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Honorary medical doctorate presented to Bill Gates

Other News Materials 24 January 2008 01:57 (UTC +04:00)

( dpa ) - Bill Gates, founder of software giant Microsoft, was Wednesday presented a honorary medical doctorate by Karolinska Institutet, the respected Swedish institute that awards the Nobel prize for medicine.

His wife Melinda, who also was bestowed the same honour, was not able to attend the ceremony.

The couple were awarded in recognition of the funds channelled via the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that offers "active and long- term contributions to improve people's health where the needs are greatest," the research board of Karolinska Institutet said.

The charitable foundation created in 2000 funds health care, vaccination programmes and research, including on means to prevent malaria and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Karolinska Institutet said the foundation has paid 7.8 billion dollars in grants for global health.

Guests included Health and Social Affairs Minister Goran Hagglund, Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling and International Development Cooperation Minister Gunilla Carlsson.

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