Bill Gates wants to invest « everything » in Africa

At a ceremony at the African Union headquarters Bill Gates announced that his foundation will massively support health and agricultural projects in Africa. Experts call for care.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Gates Foundation, the American multimillionaire criticized the declining health budgets in many African African Union countries- mainly caused by high national debt and international cuts.

The US withdrawal from international development cooperation is very serious: USAID recently invested about $ 50 billion a year. Mass cuts, which affect about 83 percent of programs around the world, have already brought important health and agricultural projects in Africa to the cramp, Gates said. « The cuts are a big mistake, » he said.

Gates stated that he wants to use his foundation to close the resulting gaps, especially in the health sector, as best as possible – although fearing that infant mortality in Africa can grow again in the coming years.

Gates: Almost all money for the Foundation
The engagement of the Gates Foundation continues to focus on the fight against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Gates repeated his intention to donate almost all his wealth of approximately $ 200 billion – holding only one percent for himself. Its goal is to spend all the money on charity causes over the next two decades – mainly in African health care.

Between the charitable image and the instinct for power
Despite his philanthropic pretentations, Gates faces criticism around the world – increasingly in Africa. Observers accuse him of expanding economic and political power under the guise of charity.

American journalist Tim Schwab, author of the book « The Problem of Bill Gates », sees Gates as a representative of « philanthocalism » – a form of charity closely linked economic meinite. Bill Gates and other technology billionaires use philanthropy to gain power and shape the world according to their ideas.

A 2022 DW documentary shows how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has become the most important supporter of genetic engineering in Africa. Funding genetic engineering experiments in Africa, the Gates Foundation is playing in the hands of large Western agricultural corporations, was claimed.

Critical voices are also rising in Africa. Angola Health expert, Domingos Cristóvão, for example, warns against dependence on private foundations in key fields such as health care: « African countries must build their sustainable health care structures – without relying on foreign donors. »

The role of artificial intelligence
A new focus of the Gates Foundation in Africa will be the use of artificial intelligence to modernize health care systems in African countries. Gates sees this as a great opportunity for greater efficiency and extension.

Cristóvão is open at this point: « African countries have so far had little access to IA technologies. Target support can be useful here. »

However, he emphasizes the need for our strategies: « We need to know what we need – and not allow our priorities to be determined by external forces. » DW