Around 200,000 more children will likely die before their fifth birthday this year than in 2024 – the first increase in preventable child deaths this century – in the wake of international aid cuts, the Gates Foundation said on Thursday.
In 2024, an estimated 4.6 million children died before turning five. This year, it is set to be 4.8 million, Gates said. Child deaths have roughly halved since 2000.
“For decades, the world made steady progress saving children’s lives. But now, as challenges mount, that progress is reversing,” said Bill Gates, chair of the eponymous foundation, in a foreword to its annual Goalkeepers report.
AID CUTS HAVE SPREAD BEYOND THE US
The report tracks progress towards the United Nations sustainable development goals on reducing poverty and improving health. It usually comes out in September but was delayed this year due to the uncertainty over global health funding.
International aid cuts began with the U.S. at the beginning of the year but have since spread to other major donors like Britain and Germany. Overall, global development assistance for health fell by just under 27% this year compared to 2024, the report says.
The cuts are a key reason for the reversal in progress on child mortality, Gates said, although other issues, like countries facing mounting debt and fragile health systems, are also factors. Earlier this year, Gates warned that the cuts would lead to more children dying.
If the cuts are permanent, that could mean between 12 and 16 million more child deaths by 2045, the report adds, depending on funding levels. This year, the increase in deaths could see them match 2023’s number, the latest year for which the World Health Organization has data.
The figures in the report are based on modelling from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at Washington University.
Gates urged governments and individuals to step up and focus on innovative new tools as well as proven solutions, like vaccination and investment in primary healthcare, to boost child health.
(Reporting by Jennifer Rigbyon)
