It seems that Bill Gates is not wasting time at all and, according to the latest reports, he is investing a lot of money into mRNA vaccine development in Africa. Check out the latest reports about this below.
Bill Gates’ latest investment in Africa
The Gates Foundation is spending $40 million on countries in Africa and other economically backward nations. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $40 million funding to facilitate the production of new mRNA vaccines aimed at preventing diseases like tuberculosis and malaria.
This funding will help to improve access to a low-cost mRNA research and manufacturing platform developed by Quantoom Biosciences, based in Belgium.
This technology will enable low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) to develop high-quality, lifesaving vaccines at scale, thereby supporting their capacity to combat these diseases.
An official press release dated Oct. 9 stated that the funding will be used to advance access to mRNA research and vaccine manufacturing technology.
As part of its efforts to support the development and distribution of vaccines, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is providing $40 million in funding. Of this amount, $20 million will be allocated to Quantoom, a company developing a platform that can reduce mRNA vaccine development costs by more than 50 percent compared to traditional methods. Meanwhile, two research institutes in Africa, one in Senegal and one in South Africa, will receive $5 million each.
The remaining $10 million will go to vaccine manufacturers from low- and middle-income countries. The foundation believes that mRNA vaccines have simpler research and manufacturing processes compared to traditional vaccines, making them ideal for developing low-cost vaccines for diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.
By expanding the use of this technology, countries like South Africa and Senegal can benefit from the development of affordable vaccines.
It is also important that we note the fact that the $40 million funding adds to the foundation’s previous investment worth $55 million in mRNA manufacturing technology.
“Putting innovative mRNA technology in the hands of researchers and manufacturers in Africa and around the world will help ensure more people benefit from next-generation vaccines,” said Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, Nigeria’s coordinating minister of health and social welfare and a global expert on vaccines.
“This collaboration is an encouraging step that will increase access to critical health technologies and help African countries develop vaccines that meet the needs of their people.”
You can check out the complete official notes in order to learn more details about this matter.
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