A $300 million partnership between three of the world’s largest health funders – Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – has been announced with a focus on addressing the complex relationship between climate change, malnutrition, infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. This is the first time these organizations have collaborated in this way, with each contributing $100 million over a three-year period.
The initiative aims to develop affordable solutions for populations in low and middle-income countries by breaking down barriers between different areas of research. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how obesity can exacerbate the severity of certain infectious diseases while climate-related events can lead to food insecurity, making malnourished individuals more susceptible to illnesses like measles and cholera.
Advances in nutritional science and gut microbiome research are also emphasized as crucial to understanding the impact of both over- and under-nutrition on health and development. This collaboration comes at a critical time when global attention to health issues post-pandemic is waning, and there is a need to address market failures and ensure equitable access to medical innovations.
Apart from funding research projects, the partnership will provide support for researchers in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting the importance of community involvement in finding effective solutions to pressing health challenges. The partners are actively seeking collaborations with private, philanthropic, and public entities to further advance their shared goals of improving global health outcomes.
