Attachment

modeling center in 2008 with an eye toward assessing the risk of outbreaks and the effectiveness of different responses. That same year, I funded and recruited people for the Institute for Disease Modeling, which was designed to help researchers understand malaria better and to advise on the most effective paths to eradicating polio-and is now helping governments understand the impact of various COVID policies. The fact that these groups--and many others like them--turned out to be useful for COVID is a testament to the fact that investing in global health helps with pandemics too. Getting lifesaving supplies Another crucial early step, before vaccines were available, was to get preventive equipment (such as masks), oxygen, and other lifesaving equipment to people who needed it. This wasn't easy for anyone--even the United States struggled to acquire and deliver these things early on-- and poor countries were in an even worse position. Luckily, many of them could turn to the Global Fund for support. Created in 2002 to bolster the fight against HIV, TB, and malaria in low- and middleincome countries, the Global Fund has been a rousing success. It's now the world's largest funder of HIV, malaria, and TB work that is not a government. Today it makes sure that more than 21 million people living with HIV/AIDS get the medicines they need to stay alive. Every year, it distributes more than 180 million malaria-preventing bed nets--nets you hang over your bed at night to keep mosquitoes from biting while you sleep. In two decades, it has saved some 44 million lives. Years ago, I called the Global Fund the kindest thing that humans have ever done for one another. I still believe that today.