On Monday, donors pledged $1.9 billion (around Dh7 billion) to eliminate polio worldwide, highlighted by a $1.2 billion pledge from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, during the opening of Abu Dhabi Finance Week.
Bill Gates commended the UAE and its leaders for their significant contributions to global health initiatives targeting diseases in impoverished nations.
“The UAE’s government and leadership have been remarkable in their efforts not only to combat polio in impoverished regions but also in other humanitarian ventures,” Gates remarked while announcing his donation at the conference.
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“It’s been enlightening to engage with our amazing partners here in the UAE regarding their commitment to eradicating polio… I always encourage people to visit and witness these efforts, because everyone deserves to see such progress. The death of even one child is tragic, and here, we’re discussing saving millions of lives and preventing countless children from being paralyzed by diseases like polio,” he stated during the panel discussion.
He also mentioned: “Over the past 25 years, we’ve seen increased generosity, enabling us to purchase vaccines for children worldwide, and global funds addressing issues like malaria, HIV, and TB. We’ve made substantial progress. However, we’re facing some challenges now. This year marks the first decline in generosity, directly impacting how much we invest in these healthcare solutions and the lives we save,” he noted.
“Asia is showing promising progress, and the key is that a healthy nation can educate its children, experience economic growth, and achieve self-sufficiency. Many beneficiaries, such as India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, who received funding and primary healthcare support, are now entirely self-reliant. Although there is still much to be done to bring every nation to that level, our goal over the next 20 years is to ensure every country has healthy children,” he added.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a founding partner and the largest private donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a public-private partnership dedicated to vaccinating children in low-income countries against deadly diseases.
