Gates Foundation-hosted Goalkeepers 2025 meeting kicks off in NY today

By Nisthar Cassim in New York

The Gates Foundation’s ‘The Goalkeepers 2025’ event will return to New York City today (22) as world leaders gather for the 80th UN General Assembly.

The two-day event will see global changemakers, innovators, and leaders, including the Daily FT, who will spotlight what’s possible when urgency meets action for a world without preventable child deaths.

Preventable child deaths are primarily caused by infectious diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria, as well as complications from premature birth and labour and malnutrition. Around 4.8 million children under 5 years died in 2023 and 47% of all under-5 deaths were newborns (first 28 days), according to the World Health Organisation.

This year’s theme — We Can’t Stop at Almost — will ground the conversation in what it will take to protect past progress and unlock the next wave of breakthroughs for the world’s children.

According to the Gates Foundation, progress in child health is slipping, but the opportunity to change course—and save millions of lives—is within reach. With the right investments and global action, we can build a future where the deadliest childhood diseases are a thing of the past.

Apart from American businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates, among the scheduled speakers are Lagos University Teaching Hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Consultant, specialising in Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Dr. Opeyemi Rebecca Akinajo, Clinical research scientist working at the Kenya Medical Research Institute Centre for Global Health Research in Kisumu, Kenya Dr. Hellen Barsosio, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Madagascar Youth Advocate Rajaonarivelo Mamiosa Fiderana (Fy), Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni, Ugandan entomologist and malaria advocate at Target Malaria Krystal Birungi, Canadian-American researcher Latif Nasser, Kenyan community health worker and mentor mother for women living with HIV Margaret Odera, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, American journalist, author, and public intellectual Krista Tippett, American evangelical Christian pastor and author Rick Warren, and American actress and director Olivia Wilde. Multi-Grammy Award-winning American musician composer and television personality Jon Batiste will be the event’s Musical Curator and Co-Host.

Led by the Gates Foundation, the Goalkeepers initiative is designed to inspire and incentivise thinkers and doers towards achieving the 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. 

These Goals form an ambitious blueprint for reimagining a better future for all by 2030 and were agreed upon by all UN Member States.

Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.2 is ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age.

Driven by groundbreaking data and human stories, the Goalkeepers team publishes an annual report alongside hosting an event, facilitating a yearly awards program, launching a set of innovative partnerships called Accelerators, and convening a global community of collaborative and diverse changemakers who believe that progress is possible but not inevitable.

Goalkeepers are leaders who take a stand on the issues they care about and innovate in their communities to achieve the Global Goals. The Foundation said the world needs people everywhere to raise their voices, help build awareness on the Global Goals, and hold their government leaders accountable for progress.