Gates Urges Action as 15% of Northern Nigerian Children Die Before Age Five

Bill Gates has expressed concern over the alarming rate of child mortality in northern Nigeria, warning that a child born in the region faces a 15 percent chance of dying before the age of five.

Speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York on Monday, September 22, Gates urged governments to reverse recent global health funding cuts, stressing that millions of lives are at risk if financial support continues to decline.

“You can either be part of improving that or act like that doesn’t matter,” Gates said in an interview ahead of the Gates Foundation’s annual Goalkeepers event.

To support global health efforts, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $912 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. This comes after significant reductions in aid from several governments, including the United States.

Gates noted that his contribution cannot fully compensate for these funding cuts but emphasized the urgency of action. Earlier this year, he pledged to donate nearly his entire $200 billion fortune by 2045, accelerating his philanthropic plans to meet pressing global needs.