Gates Triples Funding To End TB

Billionaire Pledges $900M For New Drugs To Eradicate Tuberculosis

(AP) 
He said the deadliness of the bird flu virus in humans is not an indicator of whether the risk of a human pandemic is going up or going down.

"It is simply telling us that the virus may be changing in the way in which it interacts with humans when it jumps into them from the birds, but it is not telling us that the risk of a mutation that causes the pandemic is increasing or decreasing," he said.

Experts fear a mutation of the H5N1 bird flu virus, which has ravaged poultry stocks across Asia since late 2003 and killed at least 82 people worldwide, could spark a pandemic killing millions of people.

On tuberculosis, Obasanjo said the disease should be a priority for African leaders. Nigeria will host a meeting of African heads of state in May, and Obasanjo said he would make the issue a priority for them and the African Union.

"The Global Plan is fundamental for Africa, where tuberculosis was declared an emergency by 46 countries in 2005," he said. "We hope the African Union will endorse this plan and call upon African governments to commit their share of the resources needed to implement it."

Gates said the increase in funding was to help develop new drugs and effective regimens to treat the disease.

"This plan makes a compelling case for greater investment in tuberculosis," he said. "We're willing to triple our funding for tuberculosis, and we urge others to do the same.

"If we have the chance to save 14 million lives, and a clear plan to make it happen, we have an obligation to act."