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Interview: Inspiration for establishing the Gates Foundation came from Tanzania

The Regional Representative (East Africa) at the Gates Foundation, Mr Samburu Wa-Shiko, speaks during the interview.  PHOTO | SAID KHAMIS

What you need to know:

  • The Regional Representative (East Africa) at the Gates Foundation, Mr Samburu Wa-Shiko is currently in Tanzania for a business tour. In an interview with The Citizen’s Salome Gregory, conducted on February 24, 2025 he shares the purpose of the visit and the plans for another 25 years of the Gates Foundation in Tanzania. Read on:

QUESTION. How would you describe the partnership between Tanzania and the Gates Foundation?

ANSWER. The partnership between Tanzania and the Gates Foundation is of historical significance. In 1998, during a business trip to Tanzania, Bill Gates and his then-wife, Melinda, encountered a report revealing that half a million children were dying annually from preventable diseases such as pneumonia and rotavirus. Deeply shocked by this revelation, they returned to the United States and convened a team of health experts to gain a deeper understanding of the issue.

They realised that most of these deaths resulted from a lack of access to life-saving vaccines. This realisation became a catalyst for the establishment of the Gates Foundation, shaping its early focus on health and vaccines—a commitment that can be traced back to that pivotal visit to Tanzania.


As the Gates Foundation celebrates 25 years of its existence, how does this milestone relate to your visit to Tanzania?

This moment presents an opportunity for the Gates Foundation to reflect on the progress made, particularly in reducing child mortality rates for children under five, and it has been slashed down effectively by half. One of the most remarkable achievements has been the reduction of under-five mortality rates, which have been effectively cut in half.

However, in the next 25 years Gates Foundation’s focus would be on accelerating this progress even further. Reducing child deaths from 5 million to 2.5 million is an improvement, yet it remains outrageous and unacceptable. To address this, we will seek to leverage innovation and technology to drive faster and more sustainable solutions. Tanzania deserves special recognition and celebration for its contributions to this progress. However, maternal mortality remains a pressing challenge, with mothers still losing their lives during childbirth—an unacceptable reality that demands urgent action.


What are the broad objectives of your visit?

The first objective for the visit is to present the Global Goalkeepers Award to her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan for the tremendous amount of work done by the government of Tanzania in three areas we track very closely through the Goalkeeper Initiative. The areas are maternal health, child health, and nutrition. Tanzania has seen the reduction of maternal mortality from the highs of 500 mothers lost per 1000 births to lows of about 105 today.

Very few countries in Africa and globally have achieved those kinds of results. The second objective is to use this visit to look back at the journey we have travelled with Tanzania, and the third one is to enter into a deep conversation with the government of Tanzania with important grantees and partners and imagine what the other 25 years will look like. The award was to be presented to her last year at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the US, and she was not there.


What are the focus areas that Gates Foundation is looking forward to working with Tanzania in the coming 25 years?

Our first priority will be maternal and child health, along with nutrition. Postpartum haemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality, and we are investing in new innovations that have the potential to reduce maternal deaths from haemorrhage by up to 60 percent, based on our research findings. Agricultural development is another key focus, particularly through partnerships with small-scale farmers to harness technology for increased productivity.

This not only enhances the country’s nutritional security but also contributes to economic growth by boosting the national GDP. Additionally, we are committed to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. We are excited by the possibilities we see in Tanzania for women’s economic empowerment and strengthening the gender data system and the area of financial inclusion.  

The Regional Representative (East Africa) at the Gates Foundation, Mr Samburu Wa-Shiko speaks during the interview


As the Gates Foundation embarks on the next 25 years of partnership with Tanzania, what key recommendations would you offer to the government to accelerate progress in health, agriculture, gender equality, and economic development?

Tanzania is showing a way for other East African regions and the continent of Africa that it is possible with strong political will. We encourage the government of Tanzania and the leadership of her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan to continue to invest in key social sectors with outsized returns both for the economy and the well-being of the society. Through the Abuja declaration, governments are encouraged to dedicate 15 percent of their GDP to the health sector.

Tanzania is making gradual progress in that direction, between seven to eight percent of the budget. We would love to see Tanzania reach the Abuja declaration target and accelerate investment in education, as these two areas contribute to societal impact.