Health & Nutrition
The Health & Nutrition Portfolio finances the highest Alpha (Return on Dollar Donated), evidence-backed charitable interventions. These interventions focus on reducing the risk of death by preventing malaria, improving nutrition and reducing the risk of blindness through Vitamin A supplementation and reducing the chance of contracting disease through mass deworming programs.
Health & Nutrition Portfolio
Against Malaria Foundation
Nearly 500,000 people die annually from malaria, mostly children under age 5. As humans we suffer from scope neglect, so to put make this comprehendible, this is equivalent to four completely full airplanes, packed with children, crashing to the ground every single day.
Long-lasting insecticide-treat nets (LLIN) help protect at-risk populations from Malaria. When large numbers of people use LLINs to protect themselves while sleeping, the burden of malaria can be reduced, resulting in a reduction in child mortality among other benefits. The Against Malaria Foundation funds nets and ensure they are distributed and used.
Helen Keller International’s Vitamin A Supplementation Program
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) increases the risk of child and maternal mortality, and contributes to preventable blindness and other diseases. An estimated 250,000 to 500,000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight.
Helen Keller International's (HKI) Vitamin A Supplementation supports programs focused on reducing malnutrition and averting blindness. HKI provides technical assistance, engages in advocacy, and contributes funding to government run Vitamin A supplementation programs.
Schistosomiasis Control Initiative
Children either aren't able to attend school or can't perform their best while at school for several reasons, one of which being Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD's) like Schistosomiasis and STH. In addition to reduced school attendance, these diseases can lead to stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, anemia, reduced worker productivity and internal organ damage. The World Health Organization estimates that 206 million people have schistosomiasis and 1.5 billion have STH.
Increasing School Attendance
Evidence shows that mass school deworming can improve school attendance and increase the incomes of children when they become adults. GiveWell, an organization that looks for outstanding research-backed giving opportunities, estimates that deworming has one of the highest expected values among the interventions it recommends.