Bill Gates et sa dernière préoccupation mondiale : « Qu’est-ce que les humains et les vaches ont en commun ? »
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and philanthropist, has shared his latest global concern. "What do humans and cows have in common?" he asked on his website. The problem for both, according to the billionaire, is insects, to which he devoted considerable attention regarding their impact on the planet. Regarding cows, Gates explained that the screwworm beetle poses a major threat. As for humans, the tycoon focused at length on mosquitoes.
Bill Gates: "There are many reasons to hate mosquitoes, but malaria tops the list."
The Microsoft founder lamented the considerable impact of mosquitoes on global health. "There are many reasons to hate mosquitoes, but malaria is the main one," he said. Bill Gates explained that this disease kills 600,000 people every year, a figure that could be reduced, he emphasized, through investment and collaboration between countries.
Gates highlighted several measures to combat mosquitoes: the installation of dual-action mosquito nets (containing two insecticides to overcome mosquito resistance), electric insecticide diffusers, and, finally, population-level targeting of these insects. "In 1954, scientists sterilized the males by irradiation. They released the sterilized insects into the affected area, and since they could no longer reproduce, the population disappeared. This is how the screwworm was eradicated for the first time," he recalled.
Bill Gates: "The idea is simple: a mosquito that cannot transmit malaria."
Bill Gates defended the strategy of targeting mosquitoes at the population level to prevent the transmission of diseases. "The idea is simple: a mosquito incapable of transmitting malaria," he summarized. The Microsoft founder stated that scientists in Tanzania had succeeded in preventing the malaria-carrying mosquito species in Africa from developing the parasite, thus rendering it incapable of transmitting it: "The mosquitoes would continue to fly and fulfill their role, but they would no longer be able to transmit malaria. With each mating, they would pass on the gene that protects them from the parasite."
Bill Gates lamented that, in his view, international collaboration is insufficient to completely eradicate malaria. "Donor governments are reducing their health aid," he said. His foundation, he explained, is working to mitigate the impact of this disinvestment. "I continue to advocate for increased funding, because it is absurd to endanger the health of children around the world when we know how to protect it. (...) I believe we can eradicate malaria permanently. The question is whether the world will make the decision to make this happen," he concluded.
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