Improving health outcomes globally: KfW to invest in the Global Health Investment Fund of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Frankfurt (ots) -

- Aims to develop and launch new medicines in developing countries
- KfW investing EUR 10 million
- Achieving reductions in maternal and child mortality by
combatting TB, malaria, AIDS and diarrhoea attractive for
private investors

On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development KfW is investing EUR 10 million in the Global Health
Investment Fund (GHIF) guaranteed by the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. The GHIF, which has a target size of USD 100 million, is
an innovative financing instrument in the health sector and is also
attractive for private investors.

The GHIF funds the development and launch of new medicines,
vaccines, diagnostic instruments and family planning products in
developing countries. In the later stages of clinical studies
pharmaceutical companies, research institutes and government
institutions are able to apply for funding to use these products to
fight disease. The focus is on health products which can be used to
treat diseases prevalent among poorer sections of the population
which pharmaceutical companies do not have an incentive to invest in
combatting in the absence of subsidies.

"Thanks to the Fund, more people will have access to improved
health care - while at the same time a financial return will be
generated for investors. The projects supported by the fund will
improve the health status of many people, especially women and
children, and will thus contribute to poverty alleviation,"explained
Dr Norbert Kloppenburg, Member of the Board of KfW.

The fund is currently worth USD 94 million. Alongside KfW other
investors include the International Finance Corporation, Grand
Challenges Canada, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation,
GlaxoSmithKline, JP Morgan Chase and other private sector investors.
The fund will invest its resources in eight to ten projects
worldwide. A minimum of one third of the amount invested will be
invested in health projects that benefit children.

The Global Health Investment Fund is the first fund in the health
sector to meet the criteria of an impact fund, i.e. it creates a
financing mechanism that is attractive for the private sector while
also achieving improvements in health (social impact) in developing
countries.

Contact:
Reporters are invited to join a briefing teleconference with
presenters from JP Moragan Chase&Co, the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation and other partners today at 10 a.m. ET.
Dial-in Details:
US-Dial-in Number: (888) 689-9496,
Internationale Dial-in Number: (816) 650-2500
Conference ID # 68380147

KfW, Palmengartenstr. 5 - 9, 60325 Frankfurt
Kommunikation (KOM), Dr. Charis Pöthig,
Tel. +49 (0)69 7431 4400, Fax: +49 (0)69 7431 3266,
E-Mail: presse@kfw.de, Internet: www.kfw.de