UN Foundation, Vodafone announce scheme to fight measles and HIV/AIDS

Ted Turner’s United Nations Foundation (UNF) and telecommunications company Vodafone announced today they will fund a joint venture worth 15 million British pounds to help efforts by the United Nations to vaccinate children against measles, fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic and protect world heritage areas.

At a press briefing in Geneva, UNF President Timothy Wirth said the five-year joint venture was the largest and longest corporate partnership ever organized by the UN Foundation. Vodafone will provide 10 million British pounds and the Foundation will provide the remainder.

Vodafone has previously supported the UN’s anti-measles initiatives, but the new partnership is an expansion of those programmes. About 1.75 million extra children should now be vaccinated against measles this year.

The joint venture will also fund the piloting of a rapid-reaction programme by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to help preserve world heritage sites in danger.

Amir Dossal, Executive Director of the UN Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), which facilitates UN joint ventures with the corporate world, hailed today’s announcement. “It is these kinds of public-private partnerships that could actually make a difference,” he said.

Set up seven years ago to distribute the $1 billion contribution from Ted Turner, the founder of Cable News Network (CNN), the UN Foundation targets projects that otherwise would not have enough funds.