Nigeria, Dec. 6 -- Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has criticized the United States government's decision to reduce funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Speaking after the release of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's 2025 Goalkeepers Report titled "We Can't Stop at Almost," Gates said the move could lead to a sharp rise in child deaths around the world. He described the cuts as "a gigantic mistake" and warned that they could reverse decades of progress in global health.

According to the report, child mortality is projected to increase for the first time this century. In 2024, an estimated 4.6 million children died before reaching the age of five. That number is expected to rise to 4.8 million in 2...