Gates Foundation commit USD 1.27 bln towards health & development goals

In particular, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Wednesday pledged 912 million US dollars to help end HIV, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030 and build resilient health systems needed to protect against future pandemics, the official foundation release said.

The funding will also be instrumental in reducing the disproportionate impact of these diseases on women and girls, it said.

"We can get back on track toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but it's going to take a new level of collaboration and investment from every sector," said Mark Suzman, CEO of the foundation, noting that the foundation is significantly stepping up its commitment to help confront crises and ensure a long-term impact across critical determinants of health and development.

Due to overlapping global crises, nearly every indicator of the SDGs is off track at the halfway point for achieving them by 2030, according to a recent report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In this regard, the foundation has committed USD 100 million to help alleviate the food crisis disproportionately impacting communities in Africa and South Asia and address its underlying causes.

Another commitment of USD 200 million dollars has been made towards expansion of infrastructure like interoperable payment systems, digital ID, data-sharing systems, and civil registry databases in low-and middle-income countries, the official release said.