Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, uses a unique method to raise awareness about malaria in his latest Instagram video. Gates drops Lego structures resembling mosquitoes to symbolise the fight against diseases like malaria, polio, and guinea worm.

Bill GatesBill Gates

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, has a unique way of raising awareness about the fight against malaria. In his latest Instagram video, Gates is seen dropping a Lego mosquito from a tall building.

In the video, Gates drops massive Lego structures that resembled a mosquito along with a ball (polio virus) and a worm, symbolising his goal to “smash” diseases like malaria, polio, and guinea worm. He considers the eradication of these diseases a “smashing success” in the battle against global health issues.

This video ties into Gates’ broader efforts to fight malaria, a disease that still kills over 600,000 people each year. In a recent blog post, Gates introduced VectorCam, a new app developed by Dr. Soumya Acharya and his team at Johns Hopkins University. Supported by the Gates Foundation, this app uses computer vision technology to identify different species of mosquitoes, particularly the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria. The app can also determine if a mosquito is female—the ones that bite—and whether it has recently fed on blood or is ready to lay eggs.

In his blog, Bill Gates talks about new tools and technologies that are being developed to help in this fight. For example, there’s an app called VectorCam that can identify different types of mosquitoes, including the ones that spread malaria. This app can even tell if a mosquito is female (the ones that bite) and if it has recently fed on blood. This kind of information is very useful in targeting and controlling the spread of the disease.

Gates believes that identifying mosquito species accurately is crucial in controlling the spread of diseases like malaria. Different species carry different diseases, and their behaviour varies, which makes targeted interventions more effective.

In addition to VectorCam, Gates mentioned another innovative tool in development called HumBug. This app can identify mosquito species by the sound of their wing beats using a smartphone’s microphone. While still in early stages, it shows promise in enhancing mosquito surveillance. However, he also warns that to achieve this goal, the world needs to stay committed and continue investing in these efforts.