Problem #9: Lack of clean drinking water

Problem #9: Lack of clean drinking water

Sorry- here's a very simple, short post.

The two most important public health efforts in human history are universal vaccination, and clean water systems. In the days before clean water systems, there were basically 2 ways to avoid dying from drinking water: boil it, or add alcohol to it. This helps to explain the historical popularity of coffee, tea, and various alcoholic beverages. The Royal Navy had the “Grog Ration” - a dilution of ⅓ rum to ⅔ water- not because they liked their sailors drunk, but because they liked them alive!

If you wanted to save literally millions of lives in the world over 10 years, the most cost effective thing would be to sponsor the construction of modern, clean water systems in the third world.