Search
  1. Home
  2. Africa

UN and Gates Foundation team up against disease

    JOHANNESBURG

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Bill Gates Foundation have agreed to jointly tackle HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by improving medical information systems in developing nations.

    WHO has hailed the 'Health Metric Network' initiative, launched on Tuesday with a pledge of US $50 million by the Gates Foundation, as "essential for poor countries" to match their level of health protection with that of rich countries.

    In a statement the Director-General of WHO, Dr Lee Jong-wook, said: "In some areas of the world even basic facts, such as a person's birth, their death and cause of death are not recorded. Accurate data is critical to identifying problems and implementing effective solutions for people's health."

    At least 30 countries have expressed an informal interest in hosting fact-finding campaigns for the programme, and the WHO is hoping that the initiative will include up to 80 countries by 2011.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join