Usha Kiran Tarigopula, deputy director in global health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes about the Foundation’s partnership with the state of Bihar, India through the Ananya Alliance “aimed at reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality by 40 percent by 2015,” in this “Inpatient Optimists” blog post, which is part of a series called “Global Conversations on Newborn Health in India.” She writes, “The emphasis is on family planning, pre- and post-delivery care for mothers and their newly born infants, immediate and exclusive breastfeeding, care and nutrition for children up to two years old, and routine immunization.  Coverage for treatment of diarrhea and pneumonia, as well as some neglected diseases and sanitation, is also a part of the plan” (9/7).