Bill Gates plans to set up a $50-million charity fund aimed at improving health services in Vietnam. The online Thoi Bao Kinh Te Vietnam newspaper cited a well-known journalist as saying that the billionaire has started carrying out a charity project named Vietnam Health Fund in which he calls on the most affluent people in Vietnam to donate $50 million. For every U.S. dollar a Vietnamese donates to the fund, Mr. Gates will contribute another dollar, the journalist said, adding that one rich Vietnamese has pledged to give $5 million. There is no official statement from either Mr. Gates or his philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on this project so far. But the newspaper reported that this program is part of the existing action plans of Mr. Gates in Southeast Asia. The Gates & Melinda Foundation has funded dozens of millions of dollars to improve healthcare across Vietnam and raise access to Internet in the country’s rural areas. Mr. Gates came to Vietnam twice in 2006 and 2007. His first visit to the country was made at the invitation of former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. (Vneconomy.vn April 7)
