Improved hygiene, sanitation, and surveillance, akin to that of John Snow in the 1850s, could save hundreds of millions of lives in the coming decades, writes Jim O’Neill            

It is possible to achieve the UN goal of eradicating poverty by 2030 but to do so will require political will, global co-operation and human ingenuity, write Bill and Melinda Gates

FACEBOOK boss, Mark Zuckerberg seems to have gone bonkers and given away all his wealth — $45bn (€41.37bn) on paper — to a foundation he has set up along with his wife, Priscilla Chan.

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife’s pledge to give away virtually all of their $45bn (€42.5bn) in Facebook shares, has set a new philanthropic benchmark by committing their massive fortune to charitable causes while still in their early 30s.

The world’s first malaria vaccine got a green light from European drugs regulators who recommended it should be licensed for use in babies in Africa at risk of the mosquito-borne disease.

A coalition of companies and aid groups will test experimental drugs and collect blood plasma from Ebola survivors to treat new victims of the disease in West Africa.

Maybe, just maybe, the modern bathroom is bad for our health, says Michael Moynihan.

Newborn babies born to healthy, well nourished mothers are strikingly similar in size the world over, scientists have shown.

Almost one third of the world is now fat, and no country has been able to curb obesity rates in the last three decades, according to a new global analysis.

German chancellor Angela Merkel has been named as the most powerful woman in the world by business magazine Forbes for the third year running.

SATURDAY

Despite problems in the way of helping the poor, there are reasons to hope, writes Bill Gates

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has been ranked the most powerful woman in the world for the second year in a row by Forbes magazine in the annual list dominated by politicians, businesswomen, and media figures.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has ridden to the rescue of a beleaguered health fund by pledging US$750m (€569.57m) to fight three of the world's killer diseases.

Lady Gaga has been named the most powerful female celebrity in the world by Forbes.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has hosted a private gathering at an Arizona resort for American billionaires who have pledged to give away at least half their wealth.

DIGICEL Group which operates in 30 markets in the Caribbean, El Salvador and the Pacific has reported strong results for the quarter to end December 2010.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $500m (€370m) pledge to support projects that encourage poor people around the world to save money.

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) today warned that emerging, hard-to-treat strains of tuberculosis could spiral out of control and urged countries to help fight the growing threat.

SENSING the start of a personal computer revolution, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University in 1975 to start Micro-Soft and pursue a vision of a computer on every desk and in every home.

US actor and Aids activist Richard Gere brought thousands of sex workers in Mumbai to their feet today, urging them to insist their clients use condoms.

South Africa came under withering attacks at the closing of the week-long global Aids conference yesterday, with some of the world’s leading Aids experts accusing the government of ignoring the epidemic and promoting “lunatic” prevention methods.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation took its support of AIDS-related research and care to a new level today, announcing a €385.1m grant to a global fund that provides AIDS assistance in poor countries.

WHAT’S going on?

THE Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is awarding $287 million (€227m) in grants over five years to create an international network of scientists to speed up the development of an Aids vaccine.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said today he will progressively move out of a day-to-day role at the company he co-founded to spend more time on global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates visited a sanatorium for chronic diseases in southern India and inquired about HIV vaccine research being conducted there, a news report said today.

President Mary McAleese is to visit a charity set up by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates in Seattle today as part of her official visit to the US and Canada.

Bono and Microsoft magnate Bill Gates have developed such a close bond over their charity work, the U2 frontman stayed with the computer billionaire during a recent trip to Seattle, Washington.

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates is donating €576m to support immunisation programmes in developing countries, he announced today.

Microsoft boss Bill Gates’ Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $82.9m (€54.6m) – the largest grant awarded for the development of a tuberculosis vaccine – to the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation.

Software billionaire Bill Gates is giving $100m (€98.7m) to help fight Aids in India.