Gates Foundation issues new report card on global health

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‍Former US President Barack Obama and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at an event hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in New York this week.

Called Goalkeepers, the gathering was meant to accelerate world progress at a time when the US is reconsidering its global commitments.

He’s not president anymore … but as far as the crowd at the event was concerned, Barack Obama is still a goalkeeper.

Former US President Barack Obama accompanied by Melinda and Bill Gates speaks at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers event in New York, US. /Reuters Photo

"Goalkeepers" is a Bill and Melinda Gates project combating world poverty, infectious diseases and inequality. Obama was all-in.

“Even if at the current moment the federal government is not as engaged in these efforts as I would like, nevertheless progress continues because of the efforts of people like Bill and that gives me confidence,” said Obama.

Bill Gates speaks as former US President Barack Obama listens at the UNGA Goalkeepers 2017 event at Jazz at Lincoln Center on September 20, 2017 in New York City. /AFP Photo

Justin Trudeau is a goalkeeper, too. He believes support for women is one of the best ways to make the world a better place.

“Empowering grassroots women’s organizations – in developing world communities – is the best lever to having a real transformative impact,” said Trudeau.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers event at Lincoln Center on September 20, 2017 in New York City. /Reuters Photo

The event launched what will become an annual report on sustainable development goals set by the UN in 2015.

Every year until 2030, the Goalkeepers report will publish data tracking progress made by UN member countries in 18 different areas. It’s a portrait of the world in numbers, and things appear to be looking up.

“By just about every measure America is better and the world is better than it was 50 years ago, 30 years ago or even 10 years ago,” said Obama.

While the path to progress remains steep, Gates said people also need to be reminded how much has been achieved already.

Bill Gates speaks at the UNGA Goalkeepers 2017 event at Jazz at Lincoln Center on September 20, 2017 in New York City. /AFP Photo

“Sometimes that purely – purely negative side of the story gets told but you lose something very important if you only look at it that way. You lose the optimism about what’s possible and you lose the information,” said Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Child mortality has been cut by more than half since 1990 and the percentage of people living under the global poverty line has dropped from 35 percent in 1990 to 9 percent in 2016.

It took three years to complete the goalkeepers' report. Its release was not timed as a response to the rise of Donald Trump’s "America First" worldview, but it does address donor fatigue at a time when Trump is considering a 25 percent cut to global health spending. It looks at the dire impact a pull-back on spending would have on the progress that has been made over the past 25 years.

The Gates Foundation hopes the US Congress would not approve Trump’s budget. If it does, global health experts warn the HIV/AIDS epidemic could come roaring back.

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