Bill Gates,who is considered,the wealthiest man in the world,has started his very own foundation called the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced on 6/6/01,that in the first half of the year,Bill and Melinda Gates have given their charitable foundation an additional $2 billion,bringing the total endowment of the foundation to $23.5 billion.This foundation includes a Global Health Program,which looks to improve the health of women and children,particularly in the developing world which is the overriding goal of the Global Health Program.The foundation currently focuses its attention on three areas:vaccine-preventable diseases,reproductive and child health and conditions associated with poverty.The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to sharing the promise of new technologies with all citizens.The foundation is focusing its efforts in three critical areas:education,libraries and public access to information.
　　The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to improving people's lives by sharing advances in health and learning with the global community.Led by Bill Gates' father,William H.Gates,Sr.,and Patty Stonesifer,the Seattle-based foundation has an asset base of $24.2 billion.