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May 31, 2016 Jeffrey D. Sachs

纽约——2015年，几乎全部来自发展中国家的约590万5岁以下儿童死于可以轻松预防或治疗的原因。同时近期估计数据显示，高达2亿儿童和青少年因贫困而未读过小学或中学，包括1.1亿仅仅读过初中。无论是哪种情况，如此大规模的苦难都可以因适度全球资助而终结。

贫困国家儿童常死于不安全分娩、疫苗可预防疾病、低成本治疗可以奏效的疟疾等感染性疾病、还有营养不良；这些导致儿童死亡的原因在富裕国家几乎已经被彻底消灭掉。在一个恪守道德标准的世界，我们会为结束这样的死亡贡献我们最大的力量。

事实上，世界各国付出了三心二意的努力。多亏通过全球抗击艾滋病、结核和疟疾基金等新成立机构划拨的额外全球疾病控制经费，幼儿的死亡人数已经比1990年记录的1270万下降了略微超过半数。

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Jeffrey D. Sachs

Writing for PS since 1995
354 Commentaries

Jeffrey D. Sachs, University Professor at Columbia University, is Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has served as adviser to three UN Secretaries-General, and currently serves as an SDG Advocate under Secretary-General António Guterres. His books include The End of Poverty, Common Wealth, The Age of Sustainable Development, Building the New American Economy, A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism, and, most recently, The Ages of Globalization.

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eusebio manuel Jun 5, 2016

In fact the world need is access to a life giving life thourgh health education and manage a more development form of right right
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eusebio manuel Jun 2, 2016

I t is true that our geograph has shapedy our world psychology need is access to a life giving life through education and interesting job opportunities
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jagjeet sinha Jun 2, 2016

Instead of the proposition that seems to position the Fund as a charity, sustainability demands perhaps that the proposition must position the Fund as an Investment opportunity - the Assets of the Fund acquiring a value enhancement feature. In fact, Professor Sachs has articulated similar propositions that create Funds for other planetary objectives like Climate Control and Disease Control (Ebola). Multilateral propositions that positions Funds as charitable opportunities seem unable to take off - by crafting the Funds as Investment opportunities, whose NAV has growth dimensions, the attractiveness can become unassailable.
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Betsy Whitfill Jun 1, 2016

To Christopher's point, Save the Children is an excellent model for personal involvement. There is Maitreya's plan for creating the sort of solution to the deficit of medical care and education, and the other ills of poverty and deprivation, to be implemented when humanity is willing. Each nation inventories its needs and excess resources. That excess is put into an international pool, available to all nations having need of those resources. There would be your justice, freedom to develop within a nation's traditional culture, trust, and an end to the desire for war.
see: share-international.org
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Christopher williams Jun 1, 2016

I totally agree with the aims and I like the concept of a small tax on tax havens - as a great way to start.
The problems come when the distribution of such large amounts may take place; how do you avoid the syphoning off of large amounts by the usual culprits?
The extension of the program may provide the answer; how we incentivize the children with short-term rewards (based on effort, rather than ability) and longer term value by way of higher education/ apprenticeships as a lead into good jobs; now we can hope for sufficient accountability to generate less stealing in the process.
As another point raised below regarding US levels of aid, rather than applying a statutory fee of GNI, there may be a way to satisfy both views; targeted person to person support of children can be a great way to encourage and involve people. The more a program can be shown to have direct impact on the lives of individuals, the higher the support will be.
So, an enthusiastic 'yes' from me; but let's go further to add certainty and generate real excitement for all involved!
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Paul Friesen Jun 1, 2016

Those who first set out to abolish slavery met with lots of ridicule, too.
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Steve Hurst Jun 1, 2016

As usual not a whisper about the doubling of populations
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Robert Bruce May 31, 2016

Your estimate of just $50B additional aid to give every child on Earth access to healthcare and high-school education would be incredible value for money. Indeed it would work out at just 0.06% of current Global GDP at $77T per annum.

To ignore this need is not only morally outrageous, but also economically stupid, so why doesn't it happen? The answer is that our national government policies are still based on "them and us" thinking, which is now holding back progress in the 21st century. To move forward we must stop seeing aid as a cost to G20 nations, and recognise that it actually presents one of the best investments we could make for long term Global growth. Africa is a prime example with huge opportunities for productivity growth, substantial natural resources, and a population that will more than double from 1 billion today to 2.5 billion by 2050. It's hard to think of a better way to promote future Global economic growth than to invest in poor regions around the World today.

I would love to see a respected group of Global economist present headline figures, not just for the costs of implementing the Global Goals, but more importantly the value they will add to future Global economic growth.

In the long term of course the answer to challenges of fair taxation and Global investment must be greater international cooperation, ideally through a new Global Economic Community. The obstacles are of course huge, but the prize of building a regulated single Global market with access to 9 billion consumers by 2050 would transform the future prospects for rich and poor alike.

Robert P Bruce
Author - www.TheGlobalRace.net
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Max Isert May 31, 2016

Professor Sachs,
the only potential problem I see with these highly laudable efforts is, that they could unintentionally contribute to further fuel ''youth bulges'' in developing countries, if they are not coupled with birth control commitments and policies: ''In some countries that received substantial PEPFAR funding, such as Uganda and Kenya, health surveys have found that fertility rates remained constant or even rose slightly over the past decade.'' - ''Bush birth control policies helped fuel Africa's baby boom'' http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article24566695.html

As Aldous Huxley said, I paraphrase: ''Death control, has to be balanced with birth control.'' - ''Aldous Huxley interview-1958 (FULL)'' Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TQZ-2iMUR0

''The Effects of ‘Youth Bulge’ on Civil Conflicts''
http://www.cfr.org/world/effects-youth-bulge-civil-conflicts/p13093
''The Middle East, where 60 percent of the population is under twenty-five, is also susceptible to youth-bulge-related civil strife; as are countries with high HIV/AIDS rates. “The pandemic,” according to this January 2006 CFR Task Force report on Africa, “has reversed a generation of gains in human development, hitting young and middle-aged adults of all socioeconomic classes and leaving a dangerous youth bulge.”''

''Improve access to family planning measures. Improved reproductive health care and better access to family-planning measures, such as contraception programs, have proven effective in places like Iran, where births dropped from over six children per woman in 1979 to two per woman today. Better education programs for women can also help control the sizes of families and cause lower fertility rates.''
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stephan Edwards May 31, 2016

I don't know what your smoking but it sure must be powerful. The US won't even help their children or poor with health care or education. It is a honorable plan but you couldn't get the US congress to support it if they were being held at gunpoint.
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John Brian Shannon May 31, 2016

Hi Jeffrey,

"Our world is immensely wealthy and could easily finance a healthy start in life for every child on the planet through global funds for health and education. A small shift of funds from wasteful US military spending, or a very small levy on tax havens’ deposits – or similar measures to make the super-rich pay their way – could quickly and dramatically improve poor children’s life chances and make the world vastly fairer, safer, and more productive. There is no excuse for delay." -- Jeffrey D. Sachs

Ike Eisenhower would've had that done in a week.

Thanks for this important article, Jeffrey.

As always, very best regards, JBS
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Jose araujo May 31, 2016

Here is a novel idea, instead of openning our arms to the olicharchs on this countries, and freely lauder theire money, why don't we tax them and use the money for a relief fund?
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dan baur May 31, 2016

"...each give at least 0.7% of GNI; the US can and should do so as well" - US citizens prefer to donate privately (and perhaps much more) usually through religious organizations. You wouldn't understand...
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Cam Jennings May 31, 2016

Jeffrey, thanks for the article and indeed you raise some valid points. Surely Hobbes would be one way to reply here for the welfare of man is in a state of eternal conflict and there are only two sides to human nature...constructive and destructive.
Not sure that the military industrial complex would agree with the rationale here, though what you propose makes sense.
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