Davos, Switzerland
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has donated $200 million to fund research into the diseases that plague poor countries. Just four conditions—HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and childhood diarrheal illnesses—make up 90 percent of the world’s health care needs, yet they draw a mere 10 percent of the research money. Gates, who announced the donation at the World Economic Forum this week, said that because fewer companies were vying to develop drugs for the diseases of the poor, there was a mistaken perception that those diseases were incurable. “The role of philanthropy,” he wrote in The Wall Street Journal, “is its ability to place a value on things that the market does not.” Malaria kills an African child every 30 seconds.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How to financially prepare for divorceThe Explainer Facing ‘irreconcilable differences’ does not have to be financially devastating
-
Why it’s important to shop around for a mortgage and what to look forThe Explainer You can save big by comparing different mortgage offers
-
4 ways to save on rising health care costsThe Explainer Health care expenses are part of an overall increase in the cost of living for Americans
