ADDIS ABABA (June 2, 2025) \u2013 The Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates has urged African leaders to seize the moment to accelerate progress in health and development through innovation and partnership, despite current headwinds.<\/p>\n
In an address from the Nelson Mandela Hall at the African Union, Gates announced that the majority of his $200 billion spend over the next 20 years will go
to Africa with a focus on partnering with governments that prioritize the health and wellbeing of
their people.<\/p>\n
\u201cI recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The
majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa. \u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing over 12,000 government officials, diplomats, health workers, development partners,
and youth leaders in person and online, he underscored the critical role of African leadership and
ingenuity in driving the continent\u2019s health and economic future.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on
a path to prosperity \u2013 and that path is an exciting thing to be part of,\u201d Gates said.<\/p>\n
Following his address, Gates joined Dr. Paulin Basinga, the foundation\u2019s Africa director, in a fireside
chat to discuss Africa\u2019s development agenda and the investments and partnerships needed to drive
future progress.<\/p>\n
Calls for collaboration and shared responsibility were delivered by prominent African leaders, including Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization, and Amina J. Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations. Renowned advocate for women and children, Mrs. Gra\u00e7a Machel, described the current situation as \u201ca moment of crisis\u201d and emphasized the importance of enduring partnerships in Africa\u2019s development journey. \u201cMr Gates\u2019 long-standing partnership with Africa reflects a deep understanding of these challenges and a respect for African leadership, ideas and innovation,\u201d she
said. \u201cWe are counting on Mr Gates\u2019 steadfast commitment to continue walking this path of
transformation alongside us.\u201d <\/p>\n
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that Africa\u2019s health progress is a result of strong government
leadership, resilient communities, and partnerships that deliver results.<\/p>\n
Gates called for prioritizing primary healthcare, emphasizing that \u201cinvesting in primary healthcare
has the greatest impact on health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n
\u201dWith primary healthcare, what we\u2019ve learned is that helping the mother be healthy and have great
nutrition before she gets pregnant, while she is pregnant, delivers the strongest results. Ensuring
the child receives good nutrition in their first four years as well makes all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gates\u2019 speech highlighted how countries like Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria,
and Zambia are showing what\u2019s possible when bold leadership harnesses innovation. <\/p>\n
From expanding frontline health services and using data to cut child mortality, to deploying advanced
tools against malaria and HIV, and safeguarding primary healthcare despite fiscal strain\u2014these
country-led efforts are driving scalable, homegrown progress.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on more than two decades of engagement on the continent, Gates said, \u201cI\u2019ve always
been inspired by the hard work of Africans even in places with very limited resources.\u201d He added,
\u201cThe kind of field work to get solutions out, even in the most rural areas, has been incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gates spoke about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, noting its relevance for the
continent\u2019s future. He praised Africa\u2019s young innovators, saying he was \u201cseeing young people in
Africa embracing this, and thinking about how it applies to the problems that they want to solve.<\/p>\n
Drawing a parallel to the continent\u2019s mobile banking revolution, he added, \u201cAfrica largely skipped
traditional banking and now you have a chance, as you build your next generation healthcare
systems, to think about how AI is built into that.\u201d
He pointed to Rwanda as an early example of this promise, noting, \u201cRwanda is using AI to improve
service delivery. E.g. AI-enabled ultrasound, to identify high-risk pregnancies earlier, helping
women receive timely, potentially life-saving care.\u201d
In Ethiopia and Nigeria this week, Gates will see first-hand the state of health and development
priorities in the wake of foreign aid cuts, and he will affirm his and the foundation\u2019s commitment to
supporting Africa\u2019s progress in health and development over the next 20 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur foundation has an increasing commitment to Africa,\u201d Gates said. Our first African office was
here in Ethiopia about 13 years ago. Now we have offices in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and
Senegal. That\u2019s a great way for us to strengthen partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n
While in Ethiopia, Gates met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and heard how Ethiopia is sustaining
the momentum on critical reforms, expanding essential services, and remaining resilient amid
shifting global aid dynamics. Gates also took part in a roundtable with the Ethiopian Public Health
Institute on the country\u2019s iodine-folic acid double-fortified salt initiative.<\/p>\n
From Addis Ababa, Gates will travel to Nigeria, where he will meet with President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu and engage with federal and state leaders to discuss Nigeria\u2019s primary health care reforms.
He will also participate in a Goalkeepers Nigeria event focused on Africa\u2019s innovation future and
meet with local scientists and partners shaping Nigeria\u2019s national AI strategy and scaling up health
solutions<\/p>\n
Gates\u2019s trip follows the foundation\u2019s historic announcement on May 8 that it would spend $200
billion over the next 20 years to advance progress on saving and improving lives and Gates\u2019
commitment to give away virtually all of his wealth to the foundation in that timeframe. Over the
next two decades, the foundation will work together with its partners to make as much progress as
possible towards three primary goals: end preventable deaths of moms and babies; ensure the next
generation grows up without having to suffer from deadly infectious diseases; and lift millions of
people out of poverty, putting them on a path to prosperity. At the end of 20 years, the foundation
will sunset its operations.<\/p>\n
Over the last two decades, the Gates Foundation has worked alongside African partners to save
lives, develop vaccines, and strengthen systems. It has helped catalyze more than 100 innovations
and contributed to saving more than 80 million lives through Gavi and the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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