On Wednesday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will donate $100 million for the prevention and treatment of the new coronavirus, aka 2019-nCoV.
In a press release, the foundation announced that the donation is an initial commitment of $10 million to combat the ongoing Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus asked for $675 million Wednesday to help nations address the spread of the virus.
Of the total donation amount, $20 million will be given the WHO, the U.S. CDC, the National Health Commission of China, and the Chinese CDC, especially to detect, isolate and treat people who are diagnosed with 2019-nCoV.
The press release said, “This funding is intended to help public health authorities cover the initial cost of labor and supplies while international agencies and national governments appropriate the resources necessary to fund ongoing operations.”
Another $20 million will be spent on protecting at-risk populations in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, which will help support health agencies with emergency facilities and disease surveillance efforts.
The remaining $60 million will go to “accelerate the discovery, development, and testing of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics” for the new coronavirus.
CEO of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mark Suzman, said, “Multilateral organizations, national governments, the private sector, and philanthropies must work together to slow the pace of the outbreak, help countries protect their most vulnerable citizens and accelerate the development of the tools to bring this epidemic under control.”
“Our hope is that these resources will help catalyze a rapid and effective international response,” Suzman added. “This response should be guided by science, not fear, and it should build on the steps that the World Health Organization has taken to date.”
