@thisisbillgates • 2.6M followers
Sharing things I'm learning through my foundation work and other interests.
As hard as last year was, I don’t believe we will slide back into the Dark Ages. I believe that, if we make the right choices, we will not only get the world back on track but enter a new era of unprecedented progress within the next decade.
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Losing my dad to this disease makes the fight for Alzheimer’s breakthroughs very personal to me. Recent advancements in Alzheimer’s diagnostics specifically, like blood-based tests and digital biomarkers, help me stay optimistic about the future.
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A point-of-care ultrasound, or POCUS, is a great example of how health innovation can increase access, spread awareness, and—most importantly—save lives.
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These heroes are proving that real change is driven by a commitment to helping others.
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This year’s Goalkeeper’s Report shows the clear task ahead: prioritize the most effective interventions to save millions of lives.
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I’m a big fan of Steven Pinker’s work, which always illuminates something new and fascinating about how humans interact. In his new book, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows, he writes about how common knowledge is key to the fabric of social behavior.
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2025 was an exceptionally difficult time, full of terrible tragedies and serious setbacks—especially when it comes to childhood health around the world. As the year wraps up, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all that’s gone wrong and should have gone better. But I’m hopeful for the future because there was also real progress made, even though it largely flew under the radar, in two areas I follow closely: climate and global health. Here’s some good news worth spotlighting and carrying into 2026.
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Renewables have officially overtaken coal as the world’s leading energy source. In the first half of 2025, they made up 34% of global power compared to coal’s 33%: b-gat.es/4sbx2yp
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Geothermal energy is gaining traction too. The reliable energy source emits virtually no greenhouse gases, can deliver energy around-the-clock, and can even serve as grid-scale energy storage: econ.st/4paGsrd
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Newly approved blood tests now make it possible to diagnose or rule out Alzheimer’s without a lumbar puncture or PET scan, which means early diagnosis will become more broadly accessible: b-gat.es/48XCYDH
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Barry Diller’s memoir Who Knew reads like a greatest hits tour of media: films, TV, and the internet—all told from his insider’s perspective.
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The World Malaria Report 2025 shows malaria deaths rose again in 2024, claiming 610,000 lives—most of them young children in Africa.
But progress is real: 47 countries are now malaria-free, 37 report very low burden, and tools like dual-ingredient nets, rapid diagnostic tests, seasonal malaria prevention, and malaria vaccines are saving lives as they reach more communities. A malaria-free world is possible, but only if we stay committed and keep investing. b-gat.es/3YaSaXX
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If you want to read a data-driven approach that explains the climate challenge, without doom or denial, Clearing the Air is the book for you. It’s a hopeful reminder that while the problem is enormous, the progress is real (and already being made): gatesnot.es/4s7esaz
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I had a great conversation with Hannah last year on my podcast, Unconfuse Me, about optimism and humanity’s ability to tackle big problems: b-gat.es/3MYGJjD
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I would’ve loved having @trevornoah as a teacher. b-gat.es/4s3vAyd
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Looking ahead to the next 20 years, the @gatesfoundation has three major aspirations to guide our work:
1. No mom, child, or baby dies of a preventable cause
2. The next generation grows up in a world without deadly infectious diseases
3. Hundreds of millions of people break free from poverty, putting more countries on a path to prosperity
I know that with the right commitment of resources, a fairer and healthier future for everyone is just on the horizon: gatesnot.es/4b0PgfV
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Funding decisions that the world makes today will shape the future. In the worst-case scenario, up to 16 million more children could die by 2045—but I’m hopeful we can change course. By scaling existing, cost-effective health innovations, we can save more lives even in a time of tight budgets. gates.ly/49h30BT
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The Boniaba Community Health Center is proving how AI tools can strengthen detection and diagnosis of deadly diseases like TB. Emphasizing access, inclusion, and responsible use from the outset is critical to ensuring AI drives meaningful progress in global health.
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We have the health innovations to save millions of children’s lives. We just need the will and funding to deploy them. gates.ly/4iCyCVI
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The world has made incredible progress in global health and development. But this year, for the first time in decades, childhood deaths are set to rise.
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If nothing changes, cuts to health funding could lead to up to 16 million more preventable child deaths by 2045.
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But even in a time of tight budgets, proven, cost-effective interventions that stretch every dollar further and next-generation innovations can save millions of children and fundamentally change the world they inherit.
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Long-acting HIV tools like Lenacapavir—a potential twice-yearly prevention shot—are among the most promising breakthroughs in the fight against HIV/AIDS. By simplifying protection and reducing stigma associated with daily pills, they show us progress is possible, even as we work toward a vaccine and cure. Sustained investment will be key to ensuring these innovations reach everyone who needs them.
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On World AIDS Day, I’m reflecting on the progress the world has made in the fight against the disease. Interventions that once seemed unimaginable—including pills that prevent transmission and treatments that that make viral loads undetectable—are now a reality for millions. With continued investment and innovation, I’m hopeful that we will finally bring an end to the HIV epidemic.
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The new IEA World Energy Outlook report Stated Policies Scenario shows clean energy rising fast, while fossil fuels are plateauing—but not yet disappearing.
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To make critical climate progress, we need to scale today’s solutions and double down on tomorrow’s innovations. https://b-gat.es/48D5NVL
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Cabo Verde never backed down from the fight against malaria. Instead, through committed government leadership, smart investments, and strong partners like the @globalfund, this small island nation off the coast of West Africa eliminated a disease that was once its leading cause of death.
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Geothermal power has always held huge promise, but until recently it’s been limited by where heat and water naturally occur together. That’s starting to change.
Earlier this year, I visited Fervo Energy and saw how their team is using advanced drilling techniques to make geothermal a reliable, clean energy option almost anywhere.
Seeing this kind of progress up close makes me even more optimistic about what human ingenuity can accomplish.
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Back in 2014, the IEA expected the world to emit 50 billion tons of emissions by 2040. Today, that projection is down to 30 billion. And I’m hopeful that humanity’s ability to innovate and scale new solutions will help us reach net zero.
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Something as simple as a text about the weather can help farmers adapt to climate change, yield more crops, feed their communities, and boost the economy.
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