The end of the year is a time when we reflect on the best ways to give back in the holiday season and in the year ahead. There’s no shortage of fantastic ways to do good, and a myriad of great charities that help noble causes, from reducing poverty and boosting education to protecting the environment and advancing healthcare.
Sadly though, the dispiriting truth is that the fight against poverty, disease and hunger has lost momentum. Why haven’t we made more headway against the big problems facing the world in recent years? There are plenty of answers, but one reason is that the global development industry has tried to do too much at once.
In 2015, the United Nations came up with a 169-point agenda to fix all the problems facing humanity by 2030. The so-called Sustainable Development Goals were agreed to by all the world’s leaders with the best of intentions. Yet, with five years left, the world is wildly off-track on almost all the 169 promises. Trying to focus on everything means we have prioritized nothing and achieved very little.
The new year offers us a fresh opportunity to rethink this approach. Instead of trying to do it all — as a society and as ordinary citizens with our own giving — we could prioritize the interventions that create the most effect. That means those that provide the highest returns on investment for people, the planet and future generations.
The truth is that the best investments aren’t necessarily the ones that attract headlines or gain attention from celebrities. I have collaborated with more than 100 of the world’s top economists and several Nobel Laureates to establish which of the many global goals would deliver the most return on investment.
Across hundreds of pages of peer-reviewed, free analysis, we have identified the 12 smartest things we could do to make life better for the poorer half of the planet. These solutions are seldom making headlines, but they are cheap and incredibly powerful.
There is a compelling case to focus on tackling the diseases that have already been wiped out in rich countries like malaria and tuberculosis, which have become diseases of poverty. The simple act of providing more anti-mosquito bed-nets and expanded malaria treatment across Africa would save 200,000 lives yearly, with benefits worth $48 for every dollar spent. Healthy, productive individuals are more likely to innovate, work and contribute to the world, ultimately benefiting everyone.
Another great cause is maternal and infant health. When a pregnant mother lacks essential nutrients and vitamins, her child’s growth and brain development will be slower. Her kids will be condemned to do worse throughout their lives. A mere $2.31 can ensure that an expectant mother receives a basic multivitamin supplement that means her children will grow up healthier, smarter and more productive. Every dollar spent on nutritional supplements for pregnant women can yield up to $38 in economic benefits. This is not a far-off utopia. It’s a proven solution that could be scaled up immediately.
Another simple but powerful investment is in improving learning. In the world’s poorest countries, only one-in-10 10-year-olds can read and write. We need to fix this, not just because it’s the right thing to do but to reduce future strife and reliance on aid, and to ensure countries can write their own success stories.
Countless studies show that if seven hours of daily schooling remain traditional and ineffective, after one year the student will have learned as much as normally takes three years. The costs are modest: Sharing a tablet costs about $31 per student annually. The return on investment is extraordinary: Children who learn more become more productive adults, resulting in a return of $65 for every dollar spent. This is a great long-term investment for a more stable, self-sufficient world.
My hope for the world in 2025 is that governments and institutions will stop dithering and focus on solutions that yield the best results. By prioritizing what truly works, we could accomplish more in one year than we have managed over a decade of indecision.
On a personal level, each of us can contribute to making 2025 the year we commit to real progress for everyone. As the new year approaches, we must shift our focus from chasing endless, unrealistic goals and instead recognize what’s already working. Our resolution should be to invest our time, attention, resources and political will into actions that create the greatest positive change in people’s lives.
