Bill Gates Warns: International Aid Cuts Will Cause Millions of Preventable Child Deaths

Bill Gates recently stated that Elon Musk's DOGE initiative is "responsible for numerous deaths" across developing nations.

In a video interview from Seattle on Thursday, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates described to AFP the "tragic" reality that child mortality rates will increase worldwide for the first time this century due to significant reductions in international aid from wealthy Western nations.

Gates specifically pointed to the United States making the most severe cuts, asserting that fellow billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) bears responsibility for "numerous deaths." He further noted that Britain, France, and Germany have also "disproportionately" reduced their aid contributions.

According to the Gates Foundation's annual Goalkeepers report released Thursday, these cuts are projected to increase the number of children dying before reaching age five to 4.8 million this year, representing a rise of 200,000 since 2024.

Gates expressed his dismay at seeing child mortality rates increase after steady declines from approximately 10 million annual deaths at the millennium's beginning, calling the reversal a "tragedy."

The report indicates that aid to developing countries has declined by 27 percent this year, endangering progress against diseases including malaria, HIV, and polio.

Modeling by the Gates-funded Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests that if global aid reductions of around 30 percent become permanent, an additional 16 million children could die by 2045.

"That represents 16 million mothers experiencing something no one should have to endure," Gates remarked.

Gates criticized the "chaotic situation" earlier this year when Musk's DOGE abruptly terminated grants from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been dismantled since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.

"I'm discussing with President Trump the importance of restoring aid to limit cuts to modest levels—though I'm uncertain about my chances for success," the 70-year-old philanthropist said.

Gates, a major contributor to the Gavi vaccine alliance, expressed disappointment that the United States failed to renew its funding for the organization in June.

He mentioned that US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr sent a video to the Gavi fundraising event "repeating his thoroughly debunked and misguided views opposing childhood vaccines."

"While the Gates Foundation collaborates with every administration—finding some areas of agreement with Secretary Kennedy regarding vaccines—we maintain fundamentally opposite perspectives about vaccines' global impact," Gates explained.

While acknowledging that "wealthy nations face tight budget constraints," Gates lamented that international aid was being "disproportionately" targeted for cuts in European countries.

Gates revealed discussions with French political leaders about aid reductions, as their budget remains unfinalized: "I spoke with the prime minister and president, among others, emphasizing the importance of this funding—but they face extremely challenging budget circumstances."

Despite current challenges, Gates expressed optimism that new tools such as vaccines would help reduce child mortality rates within the next five years.

He highlighted promising developments including new vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumonia, plus a groundbreaking twice-yearly HIV-prevention injection called lenacapavir recently introduced in South Africa.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched in 2000, with Melinda French Gates departing in 2023 following the couple's divorce.

In May, Gates announced plans to donate his entire fortune exceeding $200 billion over the next two decades, concluding in 2045.

Jessica Sklair, who studies elite philanthropy at Queen Mary University of London, told AFP that Gates already wields "enormous influence over global health." She suggested the aid cuts would likely increase his influence, while noting that private philanthropy appears unlikely to "fill the gap" left by government funding reductions.

Research by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, exclusively reported by AFP last month, determined that over 22 million people could suffer preventable deaths by 2030 due to US and European aid cuts.