparency in service delivery.

Describing the partnership as more than a formal agreement, he termed it a continuation of the long-standing association between Chandrababu Naidu and Bill Gates. He recalled Naidu’s role in bringing Microsoft to Hyderabad during his earlier tenure, drawing parallels between the IT revolution then and the healthcare transformation now.

The initiative aligns with the state’s ‘Swarna Andhra–2047’ vision to build a ‘Healthy Andhra Pradesh’, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a potential national model in public healthcare reform.