Innovations in medicines and biotechnology have increased life expectancy and saved many lives. Explore how this happened, and how more progress can be made.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/medicine-biotech"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/d51cf2b6-5a2d-4e28-eb37-583917055a00/w=1024"/></a>

Humans and livestock make up 95% of the world’s mammal biomass; wild mammals are just 5%.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/wild-mammals-birds-biomass"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/b86e8e53-9470-425a-0c59-7529f31e6200/w=1024"/></a>

A small number of species dominate the distribution of wild mammal biomass.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/wild-mammal-biomass-dominance"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/44fe312c-c616-4780-34d9-f1828e1f7e00/w=1024"/></a>

Anxiety affects at least hundreds of millions of people every year. What treatments are available, and how have they changed over time?<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/timeline-anxiety-medications"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/9a86b91f-d6ca-44b9-389d-cced0aa44200/w=1024"/></a>

Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about vaping and its effects.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/vaping-vs-smoking-health-risks"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/54a3ed6a-16c9-4cf8-c5af-ef7bb9a89b00/w=1024"/></a>

Adding up the weight of very different materials doesn’t tell us about their scarcity, environmental, or socioeconomic impacts.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/material-footprint-limitations"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/920609d4-e819-4a82-d01a-821ca39f4a00/w=1024"/></a>

What do Americans die from, and what do the New York Times, Washington Post, and Fox News report on?<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/does-the-news-reflect-what-we-die-from"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/9cf97009-994a-46f5-707b-980a8c6e4700/w=1024"/></a>

For decades, these aid programs received bipartisan support and made a difference. Cutting them will cost lives.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/us-foreign-aid-saved-millions"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/6b1dbe69-36c2-4089-8865-00bfba0e7200/w=1024"/></a>

A common bacterium can dramatically reduce the spread of dengue fever and other tropical diseases.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/wolbachia-neglected-tropical-diseases"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/b73cc19b-5461-4c8f-99dd-5ff063cbd900/w=1024"/></a>

The death rate per mile driven has declined 22-fold since 1950.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/britain-safest-roads-history"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/9fdccbaa-9640-4113-6d2a-93ab2ce2fa00/w=1024"/></a>

“Clearing the Air” is available now.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/hannah-ritchie-new-book"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/27999dbd-d329-40fe-1284-0661acb16100/w=1024"/></a>

Pesticide poisoning is a common method of suicide in many low- to middle-income countries. Banning highly toxic pesticides and substituting them with less fatal ones can save lives.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/pesticide-bans-suicide-prevention"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/d8cbf8af-42ff-4bb4-7704-444383efb400/w=1024"/></a>

If we get it right, the world could save more than 1.2 million lives every year.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/ending-tuberculosis-save-millions" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/8168303b-e636-4850-ffdc-90eeca931600/w=1350"/></a>

In the 1980s, many thought tuberculosis was on the path to elimination. In reality, more were dying from the disease than ever.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/the-end-of-tuberculosis-that-wasnt" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/b5aa8c82-2fc4-4e0a-cdf1-82d5aa6f9800/w=1350"/></a>

For billions, it can mean hours spent collecting water. For almost a million, it means dying from disease.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/what-no-safe-water-means" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/59c8ad10-ac08-4179-3186-1b2bac060c00/w=1350"/></a>

As much as one quarter of deaths in Europe and the United States were once from tuberculosis.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/tuberculosis-history-decline" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/21b69f06-f8eb-4618-a3ed-401b8af6d300/w=1350"/></a>

It’s difficult to compare countries because they don’t always measure infant mortality in the same way.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/where-are-babies-at-lowest-risk-of-dying" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/39d23685-afc7-46b8-2018-8813c041c100/w=1350"/></a>

In most rich countries, child mortality has more than halved in the last thirty years; we know we can go further.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/child-mortality-rich-countries-decline" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/0f13d2cd-7f47-4f84-22a3-b1014dd1e500/w=1350"/></a>

A breakdown of the sources of many air pollutants that damage our health and ecosystems.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/air-pollution-sources" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/5a98a347-7411-40c8-4c1b-30a542d22f00/w=1350"/></a>

In many countries, a significant share of aid is spent domestically on hosting refugees, offering student scholarships, and administrative costs.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/foreign-aid-domestic-overseas" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/78a7ce1c-2086-4716-c5dc-30f130bbee00/w=1350"/></a>