Overview
- New IHME projections in the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers report estimate 4.8 million under‑5 deaths in 2025, up from 4.6 million in 2024, marking the first annual increase this century.
- Bill Gates criticized U.S. actions including the dismantling of USAID and DOGE’s abrupt grant halts, called the moves “responsible for a lot of deaths,” and said he is urging President Trump to restore targeted aid.
- IHME modeling warns that if current reductions persist, a 20% cut could add about 12 million child deaths by 2045, rising to roughly 16 million with 30% cuts.
- The United States also declined to renew funding for Gavi, while the UK, France, and Germany made deep reductions, with reported consequences such as stalled vaccination efforts, rising malaria risk, and wasted food aid.
- The report highlights that reinforcing primary care and routine immunization—costing under $100 per person annually and yielding high returns—plus new tools like RSV and malaria vaccines and the HIV‑prevention injection lenacapavir, could restore progress if financing is renewed.