Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates reiterated his commitment to helping in the fight against a deadly disease.
The Microsoft (MSFT) co-founder recently praised Rotary International's End Polio Now initiative and promised continued support of the group's efforts.
"@Rotary has been leading the charge to #EndPolio for decades," Gates tweeted on Jan. 12 "Now, with the finish line in sight, they are ensuring that polio stays a global priority. We also remain committed, tripling every donation made to Rotary."
Gates stepped own as CEO of Microsoft in 2000 and gave up his board seat in 2020.
A large part of his post-Microsoft life has been dedicated to running the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was launched in 2000.
"We are incredibly grateful to be partnering with the @gatesfoundation in finishing the job to #EndPolio," EndPolioNow tweeted. "Join us in our joint commitment to raising $450 million to support the global polio eradication effort!"
Last year, Gates said he planned to give virtually all of his wealth to the foundation, and eventually give up his spot on the world's richest people list, saying he had "an obligation to return my resources to society in ways that have the greatest impact for reducing suffering and improving lives."
Foundation Strives for Transparency
In his annual letter to shareholders, foundation CEO Mark Suzman addressed concerns about “unelected billionaires setting the agenda for global health and development.”
“We make all our investments public and strive to be fully transparent about our priorities and strategies,” Suzman wrote, adding that “we work with partners to amplify all of our contributions.”
Polio is a paralyzing and potentially deadly infectious disease that mainly affects children under 5 years old. While there is no cure, the disease is preventable with a vaccine.
The virus spreads from person to person, typically through contaminated water.
"Unless we eradicate polio, within 10 years, as many as 200,000 new cases could occur around the world each year," EndPolioNow said on its website. "In the past few years, only two countries have reported cases of polio caused by the wild virus, but no child anywhere is safe until we’ve vaccinated every child."
Rotary International is a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the group said it has reduced polio cases by 99.9% since its first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.
