For 25 years, the Gates Foundation has played a role in shaping global health programmes, with co-chair Bill Gates leading from the front through his philanthropic efforts. Part of these efforts was the global vaccine alliance Gavi, which was instrumental in global vaccination efforts. However, the alliance has seen a funding slowdown in recent times.
“Well, I’m very, very concerned,” Gates said in an interview with CNBC-TV18 to mark the Gates Foundation’s 25th anniversary. “It would be tragic if GAVI weren’t able to raise as much or more money for the next five years as it has for the last five years. And yet, it’s pretty clear that we’re going to see a reduction,” Gates added.
Gates, a self-described “salesman for Gavi”, has for the past few months expressed concerns over the alliance’s ability to raise funds post the pandemic due to increased uncertainties and rising competition for donors’ money. The US freezing civilian foreign aid sent through USAID has only made the situation worse for charities like that of Gates.
Since 2022, USAID has accounted for $12 billion per year in global health funding. Pertinently, 13% of Gavi’s funding came from the US. “I’d say the next five years, the whole aid picture … is going to mean that, we might go backwards a little bit before we resume the progress we’ve seen since the turn of the century. And … that’s just a mistake. “As bleak as the situation may seem, Gates said he will not give up. “I’ll be speaking out very loudly … try to get the US back in … try to get others to maintain — or even increase, in some cases — [the funds] they’re giving,” Gates said.
The Microsoft co-founder said he will also reason with the United States and other countries to bring them back to the table.
“If we want to see more progress, we need more innovation, more political will, and more voices at the table,” Gates said.
(Edited by : Shoma bhattacharjee)
