Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has donated $912 million to the Global Fund, a major step in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Speaking at the Goalkeepers Summit in New York, Gates appealed to governments worldwide not to back away from health funding, despite mounting financial pressures.
Gates painted a stark picture of the stakes. “A kid born in northern Nigeria has a 15% chance of dying before age five. You can either be part of improving that or act like that doesn’t matter,” he said, stressing that millions of children in low-income countries could be at risk if aid continues to fall.
The new pledge mirrors the Gates Foundation’s contribution in 2022 under the Global Fund’s three-year cycle. But Gates cautioned that philanthropy alone cannot fill the gap left by shrinking government support. Global development assistance has dropped 21% between 2024 and 2025, reaching its lowest level in 15 years.
Gates highlighted the importance of sustaining and expanding primary healthcare, vaccines, and innovative treatments, including the long-acting HIV prevention drug lenacapavir. He also praised Spain for increasing its support, boosting contributions to the Global Fund by 12% and to Gavi, the vaccine alliance, by 30%.
Reaffirming his personal commitment, Gates said he plans to donate nearly his entire fortune by 2045, accelerating this timeline to meet urgent global health needs. “We can’t wait. Every life matters, and every action counts,” he added.
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