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Gates Foundation Ebola Gift 1The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced last week that it is making a donation of $50 million to various organizations working on the frontline of the fight against the spread of Ebola in West Africa. The gift represents the largest humanitarian donation ever made by the foundation, itself the largest charitable foundation in the world. The announcement comes in response to the United Nations’ recent issuing of an “international rescue call” for greater assistance from the international community to help contain the current outbreak of the disease.1
Gates Foundation Ebola Gift 2To date the Foundation has already pledged $5 million to WHO for emergency operations and R&D assessments and $5 million to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. This $10 million is included in the overall $50 million pledge. These funds were earmarked to support efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to purchase essential medical supplies, coordinate response activities, and provide at-risk communities with life-saving health information.2
