Tech billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates has revealed that the bulk of his estimated $200 billion fortune will be spent on improving healthcare and education systems across Africa over the next two decades.
Speaking at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the 69-year-old Microsoft co-founder said the goal of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is to “unleash human potential” by boosting access to quality health and learning services.
“I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa,” Gates said.
The announcement follows Gates’ earlier pledge to donate 99% of his wealth by 2045, a year by which he also plans to conclude the work of his foundation.
Gates urged Africa’s rising generation of innovators to consider ways of embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) into healthcare delivery, citing examples like Rwanda’s use of AI-assisted ultrasound technology to detect high-risk pregnancies.
“You have a chance, as you build your next generation healthcare systems, to think about how AI is built into that,” Gates said, noting that Africa had already leapfrogged traditional banking systems through mobile money.
The philanthropist stressed the need for strong maternal and child healthcare, highlighting the importance of nutrition before and during pregnancy, and in a child’s early years.
Graça Machel, former First Lady of Mozambique, praised Gates’ gesture as timely. “We are counting on Mr Gates’ steadfast commitment to continue walking this path of transformation alongside us,” she said.
His pledge comes amid declining U.S. foreign aid to Africa, particularly in HIV/Aids treatment, due to former President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy. Gates reassured the continent that his foundation would step up efforts to close the gap in primary healthcare access.
According to the Gates Foundation, its focus will remain on three core priorities: ending preventable maternal and infant deaths, eradicating deadly infectious diseases, and lifting millions of people out of poverty.
