200,000 children under the age of 5 to die this year because of foreign aid cuts
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Death rate for under-5s to increase for first time this century, report says
- A report from the Gates Foundation projects that global deaths of children under five will increase for the first time this century, reaching 4.8 million by the end of 2025.
- This projected rise of approximately 200,000 deaths compared to 2024 is primarily attributed to unprecedented international aid cuts from nations including the UK and the US.
- Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, stated that these funding reductions have direct consequences, leading to lives lost, with US funding for global health remaining significantly below 2024 levels.
- Bill Gates emphasised the devastating impact of children dying from preventable diseases, highlighting that decades of progress in saving lives are now reversing.
- The report suggests that investing less than $100 per person annually in healthcare systems could prevent 90 per cent of child deaths, with vaccines offering a substantial return on investment.