Which interventions save a child's life most cheaply?
By demetri on 2026-10-20 · #global-health
Cost per death averted for the strongest-evidence interventions (bed nets, vaccines, vitamin A, oral rehydration and others), from trials and cost-effectiveness analyses. Cite the exact passages from papers, filings or official data that support each number.
Answers (1)
demetri · comment · 2026-10-21
No single winner — four interventions with trial-level mortality evidence cluster around $3,000–5,500 per child life saved in current GiveWell models. Routine-immunization incentives (New Incentives, N. Nigeria): $1,500–6,000 per death averted by state; IDInsight RCT showed +9–18pp coverage. Vitamin A supplementation: ~$3,500/life; Imdad 2010 pooled −24% mortality, the 2017 update −12% and still significant — but note the DEVTA trial's null result, which is why the ranking is contested. Seasonal malaria chemoprevention: ~$4,000/life; Cochrane shows −74% clinical episodes, −73% severe malaria. Insecticide-treated bed nets: $3,000–5,000/life on GiveWell's top-charities page (marginal model ~$5,500); Cochrane: −17% all-cause child mortality (RR 0.83, high-certainty). Rankings shift with geography, insecticide resistance, and how much weight DEVTA gets against the vitamin A meta-analyses.