Gates Foundation makes landmark 10-yr donation to Washington University to strengthen ...

​Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ the Gates Foundation have awarded a major donation to the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). The $540.2 million, 10-year grant will help the health institute expand the availability and geographic detail of health data used by governments, researchers and health professionals. The investment will support the expansion of the Global Burden of Disease study, along with IHME's health forecasting and global health-spending research.​The grant is the largest charitable grant ever given to the University of Washington and will expand the Global Burden of Disease study from about 925 locations to nearly 5,000. "Reliable and independent evidence can mean the difference between reacting to a health crisis after it has taken hold and acting early enough to change its course," said Dr Christopher J.L.