Global Leaders Warn of Rising Child Deaths as Gates Foundation, MBZ Foundation Announce $1.9bn Push to End Polio

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Global leaders gathering in Abu Dhabi have issued a stark warning that child deaths are projected to rise globally for the first time in 100 years, calling for urgent investment to reverse the trend and eliminate preventable diseases, starting with polio.

At Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi, co-hosted by the Gates Foundation and the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, over 500 leaders from government, philanthropy, business, and civil society outlined a pathway to safeguard millions of young lives through innovation and renewed financing.

The event was held in the Middle East and North Africa region for the first time, underscoring the UAE’s expanding leadership in child health.

The call to action followed a major announcement earlier that day at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, where countries, foundations, and development partners unveiled US$1.9 billion in commitments to accelerate polio eradication efforts.

Of this, the Gates Foundation contributed US$1.2 billion, reaffirming its long-term vision of a world where “no mother, baby, or child dies from preventable causes, and where deadly infectious diseases like polio are eliminated forever.”

According to new data from the 2025 Goalkeepers Report, the world is at a crucial turning point: global under-five deaths—long in decline—are projected to rise for the first time in a century. Leaders warned that this trajectory can only be reversed through bolder choices, increased financing, and scaling up lifesaving innovations over the next two decades.

During a pledging session convened by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, governments and partners committed US$1.9 billion, including US$1.2 billion in newly pledged funds, narrowing the remaining budget gap in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s 2022–2029 Strategy to $440 million. This financing is expected to strengthen health systems, broaden vaccine access, and boost immunisation in vulnerable regions.

“Far too many children are still dying from diseases we know how to prevent,” said Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “The tools exist—vaccines, treatments, and proven delivery strategies—and countries are working hard to get them to those who need them most. The support announced today will strengthen those efforts, protect the most vulnerable children, and help the world stay on course to end polio for good.”

Much of the funding will support child survival, including expanding vaccine delivery, protecting newborns, and sustaining critical immunisation services in fragile and conflict-affected communities.

With polio now 99.9 per cent eradicated, leaders emphasised that completing the final phase is both an urgent moral duty and evidence that coordinated global action can defeat the toughest diseases.

“Polio eradication is within reach and today’s generous pledges bring us closer than ever to this goal,” said Her Excellency Dr. Shamma Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Acting Director General of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity. “Both Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi and today’s pledging moment underscore what is possible when countries and donors act together: a world free from polio and a healthier, more resilient future for all.”

Under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity has become a significant global force in health equity. Sheikh Mohamed has personally committed more than US$525 million to polio eradication since 2011, helping deliver vaccines to over 400 million children annually.