Bill Gates has called on African leaders to utilise the Gates Foundation’s $200bn pledge over the next 20 years to accelerate health and development progress through innovation and strategic partnerships, with a focus on primary healthcare and AI
Bill Gates, Chairman of the Gates Foundation, has admonished African leaders to proactively utilise the foundation’s significant $200bn pledge.
Also read: Gates Urges Nigeria to Boost Domestic Health Funding, Warns Against Aid Dependence
This substantial commitment aims to accelerate health and development progress across the continent through innovation and strategic partnerships, despite current global challenges.
According to a release by the Gates Foundation, the majority of this $200bn expenditure over the next 20 years will be directed towards Africa, with a keen focus on collaborations with governments that prioritise the health and well-being of their citizens.
“I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa,” Gates asserted during his address.
Speaking to over 12,000 government officials, diplomats, health workers, development partners, and youth leaders, both in person and online, Gates emphasised the vital role of African leadership and creativity in shaping the continent’s health and economic future.
“By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity – and that path is an exciting thing to be part of,” he said, highlighting the transformative potential of human capital.
The Microsoft founder particularly stressed the critical need to prioritise primary healthcare. “Investing in primary healthcare has the greatest impact on health and wellbeing.
With primary healthcare, what we have learned is that helping the mother be healthy and have great nutrition before she gets pregnant, while she is pregnant, delivers the strongest results.
Ensuring the child receives good nutrition in their first four years as well makes all the difference,” Gates explained, detailing the foundational elements of effective healthcare.
According to Gates, countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia are already demonstrating what is possible when bold leadership effectively harnesses innovation.
“From expanding frontline health services and using data to cut child mortality to deploying advanced tools against malaria and HIV, and safeguarding primary healthcare despite fiscal strain—these country-led efforts are driving scalable, homegrown progress,” he added, commending national initiatives.
Reflecting on more than two decades of engagement on the continent, Gates expressed profound admiration.
“I’ve always been inspired by the hard work of Africans even in places with very limited resources,” he stated, adding, “The kind of fieldwork to get solutions out, even in the most rural areas, has been incredible.”
Gates also spoke about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, noting its significant relevance for Africa’s future. He praised Africa’s young innovators, observing that he was “seeing young people in Africa embracing this, and thinking about how it applies to the problems that they want to solve.”
He further added, “Africa largely skipped traditional banking and now you have a chance, as you build your next-generation healthcare systems, to think about how AI is built into that.”
He pointed to Rwanda as an early example of this promise, noting, “Rwanda is using AI to improve service delivery.
E.g. AI-enabled ultrasound, to identify high-risk pregnancies earlier, helping women receive timely, potentially life-saving care.”
“Our foundation has an increasing commitment to Africa,” Gates continued. “Our first African office was here in Ethiopia about 13 years ago.
Now we have offices in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. That’s a great way for us to strengthen partnerships.”
Meanwhile, at the same event, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, emphasised that Africa’s health progress was a direct result of strong government leadership, resilient communities, and partnerships that consistently deliver tangible results.
Also, Mrs Graça Machel, a renowned advocate for women and children, described the current situation as “a moment of crisis” and underscored the enduring importance of partnerships in Africa’s development journey.
“Mr Gates’ long-standing partnership with Africa reflects a deep understanding of these challenges and a respect for African leadership, ideas and innovation,” she said.
“We are counting on Mr Gates’ steadfast commitment to continue walking this path of transformation alongside us.”
According to the foundation, this week, Gates visited Ethiopia and Nigeria to observe the current state of health and development priorities following recent cuts to foreign aid.
During his visits, he reaffirmed his personal commitment, as well as that of the foundation, to support Africa’s progress in health and development over the next two decades.
While in Ethiopia, Gates met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and heard how Ethiopia is sustaining momentum on critical reforms, expanding essential services, and remaining resilient amidst shifting global aid dynamics.
Gates also took part in a roundtable with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute on the country’s iodine-folic acid double-fortified salt initiative.
In Nigeria, Gates is scheduled to meet with President Bola Tinubu and engage with federal and state leaders to discuss Nigeria’s primary health care reforms.
He is also expected to participate in a Goalkeepers Nigeria event focused on Africa’s innovation future and meet with local scientists and partners who are actively shaping Nigeria’s national AI strategy and scaling up health solutions.
Gates’s current trip follows the foundation’s historic announcement on May 8 that it would spend $200bn over the next 20 years to advance progress on saving and improving lives, and Gates’ commitment to giving away virtually all of his wealth to the foundation within that timeframe.
Over the last two decades, the Gates Foundation has worked alongside African partners to save lives, develop vaccines, and strengthen health systems.
It has helped catalyse more than 100 innovations and contributed to saving more than 80 million lives through Gavi and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.