Gates Foundation urges global leaders to act against rising child deaths

NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A report released Thursday by the Gates Foundation urged global leaders to take action against rising child deaths.

The number of children who die before their 5th birthday is projected to increase for the first time this century, reversing decades of global progress, it said.

According to the annual Goalkeepers Report, 4.6 million children died last year before their 5th birthday, with modeling conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) projecting that number to rise to an estimated 4.8 million this year.

At the same time, global development assistance for health fell sharply by 26.9 percent from 2024 levels. Beyond this year's drastic funding cuts, countries face mounting debt, fragile health systems, and the risk of losing hard-won gains against diseases like malaria, HIV and polio.

The report, titled "We Can't Stop at Almost," warns that if global health funding cuts persist, 16 million more children could die by 2045. It offers a roadmap for how targeted investments in proven solutions and next-generation innovations can save millions of children's lives, preventing a reversal in progress in today's constrained budget environment.

"I wish we were in a position to do more with more because it's what the world's children deserve. But even in a time of tight budgets, we can make a big difference," writes Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation and the report's author.

"I'll continue to advocate however and wherever I can for increased funding for the health of the world's children-and for efficiencies that improve our current system. But with millions of lives on the line, we have to do more with less, now."

Projections by the IHME show that if global health funding cuts of 20 percent persist, an additional 12 million children could die by 2045. A 30 percent permanent cut would bring that toll to 16 million. Gates describes this moment as a turning point for global health, when the right choices can still save millions of lives.

In the report, Gates identifies investments with the greatest potential to save millions of young lives. He calls for doubling down on the most effective interventions, including primary health care, routine immunizations, better vaccines and new uses of data. Enditem