Gates donates €7.2m to fight polio

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates has given the UN more than €7.2m to help develop and introduce a more effective new vaccine for polio.

Developing a new polio vaccine is a key part of the World Health Organisation’s strategy to eradicate the crippling disease by the end of the year.

“Epidemiologists believe the new vaccine could help to bring a swift end to polio through mass immunisation campaigns,” WHO and the UN children’s agency said in a joint statement.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds will help Who and Unicef to develop, licence and introduce the new vaccine, which will be used initially in Egypt, by May 2005. WHO has previously said a shortage of funds was hindering efforts to eradicate polio.