WESTMINSTER


1410


"More than 6.6 million people are alive today because they are taking anti-retro viral drugs. Ten years ago it looked as if almost all of these people would die because the drugs were only available in rich countries"


It was a great privilege to attend a talk, hosted by the Shadow International Development Team (picture above), by Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist Bill Gates. He told assembled


MPs that the UK is to be praised for its "fantastic" commitment to fighting extreme poverty across the world. He was clear that the issue of international development is best served without "partisanship" and I absolutely agree with him. Mr Gates is without doubt one of the greatest figures of our generation who has done an inordinate amount of good through the funding he provides to charities and aid programmes across the globe. His visit was timely as MPs debated


He [Bill Gates] told assembled MPs that


the UK is to be praised for its "fantastic" commitment to fighting world poverty"


the humanitarian crisis which has engulfed Somalia. As was detailed in October eMagazine, this is an issue which I am deeply concerned about. The UK Government will host an international conference on February 23rd on Somalia. It will be attended by representatives from the Somali and UK Governments and various regional organisations and countries. Hopefully, the conference will agree a series of practical measures to support Somalia. Somalia and the Horn of Africa suffer from numerous and complex


challenges and the international community must do all it can to help them.


www.gatesfoundation.org


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