Melinda Gates

Bill and Melinda Gates have three goals for 2016, and they revolve around the idea that "poverty is at the center of almost every crisis in the world."

In an op-ed for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the husband-and-wife team who are co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation broadly outlined their priorities: continue to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in addition to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; empower women and girls; and invest in innovations in science and technology that will help reduce poverty.

In this picture from January 2004, Melinda Gates sat with commercial sex workers who were participating in an HIV prevention project in Kolkata, India.

India

Melinda Gates and participants at a Sure Start Project initiative promoted maternal and newborn health in Kathghara Village, Fatehpur District, U.P., India on March 23, 2010. The women played a stacking game to promote family wellness.

India

Melinda Gates visited Rukmini and her newborn baby, Durga, in Purepande Village, U.P. on March 24, 2010. Durga was given an oral polio vaccine.

Ghana

Melinda Gates spoke with Manfred Ewool at the Crop Research Institute in Kumasi, Ghana on January 26, 2011. The institute works on engineering hybrid crops to increase agricultural productivity and disease resistance.

Tanzania

Bill and Melinda Gates learned how to process sweet potato for research at the genetic engineering laboratory at the Mikocheni Agriculture Research Institute (MARI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 29, 2011.

Tanzania

Melinda Gates discussed different strains of sweet potato with Christina Kidulile at the Mikocheni Agriculture Research Institute (MARI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 29, 2011.

United States

Melinda Gates met with students in a chemistry class taught by Alina Mills at Thomas Jefferson High School, Hillsborough County, Tampa, Florida, in November 2011.

Bangladesh

Melinda Gates spoke with Sultana, mother of 8-month-old Protul Hasan Sifat, in a ward at ICDDR,B's Dhaka Hospital on January 7, 2012. Standing are Dr. Azharul Islam Khan (white coat) of the Diarrheal Diseases Unit and nursing staff.

India

Melinda Gates observed and interacted with Front Line Workers at a Sub-Centre meeting at Dedaur village in Bakhtiarpur block of Patna district on January 24, 2013. Sitting to Gates' left is Anuradha Gupta, Mission Director of NRHM. Behind Melinda Gates is Jaspreet of CARE.

Senegal

Melinda Gates visited the Gaspard Camara health center accompanied by Dr. Magatte Ndiaye, Chief Medical Doctor, Centre District in Dakar, Senegal on June 24,2013.

India

Melinda Gates interacted with women in Kothwa village in Danapur, Bihar, India, on April 18, 2015. She was accompanied by Sudha Varghese in the blue sari. Seated on Melinda Gates' right was Rita Devi and on her left was Yamini Atmavilas of the Gates Foundation. Sudha Varghese's Nari Gunjan works with women and girls of Dalit communities in this village.