An Audacious Goal

This week in Seattle, an extraordinary group of people -- scientists, policymakers, and advocates - came together for three days to discuss what can be done to stop malaria. Melinda and I issued a challenge to those attending the meeting. We asked them to begin charting a course to eradicate malaria - not just to control or reduce it, but to work toward a time when no one on earth is infected with malaria, and no mosquitoes carry the disease.

Today, malaria kills more than one million people every year, most of them children in Africa. That's the equivalent of losing every student in the New York City public school system in one year.

We know that eradicating malaria is an audacious goal. But advances in science and medicine, new political commitments, and the dedication of people like you have given the world an historic opportunity to conquer malaria. It won't be easy and it won't happen quickly, but I'm optimistic that we can make this disease history.

At the forum in Seattle, Melinda and I called on the U.S. presidential candidates to commit to expand the President's Malaria Initiative, a great program started by President Bush. I hope you will join us in asking all of the candidates to make this pledge and keep the fight against malaria on the national agenda.

I am confident that together, we can produce the energy, compassion, and commitment needed to win the fight against malaria.

To view a webcast of the Seattle malaria forum, visit here. For more information about how you can help fight malaria, visit here.

This post first appeared at the ONE campaign.

Comments

[GoodDay]

It's too bad that Microsoft operating systems are being used by the current United States presidential administration to spy on its citizens. I guess that is one wrong that can't be righted.

[bigirlsdontcry]

Billy-

Any "out-of-the-box" ideas to prevent POVERTY? This is the root cause for most human misery and suffering.

Surely you have contemplated this.

Sister

[ReasonMrSmith]

"Billy" has created countless jobs throughout the world, thanks to his leadership in the computing world.

Funny how we ask a few select people to carry the torch as if they are the only ones capable of doing anything.

[uniskywriter]

Eradicating malaria is a great goal. Another great goal is alleviating and removing the hardship caused buried cluster bombs dropped in Southeast Asia during the last undeclared war of the U.S. government. Men, women and children continue to die and suffer as a result. As our country careens from one misguided war to another all human carnage caused ought to be a priority to remedy.
The immense poverty and corruption in the world is not solved by our wars, in fact, the evidence is mounting that it flourishes within our own system- from the construction of the nearly one billion dollar U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to countless govenment contracts and programs totalling in the tens of billions of dollars or more annually. It appears our own government requires immense assistance from the citizenry to reduce the ever widening circle of corruption and malfeasance.
http://uniskywriter.blogspot.com/

[Mack20]

Mr. Gates, I am sure you agree the comments from this topic have been interesting to say the least. While there has been some support and thanks for your efforts, there has also been a lot of criticism. Thirdly, there is the group trying to think proactively the potential result of saving a million Africans a year.

I’ll start with the last bunch first. The proactive bunch simply over thinks things. Like the anti-seatbelt driver rationalizing he could be ejected in a head-on collision and safely land in the grassy median. Utter nonsense.

The number of detractors and critics surprise me. My-way-or-­the-highwa­y types unfortunately are with us always, like bad weather. If you don’t support or agree with their self-serving, single-minded issue, you’re not allowed to speak or in this case support anything else.

The supporters, well I have to join them. I thank you for taking the lead in this tragic issue. You can’t save the entire world in one swoop. So, if people like you, who possess the means and desire, would pick an issue to support, our problems can be addressed one at a time. Al Gore has picked his, Bono his and so forth. It’s the people with the means and not the desire or compassion that bother me. Paris Hilton is a great example. What a waste she is.

Bill, I challenge you to post the same subject on a right-wing site. Maybe you have? I would be curious as to the comments generated and how different or similar they are.

[rml]

Mr Gates
Although Iam sure your heart is the right place. I am told your foundation is flush with persons gleaned from big corporations. pushing their company products like geneticaly modified grains ,chemicals and big pharma around the globe. you should hire more people from NGOS and non profits that have no hidden agenda


is this true?

[Mack20]

How do know they have some hidden agenda? Do you think Gates has one? Maybe he wants to take over Africa and become the Emperor of the Dark Continent? Then he will have plenty of cheap labor to use as he will. Provided he offers a 401k and healthcare plan its OK, though. Right?

[eddiestardust]

Here's my challenge:

Stop Overseas Outsourcing and
H-1B Visas!

Both are UnAmerican, Unpatriotic and just plain
mean!

[Rightupsidethehead]

Perhaps you should get out of the software business and into the DDT business. You could single-handedly save thousands of lives every year.

In the three days you and all those experts wasted, over 8,000 more children died of malaria.

Don't waste your money on a useless scheme to send mosquito nets to Africa as Bush has done.

Get them some DDT, now!

[maddogbitesback]

And after the mosquitoes and all other insects die the children die of DDT. Great thinking.

[Pdubya]

net gain.

[ReasonMrSmith]

Then get off your butt and do something productive yourself. People who offer criticism without having results of their own to point to don't have a lot of credibility in adult discussion.

[DonRoberto]

Since the program has allegedly been so successful, perhaps the Bush Administration can find the funds to extend their sponsorship of sexual abstinence education to the mosquito population.
Hmm, the shock and awe of it!

[Stanley]

Bill,

Blessings to you and your wife for your leadership on helping the helpless. Mosquito nets, water treatment, quinine, and medications already available could save millions from suffering in the years to come. President Bush's policies are certainly not popular here at Huffpo, but I do recognize his efforts on fighting diseases like Aids and malaria are admirable. Please use your great influence to change the influence of Drug companies from profiteering from the world's misery. Pricing for pre-existing drugs could be made available to the poor at much lower rates on many medicines that are desperately needed but are not available or affordable. Godspeed.

[Wilburrr]

Mr. Gates,

This is a trivial problem for you. All you have to do is come out with an updated mosquito that is incompatible with Malaria2007. You have been doing this your entire career!

Word 1.0 had everything that I have ever needed in a word processor. Thanks for taking my money and spending it on something worthwhile but just between you and me? I would rather select my own charities.

http://www.opensource.org/

[maddogbitesback]

Wilburr - you didn't have to buy it. Lots didn't. He didn't have a gun to your head.

[Wilburrr]

I didn't... check the link

[AurigaRa]

I applaud your efforts.

But just like the Rockefellers, you can use your power for doing true good or for "deflective philanthro­py"...what this family has used for years to cover up their destructiveness as leaders of the new world order.

You are smart enought to know all this. How about helping us hold onto our rights in America?

[Liberalfrombirth]

Mr. Gates, as much as I applaud you and your wife's work for the millions in the world who cannot make this happen for themselves, my entire interest and grief is concentrated on trying to save the United States of America. Is is where I was born, it is the nation I was brought up to revere, and I am deeply sickened by what has happened to it since the Repuglican onslaught since Reagan. Until my nation is again a land of law, not to mention the old "Truth, Justice, and the American Way", I have little thought of anonymous people on the other side of the world. I am sorry this is so, as I have always been a compassionate, giving (in time and money) person. But my country is dying before my eyes, and unless it is saved, I have no hope that other nations such as China and Russia will jump in to fill the Compassion Gap. For now I fear I must plead, SAVE AMERICA FIRST. Only then can we go back to saving the rest of the world.

[ylpatriot]

Dear Liberal ....Well said....It­s time for us to speak out and step up to the plate... Our America is being destroyed before our very eyes . She, our America, is wounded and bleeding .. We must save her Let our voices ring clear.... NO MORE .. Enough ! Save America... bring our troops home now ! Stop this insane spending and debt ... LEts focus on our country Save America before its too late. !!!!!

[Mack20]

Maybe you should change your name to "savedfrom­aliberalpr­egnency.

[TJTelecaster]

Bill; check out Frandsen's clean water tube as well they are so cheap and could save so many lives that we loose to water born diseases..

Thanks for your good works..

I still hate IE..!

[JRWhit2]

Thanks for the malaria concern, Mr. Gates.

How about using your astounding fortunes to end poverty in the U.S.? How about using your gargantuan fortunes to assist with low income medical facilities that are closing on a daily basis? How about using your tax-loophole funds to assist our public education system that is constantly neglected to propagate the need for vouchers at private schools? How about using your monopoly monies to expand our renewable energy options?

We are aware that you provide a decent portion of your wealth for furthering certain causes, but we are also aware that tax write-offs accompany many of your charitable contributions. You are posting your plans at a site of educated people that pay attention to these issues much more than the general public. We appreciate your charity to an extent, but your abilities are not fully utilized. Extraordinary people throughout history have used their intelligence, talents, and resources to further humanity. Yes, you have played one of the most pivotal roles in advancing technology, but your initial competitors (Apple, IBM) are still in the game.

You have the opportunity to become one of the greatest people of all time...not just the richest. I hear from your camp a couple of times a year regarding an endowment or something of that nature. Create a business solely based on the betterment of mankind and run it with the same passion that made you the wealthiest individual in the world. I make ends meet, but I also teach as many people as I can about the world they so often choose to ignore due to a disenfranchised belief. Al Gore has money and he uses it properly.

Thank you again for everything. Your Forbes ranking is a credible indicator that you can do more.

[curlytop]

Excellent comment. I wholeheartedly agree.

While I have the utmost respect for those who are working to combat malaria (my cousin, for one, who is an infectious disease expert) I do wish the Gates' would focus some of their attention on the serious challenges Americans face here at home.

The Seattle Times and the Seattle P.I. have been splashing their front pages with articles about the Gates malaria conference for the past four days. It is obvious to Seattleites that there is a huge PR project at play here.

As for our suffering public school system, Bill Gates only mentions Seattle Public Schools when he feels like criticizing something. He is big on vouchers and private schools (he atttended one, after all). He has nothing but derision for Seattle Public Schools, and no interest in helping the system succeed. Unfortunately, the only Gates to pay attention to Washington State issues and the challenges her citizens face is Bill Gates Sr. He has been working for years to institute a fairer tax system, since Washington's is the most regressive in the nation. But Microsoft, under the direction of his son, has made sure it escapes its tax responsibilities by registering dozens of its subsidiaries in states without a business tax (like Nevada) -- even after successfully lobbying the state legislature to reduce B&O taxes for Microsoft's Washington operations.

Like father like son? Not as far as I can see.

[maddogbitesback]

Its hard to be a nice guy in America. Americans have a thing called a vote. They can vote to save America anytime they care to. The turn out is low and the knowledge is just about zip. So JRWhit2 you get going. First thing - leave the keyboard and start knocking on doors. Join MoveOn.org. Join a campaign and lick envelopes. Give to a candidate who represents America first not some phoney belief that Americans have to obey a certain religious belief. Good grief Charlie Brown. Aren't you fighting against that in the Moslem world? In short - stop whining about Bill Gates and do something yourself.

[bethlives]

Malaria is but one piece of a much bigger 'whole' that needs to be addressed. The 'dominator value' that overrides all our systems results in the chaos that leaves millions of people in dire straits while others live in luxury. I suggest reading Riane Eisler's Real Wealth of Nations...­creating a caring economics www.partnershipway.orgg) if you really want to see how we can tackle not only malaria--but all the world's issues including global warming, overpopulation, income disparity etc.
www.realwealtheconomy.com

[grammology]

I agree with MrCharlie, I am so concerned about our future, financially and how we are perceived by the world. I wish someone as dedicated to humanity and making a difference would step up to the plate and be a mentor..we are in a declining rule. Please consider giving you opinion..t­his from a grandma who doesn't even want to vote..

Dorothy from grammology
call your grandma
http://grammology.com