United News of Bangladesh

Bill Gates has declared that he does not intend to die rich, as he plans to give away 99 per cent of his vast fortune over the next 20 years—an ambitious philanthropic commitment aimed at solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges. In a deeply personal blog post marking the 25th anniversary of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Microsoft co-founder laid out his vision for the next two decades. The foundation, which has already donated more than $100 billion since its inception in 2000, will now spend the bulk of Gates' remaining wealth before permanently closing its doors on 31 December 2045. “I have spent a lot of time thinking about [Andrew Carnegie’s] quote lately,” Gates wrote, referring to the famed industrialist’s belief that “the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” Gates added: “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them.” At present, Gates’ net worth stands at approximately $108 billion. He expects this figure to drop by 99 per cent by the foundation’s planned closure, marking a significant shift from the original plan to wind it down decades after his and his former wife Melinda’s deaths. Gates explained that the change was motivated by the urgency of today’s global crises. “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people,” he wrote. A 20-Year Countdown to Impact Looking ahead, the Gates Foundation will concentrate its efforts on three core areas: reducing maternal and infant mortality, eliminating infectious diseases, and combating global poverty. 1. Saving Mothers and Children The foundation has long focused on health equity, and Gates cited the progress made between 1990 and 2019, when the global mortality rate for children under five fell from 12 million to 5 million annually. Moving forward, the foundation aims to reach even more mothers and children with improved nutrition, life-saving vaccines, and medical innovations. 2. Defeating Infectious Diseases Shelling kills senior official in Indian-administered Kashmir Gates has set a bold target: the eradication of measles and malaria, much like smallpox. Tuberculosis is also in the foundation’s sights. He stressed that making new medical technologies affordable and accessible will be key. “The key to maximising the impact of these innovations will be lowering their costs to make them affordable everywhere,” he noted. 3. Fighting Global Poverty On poverty alleviation, Gates was candid in his criticism of the world’s richest nations. He expressed concern over the recent decisions by countries like the US, UK and France to cut their foreign aid budgets. “It’s unclear whether the world's richest countries will continue to stand up for its poorest people,” he said. “But the one thing we can guarantee is that, in all of our work, the Gates Foundation will support efforts to help people and countries pull themselves out of poverty.” A Legacy Beyond Wealth This year marks a confluence of milestones for Gates: the 25th anniversary of the foundation, Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, his own 70th birthday in October, and what would have been his late father’s 100th birthday. Gates acknowledged his father's role in shaping the foundation and its ethos of giving. While some billionaires are criticised for hoarding wealth or seeking influence, Gates’ renewed philanthropic blueprint is rooted in legacy and urgency. It is a striking departure from the usual billionaire narrative—one that seeks not to preserve fortune, but to distribute it for the greater good. “The foundation will not exist to build a monument to Melinda or me,” Gates wrote. “It will exist for as long as it is needed, and not a moment longer.” Source: With inputs from India Today 

Fairooz Faizah Beether, the co-founder of Moner School, has won the 2021 Goalkeepers Global Goals Changemaker Award. This was announced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday. The 2021 Changemaker Award, which celebrates an individual who has inspired change using personal experience or from a position of leadership, recognises Faizah of Bangladesh for her work promoting good health and well-being, the Foundation said in a release. Beether has co-founded Moner School, an online platform that aims to raise awareness around mental health and ensure equal access to mental healthcare across the country. As part of its annual goalkeepers campaign, the foundation also announced the winners of three additional Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards. Read:UN awards 110 Bangladesh Navy members for peacekeeping Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, has been announced as one of the three winners of the 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award. “By shining a light on the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on women and girls, former Under-Secretary-General Mlambo-Ngcuka has ensured that global and local efforts to battle Covid-19 must take into account the acute disparities they face,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  “She exemplifies the leadership we need in the fight for gender equality around the world.” The 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award recognises a leader who has driven progress on a global scale toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  "This year’s award is being presented to Mlambo-Ngcuka for her unwavering global leadership on gender equality and continued advocacy to address the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on women and girls," the Foundation said. Mlambo-Ngcuka, a former deputy president of South Africa, has dedicated her life to advancing social justice and working with civil society organisations.  During her tenure as the executive director of UN Women, she led work to strengthen and expand partnerships with government, male allies, and the media, all in service of advancing SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. 

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has expressed his country’s intention to provide around 30 million vaccine doses manufactured in Japan to other countries and regions, including through the COVAX Facility. Prime Minister Suga who co-chaired the COVAX AMC (Advance Market Commitment) Summit virtually with Gavi Board Chair José Manuel Barroso on Wednesday said Japan will provide the vaccine doses at an appropriate time when the circumstances allow. Read: UK recognises Bangladesh's Dr Jara as 'Vaccine Luminary' The Japanese Prime Minister explained that Japan has always supported the efforts by the COVAX Facility, including through its financial contribution, amounting to US$ 200 million and announced Japan’s additional contribution of US$ 800 million. In this context, as one of the largest contributors to the COVAX Facility, Japan welcomed the arrival of 106,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh on May 31, which was made possible through the COVAX AMC. Read:1 lakh-plus Pfizer vaccine doses reach Dhaka Japan will continue to cooperate with Bangladesh to suppress the spread of the Covid-19 and overcome this unprecedented crisis, said the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.  The Summit, held on Wednesday, was organised to raise additional funds to secure necessary vaccines for developing countries by the end of 2021, in order to ensure through the COVAX Facility equitable access to safe, effective and quality-assured vaccines thereby overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic. Read: Bangladesh approves emergency use of Pfizer vaccine Participants in the Summit include leaders and ministers from about 40 countries, including Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States of America, as well as António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General and other heads of international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and representatives from the civil society and the private companies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Prime Minister Suga called for further solidarity and commitments from the international community in the fight against Covid-19, and expressed Japan’s full support for ensuring equitable access to safe and effective vaccines for as many people as possible with a view to achieving Universal Health Coverage guided by the principle of human security.    

Chinese President Xi Jinping has written back to Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, after receiving a letter from the U.S. business leader on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).