Child deaths will rise this year as aid cuts reverse

4/12/2025 17:36

Around 200,000 more children will likely die before their fifth birthday this year than in 2024 as international aid cuts undermine decades of progress, the Gates Foundation said on Thursday.



The projected increase would mark the first rise in preventable child deaths this century, Gates said, from an estimated 4.6 million in 2024 to 4.8 million this year.



Child deaths have roughly halved since 2000.



"For decades, the world made steady progress saving children’s lives.



But now, as challenges mount, that progress is reversing,” said Bill Gates, chair of the eponymous foundation, in a foreword to its annual Goalkeepers report.

The report tracks progress towards the United Nations sustainable development goals on reducing poverty and improving health.



It usually comes out in September but was delayed this year due to the uncertainty over global health funding.



International aid cuts began with the U.S. at the beginning of the year but have since spread to other major donors like Britain and Germany.



Overall, global development assistance for health fell by just under 27% this year compared to 2024, the report says.