Bill Gates Gives $10B to Vaccines for Poor
Last Updated 8:55 a.m. ET
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda say their foundation will donate $10 billion over the next decade to research new vaccines and bring them to the world's poorest countries.
Gates spoke during a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos about how to better target global development aid.
"We must make this the decade of vaccines," he said in a statement, adding, "Innovation will make it possible to save more children than ever before."
The announcement marks a doubling of the Gates Foundation's first investment in vaccines 10 years ago, and Melinda Gates spoke of the success in increasing immunization rates in developing countries since then.
For example, over the last nine years, immunization rates for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (or DTP3) has increased from 66% to 79%. "That means more children who are staying alive because of these basic vaccines," she said.
Polio which used to be in 125 countries is now endemic in only four (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan). "We are on the verge of being able to actually eradicate polio from the globe," she said.
Melinda Gates predicted the delivery of vaccines for rotovirus or diarrheal disease (which kills half a million children each year) and pneumococcal disease (which affects two million children each year) will improve.
By combining the Foundation's contribution with those from partner organizations and countries, she said, "we will be able to prevent the deaths . . . of over 8 million children in the next nine years."
She also predicted a malaria vaccine would be found "absolutely within our lifetime."
Other discussions dominating the discussions Friday at the Swiss meeting included fighting global warming and protecting the environment - just one month after U.N. climate change talks ended without a binding deal on curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, whose country is holding the next U.N. climate conference at the end of the year, was laying out his ideas in a session exploring what is next for climate talks. Renault-Nissan head Carlos Ghosn, who has championed electric cars, was also on hand.
Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, told The Associated Press that recent scandals over climate data have not discredited the view that global warming exists and must be countered.
"What's happened, it's unfortunate, it's bad, it's wrong, but I don't think it has damaged the basic science," he said.
Global warming skeptics have been reinvigorated since a U.N. report warning that Himalayan glaciers could be gone by 2035 turned out to be off by hundreds of years because of a typo - the actual year was 2350 - and by stolen e-mails from the University of East Anglia's climate science unit.
"Concluding that the Himalayan glaciers are going to disappear later is like being happy about the fact that the Titanic is sinking more slowly than we had originally feared, even though it's still going to sink," de Boer said.
De Boer said he was "depressed" after the climate talks in Copenhagen failed to produce a binding accord to cut global carbon emissions and pay poor countries to deal with higher sea levels. But he said it was "feasible" to get all countries on board for an accord in Mexico by the end of 2010.
A key part of the debate, however, is how progress can be made that is not just environmentally effective but also won't break the bank.
De Boer insisted that climate change was not "off the agenda" of the world after the failure of Copenhagen. He expressed confidence that the business leaders at Davos, who are starting to enjoy an economic recovery after a rough couple of years, would invest anew in renewable energy.
"Energy sector investments that were put on hold because of the crisis are beginning to be made again and I think people will take future climate change policy into account," he said.
For more info:
World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland (01.27-31)
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Millennium Development Goals (UNICEF)
© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda say their foundation will donate $10 billion over the next decade to research new vaccines and bring them to the world's poorest countries.
Gates spoke during a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos about how to better target global development aid.
"We must make this the decade of vaccines," he said in a statement, adding, "Innovation will make it possible to save more children than ever before."
The announcement marks a doubling of the Gates Foundation's first investment in vaccines 10 years ago, and Melinda Gates spoke of the success in increasing immunization rates in developing countries since then.
For example, over the last nine years, immunization rates for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (or DTP3) has increased from 66% to 79%. "That means more children who are staying alive because of these basic vaccines," she said.
Polio which used to be in 125 countries is now endemic in only four (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan). "We are on the verge of being able to actually eradicate polio from the globe," she said.
Melinda Gates predicted the delivery of vaccines for rotovirus or diarrheal disease (which kills half a million children each year) and pneumococcal disease (which affects two million children each year) will improve.
By combining the Foundation's contribution with those from partner organizations and countries, she said, "we will be able to prevent the deaths . . . of over 8 million children in the next nine years."
She also predicted a malaria vaccine would be found "absolutely within our lifetime."
Other discussions dominating the discussions Friday at the Swiss meeting included fighting global warming and protecting the environment - just one month after U.N. climate change talks ended without a binding deal on curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, whose country is holding the next U.N. climate conference at the end of the year, was laying out his ideas in a session exploring what is next for climate talks. Renault-Nissan head Carlos Ghosn, who has championed electric cars, was also on hand.
Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, told The Associated Press that recent scandals over climate data have not discredited the view that global warming exists and must be countered.
"What's happened, it's unfortunate, it's bad, it's wrong, but I don't think it has damaged the basic science," he said.
Global warming skeptics have been reinvigorated since a U.N. report warning that Himalayan glaciers could be gone by 2035 turned out to be off by hundreds of years because of a typo - the actual year was 2350 - and by stolen e-mails from the University of East Anglia's climate science unit.
"Concluding that the Himalayan glaciers are going to disappear later is like being happy about the fact that the Titanic is sinking more slowly than we had originally feared, even though it's still going to sink," de Boer said.
De Boer said he was "depressed" after the climate talks in Copenhagen failed to produce a binding accord to cut global carbon emissions and pay poor countries to deal with higher sea levels. But he said it was "feasible" to get all countries on board for an accord in Mexico by the end of 2010.
A key part of the debate, however, is how progress can be made that is not just environmentally effective but also won't break the bank.
De Boer insisted that climate change was not "off the agenda" of the world after the failure of Copenhagen. He expressed confidence that the business leaders at Davos, who are starting to enjoy an economic recovery after a rough couple of years, would invest anew in renewable energy.
"Energy sector investments that were put on hold because of the crisis are beginning to be made again and I think people will take future climate change policy into account," he said.
For more info:
World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland (01.27-31)
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Millennium Development Goals (UNICEF)
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ever lived and I'm proud to LOVE the work that's so important to them
and we should give until our hearts are content so they may do what's right for all of us.
The word of the day "ERADICATION" for me it has a separate meaning here locally and in our pooriest countries that's in need.
Sonya Wiley 'aka' The Liberty!
Gates seems to forget what country he lives in or he thinks everyone in America is well off. Even Al Capone opened soup kitchens for the poor.
____________
I agree, Buffett, Gates and Oprah, should stop looking to help these other countries first, when there is a lot of need in this country FIRST !
Bill Gates is a good example of what compassion and being humane is all about and what do you do??--trash and blame him!!
What a sad joke you all are. You are selfish, self centered and your only concern is I-me-me-I- me!
If most of your posts were on fire, I wouldn't **** on them!!
Do I sound a little upset? You'r damn right.
Your attitude really sucks!!!!
As a percentage of income, the donation gift is not all that extraordinary. I'd be more impressed if he did something RIGHT NOW to alleviate the suffering of kids on the ground, instead of "investing" the money in R&D (does the use of the word 'invest' mean that he expects profits back? Perhaps he will own shares in the vaccine, and before anyone is allowed to get a shot they have to sign a complicated EULA granting him the right to search their hard drive and install invasive software on their computers?)
let's say 10,000 each?