Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Pledge $50M for Ebola Outbreak
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iStock/Thinkstock(SEATTLE) — The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced on Wednesday a $50 million pledge to help fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
“The foundation will immediately release flexible funds to United Nations agencies and international organizations involved in the response to enable them and national governments to purchase badly needed supplies and scale up emergency operations in affected countries,” it said in a statement.
“In addition, the foundation will work with public and private sector partners to accelerate the development of therapies, vaccines, and diagnostics that could be effective in treating patients and preventing further transmission of the disease,” the statement continued.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed at least 2,296 people and sickened 1,997 more.
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