Bill Gates highlights polio eradication efforts, urges youth philanthropy at Abu Dhabi forum

“Words with three vowels like ‘audio’ or ‘radio’, or adieu with four vowels, [that is good as an opening word]. I switch it up from time to time, but you really need to finish the vowels. I don’t waste a lot of time with those word games, but it’s a fun day-to-day pastime,” Gates said.

His acknowledgment that he doesn’t use the same opening line every day suggests a level of reflection and exploration that marks his heightened focus on philanthropy, from Microsoft’s technological innovations to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The American businessman-philanthropist worked closely with UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the forum on Sunday at NYU Abu Dhabi, through Bill and Melinda The Gates Foundation fights diseases like polio and malaria, offers tips for getting involved with philanthropy, and discusses his vision for how to improve the third sector globally.

The foundation, which Gates co-founded in 2000, has done its best to eradicate polio so far, but other projects are also looking at malaria, river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. Through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi), which formed the Vaccine Alliance shortly after its launch, it is also helping to expand access to vaccines globally, including for COVID-19.

Over the past few years, Abu Dhabi, under the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, has partnered with the Foundation to advance several global health initiatives.

“We have worked with the President of the UAE on many things. He has been very generous to GAVI, and I say that because it has had a significant impact in saving lives for very little money, which helps these countries. When you When improving health in general, population growth actually goes down because you don’t need as much [children]. As you invest in your health, education, food, and stability get better too, so it’s a good partnership. Neglected Tropical Diseases, really scary, [is another area of cooperation]. For the most part we have drugs, but we just need to get them out of Africa. [And] We are constantly adding new countries [eradication of river blindness, a neglected tropical disease]. We need 10 to 15 years to achieve this on a global scale, but every single thing counts,” Gates said.

“Another major collective effort is polio eradication. It’s the foundation’s largest program, and it’s a remarkable thing. Once you prepare for the disease, it’s over. But there’s only one human disease eradicated – smallpox, which was certified eradicated in 1985. The polio campaign started in 1988, and at that time, more than 300,000 children died or were paralyzed each year. We’ve had a lot of success in bringing that down, and Been below 100 a year for a while, but that last part is difficult. [Still,] We are hopeful. Abu Dhabi has key relationships and resources to help us achieve our goals. In total, the campaign raises $1 billion annually. Eradicating disease is a big deal. The COVID-19 pandemic has set us back a few years, but I think we’re back on track to get there,” he added.

After that, the foundation hopes to work on the eradication of measles and malaria, diseases that Gates believes can be eradicated in time.

According to the philanthropist, the greatest area of ​​loss of human potential is currently malnutrition, which kills around 5 million children every year. Gates said the plan is therefore to halve that number, 90 percent of which is due to health conditions that hinder nutrient absorption, not due to severe famine.

Gates also discussed how to deal with the devastating effects of climate change on poor countries on the equator, adding that the phenomenon is largely caused by developed countries with temperate climates.

“We can develop crops that require much less water and produce more than twice as much as today’s crops,” he said, adding that crops such as sorghum, used to make cereals and rice, could be genetically modified to Livestock such as goats and chickens are subject to high temperatures.

“big thing [on combating climate change] It will come when we get young people to do the science of these things. We need a whole new generation of seeds, [including ones that generate African crops that have not yet been explored by the green revolution],” Gates added.

When asked about the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates said that despite the worldwide spread of the disease that has killed more than 20 million people, we’ve learned a lot. This includes insights into vaccine technology and diagnostic methods (such as sewage sampling), and the possible creation of organizations to facilitate international cooperation.

He also encourages young people to find their own philanthropy, urging them to explore and learn about philanthropy at a young age so that they can eventually contribute knowledge and money later in life. In short, he urges young people to choose a cause they are passionate about, travel to learn about it, see current challenges, and volunteer their time. This could eventually allow them to contribute financially in their later years, much like Gates did when he ventured into philanthropy in his 40s.

“I started the foundation when I was 45. I’ve been doing some giving, research giving, but a lot of my time has been focused on my work at Microsoft, which is what created the foundation, and then this amazing opportunity to try Give it back. It makes sense to me not just to write a check, but to build an organization with an incredible mix of talent – hopefully the best in the world – to tackle malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS virus,” he said.

“In my early 40s, I saw the incredible inequity in how life is treated. Children in poor countries are 50 times more likely to die, and many diseases like malaria get almost no money … in the early days, we had a $30 million malaria grant, and people said that was the largest amount ever given, which seemed crazy because at that time over 600,000 children were still dying of malaria every year. It was [an example of] A sad case where there is no profitable opportunity to develop a vaccine because the disease does not exist in rich countries. So it’s all up to the government or the philanthropists to get involved,” Gates explained.

The foundation focuses primarily on global health challenges, as Gates is appalled by health challenges in poor countries, especially the fact that thousands of children die each year from treatable challenges despite treatments and vaccines.

“The Abu Dhabi Creative Foundation Catalyst Philanthropy Forum, and our partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are positive reminders that when we exchange ideas for the greater good, for human progress and prosperity Anything is possible when we collaborate and collaborate. Founded in 2017 in association with the Aspen Institute, Ideas Abu Dhabi is a forum that welcomes global leaders to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. We hope that today’s event and May 2023 Follow-up events will demonstrate the power of open discussion to inspire action for the benefit of present and future generations. NYU Abu Dhabi — a center of academic excellence in its own right — couldn’t be more fitting, especially as the home of a new strategic philanthropy initiative,” said Ideas Abu said Rima Al Mokarrab, Co-Chairman of Dhabi and Chairman of Tamkeen.

“NYU Abu Dhabi’s Strategic Philanthropy Initiative was launched last year in partnership with Badr Jafar. It is a center for research on philanthropy in the Gulf and MENA region, and a platform to educate and convene on the role of philanthropy in our environment.” New York The SPI at the University of Abu Dhabi is the first academic research center in the Gulf region dedicated to philanthropy, but that doesn’t mean the region doesn’t have a great history of philanthropy – rather, we’re looking at the philanthropy that already exists around Data convenes stakeholders so that its effectiveness can be optimized. These goals align directly with this fantastic gathering of philanthropic individuals who are passionate about philanthropy and want to see financial and human capital deployed for the benefit of individuals and society,” she added.

Avid reader Gates recommends the following books for winter reading.

Surrender, rock star and U2 member Bono

How the World Really Works: A Scientists’ Guide to Past, Present and Future, by Vaclav Smil, focuses on climate change.

Factfulness, Anna Rosling Ronnlund looks at health and what more needs to be done.