Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates issued a stark warning on Monday about the fragility of global child health, revealing that a newborn in northern Nigeria faces a 15% chance of dying before age five—a grim statistic that underscores the devastating impact of recent funding shortfalls in international aid.
Speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York, Gates called on governments worldwide to reverse deep cuts to health funding, particularly from the United States, warning that millions more children could perish without urgent action.
The alarming figure for northern Nigeria, a region plagued by poverty, conflict, and limited access to healthcare, highlights a stark regional disparity: while global child mortality has halved since 2000—saving five million lives annually—these gains are now at risk of reversal due to budgetary constraints in donor nations.
"What’s happening to the health of the world’s children is worse than most people realise, but our long-term prospects are better than most people can imagine," Gates said, emphasizing that sustained investment in innovations like long-acting HIV prevention drugs and vaccine alliances could still protect vulnerable populations.
To lead by example, Gates announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would commit $912 million over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria's 2026-2028 replenishment cycle—a pledge that brings the foundation's total contributions to the organization to $4.9 billion since 2002.
The donation, aimed at galvanizing further support from governments, philanthropists, and the private sector, comes as the fund—co-hosted by South Africa and the United Kingdom—faces a funding shortfall exacerbated by global economic pressures and shifting priorities in major donors like the U.S.
Gates was candid about the limitations of private philanthropy: "I am not capable of making up what the government cuts, and I don’t want to create an illusion of that," he stated, urging a collective effort to sustain organizations like the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
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