Day 58: Billions

What would you do if you had a billion dollars?  Or several billion dollars?  Most people probably first think about purchasing the new house or car they have been dreaming about.  Or perhaps a yacht.  A small island.  Quitting their job and never working another day in their life.  I don't know, I guess if you have that kind of money, any wish could materialize pretty easily.

Here are a few facts about billionaires and the wealthy (taken from The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns).  
1) Today's 1,123 billionaires hold more wealth than the wealth of half the world's adult population.   
2) The wealthiest 7 people on earth control more wealth than the combined GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 most heavily indebted (poor) nations.  
3) The poorest 40 percent of the world's population accounts for just 5 percent of the global income.  The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of the world's income.  
These facts are staggering when you consider the disparity between the wealthy and the poor.  If only those that were extremely wealthy would share their wealth, perhaps the poor wouldn't be as poor.  The sick could be cured.  Thirst could be quenched, and hungry tummies fed.  

Have you heard of The Giving Pledge?  It was an idea born between Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, in "an effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by inviting the wealthiest American families and individuals to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes. The pledge is a moral commitment to give, not a legal contract, and it does not involve pooling money or supporting a particular set of causes or organizations. While it is specifically focused on billionaires or those who would be billionaires if not for their giving, the idea takes its inspiration from other efforts that encourage and recognize givers of all financial means and backgrounds." The Giving Pledge Press Release.  Today there are 57 individuals and families that have made this commitment.  So much good is bound to come from spreading the wealth.  

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Day 19: Grand Challenges Explorations

I'm not feeling too well today, so maybe that is why an entry about the advancements in health research sounds so appealing. 

There are numerous brilliant-minded men and women, scientists, biologists, epidemiologists, doctors, nurses, public health professionals, and more I'm sure, that are dedicating their lives to solving health epidemics.  The research will be a continual need, as there are so many health concerns affecting people worldwide.   The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one organization that encourages novel and experimental thinking, by supplying grants to universities and research agencies in order to fund their work.  "Unorthodox thinking is essential to overcoming the most persistent challenges in global health...Grand Challenges Explorations  fosters innovation in global health research. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $100 million to encourage scientists worldwide to expand the pipeline of ideas to fight our greatest health challenges."  Initial grants are awarded to ideas thought to have promise, and are given $100,000 to start.  A second $1 million grant is awarded to those research projects that have demonstrated initial success with their research project. 

Just recently, nine Grand Challenges Explorations projects received additional funding.  Projects have included improving the effectiveness of vaccinations, reducing drug-resistance mechanisms, developing an infrared light to distract malaria mosquitoes from reaching their target, cutting the DNA sequence of HIV to eliminate it's chance to turn into full-blown AIDS, and improving patient's response to malaria medications by disabling malaria's ability to rapidly mutate.  Holy cow, you can do that??  What an amazing thing, knowing that there are smart men and women researching and getting closer and closer to eradicating some of the most rampant and deadly diseases out there.  

If you are brilliant and/or have an idea that you think could be research worthy, the next deadline for initial funding is November 2.  Who knows, maybe you could have a mind-blowing idea that may save lives.


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Day 9: Living Proof, Part 2

Developmental aid is a key to meeting and relieving poverty around the world.  Bill and Melinda Gates discussed yesterday how this aid is being used, and highlighted Living Proof that poverty, illness, and mortality is diminishing because of the generous aid of wealthy nations.  


Here is good news:
-In the last 50 years, childhood death rates have decreased from 20 million to less than 9 million, even while birth rates were increasing.
-50 million additional children are in primary school than from 10 years ago.
-Because vaccines are more available, infectious diseases (tetanus, diphtheria, measles) are down between 85-93%.
-Population growth is stabilizing/decreasing because families are staying smaller when they know their children will live.
-Polio is close to being eradicated from the earth, with only 4 countries left that have infected patients.  This is saving lives, and money is being saved rather than being spent on medical/hospital costs incurred from the illness.
-Ethiopia has opened 15,000 remote healthcare clinics since 2003, and has trained 35,000 healthcare workers.  Resulting in decreased childhood mortality, and improved prenatal and postnatal care.
-The Global Fund was established 8 years ago.  Now there are 2.8 million people on anti-retroviral medications for HIV/AIDS, 7 million cases of tuberculosis have been diagnosed and treated, and 122 million bed nets have been distributed that along with indoor spraying have resulted in malaria being decreased by more than 50%.


Great gains are being made in this fight.  Lives are being saved, families are being raised out of poverty, education is becoming more accessible, and societies more prosperous.  I look forward to seeing poverty continue to diminish throughout my lifetime, and yours, Miss Isla.  

Day 8: Living Proof, Part 1

Living Proof is a campaign originally started by Bill and Melinda Gates, and has recently been transferred to the ONE organization.  This campaign is highlighting the progress that has been made in the fight against poverty.  Tangible evidence that there has been a reduction in disease and unnecessary deaths, and in turn has been improving lives and developing prosperous societies.  

This video is of the talk that Bill and Melinda Gates gave today in Britain.  Start it around minute 20:45 to get to the actual talk.  

Watch live streaming video from onecampaign at livestream.com