Millions of children die every year from preventable diseases. When Bill Gates heard the question, "Why do children die?", 25 years ago he said it was the toughest question he’s ever had to answer.
What Happened: Gates came upon an article written in 1997 by The New York Times titled, “For Third World, Water Is Still a Deadly Drink.” Gates was astounded to discover 3.1 million people — almost all of them children — died of diarrhea, frequently after drinking tainted water.
The billionaire said he didn’t believe it and had to learn more. Gates spoke to researchers and experts to discover child mortality was defined as the death of anyone under the age of 5 — this age was chosen because the first five years are the riskiest time of childhood.
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The Data: Gates discovered more than 20 million children died in 1950. Despite more babies being born, there were 12 million child deaths in 1990. In 2000, there were fewer than 10 million. The year 2019 saw a decrease to under 5 million. Almost the majority of those fatalities took place in developing and middle-income nations.
The Answer: Children in undeveloped and underserved nations die at higher rates because they lack access to the same immunizations and medical care as people in wealthier nations.
Non-communicable diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular issues were responsible for about 18% of deaths. Eighty-two percent of deaths were attributable to contagious and preventable illnesses such as malaria and diarrhea, as well as health issues the children's mothers had, which were worsened by risk factors including malnutrition.
This meant children in third-world countries were dying from conditions people in the U.S. and other wealthy countries would consider just an unpleasant episode (such as diarrhea).
Knowing this, Gates said, “Here is our road map. This is what the Gates Foundation should be working on. With the right team, partners and funding, we could help the world move through the list, systematically going after the worst killers.”
Why It Matters: The billionaire told himself the solutions to these grave problems already exist and would need to be made more affordable and delivered to people in low-income countries. And, that’s what he did.
The Gates Foundation and other organizations contribute funding to support these initiatives. Pharmaceutical corporations have provided technical know-how and reduced the cost of their goods for low- and middle-income nations. High disease burden nations have stepped up their vaccination programs, improved their healthcare infrastructure, and exchanged best practices.
“At a time when war and pandemic are in the news every day, it is important to look for reasons to be hopeful,” Gates said. “The world’s opportunity — and ability — to save children’s lives is surely one of those reasons.”
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