The Chan-Zuckerberg initiative has pledged $3 billion dollars to prevent or altogether eliminate all major diseases by the year 2100.
If Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have their way, the year 2100 will be free of all major diseases – at least, that’s the goal behind a new $3 billion USD pledge.
Zuckerberg and Chan presided over the announcement at a press conference in San Francisco, where they offered their ultimate goal – to “cure, prevent or manage all diseases by the end of the century”.
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The funds, which will be distributed by the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (which the pair founded in December 2015) will be directed towards three goals; the first is to bring scientists and engineers together, the second will be to build tools and technology that advance research, and the third and final goal will be to fund scientific research around the world.
Chan noted that the couple had previously committed $600 million USD to the development of a research centre called Biohub, which will house engineers, computer scientists, biologists, and chemists.
The announcement forms part of the couple’s commitment to give away 99% of their shares in Facebook to fund charitable causes, which they announced last year after the birth of their daughter, Max.
The couple have previously announced investments in education-related startups, though this marks the second occasion in which the pair will turn their attention to health research. Both Zuckerberg and Chan have cited that the birth of their daughter had inspired them to ‘improve the world in which their daughter will grow up’.
Priscilla Chan herself is an alumna of the University of California in San Francisco, where she was trained as a paediatrician.
Read: Zuckerberg announces plans to give away 99% of his Facebook shares
What are your thoughts? Can the couple’s $3 billion dollar pledge effectively work towards combating all major diseases? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
