Billionaire philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates have released the 2015 Gates Annual Letter in which the power couple set ambitious goals of what could be achieved 15 years from now.
Bill and Melinda are celebrating the 15th anniversary of their foundation. They believe that their new goals can be achieved by 2030.
In the annual letter, the philanthropists made a number of forecasts that focus on the eradication of deadly diseases, improvement of farming in Africa, revolutionary learning and growth of digital banking. All of these forecasts are aimed at seeing the lives of people from poor countries improve at a faster rate.
The letter contains four key predictions and a unified call for people around the globe to participate and contribute toward reaching the goals. These four predictions state: 1. Child deaths will go down, and more diseases will be wiped out; 2. Africa will be able to feed itself; 3. Mobile banking will help the poor transform their lives; and 4. Better software will revolutionize learning.
"Our big bet: The lives of people in poor countries will improve faster in the next 15 years than at any other time in history. And their lives will improve more than anyone else's," the two envision in their letter titled "Our Big Bet for the Future."
Bill and Melinda believe that in the next 15 years, people from poor countries will benefit from a number of major breakthroughs. These, they say, will result in the poor having a longer life, improved health, more opportunities for better education, nutritious food on the table, and the benefit of mobile banking technology. Such breakthroughs will be made possible through various technological innovations, which range from new vaccines and hardier crops to more affordable gadgets and devices.
On child deaths and the wiping out of more diseases. The two believe that global health equity is one goal that is achievable. They based this assumption on the record that dates back to 1990 when one in 10 children in the world died even before they were five years old.
Now, the number has been reduced to one death in 20 children. Fifteen years from now, the number will become one in 40. Diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia, which are the two biggest killers of children, will be totally eradicated. Other diseases that are also predicted to be totally gone in the next 15 years include blinding trachoma, river blindness, elephantiasis, guinea worm and polio.
There is also a mention of reducing by two-thirds the number of women who die after giving birth.
"In countries around the world, more and more mothers are giving birth in healthcare facilities instead of home. By continuing to make sure that the caregivers at those facilities are well-supplied and well-trained, we can take advantage of this global trend and make childbirth much safer for women around the world," they noted.
On Africa being able to feed itself. Innovation in agriculture has played a great role in improving the lives of millions of African farmers. In the next 15 years, African farmers can double their yield when they get better fertilizer and crops. With the right investments, African farmers can increase productivity by as much as 50 percent for the whole continent.
One interesting bit of information talks about how mobile phones can also play a huge role in farming. When more farmers are able to use such devices, they can receive a number of helpful information, such as weather reports and current market prices, which are sent as text messages.
On mobile banking as a life transformer. Poor people are faced with agonizing choices such as foregoing education and health care in exchange for being able to keep a few dollars. However, apart from not having enough assets, poor people don't have access to a bank, which can help them effectively use their assets.
"In the next 15 years, digital banking will give the poor more control over their assets and help them transform their lives," the couple said. By 2030, at least 2 billion people will use mobile phones in keeping their money and making payment.
On better software that will revolutionize the way people learn. There's no doubt that technology has already come a long way as far as education is concerned. In the next 15 years, there will be more advances to come. Innovations such as learning a new language and better collaboration among teachers through innovative software solutions are just some of the things that are predicted to take place.
"As the cost goes down and incomes go up, more people will have the means, and we'll be well on our way to providing high-quality education for everyone," the Gates couple predicted.
