The billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, was straightforward in his remarks about the effects of substantial reductions made by the
Elon Musk
-led Department of Government Efficiency would have on global health,
telling the Financial Times
The image of the wealthiest individual harming the most destitute children is far from appealing.
Gates’ worries arise from DOGE’s abrupt and significant disbandment of the U.S. Agency for International Development, leaving global health systems struggling with efforts to prevent and treat diseases such as malaria, which claims approximately 600,000 lives annually.
as per the World Health Organization
The CDC, or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has
noted
That 76% of these fatalities occur in children under the age of 5.
While it may sound like something from the past to many Americans, malaria has actually become a bigger problem in many parts of the world in recent years as rising global temperatures and heavy rainfalls have expanded the time of year and the damp settings in which mosquitoes thrive and breed.
Therefore, reductions in worldwide healthcare financing coincide with increasing temperatures affecting the dissemination of these and various other illnesses. Consequently, many among the globe’s most susceptible populations find themselves grappling with shifting climate conditions alongside escalating health risks concurrently.
People facing vulnerable circumstances in Africa are disproportionately impacted by the harshest effects of
climate change
, and many of these same communities are at high risk of contracting malaria,” warned the
World Health Organization Global Malaria Report 2024
.
The impacts of reductions in U.S. government financing are now becoming apparent, notably in Africa, where
the WHO says
95% of malaria deaths occur. In Kenya, a program to prevent the spread of malaria by conducting indoor spraying during the rainy season has been canceled after U.S. funding was withdrawn,
according to Context News
. Malaria prevention and treatment programs from Kenya to Mozambique have been either cut completely or severely scaled back just in time for the region’s rainy season, when prevention efforts typically kick into high gear.
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Reductions implemented in these programs will result in both short-term and enduring consequences. The incidence of malaria will be affected as well.
are already increasing
in places such as
Uganda
, and once these trends begin, they can take years or even decades to bring back under control.
“As history has demonstrated, letting our guard down against malaria can lead to severe consequences,” stated Daniel Ngamije, who directs the WHO World Malaria Program.
according to Context News
In 1969, the worldwide campaign to eliminate the disease was halted, leading to an increase in occurrences and fatalities. It required almost three decades before global leaders united once more and reignited progress.
Moreover, with new advancements in vaccines and antimalarial treatments nearly within reach, reducing funding for research could potentially result in numerous preventable cases in the future.
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Bill Gates delivers harsh criticism of Elon Musk regarding DOGE funding reductions for foreign aid: ‘The wealthiest individual on the planet is harming the globe’s most vulnerable children.’
first appeared on
The Cool Down
.
