Bill Gates calls for Covid-19 meds to go to those who need them, not highest bidders

Bill Gates has called for Covid-19 drugs and an eventual vaccine to be made available to countries and people that need them most, not to the “highest bidder”. The billionaire philanthropist said that relying on market forces would prolong the deadly pandemic. He stated that leaders needed to make hard decisions about distributing based on equity.

Gates, founder of Microsoft, made the remarks in a video released on Saturday during a virtual Covid-19 conference organised by the International AIDS Society.

As examples he pointed to the 2002-created Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the US-based President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief to get medicines to people to combat some of the world’s deadliest diseases as examples.

“One of the best lessons in the fight against HIV/AIDS is the importance of building this large, fair global distribution system to get the drugs out to everyone,” Gates said.

Source: Express Tribune