Bill Gates, world’s
second richest man, announced in Abu Dhabi on Thursday his foundation will
contribute $1.8 billion to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a third of
the total funds needed.
“I am pleased to announce for the foundation that
we are committed to fund a third of what is needed for this campaign,” the
Microsoft co-founder told the Global Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi. “So for the
fully funded campaign, that would be $1.8 billion that we are committed to.”
“There has been a total of four billion dollars
raised here. That gives us 73 percent of” the $5.5 billion needed, he said.
Other participants at the summit also announced their contributions — $457
million from Britain, $250 million from Canada, and $240 million from Norway.
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan announced he will
donate $120 million. Germany, which had already pledged 100 million euros,
announced it will donate a similar amount again.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Development Bank offered
$227 million. The number of worldwide polio infections plunged to 223 in 2012,
compared to 360,000 in 1988 when the United Nations launched a campaign to
eliminate the highly contagious and crippling illness.
Only three countries are still considered polio
endemic — Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nigeria, where an Islamist
insurgency in the country’s north has taken a hit on immunisation campaigns and
at least 10 people were killed in attacks on two vaccination centres in
February, saw most of the cases in 2012. At least 20 people have been killed in
such attacks in Pakistan since December.
Gates, listed by Forbes as the world’s
second-richest person, had said the global campaign to eliminate polio was
currently spending about $900 million a year. But Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF)
has criticised the high prices of the vaccines. “High prices for new vaccines
could put developing countries in the precarious situation of not being able to
afford to fully vaccinate their children in the future,” warned the medical
charity.
“Urgent action is needed to address the
skyrocketing price to vaccinate a child, which has risen by 2,700 percent over
the last decade,” said Dr Manica Balasegaram, executive director of MSF’s
Access Campaign.
“The lack of transparency by companies on vaccine
manufacturing costs and their focus on profits above ensuring sustainable
prices for vaccines for low-income countries are at the root of the problem,”
she said. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a major contributor to the
GAVI Alliance, which helps make vaccines available to developing countries.
The two-day Global Vaccine Summit was aimed at
highlighting the need for continued support for immunisations, as well as
discuss a six-year plan to eliminate polio.
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