The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will commit an additional $5 million to help public health agencies in the greater Seattle region enhance their capacity to detect novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in King County, Snohomish County and other surrounding communities.
“Early detection plays an essential role in helping public health authorities identify and treat people with COVID-19, take steps to safely isolate them and reduce transmission within the community,” said Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman. “The Gates Foundation deeply appreciates the efforts that local, state, and federal public health authorities have invested in responding to this outbreak, and we are eager to contribute our knowledge and resources to the effort.”
The foundation will work in coordination with Public Health-Seattle & King County, the Washington State Department of Health, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help them enhance their capacity to detect and treat COVID-19 and guide public health efforts to reduce transmission. Part of this effort will explore how the resources of the Seattle Flu Study could be pivoted toward emergency efforts to monitor and respond to COVID-19.
On February 5, the foundation committed up to $100 million to the global effort to respond to COVID-19. This included up to $20 million to accelerate international efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, up to $20 million to help partners in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia strengthen their response efforts, and up to $60 million to kick-start the development of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. Today’s $5 million commitment represents funding in addition to the original $100 million commitment.
Original source: Gates Foundation
Published on 04 March 2020
