Seattle, 5 December (H.S.): Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates decried on Thursday the first century reversal in child mortality rates, projecting 4.8 million under-five deaths in 2025—a 200,000 rise from 2024—attributable to a 27 percent plunge in development aid that imperils gains against malaria, HIV, polio, and other scourges.

Gates singled out Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for abrupt USAID dismantling under President Donald Trump, labeling it chaotic and responsible for a lot of deaths by halting vital grants and allowing medicines to expire.

The Gates Foundation's Goalkeepers report warns sustained 30 percent cuts could claim 16 million more young lives by 2045, urging restoration amid tight rich-nation budgets.

Europe fares no better, with Britain, France, and Germany disproportionately slashing contributions despite Gates' pleas to leaders like France's president; he expressed optimism for reversals via new RSV, pneumonia vaccines, and lenacapavir HIV shots rolling out in South Africa.

Disappointed by U.S. inaction on Gavi vaccine funding and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s debunked vaccine skepticism, Gates pledged ongoing collaboration across administrations while committing his $200 billion fortune by 2045. Independent analyses echo fears of 22 million preventable deaths by 2030 from U.S.-European retrenchment.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar