Benjamin Todd

Global health, a problem where you could really make progress.

Earlier we told the story of Dr. Nyland, who helped to develop oral rehydration therapy as a treatment for diarrhea.

What if we were to tell you that over the second half of the 20th century, efforts by Dr. Nyland and others did as much to save lives as achieving world peace over the same period would have done?

The number of deaths each year due to diarrhea has fallen by 3 million over the last five decades due to advances like oral rehydration therapy.

Meanwhile, all wars and political famines killed about 2 million people per year over the second half of the 20th century.

And we've had similar victories over other infectious diseases.

Here's a chart.

It shows immunizable diseases, diarrheal diseases, malaria, smallpox, and war.

and war is set as a benchmark level of 2 million deaths per year on the y-axis.

Then we have years 1960 and 2001 compared for the others.

So in 1960, immunizable diseases killed 5 million per year.

In 2001, that's just over 1 million.

Diarrheal diseases in 1960, just over 4.5 million per year.

In 2001, 1.5 million.

Malaria in 1960, just under 4 million.

In 2001, just over half a million.

Smallpox, nearly 3 million per year in 1960, and none in 2001.

The global fight against disease is one of humanity's greatest achievements, but it's also an ongoing battle that you can contribute to with your career.

A large fraction of these gains were driven by humanitarian aid, such as the campaign to eradicate smallpox.

In fact, although many experts in economics think much international aid hasn't been effective, even the most sceptical agree there's an exception, global health.