Gates and Slim pledge to eradicate polio

The world’s two richest men, American Bill Gates and Mexican Carlos Slim, have pooled their fortunes to wipe polio off the face of the Earth within the next six years. To achieve this, the Microsoft magnate has launched a 5.5 billion dollar plan, of which 1.8 billion will be provided by one of his foundations and another 100 million will be contributed by the powerful Mexican. The rest is expected to be contributed by different groups affected by this virus, as well as other public personalities attracted by the project, such as the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg.

The initiative, presented at the Global Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi, is now being proposed thanks to the progress made in recent years to eradicate this disease, which is present in only three countries: Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Therefore, it is considered the optimal time to eliminate it – it has a low impact – and thus prevent its spread to other countries where it is not detected. If Gates’ goal is achieved, it would be the second major disease eliminated from the world after smallpox.

Currently, poliovirus affects only 223 children worldwide (19 in 2013) thanks to vaccination campaigns that have been promoted over the last 25 years around the world. The problem is that polio affects children in unsafe and difficult-to-access territories, where radical groups hinder the arrival of humanitarian aid. Since last December, for example, nearly 20 humanitarian workers have been killed while working against polio in Afghanistan.

Bill Gates, who left Microsoft to found altruistic associations, has been fighting for years to eradicate the polio disease, and now he wants to encourage other businessmen to join the cause. The tycoon trusts the eradication of polio as a way to expand global health and help human beings to trust in this type of initiative.