Bill Gates says measles eradication thwarted by vaccine scepticism in wealthy nations

Bill Gates said that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation can no longer pursue measles eradication because vaccine hesitancy is rising in high-income countries. The foundation once considered eliminating the disease a realistic target, but declining immunisation rates in places like the United States and Europe have pushed the aim aside. Measles still claims roughly 100,000 child lives annually, predominantly in conflict-affected or logistically challenged low-income nations.

The World Health Organization says coverage must exceed 95% to prevent outbreaks, a threshold now slipping in wealthy regions. Gates emphasized that hesitancy has not taken hold in the poorer countries where the foundation works, but warned that aid reductions by the United States and other donors threaten global health gains. He urged governments to restore or maintain funding to avoid a surge in preventable deaths.