Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said Sunday that he plans to boost his foundation’s funding for malaria research and eradication by 30 percent, part of an effort by the Seattle area billionaire to wipe out the deadly disease in his lifetime.
Gates, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, plans to commit more than $200 million annually to fighting the disease, reports the Associated Press.
“I really do believe that malaria can be eradicated in my lifetime,” said Gates, who was giving a speech in New Orleans as part of a global health conference. In total, the foundation plans to invest $500 million in the fight against malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal and parasitic diseases.
Gates also has pledged $50 million to the fight against Ebola.
