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World National |
FORUM-Gates Foundation donates $50 mln to HIV preventionNEW YORK, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Bill Gates, the world's richest man, on Saturday teamed up with pop star activist Bono to call on world political and business leaders to substantially boost funding for global health. To that end, Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Corp.said his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarding new grants totaling $50 million to advance efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV, or AIDS, to encourage further donations.
The donation came ahead of a Saturday meeting at the World Economic Forum where Gates, Bono and U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill will discuss ways in which government, industry and non-profit organizations can boost healthcare funding. ``Health spending should be dramatically increased because we know it works,'' Gates said in a statement. ``Though the problems are complex, solutions do exist. We can bridge the gap in global health inequity -- and by doing so foster social and economic stability -- but what we need now is the commitment to action,'' he said. ``Paul O'Neill is right to put aid effectiveness first,'' said Bono, the lead singer for Irish rock band U2. ``The great news is that investing in health and education in well-run, but poor countries is highly effective. That's why it is an international scandal and a moral outrage that clear plans to put kids in school, train nurses and provide essential medicines are not being funded,'' he said. Underscoring the need for great health funding, Gates cited figures showing that malaria kills one child every 30 seconds and is the leading cause of death in African children. This occurs despite the fact that it costs just 10 cents a tablet or $2.40 per full adult treatment with cure rates over 95 percent, the philanthropy said. Of the 130 million children born worldwide, more than 30 million -- roughly one in four -- do not receive any vaccinations. An entire vaccination package costs just $1, the statement said. |
