Bill Gates wants the new US president to bolster health spend

06 November 2008

Mumbai: Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, expects US President-elect Barack Obama to continue to keep health a priority issue despite the economic contraction and budget constraints.

''I hope the new president would be able to provide resources to India to address health,'' Gates said.

He said while ''it is true that funding would depend on the health of the economy,'' he did not see huge cutbacks on allocations for health.

''Clearly 1990s and early 2000s saw a good economic growth in the US as well as India, but the US economy would see a setback for a few years to come,'' he said.

Gates, who voted in absentia before leaving the US for India, said he hoped President Barack Obama would drive home change.

Gates said he did not campaign for a candidate, but took a position on issues. Both  Obama and his rival John McCain, have made strong commitments to public health spending. So I'm hopeful that challenges will be met, Gates sad.