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Bill Gates Donates $258 Million to Fight Malaria

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the friendlier-microsoft dept.

klubar writes to tell us that Bill Gates has donated approximately $258 million to fight malaria. From the article: "Malaria research accounts for about one-third of 1 percent of the total amount of money spent on medical research and development, even though it accounts for 3 percent of all the productive years of life lost to diseases, according to a report released Sunday." Gates was quoted saying "The report confirms what has been clear, and that is that the world isn't investing nearly enough in malaria R&D."

4 of 694 comments (clear)

  1. Re:just like all the other robber barons by jbellows_20 · · Score: 5, Informative

    This isn't the only donation the foundation has made. According to wikipedia the foundation donates about $1 Billion a year. That's a hefty amount even for the rich Bill Gates.

  2. Re:Hundreds of Millions of dollars to fight Malari by Ether · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ugh no.

    See: http://kenethmiles.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_kenethm iles_archive.html#107570569615970184 . In short, the myth of agricultural bans on DDT preventing the public health use of DDT is demonstrably false.

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    --I hate people when they're not polite -"Psycho Killer", Talking Heads
  3. He also donated... by mandreiana · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...more than $1bn to fight cancer

  4. vaccine in six years? by rishistar · · Score: 5, Informative
    According to the New Scientist...

    Malaria vaccine possible within six years
    11:18 31 October 2005
    NewScientist.com news service
    Shaoni Bhattacharya

    A malaria vaccine could be available within 6 years if new trials of the most promising candidate prove successful, say experts.

    Malaria vaccine research received a $107.6 million injection of funds on Monday, part of a $258.3 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the study of malaria and its treatment.

    The cash boost will accelerate the development of an effective vaccine, says Melinda Moree, director of the Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI). The anticipated date for a vaccine could be as early as 2011. At one point what the world considered to be fairly unattainable is actually coming along quite rapidly, she told reporters. It is absolutely possible to make a vaccine against malaria."

    MVI will work with GlaxoSmithKline on the most promising vaccine candidate yet, called RTS,S, which, in trial in Mozambique, cut the rate of severe malaria in children aged 1 to 4 by 58%. This was the first time that a malaria vaccine candidate had shown protection against severe disease in children.

    The new series of planned trials will examine whether the vaccine is safe and effective when given to infants alongside other childhood vaccines. Research will then proceed to a phase III trial to permit licensing. The trials, to be conducted in locations across Africa, will have about 17,000 subjects.

    more at the url above.

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