15% of Children Born in Northern Nigeria May Die Before Age Five, Bill Gates Cautions
May Die Before Age Five, Bill Gates Cautions
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, has raised fresh concerns about child mortality in Nigeria, warning that a child born in the northern region faces a 15 percent chance of dying before reaching the age of five.
OTN News further reports that Gates issued the warning during a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York on Tuesday, stressing that governments must not scale back global health funding while millions of vulnerable children remain at risk.
“You can either be part of improving that or act like that doesn’t matter,” Gates said in an interview ahead of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual Goalkeepers event.
To strengthen global health systems, the Gates Foundation announced a $912 million contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Gates, however, acknowledged that philanthropy alone cannot fill the gap created by cuts in government aid.
According to him, global development assistance fell by 21 percent between 2024 and 2025, hitting its lowest level in 15 years.
The billionaire philanthropist warned that without sustained international support, progress made since 2000—when child mortality was cut by half—could be reversed.
He emphasized the importance of backing global institutions like the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, alongside innovations such as lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention drug.
While many nations have reduced contributions to global health, Gates praised Spain for increasing its support, describing it as a positive example amid widespread funding cuts.
Since its establishment in 2000, the Gates Foundation has been a key player in advancing maternal health, preventing childhood diseases, and tackling poverty.
Gates reaffirmed his commitment to these causes, stressing that sustained investment in health initiatives is critical to saving the lives of millions of children worldwide.
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