Bill Gates Pledges $912 Million to Global Fund for Child Health

NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (Reuters) – Philanthropist Bill Gates announced on Monday that the Gates Foundation will donate $912 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Gates made this announcement during a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York, urging governments to restore cuts in global health funding.

Gates warned that without adequate funding, millions of children could face preventable deaths. He pointed out the critical situation in northern Nigeria, where children have a 15% chance of dying before their fifth birthday.

This donation matches the foundation’s previous contribution in 2022, coinciding with a troubling decline in global health assistance. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, global development aid has decreased by 21% from 2024 to 2025, reaching its lowest level in 15 years.

“I can’t replace what the government cuts,” Gates said. “But there is still an opportunity to save millions of lives if funding remains strong.”

At the event, Gates emphasized the need for ongoing support for initiatives like the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. He also noted the urgency of deploying medical innovations quickly, including the long-acting HIV prevention drug lenacapavir.

During the event, the Gates Foundation honored Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez with the Global Goalkeeper Award for increasing Spain‘s contributions to the Global Fund by 12% this year.

While the situation for global child health remains severe, Gates expressed optimism for the future, stating that strong funding and innovative solutions could help combat some of the deadliest childhood diseases. He aims to donate nearly all of his $200 billion fortune by 2045 to support global health initiatives.