MP meets up with Bill Gates at event

DR Luke Evans, MP for Bosworth, has met Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft, at a roundtable event in Parliament.

The event was organised by the Coalition for Global Prosperity, to discuss future health and climate challenges facing the global community, and how the UK can best use its leadership position at COP26 to bring about effective change.

During the meeting, attendees discussed the UK’s position as a key player in global prosperity, fighting climate change, and international aid. On the back of an extremely successful domestic Covid-19 vaccine roll out, attendees also discussed the role of vaccines across the world for the likes of measles and malaria, and how the UK can support these efforts.

Dr Luke took the opportunity to ask Bill Gates about the importance of Rotary Clubs, having recent met with Market Bosworth Rotary club and the work clubs do to support polio vaccine roll out. Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years as a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, helping to reduce polio cases by 99.9 percent. There are now only 2 countries in the world left with polio cases.

Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralysing disease, and their efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort. In response, Mr Gates agreed that Rotary Clubs have played a vital role by bringing people together to work on a common cause, with significant progress for the likes of causes like fighting polio.

Dr Luke added: “It was fantastic to meet Bill Gates in Parliament this week ahead of COP26 to discuss the UK’s contribution in helping to tackle global challenges.

“More locally, it was great to ask Bill his thoughts on the importance of Rotary Clubs, given the significant impact they had in the fight against polio, and the great efforts I have seen on a local level, including the likes of Market Bosworth, for example.

“I was lucky enough to recently be asked to become Honorary President of Market Bosworth Rotary Club, and I can’t wait to get started on working with them. Based on their successful work on fighting polio, it is great to hear that the fight against Malaria and Measles is next in line, and it was a very successful event overall.”