For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise — A Summary for Educators

Source: Park, A. (2025, Oct. 27). For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise. TIME.

In a sobering reversal of 25 years of progress, global child mortality is projected to rise for the first time this century. In her 2025 article for TIME, senior correspondent Alice Park outlines new findings from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) that reveal a deeply troubling trend: an estimated 200,000 additional children under age five may die this year from preventable causes—diseases long controllable with vaccines, medicines, and basic health interventions.

For educators, policymakers, and child advocates, these findings underscore the critical relationship between global health systems, social stability, and children’s long-term educational outcomes.

Cuts in Global Health Funding: The Primary Driver

The IHME analysis, published in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers Report, identifies the main cause of rising childhood mortality as steep reductions in global health funding. Over the past year, the world’s largest donors—including the United States—have collectively reduced their financial commitments by nearly 27%, with projections that cuts may deepen to 30% in the near future.

These reductions jeopardize decades of public health gains achieved through vaccination programs, nutrition initiatives, maternal health support, HIV treatment expansion, and malaria prevention efforts.

According to Bill Gates, this trend is both tragic and paradoxical:

“The world is richer, and yet more children are dying because we have made disproportionate cuts to the money that helps the world’s poorest children.”

Gates warns that if funding cuts persist, up to 16 million additional children could die from preventable causes by 2045.

A Vicious Cycle: Poverty, Health, and National Development

The article explains that reduced investment in child and maternal health triggers a self-reinforcing cycle:

1. Cuts to aid → more child deaths and malnutrition

2. Weakened populations → reduced economic productivity

3. Lower national income → fewer resources for health systems

4. Greater reliance on foreign aid → even more vulnerability to future cuts

This cycle disproportionately affects countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where health care systems are already under severe strain. Many nations face chronic shortages of trained doctors, nurses, and midwives. In some regions, Gates notes, individuals may go their entire lives without ever seeing a physician.

Innovations on the Horizon: Hope, but Unevenly Distributed

Despite grim short-term projections, Gates remains cautiously optimistic. Several promising health innovations are poised to reduce child mortality—if they reach affected populations in time:

• RSV vaccines ready for global deployment

• New antimalarial drugs that may overcome drug-resistant strains

• Improved tuberculosis treatments

• AI-driven health tools, such as digital assistants that guide expectant mothers or monitor patients with HIV

AI systems could be particularly transformative in regions where human medical expertise is scarce, helping families recognize early warning signs and decide when to seek care.

However, the speed at which these tools reach vulnerable communities depends heavily on restored global health funding.

The Case for Renewed Investment

The article argues that the cost of preventing millions of child deaths is surprisingly small when viewed at the national budget level:

• For wealthy nations, restoring global health commitments amounts to less than 1% of annual spending.

• The return on investment is exceptionally high; Gates emphasizes that well-nourished, vaccinated, and supported children grow into healthier, more productive adults, strengthening their countries’ long-term economic trajectories.

Gates pledges to advocate for renewed U.S. funding, stressing that philanthropy alone cannot solve the crisis; governments must recommit.

What This Means for Educators

Educators worldwide should understand that rising child mortality has profound implications for:

• School enrollment and attendance

• Child development and readiness for learning

• Family stability and economic mobility

• Mental health and trauma exposure

Healthy children are far more likely to become successful learners. Global health investment is therefore not just a humanitarian necessity—it is foundational to educational equity and opportunity.

Original Article

Source: Park, A. (2025, Oct. 27). For the first time this century, child mortality is likely to rise. TIME. https://time.com/collection/health/6524919/child-mortality-likely-r...

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com