Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, urged world leaders to act now to save millions of children’s lives and dramatically reduce deaths from preventable diseases by 2045. Speaking at the 2025 Goalkeepers event in New York, he stressed that governments must invest in the health of all people—especially children—and fulfill the promise of a healthier future. The gathering, which brought together more than 1,000 leaders from government, community, philanthropy, and the private sector, highlighted the need to scale up affordable, lifesaving innovations to achieve substantial cuts in child mortality. Gates said that sustaining global investments in child health and expanding these innovations could halve child deaths again over the next 20 years.
During the event, Gates announced a new pledge of $912 million over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for its 2026‑2028 replenishment. Since its inception in 2002, the Global Fund has saved over 70 million lives and reduced deaths from AIDS, TB and malaria by more than 60 %. The Gates Foundation’s new contribution brings its total commitments to the Fund to $4.9 billion since 2002.
The Goalkeepers ceremony also honored Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez with the 2025 Global Goalkeeper Award for his dedication to advancing the Global Goals. Ten additional champions were recognized for their ingenuity and resilience in driving progress in child survival worldwide.
The event comes at a critical moment, as global development assistance for health fell 21 % between 2024 and 2025, reaching a 15‑year low. Gates warned that the choices made by leaders now will determine the future of millions of children and the extent of progress in reducing preventable deaths.
The Gates Foundation has released a roadmap for saving millions of children’s lives and achieving significant reductions in preventable‑disease deaths by 2045. The plan calls for renewed investment in proven initiatives, prioritizing primary health‑care systems, and further research and development of breakthrough innovations. Later this year, the foundation will publish its 2025 Goalkeepers Report, which will examine how leaders’ decisions impact child survival and provide a comprehensive overview of progress made and challenges remaining in achieving the Global Goals.
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