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Cooperation is what it is going to take to solve the big problems facing the world today.
The Prince of Asturias Foundation is doing its part. The government of Spain is doing its part.
You fund a research center in Mozambique that has been essential in the search for a malaria
vaccine. Malaria kills 2,000 African children every day, and now the most promising vaccine
candidate ever is in advanced clinical trials, thanks in large part to Spain’s commitment.
Spainhas alsobeenamajor funder ofGAVI, theGlobalAlliance forVaccines and Immunizations,
which has helped 70 developing countries vaccinate their children against diseases such as tetanus
and measles. So far, with your help, GAVI has funded more than 100 million immunizations.
Some have made the case that diseases are economic issues or a national security issues. That’s
all right with me. If we have to make that argument to get the support we need to fight disease, we
should do it.
But I think you will agree with me that this is not primarily an economic issue or a national
security issue; this is a humanitarian issue. People are dying, and we can save them; and that ought
to be enough. Sick people in the developing world are human beings who have infinite worth in
their own right without any reference to us. They have mothers who love them, children who need
them, and friends who cherish them, and we ought to help them.
We are grateful for this honor, but we know that no award for “cooperation” can be given to one
organization. It belongs to all of our partners all over the world as well.
So today we share this honor with everyone who is working to ensure that we all live up to the
principle that all lives have equal value and we ought to treasure each one.
William H. Gates,
on behalf of the Bill
and Melinda Gates
Foundation
—
Prince of Asturias
Award for International
Cooperation 2006
Extract from the speech given on
the occasion of receiving the Prince
of Asturias Award for International
Cooperation on 20/10/2006.
20
th
O
ctober
2006
