Sep 9 – Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, held a dialogue with young African leaders, nutrition experts, and advocates, discussing innovative solutions to combat malnutrition across the continent.
The conversation, which included Grammy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste, focused on leveraging health, agriculture, and technology, with ideas ranging from smartphone apps for farmers to fortified cooking oil and supplements to improve maternal and child health.
Key proposals included smartphones that guide farmers on seed selection based on weather patterns, micronutrient supplements to reduce maternal anemia and save newborn lives, and vitamin A-fortified cooking oil to boost immune systems.
During his opening remarks, Gates emphasized the urgency of tackling malnutrition, particularly in pregnant women and young children. He stated, “Vaccines have saved millions of lives and improved health, but malnutrition is now holding back their potential. It can have lifelong effects, impacting both brain and body development.”
Gates acknowledged the complexity of solving malnutrition, pointing out that it disproportionately affects rural and low-income communities. “To really address malnutrition, you have to work across health, agriculture, and education sectors,” he said.
Looking ahead to his meetings with philanthropists and government leaders in Nigeria, Gates highlighted the critical role they play in lowering the cost of nutrition interventions, designing education programs, and making nutritious food more accessible.
Co-hosted by TechnoServe and Nile University, and live-streamed across Africa by Africa.com and Channels Television, the event also featured an interactive Q&A session and reflections from Jon Batiste’s recent visit to Nigeria. The gathering aimed to inspire innovative solutions for tackling malnutrition and food insecurity across the continent, empowering Africa’s future.