In a post on the social network, Zuckerberg said that the Ebola outbreak was at “a critical turning point” and that the grant from him and Priscilla Chan, his wife, is “the quickest way to empower the CDC” to prevent the spread of the disease. The gift will go to the CDC Foundation’s Global Disaster Response Fund, which raises money from the private sector for the agency.
The spread of Ebola is threatening to strain hospitals in the U.S., where so far patients have been treated at specialized centers. On Monday, CDC Director Tom Frieden said the country needs to boost hospital training and prevention techniques – efforts that will be costly.
Zuckerberg said the grant can help “frontline” responders on the ground. The CDC, which has about 150 people fighting the outbreak in West Africa, said it is important to take on Ebola at the source. “This significant contribution from Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan will help us rapidly advance the fight against Ebola,” Frieden said in a prepared statement.
Here is Zuckerberg’s full post: