Amitabh purchases bonds to fund immunisation campaign

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Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has joined an exclusive club of eminent personalities including the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury who have purchased bonds to raise funds for a global immunisation campaign.

The bonds, which aim to raise USD four billion over the next ten years to fund a massive vaccination campaign in the world’s poorest countries were launched on Monday by British Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Bachchan had a 20-minute meeting with Brown at the treasury in Whitehall and pledged his continued support in worldwide efforts to eradicate diseases in young children, NRI MP Keith Vaz said in a statement today.

Brown said he was delighted to receive Bachchan’s support.

The bonds are an effort to establish a finance facility for the immunisation of 500 million children worldwide. It is an international development funding project supported by the Governments of Great Britain, France, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Brazil besides the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

The eight sponsoring countries have pledged enough money over the next twenty years to redeem the bonds with interest.

— PTI

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