The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $912 million commitment over three years to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, revealed during the Goalkeepers event alongside the UN General Assembly in New York.
This pledge raises the foundation’s total contributions since 2002 to $4.9 billion.
Global Fund’s Impact
Bill Gates, foundation chair, praised the Global Fund for saving over 70 million lives since 2002, cutting deaths from these diseases by 60%.
He noted each dollar invested yields $19 in health and economic benefits, strengthening global health security.
Call to Action
Speaking to over 1,000 leaders, Gates urged governments, philanthropists, and businesses to boost contributions to the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment, co-hosted by South Africa and the UK, ending in November.
“These investments will decide if we save lives and curb these diseases,” he said, emphasizing a healthier future for the next generation.
Health Funding Crisis
Gates highlighted a 21% drop in global health aid from 2024 to 2025, per the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, hitting a 15-year low.
Budget cuts in donor nations, driven by debt and aging populations, threaten progress that halved child deaths since 2000, from 10 million to under 5 million yearly.
Roadmap to 2045
Gates outlined a plan to halve child mortality again by 2045 through sustained funding, innovative tools like single-dose malaria treatments, and stronger primary healthcare.
Investments in initiatives like the Global Fund and Gavi, alongside AI-driven medicine delivery, are key.
Urgent Global Commitment
With childhood diseases still claiming millions, Gates called for renewed focus on cost-effective health solutions to ensure no child dies from preventable causes, shaping a transformative future.
