Bill Gates Raises Alarm: 15% of Children Born in Northern Nigeria Die Before Age 5

American billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has sounded the alarm over the alarming rate of child mortality in Northern Nigeria, warning that urgent action is needed to save millions of lives.

Speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York, Gates revealed that “a child born in Northern Nigeria has a 15% chance of dying before the age of five.”

He called on governments and global institutions to reverse recent cuts to health funding, which he said threaten to worsen the crisis.

“The world is at a crossroads,” Gates warned. “Millions of children are at risk if funding continues to drop. You can either be part of improving that or act like it doesn’t matter.”

In response, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $912 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The donation comes after significant aid cuts from governments worldwide, led by the United States.

“I am not capable of making up what governments have cut, and I don’t want to create an illusion of that,” Gates said, stressing that philanthropy alone cannot replace government funding.

Earlier this year, Gates reiterated his commitment to donate nearly his entire $200 billion fortune by 2045—accelerating his giving to address the urgent global health challenges facing vulnerable populations.