Bill Gates Warns Cuts to Health Aid Could Cost Millions of Children’s Lives

A child born in northern Nigeria today faces a 15% chance of dying before the age of five, philanthropist Bill Gateshas warned. Speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York on Monday, Gates urged governments to reverse recent cuts to global health funding, stressing that millions of avoidable child deaths could result if support continues to decline.

                            

Gates highlighted that since the year 2000, global efforts have cut child mortality rates by half, saving nearly five million lives every year. But he cautioned that these hard-won gains are at risk.

Key points from Gates’ remarks:

• Global health funding fell by 21% between 2024 and 2025, reaching its lowest point in 15 years.

• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria has been a crucial lifeline, and the Gates Foundation pledged $912 million in support.

• Without government backing, progress against preventable diseases could reverse dramatically.

“I am not capable of making up what the government cuts, and I don’t want to create an illusion of that,” Gates said, stressing that philanthropy cannot replace government funding.

Nigeria, particularly its northern regions, remains one of the countries most vulnerable to child mortality due to weak healthcare systems and inadequate funding. With global aid shrinking, countries like Nigeria may face a deeper crisis in maternal and child health.

Gates noted that innovations like long-acting HIV prevention drugs and sustained support for organizations such as the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, still have the power to save millions of lives if adequately funded.

Interestingly, while most governments have reduced health contributions, Spain increased its donations this year, by 12% to the Global Fund and 30% to Gavi, signaling that not all hope is lost.