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Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Bill Gates hints at how Africa is becoming the 'most interesting continent' this century
Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates recently pointed out Africa's young demographic as a special resource that has the potential to improve the continent's future. Bill Gates emphasizes Africa's youthful population as a vital resource for future development. Investment in health and education is deemed crucial for harnessing the continent's potential. Key figures, including Aliko Dangote, discussed enhanced self-reliance in industries like cement and fertilizers. When asked what he would do differently in the next 20 years concerning his efforts in Africa, given that over the last 25 years, the American billionaire was stated to have helped Africa achieve some 'great things', Bill Gates alluded to Africa's young population. 'The amazing thing about Africa, and I show people this slide all the time, is that it is a very young continent. The portion of children born in Africa is going to be over half during this century. The city (Lagos) we are in today will, by far, become the largest city in the world. That'll be interesting and keep things vibrant,' he said at the Gate Foundation's Goalkeepers event in Lagos. 'Africa has this incredible offset of its youth, and that will make it the most interesting continent throughout this century. How much that youth can drive progress will depend on the investment decisions we make in the next 20 years, in their health and their education. If we prioritise that, there's an unbelievable future here,' he added. When asked what could speed up Africa's health care development, the Gates Foundation CEO stated, 'If you take the combination of Africa getting richer, more philanthropists emerging, rich countries restoring generosity, and the sharing of best practices and innovation. We have some incredible tools coming along, even for things like sickle cell disease, which we need to get rid of. It's a dramatic burden.' As reported by Channels, Bill Gates also lauded Nigeria's progress towards mitigating high mortality rates, expressing hope that the current five million child deaths worldwide might be cut in half. 'These next 20 years, the countries in Africa will reach a stage of real economic momentum. Helping them accelerate that, understanding unique challenges, simplifying delivery, and lowering costs, will make a world of difference. The last 25 years went way better than I expected, childhood death rates, for example. We have a lot to be proud of, but even more to work on,' he added. Aliko Dangote's addition to what Bill Gates said To buttress this point, Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, who was invited to speak, noted that 'In health through our partnership with Bill, we've actually ended polio, and also we've done quite a lot in nutrition, but that in partnership,' he stated, responding to how Africa can utilize home made solutions and scale such ideas. 'But in terms of business, we have done quite a lot by reversing a lot of things. Nigeria used to be the second-largest importer of cement in the world, and now we've reversed it. Nigeria now exports cement more than any other African country. 'We've looked at also challenges in terms of fertilizers, where our farmers were suffering, no fertilizers… we built from the zero level to the second largest plant of fertilizers in the world.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Unified approach key to tackling diabetes & heart disease: Experts
Lucknow: "Diabetes and heart disease aren't two distinct problems, but a dual threat to our health that needs a unified approach," warned renowned cardiologist Dr Nakul Sinha at the Cardio Diabetic Conclave in the city. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The one-day workshop, organised by the Helping Hearts Foundation, brought together top heart specialists and diabetologists from across India to address the growing link between diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Under the leadership of Dr Sinha, senior doctors presented complex case studies and discussed modern treatments to prevent this dangerous combination. "Timely awareness and lifestyle discipline can save lives. Our mission is to educate every citizen about simple and effective steps to overcome this double threat," said Jyoti Sinha, secretary of Helping Hearts Foundation, during the public awareness session that kicked off the conclave. She emphasised that bringing discipline in daily routines — diet, physical activity and stress management — can drastically reduce the risk. Doctors from across India, including Dr Tiny Nair (Trivandrum), Dr Srinivas (Hyderabad), Dr Rajiv Agarwal (Meerut), Dr Sushil Gupta (Lucknow Max Hospital) and Dr Aditya Kapoor (PGI Lucknow) shared insights into how diabetes often masks or worsens heart conditions, making early diagnosis and combined care essential. Dr Rishi Shukla (Kanpur) also presented critical cases from his practice. "Managing heart health in diabetics is like walking on a tightrope—you can't ignore one and treat the other," said Dr Sushil Gupta, highlighting the need for integrated medical approaches. Dr Neeraj Bhasin, Dr Bhupendra Tripathi (deputy director, Gate Foundation), and others echoed this sentiment. The event also focused on maintaining physical, mental, and emotional balance for overall wellness. Support from professionals like Dr Anuja Bhargava, Shantanu Sinha, and creative partner Speaking Pictures played a key role in making the conclave impactful and engaging for the public.
