In a TED Talk, Bill Gates mentioned that the world population was projected to reach 9 billion. He then stated, “If we do a really great job on new vaccines, healthcare, reproductive health services, we could lower that by, perhaps, 10 or 15%.” This statement has been widely misinterpreted to suggest he advocates for reducing the existing population through vaccination campaigns. Gates was arguing that improving health care and providing access to vaccines can slow the rate of population growth, particularly in developing countries. This is because when child mortality rates decline due to better healthcare, including vaccinations, parents tend to have fewer children as they become more confident that their existing children will survive to adulthood. This concept is supported by research and has been reiterated by the Gates Foundation in their annual letters. A Facebook post by Rep. Bryan Morse sought to promote the misinterpretation and a recent letter to the editor by Robert Desrochers, Jr. (Words Matter) criticized Morse for this post. I seek to set the record straight on Bill Gates’ intent.
Susan Faretra
Concord