Gates urges billions of dollars to go to global funds to fight poverty and disease

Microsoft owner Bill Gates has urged billions of dollars to be donated to global funds fighting poverty and disease.

"This gift is one of the best investments governments can make to enhance global economic security and growth," he said.

The eradication of infectious epidemics such as malaria, polio and HIV / AIDS is difficult, but the significant progress made by global aid mechanisms in recent decades means that, according to Bill and his wife Milinda Gates, The world's population is now healthier and more productive.

She cited figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations that showed that since 1990, under-five mortality rates have decreased by more than 50% and that deaths from infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria and measles were also halved.

Melinda said: "The baby is born today the possibility of dying before the age of five less than half compared to when he was born in 2000 … The human and economic benefits of this huge, "according to Reuters.

The Gates Foundation, a multi-billion dollar company with partners Bill and Melinda, is one of the world's largest funders to help the poor get rid of disease, poverty and premature death. .

The Foundation seeks to encourage donor governments such as the United States, Japan, Australia, Germany, Britain and many other countries to fill the gap in four major global funds during next 18 months so that they can continue their work.

These funds include the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and the Global Health Facility. the child and the mother.

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, said he was optimistic that rich donor governments were still committed to funding international aid to poor countries. "We never want to take it for granted because if a single donor Thousands of lives".

Mr Gates also indicated that he feared that a "distraction from domestic problems" would lead to a lack of attention to the urgent need to fund global aid.

"People should not be satisfied … we still have just under six million children who die before the age of five."