Gates Foundation Sponsors ABC News Series on Diseases That Affect the Poor

By Donna Stokes

October 3, 2019

Last Updated: October 7, 2010

"World News" anchor Diane Sawyer and Dr. Richard Besser, ABC's medical editor, are leading a new yearlong ABC News series on the diseases and health conditions that disproportionately affect the world's poorest people. Inadequate newborn care, malaria, polio, HIV, tuberculosis and a lack of critical vaccines are among the global topics to be covered.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving a $1.5 million grant that will help fund the cost of the series, and ABC News will invest more than $4.5 million in the project.
"We believe that great storytelling can inform decisions that could help to save lives," said Kate James, chief communications officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The series, called "Be the Change: Save a Life" will begin in December and continue throughout 2011. It will include reporting from all ABC News anchors across all broadcasts and platforms. Read more about the series on ABC's website.