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Bill Gates: Despite Attacks on Health Workers, Polio Eradication By 2018

Mark Leon Goldberg

Bill Gates is doing a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) right now. For the uninitiated, this is when someone submits to answer questions from Reddit users.

I think he just made some news in this exchange:

First of all: Thank you for all you’ve given and all you’ve done to make the world a better place.

Given the recent targeting of health professionals in Pakistan and Nigeria, do you think eradication of polio is attainable in the next decade?

How is the Gates Foundation going to get over this barrier to eradication?

Also, what is your opinion on the anti-vaccination movement in general

Answer: 

The violence against the vaccinators in both Pakistan and Nigeria is a terrible thing. However both countries are committed to finishing the eradication. This is the project I spent most of my time on. We should be able to finish by 2018 although that will require raising funds and some great execution. We have some innovations like the way we use satellite maps to find all the villages and GPS tracking to make sure the teams go to every hut that are helping out. Polio is a harder disease than smallpox was but it is doable. (I discuss this more atwww.billsletter.com)

This is great to read from Gates, who has made polio eradication one of his Foundation’s top priorities.