He said the last few years have been a ‘horrific global fire’
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has floated a billion-dollar idea that he hopes will aid in preventing future pandemics from ravaging the world.
Appearing in Vancouver on Tuesday (April 12) for a TED talk, the 66-year-old tech mogul acknowledged that “these last few years [have been] like a horrific global fire,” reports the Vancouver Sun.
He added: “The COVID pandemic has killed millions and upended economies, and we want to stop that from happening again.”
Back in 2015, Gates pleaded with the world’s leaders to better prepare for a pandemic following the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.
“So now I hope the need is clear,” he added.
Gates has flagged an idea for a global emergency-response unit under the ironic acronym GERM, which stands for Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization. The Microsoft co-founder thinks the task force needs a team of 3,000 medical experts, policymakers, communications experts and diplomats controlled by the World Health Organisation.
But here’s the kicker, it would cost $1bn a year.
GERM would assist national health services in monitoring and addressing disease outbreaks that could spiral into pandemics.
He also paid tribute to the lives lost through covid, stating that they could’ve been saved if the virus was halted in the first 100 days of the pandemic.
“This won’t be cheap, but it will save lives,” Gates added.
Gates has outlined his proposal in his new book How to Prevent the Next Pandemic. The book was released at the TED convention and is now available on Amazon for £12.99, to be shipped out on May 3.
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