The Blubber

Two potential disasters worry Gates the most. He tells CNBC Make It that "a lot of unrest" in the world could trigger "a major war." Even if a significant conflict is avoided, he predicts that "yes, there will be another pandemic, most likely in the next 25 years."

Scientists generally perceive pandemics as likely and even inevitable over time, with research indicating that their frequency is increasing due to factors such as climate change and population growth.

For Gates and other global health advocates, the critical issue isn't whether another pandemic will arise soon, but rather whether countries will be better prepared than they were for the Covid-19 outbreak. Gates notes, "The country that the world expected to lead and be the model fell short of those expectations," referring specifically to the United States.

In 2022, Gates published a book titled “How to Prevent the Next Pandemic,” in which he criticized various governments, including the U.S., for their lack of preparedness in 2020. In this book, he offered several recommendations for countries globally, including stronger quarantine measures, increased investment in disease monitoring, and enhanced vaccine research and development.

While some advancements have been made, including increased funding for pandemic preparedness in the U.S. and elsewhere, Gates believes the global response has not been sufficient. "Although some of the lessons from [the coronavirus] pandemic have been learned, [it’s been] way less than I would expect, sadly," he says.

Gates also points out that the political divisions believed to have hindered the world’s response to Covid-19 continue to obstruct appropriate preparations for the next outbreak. "Getting our thoughts together about what [we did] well and what we didn’t do well is still not happening.... Perhaps, in the next five years, that’ll improve. But so far, it’s quite surprising," he adds.

Preventing widespread disease is a central theme in an episode of the upcoming Netflix docuseries “What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates,” which premieres on September 18.

In a preview screening provided to Make It, Gates talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci emphasizes that wealthier nations like the U.S. have a “moral responsibility” to share their resources to lead efforts in preventing disease spread globally.

This summer, Fauci released a memoir titled “On Call,” in which he voiced concerns about the current “crisis of truth” due to widespread misinformation that has undermined public trust in health initiatives.