The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to donate additional $250 million for research, development and equitable delivery of life-saving tools in the global effort against COVID-19.
The grant will finance efforts by Nigeria and other low and middle-income countries to gain access to vaccines, following fears that wealthier countries may be buying up most of the supplies.
The Wednesday announcement brings the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s total commitments to the global COVID-19 response to $1.75 billion.
Explaining the basis for the extra donation, co-chair of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, said: “Thanks to the ingenuity of the global scientific community, we are achieving the exciting medical breakthroughs needed to end the pandemic. We have new drugs and more potential vaccines than we could have expected at the start of the year. But these innovations will only save lives if they get out into the world.”
Gates Foundation Co-chair, Melinda Gates added: “Everyone, everywhere deserves to benefit from the science developed in 2020. We are confident that the world will get better in 2021, but whether it gets better for everyone depends on the actions of the world’s leaders and their commitment to deliver tests, treatments, and vaccines to the people who need them, no matter where they live or how much money they have.”
