Saving the World One Child at a Time
He may one of the world's most hated man -- but that's probably the territory of the world's richest man. He also wants to save the world, and is putting his money up for the cause. As much as I despise Gates for going around and clobbering innovation like a 500lb gorilla, I also admire him for the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Not only is the foundation giving away hundreds of millions, it is focusing its efforts on eradicating curable diseases and Gates is giving generously of his personal time and clout to make it happen.
At the end of January, the Gates Foundation gave US$750 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) over 10 years to pay for vaccines for children in developing countries. That is on top of the US$750 million the Gates Foundation gave to startup GAVI in 2000 -- and the personal time and effort the Gates' gave to harangue Big Pharma into putting in the effort to develop vaccines for the third world. The Gates Foundation also seem to be inspiring nations. Norway has committed US$290 million -- and the UK has committed US$1.8 billion over the next 15 years to GAVI. Big Pharma suddenly has a market in the third world for vaccines. Instead of developing and selling first to the industrialized nations to recoup development costs -- and process that keeps much needed drugs from the third world -- the likes of GlaxoSmithKline and Merck are now trailblazing some of their new drugs in the third world first.
70% of the world's children live in the 75 poorest countries. They are the targets of GAVI, and the impact has been positive. GAVI reports that nearly 700,000 future deaths have been prevented thus far -- a result of over 350 million doses of vaccine shipped for diphtheria, yellow fever, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, tetanus and pertussis. Their goal however is to reach 90% of the world's poor and save 10 million lives by 2015.
At the end of January, the Gates Foundation gave US$750 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) over 10 years to pay for vaccines for children in developing countries. That is on top of the US$750 million the Gates Foundation gave to startup GAVI in 2000 -- and the personal time and effort the Gates' gave to harangue Big Pharma into putting in the effort to develop vaccines for the third world. The Gates Foundation also seem to be inspiring nations. Norway has committed US$290 million -- and the UK has committed US$1.8 billion over the next 15 years to GAVI. Big Pharma suddenly has a market in the third world for vaccines. Instead of developing and selling first to the industrialized nations to recoup development costs -- and process that keeps much needed drugs from the third world -- the likes of GlaxoSmithKline and Merck are now trailblazing some of their new drugs in the third world first.
70% of the world's children live in the 75 poorest countries. They are the targets of GAVI, and the impact has been positive. GAVI reports that nearly 700,000 future deaths have been prevented thus far -- a result of over 350 million doses of vaccine shipped for diphtheria, yellow fever, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, tetanus and pertussis. Their goal however is to reach 90% of the world's poor and save 10 million lives by 2015.
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