The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has issued a stark warning that climate change will increasingly threaten millions of children with hunger, malnutrition, and disease by 2050 if immediate measures are not taken.
On Tuesday, the foundation published its eighth annual Goalkeepers report, titled "A Race to Nourish a Warming World." The report calls on global leaders to enhance health funding to improve child nutrition and drive economic growth.
The report highlights that, without intervention, climate change will lead to an additional 40 million children suffering from stunting—delayed physical and mental growth—and 28 million more experiencing wasting—extreme weight loss and weakness—by 2050. In 2023, the World Health Organization reported 148 million children with stunting and 45 million with wasting.
In an interview with VOA, Bill Gates, billionaire and Microsoft co-founder, noted that malnutrition is more widespread than commonly recognized. "When people hear 'malnutrition,' they often think of famine, but inadequate diets also contribute significantly," Gates explained.
African children are particularly vulnerable, and the decline in foreign aid to the continent exacerbates the issue. Foreign aid to Africa has decreased from 40% in 2010 to 25% today, according to the report.
Gates criticized the reduction in aid, saying, "The focus on Africa, which has the highest youth population and growth potential, has notably decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic."
The report also underscores the economic repercussions of malnutrition, which impairs physical and cognitive abilities. The World Bank estimates that low-income countries lose between 3% and 16% of their GDP due to undernutrition. Addressing malnutrition could save millions of children and stimulate economic growth.
Investing in nutrition is deemed a critical strategy to counteract climate change effects, Gates asserted. "With limited resources, we must prioritize actions that directly aid children affected by climate change," he advised.
The report advocates for proven methods to combat malnutrition, including new agricultural technologies, fortifying staple foods, and providing prenatal vitamins.
