GoalKeepers Abudhabi./PHOTO ;Courtesy
Global leaders have issued an urgent call to action as new data shows child deaths are projected to rise for the first time in a century.
Speaking at Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi, co-hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, government, philanthropic, business, and civil society leaders stressed the need to accelerate progress on child survival and the eradication of infectious diseases.
Anchoring the appeal were US$1.9 billion in new commitments toward polio eradication, announced earlier at Abu Dhabi Finance Week.
The Gates Foundation contributed US$1.2 billion, reaffirming its long-term commitment to a future where no mother, baby, or child dies from preventable causes and deadly infectious diseases like polio are eliminated forever.
“Far too many children are still dying from diseases we know how to prevent,” said Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation.
“The tools exist: vaccines, treatments, and proven delivery strategies and countries are working hard to get them to those who need them most. The support announced today will strengthen those efforts, protect the most vulnerable children, and help the world stay on course to end polio for good.”
A Critical Turning Point
Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi, held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region, brought together more than 500 leaders.
The event highlighted a troubling trend: according to the Gates Foundation’s 2025 Goalkeepers Report, the number of children dying before age five is expected to rise, reversing decades of global progress.
Leaders said this represents a critical moment requiring bold decisions, renewed financing, and scaled innovations to save millions of lives by 2045.
The event underscored the importance of coordinated global action.
While childhood deaths had steadily declined over the past century due to vaccines, improved health care, and nutrition, the new projections signal a turning point.
Experts warned that without urgent intervention, preventable deaths could surge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries facing fragile health systems.
At the pledging event convened by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, countries, development partners, and philanthropic foundations pledged US$1.9 billion, including approximately US$1.2 billion in new funds, to close the remaining $440 million gap for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s 2022–2029 Strategy.
The funding will strengthen health systems, expand immunization coverage, and accelerate efforts to eradicate polio.
“Polio eradication is within reach and today’s generous pledges bring us closer than ever to this goal,” said Her Excellency Dr. Shamma Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Acting Director General of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity.
“Both Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi and today’s pledging moment underscore what is possible when countries and donors act together: a world free from polio and a healthier, more resilient future for all.”
Investing in Child Health
The new commitments will support child survival initiatives, including expanding vaccine access, protecting newborns, and sustaining critical immunization programs in fragile and conflict-affected regions.
Leaders emphasized that strategic investment in health yields unmatched returns, even amid global fiscal constraints.
With polio now 99.9% eradicated, closing the remaining gap is both a moral imperative and proof of the power of coordinated global action.
Under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity has partnered with global stakeholders to accelerate progress toward health equity and disease eradication.
Sheikh Mohamed has personally contributed US$525 million since 2011 to polio eradication efforts, helping vaccinate more than 400 million children annually.
The Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi event reaffirmed the commitment of governments, donors, and global health partners to ensure that every child survives and thrives and that preventable diseases like polio are consigned to history.
Leaders left the summit with a unified message: bold action, coordinated financing, and innovation are essential to safeguard the next generation.
