Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, has urged African leaders to seize the moment to accelerate progress in health and development through innovation and partnership, despite current challenges, stating that most of the $200 billion will be directed to Africa.
In an address on Monday at Nelson Mandela Hall in the African Union, Gates announced that most of his $200 billion commitment over the next 20 years will be directed towards Africa. He will focus on collaborating with governments that prioritise the health and well-being of their citizens.
“I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be distributed over the next 20 years. Most of that funding will be dedicated to helping you tackle challenges here in Africa.”
Speaking to over 12,000 government officials, diplomats, health workers, development partners, and youth leaders both in person and online, he emphasised the critical role of African leadership and ingenuity 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 journey to be part of,” Gates stated.
Following his address, Gates joined Dr Paulin Basinga, the foundation’s Africa director, in a fireside chat to discuss Africa’s development agenda and the investments and partnerships required to drive future progress. Notable African leaders, including Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation, and Amina J. Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, called for collaboration and shared responsibility.
Renowned advocate for women and children, Mrs Graça Machel, described the current situation as “a moment of crisis” and emphasised the importance of enduring partnerships in Africa’s development journey. “Mr Gates’ long-standing partnership with Africa reflects a profound understanding of these challenges and a respect for African leadership, ideas, and innovation,” she remarked. “We are counting on Mr Gates’ unwavering commitment to continue walking this path of transformation alongside us.”
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that Africa’s health progress is the result of strong government leadership, resilient communities, and partnerships that deliver tangible results.
Gates called for prioritising primary healthcare, underscoring that “investing in primary healthcare has the greatest impact on health and wellbeing.”
“With primary healthcare, we’ve learned that ensuring mothers are healthy and well-nourished before and during pregnancy delivers the strongest outcomes. Providing children with good nutrition in their first four years makes all the difference.”
Gates’ speech highlighted how countries like Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia demonstrate what is possible when bold leadership embraces innovation. From expanding frontline health services and utilising data to reduce child mortality to deploying advanced tools against malaria and HIV, and safeguarding primary healthcare despite fiscal constraints, these country-led initiatives are driving scalable, homegrown progress.
After over two decades of engagement on the continent, Gates said, “I’ve always been inspired by the hard work of Africans, even in places with very limited resources.” He added, “The kind of fieldwork being done to provide solutions, even in the most rural areas, has been remarkable.”
Gates discussed the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, noting its significance for the continent’s future. He praised Africa’s young innovators, saying he was “seeing young people in Africa embracing this and thinking about how it applies to the problems they wish to solve.” Drawing a parallel to the continent’s mobile banking revolution, he added, “Africa largely bypassed traditional banking, and now you have the opportunity, as you build your next generation of healthcare systems, to consider how AI can be integrated into that.”
He cited Rwanda as an early example of this potential, noting, “Rwanda is using AI to enhance service delivery. For instance, AI-enabled ultrasound is being used to identify high-risk pregnancies earlier, helping women receive timely, potentially life-saving care.”
This week, Gates will visit Ethiopia and Nigeria to witness firsthand the state of health and development priorities in light of cuts to foreign aid. He will reaffirm his and the foundation’s commitment to supporting Africa’s progress in health and development over the next twenty years.
“Our foundation has an increasing commitment to Africa,” Gates stated. “Our first African office was established here in Ethiopia about 13 years ago. We now have offices in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. This is a great way for us to strengthen partnerships.”
While in Ethiopia, Gates met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and heard about how Ethiopia is maintaining momentum on critical reforms, expanding essential services, and remaining resilient amid shifting global aid dynamics. Gates also participated in a roundtable with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute regarding the country’s iodine-folic acid double-fortified salt initiative.
From Addis Ababa, Gates will travel to Nigeria to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and engage with federal and state leaders to discuss Nigeria’s primary healthcare reforms. He will also participate in a Goalkeepers Nigeria event focused on Africa’s innovation future and meet with local scientists and partners shaping Nigeria’s national AI strategy and scaling up health solutions.
Gates’s trip follows the foundation’s historic announcement on 8 May that it would invest $200 billion over the next 20 years to advance progress in saving and improving lives, alongside Gates’ commitment to donate virtually all of his wealth to the foundation within that time frame. Over the next two decades, the foundation will collaborate with its partners to achieve three primary goals: end preventable deaths of mothers and babies; ensure the next generation grows up free from deadly infectious diseases; and lift millions of people out of poverty, placing them on a path to prosperity. At the end of 20 years, the foundation will cease its operations.
Over the past two decades, the Gates Foundation has worked alongside African partners to save lives, develop vaccines, and strengthen systems. Through Gavi and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, it has helped catalyse over 100 innovations and saved over 80 million lives.
