San Francisco, Calif., November 16, 2003-Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and chair and chief software architect of Microsoft Corporation, was honored here today by the American Public Health Association with its 2003 Executive Director's Citation for his dedication to improving global health.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has an endowment of about $24 billion, aims to reduce health disparities through health interventions that save lives, especially in developing nations. Since its founding in 2000, the Seattle-based foundation has focused on issues such as HIV transmissions and vaccines.
"Bill Gates is an outstanding example of how one person's generosity can help change lives around the world," said APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, who selected Gates to receive the award. "His foundation's work to help those in developing countries gain access to life-saving health interventions, especially in regard to HIV/AIDS, is indispensable."
In July, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $30 million grant to the University of Washington School of Medicine for an HIV study at 10 sites in Africa, India and Latin America. The study will help determine whether suppressing genital herpes can substantially reduce the risk of HIV transmission. According to the foundation, researchers believe that if genital herpes can be treated with widely available generic treatments, HIV transmission can be reduced by 50 percent.
Also this year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded a $60 million grant to the International Partnership for Microbicides to help speed up the discovery, development and accessibility of topical microbicides to prevent HIV transmission. The grant was the largest endorsement made in the field of topical microbicide development. Microbicides could be an effective prevention tool in the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases for people living in developing nations.
Other previous donations from the foundation include a $100 million grant to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and more than $1 million to help build health care infrastructures for the people of Afghanistan. In addition to health funding, the foundation also awards grants to support education and libraries. The American Public Health Association, the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals, represents more than 50,000 members from over 50 public health occupations. The association is holding its 131st Annual Meeting here Nov. 15-19.