'Your cuts will kill 8 mn more children': Bill Gates warns US government

Bill Gates said US global health aid cuts are already delaying medicines, weakening disease prevention, and could undo decades of progress in child mortality reduction

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has sounded alarm over the United States government’s decision to cut funding for global health initiatives. Sharing a post on X, Gates warned that this could lead to the deaths of an additional eight million children by 2040. 

Citing a Lancet study, he wrote, “It found that, by 2040, 8 million more children will die before their fifth birthday. To give some context for 8 million: That’s how many children live in California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio combined.”

Gates mentioned: “When the United States and other governments suddenly cut their aid budgets, I know for a fact that more children will die.” 

 

When the United States and other governments suddenly cut their aid budgets, I know for a fact that more children will die. Here’s the proof I’m showing Congress. https://t.co/Oa05MTyDoU

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) June 25, 2025

  Global health work spans decades

Having spent more than 25 years in the global health space, Gates emphasised how aid has been crucial in saving lives. “Over the past 25 years — the same span of time I spent leading Microsoft — I have immersed myself in global health... and worked in close partnership with national and local leaders to strengthen the delivery of lifesaving care,” he said. 

He underscored that aid withdrawals have tangible and tragic consequences: “Global health aid saves lives. And when that aid is withdrawn — abruptly and without a plan — lives are lost.” Gates added, “At this point, I know as much about improving health in poor countries as I do about software.”     

 

Cuts already impacting health services

Gates warned that recent US cuts to global health funding are already affecting critical programs. Efforts to test for tuberculosis, prevent malaria, and distribute essential medicines are slowing down. During recent visits to Nigeria and Ethiopia, he observed how health services are suffering due to funding shortfalls. 

Despite the bleak outlook, Gates expressed hope. “It’s not too late to change course,” he wrote, urging the US Congress to restore funding for key programmes such as PEPFAR and the Global Fund.

 

Gates slams Musk for USAID shutdown

In May this year, Gates harshly criticised Tesla CEO Elon Musk, accusing him of contributing to child deaths in poor countries by supporting budget cuts. “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates told The Financial Times, accusing Musk of acting “through ignorance”.     

    Musk, the then head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier this year. He had posted on X: “USAID is a criminal organisation. Time for it to die.”

 

Massive fallout from USAID’s closure

The abrupt halt in USAID operations has led to life-saving supplies expiring in storage, according to Gates. He warned that diseases like polio, measles, and HIV could see resurgence, potentially reversing decades of global health progress. 

With the Gates Foundation’s annual budget expected to rise to $10 billion in the coming years, Gates acknowledged that private philanthropy cannot match the scale of government aid. “I think governments will come back to caring about children surviving,” he said.