Funding cuts to raise child deaths for first time since 2000, Bill Gates warns

Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, has warned that the number of children dying before their fifth birthdays is set to rise in 2025, for the first time since the year 2000.

In his annual message as part of the Gates Foundation Goalkeepers report, Gates said child death is projected to increase by 200,000 to 4.8 million deaths in 2025.

“The death of a child is always a tragedy. But there’s something especially devastating about a child dying of a disease we know how to prevent,” Gates said.

“For decades, the world made steady progress saving children’s lives. But now, as challenges mount, that progress is reversing.

“In 2024, 4.6 million children died before their fifth birthday. In 2025, that number is projected to rise for the first time this century, by just over 200,000, to an estimated 4.8 million children.

“That means more than 5,000 classrooms of children, gone before they ever learn to write their name or tie their shoes.”

Gates added that “it doesn’t have to be like this,” calling on world leaders and citizens to take action against child deaths across the world.

NIGERIA IN PICTURE

In the report titled we cant stop at almost, the Gates Foundation said it has spent the several months, working with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington to quantify the stakes.

A look at the data from IHME shows that Nigeria is one of the worst performing countries, responsible for one of the highest number of child deaths in the world.

The data shows that globally, for every 1,000 children under age five, 37 are expected to die in 2025, up from 36 in 2024.

In Nigeria, the figure was 84 deaths per 1,000 children in 2024. It is projected to remain the same in 2025 before falling to 75 by 2030 — still far from the sustainable development goal target of 25 per 1,000.

For malaria cases, the global and Nigerian projection record a rise for the year 2025, according to IHME data.

On the bright side, maternal mortality is expected to drop on the Nigerian and global scale.

A TWO-PATH FUTURE

Projections by the IHME show that if global health funding cuts of 20% persist, an additional 12 million children could die by 2045. A 30% permanent cut would bring that toll to 16 million.

Bill Gates however believes that with the right kind of investment in healthcare, the world could cut child deaths drastically over the next 20 years.

“The way I see it, there are two ways the next chapter can play out. We could be the generation who had access to the most advanced science and innovation in human history—but couldn’t get the funding together to ensure it saved lives,” he said.

“By making the right priorities and commitments, and investing in high-impact solutions, I’m confident we can stop a significant reversal in child deaths and help ensure millions more children are alive in 2045”.