Bill Gates contributes US $ 750 million to fund to fight AIDS

Bill Gates, co-Chair of the foundation that bears his name and his wife, Melinda, announced today in Davos a contribution of US $ 750 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, whose executive head has resigned does two days.

"These are economically hard times but it is not an excuse for cutting aid to the poorest in the world," said the billionaire, in a press conference called to announce his new donation.

Gates, who participates in the World Economic Forum in Davos, praised the work of the Global Fund, which is to meet ten years of existence and who said that it represented "one of the most effective ways in which we invest our money every year".

Previously, the Foundation Bill & Melinda Gates, who concentrated their donations in activities related to health, supported the Global Fund with 650 million dollars.

Philanthropist made clear its support to the Fund u000aGlobal noted that through the contribution announced today delivery also this institution "the flexibility and the authority to distribute the funds efficiently, based on immediate needs".

This is significant since this week of the Agency, Michel Kazatchkine, executive director reported that he will leave office in the middle of next March, a decision which is attributed to the decision of the Executive Board of the Global Fund to create the post of director-general, for which chose Gabriel Jaramillo colombiano-brasileño.

That change in the management structure of the Agency was justified by the need for a responsible for overseeing a number of changes in its operation to ensure transparency in the use of the funds after a series of irregularities detected in 2011.

Accompanying Gates in his appearance before journalists was the first former Japanese u000aNaoto Kan, whose country has also been a major donor to the Global Fund in the last decade

Khan said that the current Japanese Government works to ensure that the legislative authorities approved a new injection of 340 million dollars for the Agency.

The Global Fund is an entity with public and private participation in recent years has received a major financial support from Governments of industrialized countries, but the current financial and economic crisis suggests that it will have in the future with less funds for their activities.

Also present at the press conference, the Chairman of the Board of the Global Fund, Simon Bland, noted the remarkable progress made in the fight against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in the ten years of operation of your entity.

Their activities have been given access to AIDS treatment to 3.3 million people, while have been detected and dealt with 8.6 million cases u000atuberculosis and has strengthened the prevention of malaria with the distribution of 230 million bednets treated with insecticides.

Blan added that there is "real possibility" of stopping transmission of the virus causing AIDS from pregnant mother to the son and of eliminating malaria in the endemic countries.

The Global Fund intends to distribute $ 10 billion in the period 2011-2013 for the three diseases, but it has warned that it may be not extended its funding because some countries have already announced you that they will have to reduce their donations.

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