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Innovation is about to improve the lives of the poor like never before, say Bill and Melinda Gates.

In their latest 鈥� which outlines the $42 billion nonprofit鈥檚 yearly agenda 鈥� the couple detailed their ambitious 15-year plan and emphasized the role technology and innovation can and will play in eradicating disease, fighting hunger and poverty, and improving education.

鈥淭he lives of people in poor countries will improve faster in the next 15 years than at any other time in history. And their lives will improve more than anyone else's,鈥� they wrote in the letter titled, 鈥淥ur Big Bet for the Future,鈥� published online Thursday.

Founded in 2000, the Gates Foundation is one of the most influential foundations on the planet, in part for its sheer size. As the :

[The Gates Foundation]聽has shaken up the world of international aid with its focus on measurable goals (often lives saved) and its ability to rally large and diverse groups of stakeholders to work together toward a common goal.

Some organizations and individuals have questioned the foundation鈥檚 priorities over the years, arguing that it is drawing resources away from worthier causes, and expressed worry that its mammoth size 鈥� its endowment is $42 billion 鈥� is stifling a diversity of views because it funds so many projects in certain fields.

But even its critics have found it hard to argue with its success ...

Previous annual letters focused on one idea or issue, and generally on health. But the Gateses are now predicting major progress in four areas.

Health

Technology, they said, will play a pivotal role in reducing child and maternal mortality and in wiping out diseases such as polio, river blindness, elephantiasis, and blinding trachoma, which affect tens of millions in developing countries.

Farming

Innovations in agriculture will be key to ending the food crisis in places like Africa, they said, where a large percentage of the population are farmers and yet every year. Better fertilizer as well as crops that are more productive, nutritious, and drought- and disease-resistant, they said, are the first steps to changing that.

鈥淚nnovations in farming could enable African farmers to increase their yields by half,鈥� they wrote.

American farmers get 5 times as much maize from their land as African farmers do. Source: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Banking

The Gateses also foresee mobile banking as vital in improving financial services to the poor. More than , according to the World Bank, mostly due to the high cost of traditional banking. At the same time, and more accessible.

Mobile banking provides a way to in poor communities, research shows. with the mobile-money service M-PESA, launched in 2007, but other countries are already following suit.

鈥淒igital banking will give the poor more control over their assets and help them transform their lives,鈥� the Gateses wrote.

Education

Better technology will also give people improved access to education and transform the way students think and learn. They cited ongoing efforts, such as the $6-a-month tuition fee that the nonprofit offers students in Nairobi, and the free lessons and resource tools that 辫谤辞惫颈诲别蝉.听

The ripple effects of equal access to education, the Gateses said, will change the world.

鈥淎s high-speed cell networks grow and smartphones become as cheap as today's voice-only phones, online education will flourish,鈥� they wrote. 鈥淔or people in rich countries, it will be an important step forward.... in places where growth is creating demand for educated workers, it will be a revolution.鈥�

Of course, the challenges are significant. Completely eradicating a disease has only been done once in modern history, . Helping the African population, which is , feed itself has been a humanitarian goal for decades. , education remains nothing more than a pipe dream.

But the Gateses don鈥檛 expect to work alone: They capped off their letter with a call to action, encouraging readers to do their part in ending world suffering by participating in the Gates Foundation鈥檚 effort, called . Those who sign up will receive updates on how to help and have the opportunity to connect with others who care about similar issues.

鈥淭he more global citizens there are, and the more active and effective they are, the more progress the world will make,鈥� they wrote. 鈥淲e hope you will show your support by signing up, because we believe that people can and must work together more to make the world a more equitable place.鈥�

鈥淚n fact,鈥� they added, 鈥渨e鈥檙e betting on it.鈥�