Millennium Foundation announces fundraising initiative for global health

The Millennium Foundation for Innovative Finance for Health today announced MASSIVEGOOD, a new, innovative travel-related fundraising initiative that will help finance health care for the world's poor. During a high level meeting at the United Nations, leading representatives of the global travel and tourism industry joined, for the first time ever, to declare their support for this program.

The initiative will allow travelers to give a small $2 voluntary 'micro-contribution' every time they purchase travel services which will go towards fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries through a WHO-hosted organization, UNITAID.

The announcement was made on the first day of the UN General Assembly during a meeting of the Task Force for Innovative Finance for Health, spearheaded by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and World Bank President Robert Zoellick in the presence of numerous heads of state from developed and developing countries, and leaders of the travel and tourism industry.

MASSIVEGOOD, which is on track for launch in early 2010, has the potential to raise up to $1 billion in additional funding for global health during its first four years of operation while helping reduce the important inequalities in access to health care between the rich and the poor.

"The biggest crisis the world is facing is the glaring inequalities in access to health care between the rich and the poor," stated Dr. Philippe Douste-Blazy, Chairman of the Millennium Foundation, United Nations Under-Secretary and Special Advisor for Innovative Finance for Development.

"Our message is quite simple: you can help change the world one click at a time from where you are sitting and join a movement that will do MASSIVEGOOD," added Dr. Bernard Salomé, the Foundation's managing director.

Leading representatives of the global travel and tourism industry joined in signing a declaration of principles committing their support to the Millennium Foundation and the launch of MASSIVEGOOD. Signatories included the World Travel & Tourism Council; Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport, which represent the leading Global Distribution Systems (GDS) managing the world's airline reservation networks; leading online travel agent Opodo; American Express Business Travel and Carlson Wagonlit Travel, as corporate travel management supporters, Voyageurs du Monde as a leisure travel agent supporter, and Mondial Assistance, as Call Center partner, and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The technology solution for MASSIVEGOOD was developed by Amadeus and can be integrated into all GDS systems and embedded in the regular booking system for airline tickets and other travel reservations. As a result, MASSIVEGOOD will make it easy for everyone who travels to make their micro-contributions through a simple click each time they book their reservation, whether online or through an agent.

This is the first major fundraising initiative launched by the Millennium Foundation, whose mission is to mobilize new sources of innovative funding to achieve the three health-related Millennium Development Goals agreed to by the United Nations in 2000: to treat and fight life-threatening diseases, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; to reduce childhood mortality; and to improve maternal health.

SOURCE: Mondial Assistance