"I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years," Gates said in a speech at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, according to a Gates Foundation statement.
"And in fact, one thing that I haven't said publicly before is that if we think about the priorities and the great partnerships we have, the majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa," he added, specifying that his foundation will be responsible for those resources.
Gates said the goals were "pretty basic" and reflected his foundation's values.
"Mothers should survive delivery. Babies should survive past their fifth birthday, kids should be well nourished. Many of these infectious diseases should go away, and the rest within 20 years should be at a very low level," he said.
According to the Microsoft co-founder, "by unleashing the human potential through health, through education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity."
"And that path is an exciting thing to be part of, creating that. So that's how I intend to focus all of my work for the rest of my life, because there's nothing more important," he said..
Gates said he would accelerate his donations through his foundation, with the goal of ending its operations by 2045.
"People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that 'he died rich' will not be one of them," he said.
Along with Paul Allen, Gates founded Microsoft in 1975, and the company soon became a dominant force in software and other tech industries.
Gates, 69, has gradually stepped back from the company in recent decades, resigning as its chief executive in 2000 and as chairman in 2014.
8°C