The co -founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, is committed to devoting most of his fortune to the improvement of health and education systems in Africa over the next two decades.
In a speech delivered in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, the 69-year-old philanthropist said that “freeing human potential through health and education” is an essential condition for each African country to progress towards prosperity.
Estimated at around 200 billion dollars, Gates’ fortune will be 99 % distributed by 2045, when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation plans to stop its activities. This decision, praised by several African personalities, comes in a context marked by the decline of international aid.
Graça Machel, former first lady of Mozambique, described this announcement as a “act in times of crisis” and praised the “determined commitment” of Gates.
During his intervention, Bill Gates also appealed to young African innovators, inviting them to explore the possible uses of artificial intelligence to improve access to care on the continent. “AI can transform health services, if it is thought and developed in the local context,” he said.
Is Tunisia concerned?
Although the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has not yet detailed the specific distribution of funds by country, Tunisia could benefit from this initiative, in particular due to previous collaborations. For example, the Institut Pasteur de Tunis has already received funding from the Gates Foundation for public health projects.
In addition, Tunisian organizations active in the fields of health and education could be potential partners for the implementation of projects supported by the Gates Foundation.
Thus, although the specific details concerning Tunisia have not been announced, the country, with its committed institutions and its health and education needs, could be a potential beneficiary of philanthropic investments of Bill Gates in Africa.
