Weekly Program:  Ending infectious diseases - Susan Descmond-Hellman, CEO Gates Foundation

Why are babies dying? Before Sue Desmond-Hellmann worked in public health, she was an oncologist. Now, the CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is turning to infant mortality. Being a scientist at heart, she’s been shocked by how little we really know about what’s killing the world’s 2.6 million babies that die before they’re even a month old. A surprisingly large number of these babies die from what’s logged as “neonatal”—except, as Desmond-Hellmann says, “’Neonatal’ is not a cause of death; it’s simply an adjective.” It means: We don’t know why. We can’t be precise. So Sue is advocating for a new approach to “precise public health,” to use data to find where treatment is needed most. The method has been effective before, in reaching pregnant HIV-positive mothers. To apply that approach to the death of babies, Desmond-Hellmann and her team are working to painstakingly collect and log information on neonatal deaths in the developing world, through difficult conversations with mothers. If they meet their goals in the next 15 years, says Desmond-Hellmann, they can save 1 million babies’ lives every year. But first: They need more data. Because, as she says, “You can’t fix what you can’t define.”

AUDACIOUS AND AMBITIOUS

Some people used to see philanthropy as not especially rigorous or not willing to throw elbows to make good things happen.

Bill and Melinda wanted to do something different. They wanted a foundation that focused on clear goals and measurable results. They wanted to identify the world’s most important problems — and solve them.

Fundamentally, our goal is to level the playing field for people who may be left behind without access to healthcare, education, or pathways to escape extreme poverty.

We aim for nothing short of changing the world. You can’t do this until you’ve first opened people’s imagination to consider how much more is possible.

I think the biggest achievement in the foundation’s first 15 years is the extent to which its approach has changed expectations. No problem that leaves a person mired in suffering should be considered unsolvable.