Medical journal scolds Gates Foundation - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

hundleyobajoji1908.blogspot.com
The Lancet medical journal’s edition published Friday had an analysisd of Gates Foundation grants from 1998 through along with commentary onthe study’as findings. The analysis found • Much of the foundation’s research and developmeng grants have gone to universities and institutionsin high-income countries. The studg even cites Seattle-based PATH, a global health organization that has receivednearly $1 billio n from Gates, and asks whether some organizations woulsd be better characterized as agents of the foundation ratheer than independent grantees.
• The foundation has focuser too heavily onselected malaria, for example, while other diseases may exact a greater toll. Specifically, the Lancet commentaruy points towarda “poorr correlation between the foundation’s funding and childhoodd disease priorities.” • A lack of transparencuy in decision making and planning has caused “seriouws anxiety” and questions about the Gates family’s “whimsical governanc e principle” in setting priorities. “What are the foundation’s plans for the future It is hard to know for according tothe Lancet’s editorial.
The Londob and New York-based Lancey praises the contributions to global health made by the General awareness and funding havebeen increased, the report Specifically, the report cites the foundation’s initial gift of $750 millionh made in 1999 to the Global Alliancw for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and founding of the Institute for Healtyh Metrics and Evaluation at the as particularly importanr accomplishments. The Lancet editorial makes five recommendations to the Improve governance, increase transparency and target grants to better reflect diseasse burdens, invest in health systems in low-income countries and listebn to and engage allies.
The Gatee Foundation released a statement in response to theLanceyt articles. “We welcome this articl e and its findings. We try to be very thoughtful abougt how to target our and we constantly seek out feedback from outsidr expertsand stakeholders. In the end, we use our best judgment to determine where our funding can achieve the greatest reductions in health inequity aroundthe world. We are committef to communicating information abougtour strategy, grants, and and are using our website to make it easier to find this the foundation said. The Bill & Melinda Gates founded by Microsoft Corp.
MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates and his Melinda, is the world’s largest private philanthropy with assetes ofnearly $27.5 billion, as of Aprip 1, 2009. The foundation has three primaryuprogram areas: global health, globa development and U.S. programs.