Science & Health
With the aim to “cure, prevent or manage all diseases by the end of the century,” Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan vowed to donate $3 billion for medical research over the next 10 years. Addressing a press conference in San Francisco, the couple said the investment will be used for bringing scientists and engineers together, creating tools and technology that advance research and for encouraging more funding for science around the world.
Recently, various tech companies have started showing interest in the health sector, writes the BBC. While Microsoft is working on how to use artificial intelligence tools to address the problem of cancer, Google’s DeepMind unit is exploring the ways of accurate disease diagnosis with the aid of computers.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which initially focused its philanthropic endeavors on education, seeks to tackle the “world’s biggest killers,” including heart disease, cancer, infectious diseases and neurological diseases, reports The Guardian.
Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist Bill Gates, who appeared on the stage as a surprise guest, hailed the ambitious plan, adding that the lethal diseases today can be eradicated only with the help of scientific advancements.
