Gates impressed by Trump’s focus on healthcare innovation

Bill Gates offers insights into a lengthy and engaging dinner with the US President-elect.

Bill Gates recently had a three-hour dinner with President-elect Donald Trump, discussing how lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic can be applied to accelerate innovation in global health. The meeting, which also included incoming White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and a Gates staffer, focused on achieving significant health milestones such as eradicating polio and finding a cure for HIV.

Gates described the conversation as productive and insightful, noting Trump’s keen interest in maximizing efforts to eradicate polio within the next four years. He highlighted Trump’s role in expediting vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggested a similar approach for accelerating the HIV cure which the Gates Foundation is actively pursuing. Gates expressed satisfaction with Trump’s engagement and enthusiasm for driving innovation in healthcare.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a major contributor to the World Health Organization (WHO), is deeply involved in global health initiatives, including combating malaria, HIV, and polio, as well as funding vaccine development and distribution. Trump has not yet publicly commented on the meeting.

This meeting comes as Trump prepares for a second term, potentially signaling significant shifts in healthcare policy. There is speculation that Trump might reconsider his previous attempt to withdraw the US from the WHO, following his earlier criticisms of the organization. Furthermore, Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic and critic of Gates, as Secretary of Health and Human Services awaits Senate confirmation. Kennedy has voiced concerns about Gates’ influence on global health policies.