1. The department is not aware of “historical concerns with regard to the influence of Mr Bill Gates over the South African healthcare system”. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of many philanthropic organisations that contribute to healthcare across the globe. The Foundation “provides funding to organizations to achieve measurable impact in the fight against poverty, disease, and inequity around the world”, and “funds entrepreneurs, companies, and other organizations to create incentives that harness the power of private enterprise to create change for those who need it most.”
The Gates Foundation supports several programs in South Africa with its major focus on health. During the period 2009-2022, the Gates Foundation invested approximately $907 million dollars in South Africa to some 764 grantees and vendors (which include NGOs, universities, science councils, implementing partners, and manufacturers).
With specific reference to the vaccine programmes during COVID-19, departments and/or entities to which funds and/or donations were sent and/or directed by, include only one government entity, the SAMRC for the Sisonke healthcare worker COVID 19 vaccination programme, plus several private and non-government organisations.
With specific reference to SAHPRA since 1 January 2009 the Gates Foundation direct support to SAHPRA is $7.6million to date.
2. The Foundation has provided no direct funding to the NDoH since 1 January 2009 to date. The focus of the Foundation’s health investments is related to TB and HIV response and span the spectrum from discovery, translation science, product development and delivery of new interventions.
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants?country=South%20Africa®ion=AFRICA]
According to the Foundation the programmes and/or associations envisaged through the funding of the Foundation, include:
(i) in the current year:
(ii) envisaged for a later period:
END.