Indian Government Shuts Gate on Bill & Melinda’s Foundation

The Indian government has severed all financial ties between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) The ‘gate’ was shut to the foundation on an immunization mission and a likely conflict of interest due to the foundations close ties with pharmaceutical companies according to a report by the Economic Times The NTAGI, which had been funded by the Gates Foundation-backed Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), is to be fully funded by the government from now on. Business Standard reports: The Gates Foundation-funded Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) had so far served as the secretariat of NTAGI, which is the country’s apex immunisation advisory body and decides on vaccines that should become part of the government’s immunisation programme. However, according to the financial daily’s report, the advisory body’s secretariat will now be fully funded by the government. The reason behind this shut out? The report cited possible conflict of interest arising from the foundation’s tied to pharmaceutical companies. Further, the report cited sources, saying that objections raised by outfits like the Swadeshi Jagran Manch also factored into the government’s decision. Conflict of interest In March [...]

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