SEATTLE, U.S. – December 9, 2025 — Gates Foundation today joined forces with global partners to launch a landmark US $1.9 billion initiative aimed at reversing a worrying rise in child deaths and accelerating efforts to eradicate Polio worldwide. The announcement was made at the 2025 Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi summit, co-hosted with Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity.
This appeal comes amid the release of new data indicating that global under-5 child mortality — which had fallen for decades — is now projected to rise for the first time this century. According to the Gates Foundation’s 2025 Goalkeepers Report, child deaths are expected to climb from 4.6 million in 2024 to 4.8 million in 2025.
Global Health at a Tipping Point
The projected uptick in child mortality reflects multiple pressures: sharp declines in international health funding, disruptions to immunization programs, and worsening access to essential services in fragile regions. The Gates Foundation warns these trends could reverse decades of public-health progress.
In this context, the new US $1.9 billion commitment — including the Gates Foundation’s own US $1.2 billion pledge — seeks to plug critical gaps and rescue global immunization and child-survival efforts.
The $1.9B Campaign: Polio Eradication and Child Survival
Renewed Fight Against Polio
At the heart of the initiative is a renewed push to finish the job of polio eradication. The funds are earmarked to support mass immunization campaigns, strengthen disease-surveillance systems, and expand vaccine access — particularly in regions where the disease remains endemic or where variant outbreaks have reemerged.
The move is described by global health leaders as “the final surge” — a strategic window to eliminate polio forever and ensure that no child suffers from a preventable and paralytic virus again.
Safeguarding Child Lives
Beyond polio, a significant portion of the investment will bolster routine immunization, maternal and neonatal care, and preventive health services in low-income and conflict-affected countries. The goal: to halt the reversal in child-mortality decline and restore momentum toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates emphasized: “The tools exist — vaccines, proven delivery systems, and committed partners. What we need now is urgency and solidarity.”
Why This Matters — The Stakes for Global Health
- Reversal of decades-long gains: The projected rise to 4.8 million under-5 deaths in 2025 marks a historic setback. Without immediate action, preventable diseases such as polio, pneumonia, and malaria may claim more young lives.
- Health-aid cuts exacerbate vulnerability: The decline in global development assistance — estimated at nearly 27% this year — has hampered vaccination drives, prenatal care, and public-health infrastructure in the most vulnerable regions. Reuters
- Polio resurgence risk: With gaps in immunization coverage, the world risks new outbreaks. The infusion of funds is aimed at closing those gaps and preventing resurgence, especially in polio-endemic or high-risk zones. Gates Foundation
- Moral and economic imperative: Preventing child deaths saves lives — but also reduces long-term health costs, preserves human potential, and strengthens communities’ resilience. Investments made today could yield profound returns over decades.
Global Call to Action — What the Plan Involves
At Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi, more than 500 leaders from government, philanthropy, business, and civil society committed to a coordinated action plan:
- Scale-up immunization and surveillance — targeted vaccination campaigns, especially in underserved regions.
- Strengthen health systems — support maternal health, nutrition, prenatal services, and disease-prevention infrastructure.
- Mobilize global financing — close the remaining US $440 million resource gap for the current polio-eradication strategy through 2029.
- Communicate urgency and build global consensus — reinforce commitment to ending preventable diseases and defending child survival.
About the Gates Foundation — Commitment to Equity & Global Health
The Gates Foundation, co-founded by Bill Gates, is dedicated to improving health, reducing inequity, and expanding opportunity worldwide. Through its programs in global development, vaccines, education and gender equity, the foundation strives to ensure that every person has the chance to lead a healthy, productive life.
Polio eradication, routine immunization, child survival, and investment in public-health infrastructure remain central priorities. The $1.2 billion pledge and the broader $1.9 billion campaign reaffirm its long-term commitment — even amid shrinking global aid budgets.
What Comes Next — Critical Milestones & What to Watch
- Execution of vaccination campaigns in high-risk countries — tracking coverage and response over the next 12–24 months.
- Monitoring child-mortality trends to verify whether the number reverses course in 2026.
- Mobilization of additional funding to close the US $440 million gap and sustain long-term eradication efforts.
- Strengthening infrastructure and supply chains — supporting health workers, laboratories, cold-chain systems, and logistics.
- Renewed global cooperation — with governments, NGOs, private sector and civil society aligning to sustain momentum.
Conclusion
The 2025 turning point — the first rise in global child-mortality in decades — is a stark warning: progress is fragile, and gains can slip away. But with the Gates Foundation’s new $1.9 billion initiative and a renewed global commitment, there is a pathway to reverse the trend. With coordinated action, polio eradication, strengthened immunization, and renewed investment in child health, the world can protect millions of young lives, safeguard decades of progress, and fulfil the promise of a healthier, more equitable future for all children.
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