Health Gates warns: child mortality is rising for the first time since 2000
For the first time since the turn of the millennium, global child mortality is threatening to rise again. Researchers predict that the number of children dying before their fifth birthday will increase from 4.6 million to 4.8 million this year.
04.12.2025, 06:39
SDA
The researchers published the corresponding report on behalf of the Gates Foundation on Thursday. The foundation of US billionaire Bill Gates (70) is a major donor in the field of global health and development. Among other things, it supports programs against diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria as well as vaccination initiatives in poorer countries.
According to the report, global development aid funds in the health sector have fallen by 26.9 percent this year compared to the previous year. In addition, many countries are burdened by high levels of debt and fragile healthcare systems. As a result, progress in the fight against diseases such as malaria, HIV and polio could be lost and millions more children could die in the coming decades.
Call for targeted use of funds
At the same time, Gates emphasizes in the report that despite decreasing budgets, great progress is possible if funds are used in a targeted manner. As examples, Gates cites basic health care, the expansion and improvement of standard vaccinations and the targeted use of data to implement measures such as malaria prevention more precisely where they are most needed.
Basic medical care could prevent up to 90 percent of all child deaths for less than 100 US dollars per person per year. If the available resources were used correctly, malaria and pneumonia, for example, could be eradicated as causes of death in children, according to the report.
