Bill and Melinda Gates talk health and education in annual letter

The majority (45%) of their philanthropy has gone to global development, but nearly a third (29%) has gone to global health, one of the main topics of the letter. They highlight the progress in making vaccinations more widely available globally and the challenges of fighting HIV (particularly among young women in southern and eastern Africa).

It notes that 16% of the money it spent went to US programs, and education was another major topic of the letter. They looked at the number of high school students who don’t enroll in any form of postsecondary education, and the amount who don’t graduate from a college program within six years — an issue that’s more prevalent among Latinx and black students.

The final 10% of the foundation’s investment went to other charitable programs. The last two topics for the 2020 letter were climate change — an issue Bill in particular is passionate about — and gender equality — an area Melinda discussed with CNET editor-in-chief Connie Guglielmo last year.

First published at 4:42 a.m. PT.
Updated at 5:33 a.m. PT: Adds more detail.