By Atoyebi Nike
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $912 million over the next three years to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, urging governments and donors to scale up investments in global health.
Announcing the pledge at the 2025 Goalkeepers event during the UN General Assembly in New York, Bill Gates described the Global Fund as “one of the most effective lifesaving initiatives,” noting it had saved more than 70 million lives since its creation in 2002.
He said each dollar invested yields an estimated $19 in health and economic returns, adding that the foundation’s total contributions now stand at $4.9 billion. The new pledge aims to mobilise resources for the Fund’s Eighth Replenishment, co-hosted by South Africa and the UK, which closes in November.
“With millions of lives on the line, the level of investment in the Global Fund over the next three years will determine whether the world saves lives, curbs HIV, TB, and malaria, and bolsters economies and global health security,” Gates said.
He warned that cuts in donor funding threaten to roll back decades of gains, citing data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) showing that development assistance for health dropped 21 per cent between 2024 and 2025 to a 15-year low.
Gates urged leaders to renew commitments to initiatives like the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, alongside investments in primary healthcare, innovative treatments, and new technologies such as AI-driven delivery systems.
“Humanity is at a crossroads. With millions of children’s lives at stake, global leaders have a once-in-a-generation chance to do something extraordinary,” he said.
