Microsoft’s Founder and philanthropist Bill Gates urged South Korea to do more to avoid infectious illnesses like COVID-19, emphasising the need for the world to be better prepared for the next pandemic. In a speech to South Korean parliamentarians in Seoul, Gates advocated for greater international collaboration, including attempts to create vaccines effective against a larger spectrum of coronaviruses, in order to navigate what he termed a crisis time in world health.
He stated that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the South Korean government have agreed to work together to address health inequities and assist efforts to eliminate infectious illnesses in the developing world. He complimented South Korea’s expertise in public health instruments, research, and vaccine manufacture, as well as its vow to provide USD 200 million to the UN-backed COVAX distribution programme, which supplies COVID-19 vaccinations to low-income countries.
The agreement calls for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and South Korea to strengthen private and public sector collaboration on projects such as a global health research fund, as well as increased collaboration with health organisations such as CEPI, according to a statement from South Korea’s foreign and health ministries.
“There’s a lot we need to do together we need to reach deep, we need to build more partnership, we need to encourage the scientists”, Gates said during his speech at the National Assembly. “But I am confident that with these steps we can continue to radically improve global health, to cut the number of children dying in half again, to eradicate diseases like polio, measles and malaria, and improve the lives of all humans.”
Gates then met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who stated that the South Korean government wished to work with Gates’ foundation to encourage high-quality bio-health innovations.
