Here’s some hopeful news from Bill Gates. Viral illness is in decline thanks to his focused attention and heaps of money spent on the reduction of suffering.

…the Microsoft founder has become the people’s plutocrat. Although some diseases, such as malaria, remain rife, his charitable foundation and his lobbying have borne results. In the past year, not a single citizen in India contracted polio.

“People think aid is abstract and thousands of miles away. I go there and see it. I’m intent on making sure that my money gets to people who need it, and I come back and say it’s working.”

Hey Bill, what about all those people using your operating system that need your help to reduce their viruses?

Unlike polio, it looks like users in India seem to have a problem with Microsoft Windows infections, according to the Microsoft Worldwide Threat Assessment.

What would he do if malware infections of Windows systems raised the cost of the distribution or management of anti-virus aid? Ironic, no?

Note the infection rate explosion in France, Russia and Italy over the first half of 2011.