Bill Gates has been personally lobbying Trump administration officials to maintain funding for global health initiatives, including childhood vaccinations and HIV treatment, warning that his foundation cannot compensate for U.S. government funding cuts, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The Microsoft co-founder and global health philanthropist has recently met with National Security Council officials and both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to emphasize the critical role of U.S. funding in global health programs, the sources said.
Shortly after taking office on January 20, President Donald Trump began dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), slashing more than 80% of contracts and freezing billions of dollars designated for emergency food aid, malaria prevention, and other health initiatives.
The Trump administration, under the State Department’s leadership, is reviewing which foreign aid programs will continue under its “America First” policy. A shortlist of around 30 global health initiatives is currently under consideration, one of the sources revealed.
A Gates Foundation spokesperson confirmed Gates’ recent meetings in Washington, D.C., stating that he had engaged with key decision-makers to discuss the life-saving impact of U.S. international assistance and the importance of a strategic approach to protecting the world’s most vulnerable populations while also safeguarding U.S. health and security.
Gates has made it clear to officials that his foundation cannot take over the U.S. government’s role in global health funding, a stance that Gates Foundation executives have reiterated publicly.
Gates Foundation Priorities at Risk
Several of the Gates Foundation’s top global health priorities, including efforts to eradicate polio and combat malaria, are expected to suffer due to U.S. funding cuts. The foundation will have to reassess how to sustain these programs, according to a source close to the organization.
During his discussions, Gates focused on organizations at risk, such as:
- Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which receives $300 million annually from the U.S.
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which receives over $1 billion in U.S. funding.
- Several initiatives under PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which are also on the review list.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump are currently evaluating these programs.
A Global Fund representative declined to comment, while a Gavi spokesperson stated that the organization had not yet received an official termination notice regarding U.S. funding. The White House has not responded to requests for comment.
USAID Confirms Grant Terminations
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that USAID has already terminated over 5,200 grants and contracts but stressed that some critical programs remain active.
“USAID continues to support the U.S. interagency response to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, HIV treatment and care services, emergency aid in conflict zones, and key American strategic partnerships,” the spokesperson said.
Gates Advocates for WHO and Polio Eradication
At the National Security Council, Gates also pushed for the U.S. to continue supporting the World Health Organization (WHO)—which Trump moved to withdraw from on his first day in office—as well as efforts to eradicate polio.
The Gates Foundation, established in 2000, has an annual budget exceeding $8 billion and has been actively involved in global health policy. Gates has frequently met with security officials in previous administrations to discuss major health crises, including malaria and COVID-19.
Before Trump’s inauguration, Gates met with him at a December dinner, followed by a White House meeting in early February, after the USAID budget cuts were first announced, according to an NBC report.
