Bill Gates Lauds India’s Self-Reliance, Says Country Requires Minimal Health Funding
During Doha event, Gates lauds India’s healthcare progress and stresses AI’s potential to tackle malaria, pneumonia, and other diseases globally.
Doha, Dec 7: Philanthropist and tech mogul Bill Gates praised India’s healthcare achievements on Thursday, noting that the country “doesn’t need much health funding from outside anymore,” likely referencing its growing self-reliance in the sector.
Speaking at an event in Doha, Gates highlighted India’s advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), acknowledging that foundational AI developments were primarily happening in the United States and China, while significant work was underway in India.
Focusing on global health challenges, Gates emphasised the urgent need to combat diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and HIV, and highlighted AI as a potential game changer. He proposed AI-driven “doctors” capable of providing reliable health guidance to anyone, anywhere, for free, without the need for extensive infrastructure.
“Malaria kills 600,000 children… there is no reason why there should be malaria in Asia,” Gates said, urging countries to contribute generously to global health initiatives. He also expressed concern over malnourishment, especially among infants, and called for continued efforts to eradicate preventable diseases.
During the event, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums and the Doha Film Institute, highlighted the potential of Africa’s talent, the recent presence of Bollywood, and the healing benefits of art therapy in promoting wellness.
Gates’ remarks underscored India’s growing healthcare self-sufficiency while emphasising global collaboration and the transformative role of AI in addressing persistent health crises.
