Topline
Bill Gates criticized the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development as a “gigantic mistake” that contributed to a rise in child deaths for the first time in decades, according to a report released Thursday from the Gates Foundation.
Bill Gates speaks onstage at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum 2025 at The Plaza Hotel on September 24, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies)
Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies
Key Facts
The report found about 200,000 more children under the age of five could die this year than in 2024, according to the Gates Foundation’s annual Goalkeepers Report assessing the progress of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development goals.
Gates told the Wall Street Journal the increase is tied to a 27% cut in global health aid from donors and wealthy nations, including the U.S., which shut down the USAID as part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping government workforce cuts this year.
The Microsoft co-founder has warned for months the cuts would likely lead to more child deaths, writing on X in July “the devastating effects of these cuts are entirely preventable—and it’s not too late to reverse them.”
Gates warned it will take years to make up for the loss in funding, telling the Journal “I think we’re going to have five very tough years where at best we’ll be able to plateau the deaths.”
Crucial Quote
“I believe that was a gigantic mistake, and that’s partly why we’ve had the turmoil and increase in deaths this year,” Gates said, referring to the changes at USAID.
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/12/04/bill-gates-blasts-trump-says-aid-cuts-increased-child-deaths/
