Gates gives £10m to North university
Oct 30 2007 by Urmee Khan, The Journal
THE world’s richest man, Bill Gates, has donated almost £10m to fund Durham University research into malaria, it was announced yesterday.
Three Durham University researchers will share in the grant, from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
The Microsoft multi-billionaire is backing a five-year study by Dr Gerry Killeen, Dr Ulrike Fillinger and Professor Steve Lindsay from Durham University’s School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences.
They joined an international consortium, led by the University of Notre Dame, which has been backed by the BMGF, set up in 2000 as a philanthropic organisation which looks to solve problems faced by the world’s poorest people.
Malaria kills more than one million people every year, the majority being very young children.
The research programme is studying existing control methods in urban Africa and designing better ways to deal with the disease. It will develop a study centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to research urban malaria transmission.
Dr Killeen said: “Even though over half the population of Africa will live in towns and cities by 2030, very little is known about malaria transmission in urban Africa and control measures specific to this context remain to be proven.
“This grant will allow us to provide answers for national malaria control programmes with information on planning and implementing control measures.”
Prof Lindsay said: “For the first time in history, Malaria is starting to come down in Africa, especially in places like Kenya, Tanzania and Gambia. We are trying to develop systems to monitor this – especially against the mosquito which spreads the virus.
“Durham University is part of the consortium, with scientists and Malaria experts all over the world to develop this research. The university works through Ifakara health centre in Tanzania and we’ve been working there for the last five years.
“It is obscene that we have so many children dying in Africa – one to two million a year, that’s one every 30 second.”
Prof Lindsay said: “It’s fantastic that Bill, someone so important in the world, and Melinda are backing this work.
“Bill and his wife are highly motivated and play a big part in the foundation and driving this forward.”
