Bill Gates. Photo courtesy of microsoft.com

At the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference in Long Beach, CA Microsoft’s Bill Gates released a swarm of mosquitoes on some high profile celebrities, philanthropists and businesspeople.  The microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist, who runs his own Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, released the bugs as an example of the need for more Malaria research and medication in the developing world. He told the crowd “I brought [the mosquitoes]. Here I’ll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected.” After a minute, Gates placated the crowd, reassuring them the bugs were Malaria free.

Mosquitoes are the number one cause of Malaria, a major health crisis in the developing world. Malaria kills between 1-3 million people a year, predominately children.  The Gates Foundation has a Malaria vaccine entering phase three trials in a few months, and he’s working in combination trying to get those of affluent nations to help the developing world battle the meddlesome insect by encouraging the dispersal of insect nets, awareness and investment in treatment. Gates told the TED crowd ”There is more money put into baldness drugs than into malaria. Now, baldness is a terrible thing and rich men are afflicted. That is why that priority has been set.” With millions dying of Malaria, as well as other communicable diseases, Gates and his foundation has taken the reigns in driving toward ending these curable illnesses.