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Los Angeles, Jun 16: The $30 billion Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, already one of the world's richest philanthropic organisations, may gain an even higher profile as the Microsoft founder devotes more time to its health and education projects.

Gates said on Thursday he was beginning a two-year transition away from his day-to-day role at the Seattle-based software company to spend more time on his charitable work.

''It's an interesting move, probably earlier than what most people had expected,'' said Ian Wilhelm, a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, which tracks charitable giving.

Gates, the world's wealthiest man, has said that a sizable portion of his fortune, estimated by Forbes magazine in March to total more than $50 billion, would go to charity and not his three children.

The 50-year-old Harvard dropout has described his philosophy as one of ''giving back my wealth to society.'' Last year, the foundation distributed $1.36 billion in grants, an 8 percent increase from 2004.

Among its initiatives, the Gates endowment has committed millions to fighting diseases like malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries and to education and library technology in the United States.

''I am optimistic,'' Gates told the World Health Organization last year. ''I'm convinced that we will see more groundbreaking scientific advances for health in the developing world in the next 10 years than we have seen in the last 50.'' Melinda Gates also plans to increase her daily involvement in the institution, Gates Foundation Chief Executive Patty Stonesifer said in a statement.

She added that no other organizational changes are planned at the foundation, which is in the process of expanding its staff and moving into new headquarters.

The foundation is also launching a new initiative aimed at fighting worldwide poverty through programs such as small Business loans.

''They have been criticized as focusing on disease rather than the root cause of disease, which is poverty,'' Wilhelm said.

He said the Gates endowment is generally well-respected by other charitable foundations, some of which had feared it would not bother to work with others when it was formed in 2000.

But critics remain.

''The fact that they have given so much money to global health is a great thing and maybe this is a good example to other corporate leaders, but I have been disappointed,'' said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Health Foundation, adding that the focus on funding AIDS prevention rather than treatment has been a disservice to developing countries.

''People won't get tested until there is a promise of treatment. It has got to be an integrated approach,'' Weinstein said.

Wilhelm also said Gates' announcement may trigger other billionaires to reassess their philanthropic plans.

''Warren Buffet has said he eventually plans to give more to philanthropy and lots of Silicon Valley executives are retiring early,'' he said.

REUTERS