Philanthropist Bill Gates announced on Monday that the majority of the $200 billion he plans to donate over the next 20 years will be spent in Africa.

The focus will be “on partnering with governments that prioritise the health and wellbeing of their people”, Gates told government leaders, diplomats and partners during an address at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity – and that path is an exciting thing to be part of,” Gates said.

He called on  primary healthcare (PHC) to be prioritised, emphasizing that this “has the greatest impact on health and wellbeing.”

 “With primary healthcare, what we’ve learned is that helping the mother be healthy and have great nutrition before she gets pregnant, while she is pregnant, delivers the strongest results. Ensuring the child receives good nutrition in their first four years as well makes all the difference.”

Gates singled out Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia for showing bold leadership that harnesses innovation, from expanding frontline health services to deploying advanced tools against malaria and HIV, and safeguarding PHC.

 “I’ve always been inspired by the hard work of Africans even in places with very limited resources.” He added, “The kind of field work to get solutions out, even in the most rural areas, has been incredible,” said Gates

Gates also spoke about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, noting its relevance for the continent’s future. 

Drawing a parallel to the continent’s mobile banking revolution, he said that “Africa largely skipped traditional banking and now you have a chance, as you build your next generation healthcare systems, to think about how AI is built into that.”  

He pointed out that Rwanda is using “AI-enabled ultrasound to identify high-risk pregnancies earlier, helping women receive timely, potentially life-saving care.”

 “In Ethiopia and Nigeria this week, Gates will see first-hand the state of health and development priorities in the wake of foreign aid cuts, and he will affirm his and the foundation’s commitment to supporting Africa’s progress in health and development over the next 20 years,” according to a media release from the Gates Foundation.

Image Credits: African Union.