$750 Million Donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Fight Global Health Issues

Just days after Saudi Arabia donated $25 million to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated $750 million, in addition to the $650 million donated over the last 10 years. The focus of Global Fund, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is to “dramatically increase resources to fight three of the world’s most devastating diseases, and to direct those resources to areas of greatest need.”

Celebrating its 10th anniversary last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Gates announced the Foundation’s $750 million promissory note; Japan also reconfirmed its $800 million pledge. “By supporting the Global Fund, we can help to change the fortunes of the poorest countries in the world,” Gates said in a statement. “I can’t think of more important work.”

Even after considering the state of the world’s economy and disclosure of misuse of funds, the Global Fund projected receiving donations equaling $11.7 billion between 2011-2012, which includes a “$4 billion pledge from the U.S. government—the largest contributor to the Global Fund;” $2.1 billion has been approved by Congress for 2011-2012.

“For the first time, the number of people failing ill with tuberculosis each year is declining. And malaria has been cut by more than half in 43 countries, said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The Global Fund has contributed to internal efforts to scale up prevention. And it has helped create a world where nearly seven million people lived longer, healthier lives thanks to antiretroviral treatment for HIV.”

Interested donors should visit www.theglobalfund.org/en/about/donors/individual to learn more.