Giving Compass' Take:

• In this story from Global Citizen, author Jackie Marchildon shares nine of the most surprising things Bill and Melinda Gates have learned in the last 20 years.

• How can these pieces of knowledge inform the work of other global health advocates? Are they useful to activists in other fields?

• To learn about Bill Gates' road map for health at Davos, click here.

Philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates made headlines last month as they both penned op-eds about their investments in global health — which total a cool $10 billion in the last two decades — and the need for continued global support in achieving Global Goal 3 on good health for all.

Now they’re addressing the ups and downs of global health in their annual letter. Last year’s letter highlighted the toughest questions they get asked, but this year’s letter outlines the top “things they didn’t see coming” when it came to development and global health initiatives.

  1. “Africa is the youngest continent.”
  2. “At-home DNA tests can find serial killers — and could also help prevent premature birth.”
  3. “The world will build an entire New York City every month for 40 years.”
  4. “Data can be sexist.”
  5. “You can learn a lot about processing your anger from teenage boys.”
  6. “There’s a nationalist case for globalism.”
  7. “Toilets haven’t changed in a century.”
  8. “Textbooks are becoming obsolete.”
  9. “Mobile phones are most powerful in the hands of the world’s poorest women.”

Read the full article about surprises by Jackie Marchildon at Global Citizen