Bill Gates Calls On PM Modi In Glassgow
Last month, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had announced a commitment of up to INR 900 crores to accelerate access to the investigational antiviral drug Molnupiravir for lower-income countries as part of its COVID-19 response effort.
The funding will be allocated based on consultations with partners, and will support the range of activities required to develop and manufacture generic versions of the drug, which is being developed by Merck & Co in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, the foundation said in a statement.
This commitment builds on the foundation’s ongoing efforts, including INR 14250 Crores in funding, since the start of the pandemic to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests by supporting research and development, regulatory work, at-risk manufacturing, and product delivery.
Now on Tuesday Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates called on Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the UN conference on climate change here. The meeting between Modi and the American businessman, whose foundation is focusing on fighting the pandemic, took place after Modi launched the Initiative for the Resilient Island States (IRIS) for developing infrastructure of small island nations.
Details of the meeting were not immediately available. On Monday, Gates said that at this year’s UN Climate Conference, innovation will take centre stage and he was optimistic about the road ahead.
