Gates Foundation and Baidu to assist coronavirus fight in China

Bill Gates speaking during an interview with Chinese media in Beijing in November last year. - China Daily/ANN

BEIJING (China Daily/ANN): The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and China's Internet search giant Baidu Inc on Sunday (Jan 25) announced that they will donate funds to help front-line responders in China accelerate their efforts to contain the spread of 2019-nCoV.

The foundation is immediately committing US$5 million in emergency funds and corresponding technical support, while Baidu is establishing a special fund of 300 million yuan (US$43.2 million).

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is already working with a range of Chinese public and private sector partners to accelerate national and international cooperation in areas of critical need, including efforts to identify and confirm cases, safely isolate and care for patients, and accelerate the development of treatments and vaccines.

Partners include the National Health Commission and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and various research institutes affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen University and Sinopharm China National Biotec Group.

"We are deeply concerned about the development of the current epidemic and express our high respect to those who are fighting on the front lines," said Yinuo Li, director of the Gates Foundation China.

"It has always been our focus to improve the level of infectious disease prevention and control, as well as to strengthen global health and safety. We look forward to working with our partners to meet the challenges."

Baidu Inc announced that its fund will be used to support the selection, research and development of drugs targeting the novel coronavirus and a string of works to fight against the epidemic, as well as popularise and disseminate health security information for the long term.

Baidu said it will provide technological support in artificial intelligence to help the centres for disease control, scientific research institutes and other research organisations to accelerate R&D efforts

It will also offer big data analysis technology to support the timely detection, rapid response and scientific management of the epidemic.

The tech heavyweight will give full play to its responsibility as an information and knowledge platform, link public health agencies and cooperate with media to actively disseminate public health-related knowledge, and improve the public awareness and knowledge of public health and food safety. - China Daily/Asia News Network