Karl Marx's Camel
25th January 2005, 19:04
GENEVA (AFP) - The foundation run by American computer software multi-billionaire Bill Gates (news - web sites) is to donate 750 million dollars (575 million euros) over 10 years for worldwide infant vaccination.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (news - web sites) said the money would go to the Geneva-based Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI), a partner of the World Health Organisation.
"In just five years, GAVIs efforts have saved hundreds of thousands of childrens lives, and its work in the coming years will save millions more," said Bill Gates, founder and president of the software giant Microsoft.
"GAVI will use the funds announced today to support national immunization programs in 72 of the worlds poorest countries," he said in a statement. "Supporting childrens immunization is undoubtedly the best investment weve ever made."
"These large contributions will help save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and prevent immense suffering and disability over the coming years," said Dr Jong-wook Lee, WHO Director-General and GAVI chairman.
In its less than five years of existence GAVI has been responsible for the vaccination of some 54 million children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, influenza type B, and yellow fever.
GAVI was set up in 2000 in response to stagnation in the rate of worldwide vaccination and the growing gap between industrialised and developing countries in access to vaccines.
"Despite remarkable progress in the past three decades in immunization coverage world-wide, it is unacceptable that in the 21st century, about two million people still die each year of infectious diseases that could have been entirely prevented through basic vaccinations," said Lee.
"Our goal is to provide every child with life-saving immunizations," said Julian Lob-Levyt, GAVI's executive secretary.
The Gates Foundation said every year some 27 million children in developing countries were still not receiving vaccinations. This had caused some 2.1 million deaths in 2002.
Gates also appealed to other donors to plug the gap in financing vaccination programmes for children in developing countries.
The WHO says that between 2005 and 2015 donors and developing countries will have to find between eight and 12 billion dollars to protect children in the poorest countries, using currently available vaccines.
Norway's parliament has announced a donation to GAVI of 290 million dollars between 2006 and 2010.
Last year, the United States, Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg all announced donations to GAVI.
The Gates Foundation made an initial donation in 1999 of 750 million dollars to the Vaccine Fund, GAVI's financial wing.
Since it was set up, GAVI has mobilised more than 2.3 billion dollars from public and private donors.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=...20334&printer=1 (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1508&u=/afp/20050125/hl_afp/whohealthgates_050125020334&printer=1)
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (news - web sites) said the money would go to the Geneva-based Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI), a partner of the World Health Organisation.
"In just five years, GAVIs efforts have saved hundreds of thousands of childrens lives, and its work in the coming years will save millions more," said Bill Gates, founder and president of the software giant Microsoft.
"GAVI will use the funds announced today to support national immunization programs in 72 of the worlds poorest countries," he said in a statement. "Supporting childrens immunization is undoubtedly the best investment weve ever made."
"These large contributions will help save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and prevent immense suffering and disability over the coming years," said Dr Jong-wook Lee, WHO Director-General and GAVI chairman.
In its less than five years of existence GAVI has been responsible for the vaccination of some 54 million children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, influenza type B, and yellow fever.
GAVI was set up in 2000 in response to stagnation in the rate of worldwide vaccination and the growing gap between industrialised and developing countries in access to vaccines.
"Despite remarkable progress in the past three decades in immunization coverage world-wide, it is unacceptable that in the 21st century, about two million people still die each year of infectious diseases that could have been entirely prevented through basic vaccinations," said Lee.
"Our goal is to provide every child with life-saving immunizations," said Julian Lob-Levyt, GAVI's executive secretary.
The Gates Foundation said every year some 27 million children in developing countries were still not receiving vaccinations. This had caused some 2.1 million deaths in 2002.
Gates also appealed to other donors to plug the gap in financing vaccination programmes for children in developing countries.
The WHO says that between 2005 and 2015 donors and developing countries will have to find between eight and 12 billion dollars to protect children in the poorest countries, using currently available vaccines.
Norway's parliament has announced a donation to GAVI of 290 million dollars between 2006 and 2010.
Last year, the United States, Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg all announced donations to GAVI.
The Gates Foundation made an initial donation in 1999 of 750 million dollars to the Vaccine Fund, GAVI's financial wing.
Since it was set up, GAVI has mobilised more than 2.3 billion dollars from public and private donors.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=...20334&printer=1 (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1508&u=/afp/20050125/hl_afp/whohealthgates_050125020334&printer=1)