Efforts in Improving Global Health
Lily Liang
April 15th, 2010
http://www.koze950.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/gates-foundation.png
“We must make reducing inequality the central priority of our giving.”
-Bill Gates
http://www.rotavirusvaccine.org/img-global-distribution-of-rv-mortality.htm
Human ingenuity and technology
can solve every problem
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12142090@N05/1259350439
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/Pages/bill-melinda-gates-letter.aspx
Total assets as of Dec 31st, 2009:
$33.5 billion
http://www.healthjockey.com/images/gates-foundation-logo.jpg
Foundation must spend all of its
assets within 50 years of the last
trustee’s death.
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http://twitter.com/Gatesfoundation
• United States Program
• Global Development Program
• Global Health Program
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/health/30gates.html
http://media.cnbc.com/i/CNBC/Sections/CNBC_TV/CNBC_US/Shows/_Documentaries_Specials/Biography/Slideshows/Gates/Gates_Slide04.jpg
Identifies promising projects and
financially supports them
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/grants/Pages/overview.aspx
Short list of
organizations they
support
• GAVI Alliance
• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
• PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative
• Partners in Health
• Save the Children
http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bf90b53ef011278feaa5828a4-800wi
The goal: eradicate malaria
35 countries  98% of global
malaria deaths
~500 million cases, 1 million
deaths annually
http://www.busaheba.org/Busaheba/10th%20Issue/Health/images/malaria_special.jpg
http://www.biology.ccsu.edu/doan/ProjectHope/Malaria%20red.jpg
Malaria is preventable and
curable
Funding increased
from $50 million in
1997 to $800 million
in 2007
Their approach: Giving malaria
drugs to developing countries
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/global-health/PublishingImages/global-health-overview.jpg
Donating mosquito nets, insect
repellants, and spray insecticides
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Develop a safe malaria vaccine by
2025
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2002/110-12/needle.jpg
Number of malaria deaths have
dropped significantly
Malaria Journal 2006, 5:33
Criticisms to the Gates Approach
Not helping the already major
shortages in hospital staff in
primary care
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gates16dec16,0,3743924.story
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/annual-letter/PublishingImages/chart-2-diseases-causing-childhood-deaths.gif
41% of its investments fly
against everything they are trying
to treat
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-gatesx07jan07-pg,0,3897572.photogallery
Hungry patients are vomiting pills
“They [Gates Foundation] treat
tuberculosis. They don’t treat
poverty.”
-Paul Farmer
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/chhut001/uthink/malnutrition.jpg
Assumes drugs will be the panacea
to all problems
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gatesx7jan07-sg,0,261331.storygallery
References
2010 [cited 2010 Mar 28]. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. [Internet]. Seattle,
WA: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Available from:
<http://www.gatesfoundation.org/>.
Bhattarai A, et al. 2007. Impact of Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy and
Insecticide-Treated Nets on Malaria Burden in Zanzibar. PLoS :1784-90.
Kotler PK, Lee NR. 2009. Up and Out of Poverty. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc. 341 p.
McNeil DG. 2010 January. Gates Foundation to Double Spending on Vaccines. New
York Times; 1-2. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/health/30gates.html>.
Nyarango PM, et al. 2006. A steep decline of malaria morbidity and mortality trends in
Eritrea between 2000 and 2004: The effect of combination of control methods.
Malaria Journal 5(33):1-13.
Piller C, Sanders E, Dixon R. 2007 January. Dark cloud over good works of Gates
Foundation. LA Times. <http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/07/nation/nagatesx07>.
Piller C, Smith D. 2007 Dec. Unintended victims of Gates Foundation generosity. LA
Times. <http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/16/nation/na-gates16>.
Solomon LD. 2009. Tech Billionaires. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. 146 p.