Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates says that Africa will begin to reap the rewards of money invested in it, in his second annual public letter linked to the world of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “With better seeds, training, and access to markets, farmers in poor countries will be able to grow more food. The world will find clean ways to produce electricity at a lower cost, and more people will lift themselves out of poverty.” The upbeat appraisal notes that better education and health pilot programmes to reduce infant mortality in the first 30 days after birth have been shown to be effective. More widespread vaccination programmes are also playing a key role in improving overall health, says Gates. In a separate interview with CNET, where he talks about the problems encountered during the past year of the foundation’s work he says that adult male circumcision, surprisingly, turns out to be one of the hopes for reducing Aids in Africa.

Links to other sites: allAfrica, CNET, The Gates Notes, Bill Gates new web site, launched 24 January

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