--- title: For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise description: The latest report from the Gates Foundation predicts an alarming trend for the health of children around the world. canonical: https://time.com/7338791/childhood-mortality-increasing-gates-foundation/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-12-05T16:43:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-11T00:38:53.576Z article:section: Health og:title: For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise og:description: The latest report from the Gates Foundation predicts an alarming trend for the health of children around the world. og:url: https://time.com/7338791/childhood-mortality-increasing-gates-foundation/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8f174d386d461240/6998cc29c8dcb4e3e6b50b5b/GettyImages-2237235897.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2237235897.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise twitter:description: The latest report from the Gates Foundation predicts an alarming trend for the health of children around the world. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8f174d386d461240/6998cc29c8dcb4e3e6b50b5b/GettyImages-2237235897.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4122da81-0ad3-40d8-b5bc-b3734450e58f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4122da81-0ad3-40d8-b5bc-b3734450e58f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=4122da81-0ad3-40d8-b5bc-b3734450e58f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4122da81-0ad3-40d8-b5bc-b3734450e58f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Dec 5, 2025 4:43 PM UTC  NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Bill Gates attend a meeting of Bloomberg at the Plaza Hote on September 23, 2025 in New York City. Queen Maxima visits New York in her capacity as United Nations Secretary General's Special Advocate for Financial Health. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Bill Gates attend a meeting of Bloomberg at the Plaza Hote on September 23, 2025 in New York City. Queen Maxima visits New York in her capacity as United Nations Secretary General's Special Advocate for Financial Health. (Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images) Patrick van Katwijk—Getty Images  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Dec 5, 2025 4:43 PM UTC For the first time in 25 years, child mortality rates for preventable diseases are projected to increase, after having declined for 25 years. The new estimate comes from models created by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and was released for the first time in the [Goalkeepers report](https://www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/report/2025-report/#WeCantStopAtAlmost) from the Gates Foundation. It shows that an additional 200,000 children under age five may die this year of a disease that modern medicine can prevent, either with vaccines or other treatments. The deaths can be traced to a number of economic and political factors, the most important of which are significant cuts to spending in global health from the world’s largest donors, including the U.S., according to the report. “It’s a tragedy that the world is richer, and yet because we have made disproportionate cuts to the money that helps the world’s poorest children, more of them are dying,” says Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, in an interview with TIME. Many of the foundation’s programs focus on improving the health of mothers and children around the world in order to reduce childhood mortality, and Gates [said earlier in 2025](https://time.com/7283920/bill-gates-foundation-global-health/) that he plans to spend the foundation’s remaining funds over the next 20 years. One of his goals is to halve the childhood mortality rate by that time, from the current 4.8 million children under five who die each year to around 2.5 million. But “you can’t cut something in half if it’s going up,” he says. **Read More**: [_We Aren’t Ready for the Next Pandemic. This Game Proves It_](https://time.com/7328701/pandemic-preparedness-operation-outbreak-game/) In the past year, the largest donors to global health have reduced their spending by nearly 27%, and the report estimates that if such reductions continue or even expand to 30%, an additional 16 million more children (or more) will die of preventable causes by 2045. The reduced spending on global health sets in motion a vicious cycle, says Gates, that can keep countries, especially those in Africa, in poverty and unable to build and sustain their own health systems. “Being generous now means kids in those countries are surviving and well-nourished enough to contribute to the countries’ economic growth,” he says. “Investments now will make that possible.” But Gates believes the increase in childhood mortality may continue over the next few years, mainly because of the depth of the aid cuts. “There will very likely be no near-term reversal on aid generosity,” he says, “so the risk is that \[childhood mortality\] will get a lot worse.” While some wealthier nations are prioritizing other funding areas —including defense spending—it doesn’t take much to make a difference, according to Gates. “For rich countries, it is less than 1% of the budget,” he says. The impact of ensuring that pregnant mothers and kids are vaccinated and fed “ is so great that you see very good health outcomes when you focus on those first few interventions alone,” he says. Investing in primary care is one of the key priorities in optimizing scarce resources, since basic health care can prevent more serious and costly medical needs in the long run. While the reversal in childhood mortality rates is alarming, Gates remains optimistic that in a few years, the trend will start moving in the right direction again, thanks to innovations such as new vaccines for RSV and treatments for malaria and tuberculosis that are on the horizon. AI-based programs that accelerate the development of new treatments and make it easier for more people to access health care will also start having an impact on health outcomes like mortality. The shortage of doctors in Africa is so severe that “most people will spend their entire lifetime never seeing a doctor—not when they are born, not when they die, and not in between,” says Gates. That’s where AI systems could help fill the gap and keep people connected to quality care. The Gates Foundation is involved in pilot programs that use AI to monitor and advise expectant moms as well as people with HIV to help them manage their conditions and guide them about if and when they need to seek care. But how quickly these innovations reach people will depend on continued funding in global health, says Gates, both from philanthropies like the foundation and governments. “It is money extremely well spent, so we need to get the generosity back,” Gates says. “And I will do my best to work with the President and with Congress to do that.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7338791/childhood-mortality-increasing-gates-foundation/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7338791/childhood-mortality-increasing-gates-foundation/"},"headline":"For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise","datePublished":"2025-12-05T16:43:33.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-11T00:38:53.576Z","description":"The latest report from the Gates Foundation predicts an alarming trend for the health of children around the world.","url":"https://time.com/7338791/childhood-mortality-increasing-gates-foundation/","keywords":["Public Health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8f174d386d461240/6998cc29c8dcb4e3e6b50b5b/GettyImages-2237235897.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alice Park","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/alice-park/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8f174d386d461240/6998cc29c8dcb4e3e6b50b5b/GettyImages-2237235897.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"GettyImages-2237235897.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"Patrick van Katwijk—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/public-health/","name":"Public Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7338791/childhood-mortality-increasing-gates-foundation/","name":"For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise"}}]}] ```