Gates Foundation donates $500m to combat infectious diseases
The world's wealthiest charity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has pledged $500m (
The world's wealthiest charity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has pledged $500m (£260m) to the UN-backed Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and malaria.
The grant provides a significant boost to the Global Fund's aim of treating and preventing the world's most lethal infectious diseases.
Bill Gates helped to establish the Global Fund in 2002, and has made two previous contributions of $150m.
The latest pledge increases funds raised by the Global Fund to nearly $10bn since its creation, of which it has earmarked $5.5bn and disbursed $2.6bn for projects in 132 countries.
Aside from the Gates Foundation, contributions classified as from non-governmental sources until recently totalled less than $5m.