Bill Gates Urges Increased Government Aid

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates is calling on governments to increase their funding for global development assistance.

“Throughout my careers in software and philanthropy, a recurring theme has been that innovation is the key to improving the world. If we invest relatively modest amounts, many more poor farmers will be able to feed their families,” Gates wrote in his annual letter on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “If we don’t, one in seven people will continue living needlessly on the edge of starvation.”

The Microsoft co-founder said it is critical that global health concerns such as HIV/AIDS continue to be well-supported. “The cost of keeping a patient on AIDS drugs has been coming down, and it looks like getting it to $300 per patient per year could be achievable. That will mean every $300 that governments invest in the Global Fund will put another person on treatment for a year,” he noted. “Every $300 that’s not forthcoming will represent a person taken off treatment. I believe that if people understood the choice, they would ask their government to save more lives.”

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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