In fifth annual letter, Bill Gates stresses on setting goals

New York: Bill Gates, in his fifth annual letter published yesterday, highlights successes from education in the United States to prenatal health care in Ethiopia. He argues that a core reason for the progress was the commitment to setting clear goals and identifying the right measures to drive progress towards those goals.

"I know, it's not the sexiest of themes, but the proof of its impact is undeniable," Mr Gates wrote in a blog post. "The lives of the poorest have improved more rapidly in the last 15 years than ever before."

Mr Gates emphasizes the importance of the Millennium Development Goals as an example of how the world is capable of achieving really big things when we come around a common goal.  "While we won't reach all of the goals, the progress we've made toward each is staggering," said Mr Gates.

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"The MDG target of reducing extreme poverty by half has been reached ahead of the deadline, as has the goal of halving the proportion of people who lack access to safe drinking water," he added.

As the world looks ahead to the next fifteen years, Mr Gates has encouraged others to submit their ideas for how to improve the world for the next generation by sharing their Hopes for 2030. He hopes to spur a global conversation about effective development and how the world should best come together to achieve further progress for the world's poorest people.