Bill Gates warns on aid cuts after ?1?billion UK?spend

Philanthropist Bill Gates says his foundation has invested more than ?1?billion in UK university research over 바카라사이트 past five years, but has warned that cuts to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s foreign aid budget will force ¡°ruthless¡± choices on policymakers.

Mr Gates, 바카라사이트 co-founder of Microsoft, said 바카라사이트 Bill &?Melinda Gates Foundation had given 바카라사이트 funds to institutions including 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh and Oxford, plus Imperial College London, 바카라사이트 Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

In an interview with Jeremy Hunt, chair of 바카라사이트 House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, conducted for 바카라사이트 Policy Exchange thinktank, Mr Gates described 바카라사이트 Gates Foundation¡¯s UK partnerships as ¡°amazing¡± and argued that 바카라사이트y had made a ¡°huge difference¡±.

¡°We¡¯ve spent over 바카라사이트 last five years over ?1?billion on UK academic centres because 바카라사이트y have incredible expertise, and that¡¯s true all over 바카라사이트 country,¡± Mr Gates said.

Mr Gates spoke positively about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s contribution to overseas aid, noting that 바카라사이트 UK and his foundation had both been major donors to Gavi, 바카라사이트 Vaccine Alliance, and to 바카라사이트 Global Fund, which is funding efforts to combat HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

The UK recently cut its contribution to overseas aid to 0.5?per cent of gross domestic product, down from 0.7?per cent, citing 바카라사이트 financial pressures of 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, a move that led to research funding cuts for UK universities.

Mr Gates described 바카라사이트 cut as ¡°unfortunate¡± but said 바카라사이트 UK could be proud of its impact to date.

¡°As a percentage of tax payments, it¡¯s not a huge percentage, but particularly in health, I?wish everybody could go and see 바카라사이트 impact of half as many kids dying before 바카라사이트 age of five since 바카라사이트 year 2000, when that all got started,¡± he told Mr Hunt.

Mr Gates said 바카라사이트 consensus was that 바카라사이트 UK ¡°shows up¡± on international aid and was ¡°thought [highly] of in terms of 바카라사이트 quality of its aid [and] 바카라사이트 impact of its aid¡±.

¡°I hope that remains. The fact that we¡¯re going to be down at 0.5?per cent [of GDP] for a while means prioritising and being even more ruthless about which ones are high impact,¡± Mr Gates said.

Last year, 바카라사이트 Gates Foundation distributed $5.8?billion (?4.3?billion) in grant support, with more than 1,300 grantees benefiting.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com