Doing What's Morally Right

Billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates celebrates successes in healthcare

- BY Jakob Simmank

The establishment of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 25 years ago marked the beginning of a second career for tech billionaire Bill Gates. Since then, the charitable organization has invested a total of nearly $80 billion in health and development aid. Now 69, Gates is campaigning for governments to invest more and responding to criticism that his foundation is pursuing commercial interests.

QUESTION: Mr. Gates, the world is spending less money on health in poor countries. You are campaigning for this to change. What arguments will you use to convince Germany and other countries?

BILL GATES: It is morally right. It increases the stability of poor countries, which counteracts migration. And it strengthens health systems, which helps to detect germs quickly before there is another pandemic. Above all, however, the strategy has already been proven to work: since the turn of the millennium, child mortality has been reduced from ten million to five million [per year]. That is incredible!

And you are optimistic that such successes can continue in the future