The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary International and the British and German governments Wednesday announced the injection of 630 million US dollar to help keep the cause of polio eradication alive for another few years, with the hope of finally bringing the disease under control.
The Gates Foundation pledged 255 million dollar, while the governments of Germany and the UK will together donate a total of 280 million. Rotary International said its members will raise 100 dollar million over the next three years toward the effort.
Rotary has been a longtime advocate for eradicating polio, raising funds and deploying volunteers to help with inoculation efforts.
The money will ultimately be used by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, adding to funds from other countries and philanthropies. The money will be focused on the four countries where polio remains endemic: Nigeria, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.
Despite the new injection of funds, the campaign still needs 340 million dollar to get through 2010. The WHO estimates about another two billion would be needed until 2013, when it hopes that polio will have been wiped out.
– I am very optimistic that we will succeed (with eradicating polio), said Gates, the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
