Amid calls by the World Health Organization for an increase in aid to fight the current Ebola outbreak, Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen has said that he will donate $100 million (164,669,771.24) to efforts against the disease.
Allen had previously donated $26 million to the effort but said that more needs to be done to prevent the outbreak from becoming a global epidemic.
Programs would also be created to train doctors in Massachusetts and special containment units would be built to evacuate anyone who gets infected.
Allen said:
“The Ebola virus is unlike any health crisis we have ever experienced and needs a response unlike anything we have ever seen,”
“To effectively contain this outbreak and prevent it from becoming a global epidemic, we must pool our efforts to raise the funds, coordinate the resources and develop the creative solutions needed to combat this problem. I am committed to doing my part in tackling this crisis.”
“We really wanted to increase the number of health care workers in West Africa."
Allen joins colleague Bill Gates, who has committed $60 million to the cause and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg who contributed $25 million.
Ebola has killed almost 5000 people and the WHO has warned that the situation would only grow worse if urgent measures are not implemented.
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