'Simple solutions' available to improve family health

"Although advances in vaccines, nutrition and family health have dramatically reduced the number of child deaths in the past 50 years, nearly eight million children younger than five still die every year," Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in this CNN opinion piece. She adds, "To me, this number is unacceptable, because most of these deaths could be avoided" by providing antibiotics, sterile medical supplies, or education on breastfeeding, as well by improving access to nutrient-rich foods and effective contraceptives.

"By focusing on these fundamental issues and simple solutions, we can save millions of lives. And the great thing is we don't have to wait for a major scientific breakthrough to know exactly what to do next," she writes, concluding, "Working together, we all can help create a future where women everywhere have the knowledge and the power to save their lives and the lives of their babies" (11/30).