The Institute of Tropical Medicine ( or fully : Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine ), is a foundation of public utility and a research institution in Antwerp that specialises in research, education and service in tropical medicine and the organisation of healthcare in developing countries. There is a structural collaboration between the University of Antwerp and the ITP.
Antwerp provincial governor Cathy Berx chaired the Board of Directors of the Institute of Tropical Medicine for 14 years. She relinquished this position on 20 July 2022. She was replaced by Jo Bury.
Cathy Berx does however still serve as Governor of the Province of Antwerp.
Between 2011 and 2022, the Institute of Tropical Medicine - under the chairmanship of Cathy Berx - received the staggering sum of 58.850.603 US dollars in donations from the Gates Foundation ( formerly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ). For those who still calculate in old Belgian francs : that's 2 billion 339 million 714 thousand BEF for an institute that formally researches and teaches about tropical diseases ( including polio and HIV ).
In return for that nearly $59 billion, Bill should expect something in return,right ?
What could this be ?
On 29 July 2020 and at a time when nothing more was going on regarding Covid ( barely 1.5% of all tests positive since the end of April and very few hospital admissions ) suddenly a curfew was imposed, throughout the province of Antwerp. Even in villages and municipalities where there were no more infections, nor sick people.
A curfew. Belgium had not seen this since 1941, WWII.
Berxs received a lot of criticism for her decision. Numerous citizens went to court for this - quite rightly - severe violation of their Constitutional freedoms, but Cathy Berx stood firm. The curfew remained. Not much later, the Vivaldi government followed in her footsteps and the curfew was introduced nationwide. No judge had the judicial courage to declare this measure unconstitutional. The people had to endure the curfew. Many have been fined heavily for still being present on the streets or driving or walking towards their homes 5-10 minutes after the curfew went into effect.
In August 2020, Cathy Berx " justified her " decision by stating that the curfew was necessary because the gathering ban was not enough to avoid evening parties and gatherings.
This was a lie. Yet another one. No gathering ban existed in July ( and subsequent months ). On July 28, 2020, only a general mouth mask obligation was introduced. All pubs, brasseries and restaurants were back open after the first lockdown. People had to keep their distance ( the 1.5m rule ) in public places and preferably also in the private sphere, but in cafes they were allowed to sit next to each other. Although life went on as usual, there were no more infections or illnesses.
The measure was completely unnecessary.
There has indeed been a high concentration of sick people near the port of Antwerp, i.e. the location where 5G had been activated shortly before.
But, there is of course no connection between one and the other.
Who did Cathy Berx want to please here ? In any case, it was not the people of Antwerp.
Below is a summary of the Gates Foundation's donations to the Institute of Tropical Medicine :
NOVEMBER 2022
Region served
GLOBAL+1
Committed amount
$1,500,000
AUGUST 2022
Region served
GLOBAL
Committed amount
$98,000
NOVEMBER 2021
Region served
GLOBAL+1
Committed amount
$13,300,000
MARCH 2019
Region served
GLOBAL
Committed amount
$200,000
JULY 2017
Region served
GLOBAL+1
Committed amount
$1,492,251
NOVEMBER 2016
Region served
GLOBAL
Committed amount
$9,067,127
OCTOBER 2016
Region served
GLOBAL+1
Committed amount
$19,313,530
NOVEMBER 2015
Region served
GLOBAL
Committed amount
$63,258
OCTOBER 2015
Region served
GLOBAL+1
Committed amount
$6,729,423
OCTOBER 2015
Region served
GLOBAL
Committed amount
$3,095,548
JUNE 2015
Region served
GLOBAL
Committed amount
$105,417
SEPTEMBER 2013
Region served
GLOBAL+1
Committed amount
$888,458
OCTOBER 2011
Region served
GLOBAL
Committed amount
$2,997,591
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