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After Bill Gates criticized President Trump's decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization, his charitable foundation boosted its contribution to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would give an additional $150 million to fight COVID-19, bringing its total contribution so far to $250 million.
"From day one, the foundation has embraced a data-led, evidence-based approach to improving health, reducing poverty, and expanding opportunity," the foundation's CEO, Mark Suzman, wrote in a blog post. "We rely on scientific and technical expertise. Together, these building blocks mean that in addition to our financial resources, we have the capacity and capability to play a significant role in the COVID-19 response."
TELLURIDE, CO - AUGUST 31: Bill Gates attends the Telluride Film Festival 2019 on August 31, 2019 in Telluride, Colorado. (Photo by Paul Best/Getty Images)
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In February, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed up to $100 million to help fight against the virus, $20 million of which went toward groups such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO.
Suzman added that the funds would go to a number of different initiatives, including "protecting vulnerable communities in the United States," developing and delivering both treatments and vaccines for the novel coronavirus, as well as accelerating detection of the virus and "supporting countries in Africa and South Asia."
Gates, who co-founded Microsoft and is worth some $104 billion according to Forbes, said the virus needs to be eradicated around the globe, regardless of country.
“COVID-19 doesn’t obey border laws. Even if most countries succeed in slowing the disease over the next few months, the virus could return if the pandemic remains severe enough elsewhere,” Gates said in a press release. “The world community must understand that so long as COVID-19 is somewhere, we need to act as if it were everywhere. Beating this pandemic will require an unprecedented level of international funding and cooperation.”
The release specifically mentioned the WHO, saying that organizations "such as the World Health Organization (WHO), national governments, and private companies will need to be involved in funding the at-risk manufacturing of vaccine candidates and deciding how to ensure equitable access to essential products for populations worldwide."
Melinda Gates, the foundation's co-chair along with her husband, said the response to the pandemic "will not be effective unless it is also equitable."
“We have a responsibility to meet this global crisis with global solidarity," Melinda added. "In addition to contributing to the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, these funds will support efforts against COVID-19 in low-and-middle-income countries, where local leaders and healthcare workers are doing heroic work to protect vulnerable communities and slow the spread of the disease.”
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In addition to the $150 million commitment, the foundation will "also leverage a portion of its $2.5 billion Strategic Investment Fund" to help fight COVID-19.
On Wednesday, Gates criticized Trump's announcement to halt U.S. funding to the World Health Organization.
"Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," Gates tweeted. "Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever."
On Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. would halt funding to the WHO while it undergoes a 60-to-90 day investigation into the organization, saying it had put "political correctness over lifesaving measures."
The U.S. is the WHO's largest single donor, and the State Department had previously planned to provide the agency with $893 million in the current two-year funding period. Trump said the U.S. contributes roughly $400 to $500 million per year to WHO, while China offers only about $40 million. The money saved will go to areas that "most need it," Trump asserted.
"We have deep concerns over whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible," Trump said, accusing the WHO of failing to adequately keep the international community apprised of the threat of the coronavirus.
"The WHO failed in this duty, and must be held accountable," Trump went on. He added that the WHO had ignored "credible information" in December 2019 that the virus could be transmitted from human to human.
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As of Thursday morning, more than 2 million coronavirus cases have been diagnosed worldwide, including more than 639,000 of which are in the U.S., the most impacted country on the planet.
Fox News' Ronn Blitzer and Gregg Re contributed to this story.
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