Bill Gates appreciates PM Modi for raising awareness of the need for toilets

In his blog, Gates, who recently  met Modi in New Delhi, said: " This is not the kind of issue that most politicians like to talk about. But I would guess that in the short time he has been in office, Prime Minister Modi has done more to raise the awareness of the need for toilets than any other leader since the country gained independence."

"Creating good sanitation options for people—a safe place to poop—is a big focus of our foundation. So when Melinda and I met the Prime Minister in New Delhi last month, toilets were high on the agenda, along with vaccines, bank accounts, and health clinics. We came away impressed by his commitment to fighting poverty and improving health for India’s poorest people," he said.

Praising Indian Prime Minister, who last week launched the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', further, Gates said: "We may have spent more time talking about sanitation than anything else. It was hardly the first time Melinda or I had discussed the topic in India, but usually we were the ones to bring it up. This time, the Prime Minister did. He made it clear that he is frustrated with the slow pace of improvement. He wants to end open defecation by 2019, and he walked us through a few of his ideas, including installing toilets in bus and rail stations in the country’s 500 biggest towns."

Speaking on his meeting with Modi last month, he said: "We talked about India’s fantastic decision to provide its home-grown rotavirus vaccine to every child, as well as the Prime Minister’s efforts to fight malnutrition—which includes a particular focus on educating women and girls about good nutrition."

Gates called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Sept 19.

He was accompanied by Melinda Gates.