MEXICO: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim team up to establish a program aimed at providing better health conditions to Mexico's and Central America's poor

Record ID: 303407

  • Title: MEXICO: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim team up to establish a program aimed at providing better health conditions to Mexico's and Central America's poor
  • Date: 15th June 2010
  • Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (JUNE 14, 2010) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** GENERAL VIEW OF EXTERIOR OF NATIONAL ANTHROPOLOGY MUSEUM MEMBER OF SPANISH ROYAL FAMILY, CRISTINA DE BORBON, AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN BILL GATES AND MEXICAN BUSINESSMAN CARLOS SLIM AND INTERAMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK PRESIDENT LUIS ALBERTO MORENO SHAKING HANDS CRISTINA, GATES AND SLIM IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN, BILL GATES, SAYING: "All the countries involved have programs for the delivery of vaccine. And they have programs to educate the mothers. But the uptake of those things by the poorest has not been as high as would be desired, and nowhere near 100 percent. And so a lot of the innovation and social marketing and social communication area which will be - each country will look at the ideas there. Our foundation does do a lot of innovation - what you call upstream innovation - in terms of new drugs and new vaccines. And what you need is both." REPORTER ASKING QUESTION GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEMBER OF SPANISH ROYAL FAMILY, CRISTINA DE BORBON, SAYING: "The interventions that have been made in recent years have been very effective, but there are certain groups of the population - they are the most vulnerable groups which - despite the national efforts, do not take care of their health and this most vulnerable groups are those that will be the object of our attention." GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN BUSINESSMAN, CARLOS SLIM, SAYING: "What has been planted here - we are very optimistic - is the possibility not only of accelerating, but of trying to control some diseases, take the vaccination to very high levels and seek the nutrition and the maternal attention that is almost universal." CRISTNA, GATES AND SLIM LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 30th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA74O54TMK09CL6PFYBTZ7D4KLO
  • Story Text: Carlos Slim and Bill Gates, the world's richest men whose combined fortunes exceed $100 billion, announced on Monday (June 14) a program aimed at providing better health conditions to poor people in southern Mexico and Central America .
    Mexican tycoon Slim took the top spot in the Forbes' list of the world's wealthiest for the first time this year. He and Microsoft's Chairman Bill Gates will pitch in $50 million each to sponsor vaccinations, child nutrition and natal health for the region's most poor.
    Providing basic, preventative care for the poor is one of the cheapest and effective ways to improve national health standards, Gates said, and the project aims reach more needy families in creative ways.
    "All the countries involved have programs for the delivery of vaccines and to educate mothers but the uptake on those things is nowhere near 100 percent," Gates told reporters on Monday.
    "A lot of the innovation here is in the social marketing, social communications area," he said, noting that much of the money would be used to improve knowledge about nutrition, childhood and reproductive health.
    The five-year program will target indigenous communities - particularly women and children - from Mexico across the Central American isthmus to Panama .
    The billionaires worked together a decade ago as heads of their respective companies when Microsoft teamed with Slim's telecom empire, Slim said, but the two men have never before cooperated as philanthropists.
    "What has been planted here - we are very optimistic - is the possibility not only of accelerating, but of trying to control some diseases, take the vaccination to very high levels and seek the nutrition and the maternal attention that is almost universal," Slim said.
    While both men have donated a large portion of their fortunes through their health charities, Gates has emphasized vaccine development and new health sciences Slim has channeled much of his money to wellness, cultural and sports programs.
    Both men, though, have emphasized the health and nutrition needs of the poor.
    The initiative, which is also backed by the the Spanish government, will be overseen by the Inter-American Development Bank and local governments.
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