Gates gives Concern €29m to fight deaths

IRISH aid agency Concern has been given a $41 million (€29m) donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation to help tackle spiralling baby and mother deaths in developing countries.

Concern Worldwide has received the funds from the philanthropic group founded by the US computer entrepreneur partly to help prevent early child deaths, where in some countries every one in four children die before their fifth birthday.

Concern plans to host a type of talent contest in six chosen poor countries to help find innovative ideas about targeting mother and child health issues.

The use of the grant would be partly decided by locals, health workers and university chiefs on the ground, said the aid group’s chief executive Tom Arnold.

“What the Gates people said was ‘let’s go and look at the problems that were really the worst and then let’s go and look at innovative ways of dealing with them’.”

Concern beat off competition from another 15 aid organisations to win the grant.

“We’re going to host a type of Dragon’s Den and look for ideas about how best to go after these issues,” added Mr Arnold.

Concern have chosen Malawi, India and Sierra Leone as the first three countries for the Gates funds.

All face major obstacles in dealing with maternal and child health.

In Sierra Leone, a shocking 25% of children die before reaching their fifth birthday. In Malawi, one in every 18 women dies during pregnancy or childbirth. Both in India and Malawi, two-thirds of mothers and children lack essential health services such as vaccinations, proper care at birth and nutritional supplements.

Non-traditional sources will be asked for their breakthrough suggestions, including health workers, academics, private sector companies and community members. Projects will then begin work next year.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, has targetted health issues and disease with his multi-billion dollar philanthropic foundation.

Commenting on the funds for Concern, a director of health with the foundation, Jaime Sepulveda, said: “Concern Worldwide’s commitment to seeking innovation from diverse, non-traditional sources will be a key ingredient in the success of this programme.”