The Gates Foundation has been working for twenty years now. There are three trustees of the foundation, namely, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett. For the past twenty years, the prime goal of the foundation has been eradicating poverty, improving healthcare facilities, enhancing educational developments, etc. The Gates Foundation is the world’s largest private foundation having assets worth more than $40 billion.
The foundation shows a great deal of interest in fighting infectious diseases and donates a significant amount of money for the same. And, currently, the outbreak of novel coronavirus has successfully secured the foundation’s attention. Gates has declared a donation of $250 million to fight the global pandemic and also leveraging partnerships to put an end to this mayhem.
Every life is important
The Gates Foundation works for many projects in the field of smart e-learning, educational scholarship, hygiene projects, agricultural developments, etc. But, due to the pandemic, the foundation will be exclusively working to fight off this infectious disease. Though the consequences will be disastrous in the upcoming years, the foundation should stick to its true motive. The foundation also said that every life is equal and unless and until the disease is wiped out, we should fight to stop it.
The Donation
During an outbreak of infectious disease, it is not only the medical care that the world needs. The necessities for the poor people, proper protection for the medical professionals, etc has to be taken care of as well. The Gates Foundation donated the money especially for diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics. It is mainly focusing on the African and South Asian health system conditions and working for their upliftment.
It is also working to dilute the social and economic impact of the disease in developing countries. The Gates Foundation has collaborated with WHO and some other healthcare organizations around the world to fight coronavirus. Bill Gates also said the WHO needs us more than ever now. So, we should support WHO during this pandemic instead of not having its back. He also made a tweet about it saying that the gesture of Donald Trump suspending funds for WHO is not an appreciable one during such a crisis.
Proper usage of resources
During a pandemic, a lot of sectors need special attention. But, since the economically backward people are hit the most, the foundation has decided to donate for their well-being mostly. The foundation is working according to a theory called “catalytic philanthropy”. Since it is a non-profit foundation, it just focuses on the development and proper nourishment of the society and expects nothing in return. So, while they delve deeper into protecting the poor people, the government can focus on how to save the economy henceforth.
The struggle is tougher for the poorest of communities. This is because they are mostly daily wage laborers. So, if their main source of income is cut off, chances are they might starve to death. So, even if they are not the victim of this infectious disease, they are the victims of poverty. This is the reason, Gates targeted the African countries, some of the Asian countries, and poor U.S. communities for serving basic needs.
Better R&D facilities
The Gates Foundation has co-founded Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation in 2017. This is helping to accelerate the testing of vaccines and new potential treatments through the COVID-19 Therapeutic Accelerator. The rate at which trial of vaccines work is relatively much slower than the rate at which the disease spreads. So, the foundation is trying its best to make necessary developments, so that once a medicine is created (preventive or cure) it can be mass-produced. Because inventing a vaccine or cure is useless if that can’t be reached to the affected once. So, it should be affordable as well.
Accusations
A few weeks ago, common citizens of Europe and America went violent burning down cell towers. And, many people have linked Bill Gates and the infectious disease along with 5G networks. Social media was flooded with criticism of how Bill Gates has caused a pandemic for his interests. Though this man and his foundation are trying so hard to help people during the crisis, allegations are never-ending.
Back in 2015, Bill Gates in one of his interviews said that even nuclear war is not as much a threat to humanity as an infectious disease. Now, people are trying to use that comment against him to try to prove he conspired such a pandemic.
Annasha Dey is an NIT student, who apart from studying engineering is also a content writer. She has a great interest in photography, writing, reading novels, and travelling as well. She is a foodie who loves socializing and hanging out with her friends. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and a big fashion enthusiast. Dey also loves watching TV series, which includes F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Big Bang Theory. To be a better writer she prefers to read more