The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced to donate $100 million to help combat the outbreak of a new coronavirus that has claimed more than 500 lives.
The Gates Foundation said the funding will be used to improve detection, isolation and treatment of people diagnosed with the virus and protect at-risk populations in underdeveloped regions, such as Africa and South Asia
“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,” said Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman.
The amount includes $10 million previously pledged in late January.
The foundation said it would direct $20 million to organizations like the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection, the National Health Commission of China and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
A further $20 million would be allocated to help public health authorities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, regions that have been disproportionately affected by recent epidemics like the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic of 2009.
The foundation also pledged up to $60 million to accelerate the discovery, development and testing of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for the virus.
On the other hand, over 21 countries rom across the world have donated medical supplies to China following the worsening condition in the country.
"China has received donations from 21 countries and UN funds for virus prevention and control", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
In addition to Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Hungary, Belarus, Turkey, Iran, Yvoye, Algeria, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, Tobago donated medical supplies for coronavirus prevention.
