Public health and medical advances
Milestones in prevention, treatment and care.
Scientific milestoneThe discovery and development of penicillin
Turning an observation about mould into a treatment for bacterial infection.
Scientific milestoneThe first polio vaccine rollout
Bringing an effective vaccine against paralytic polio into widespread use.
Public-health milestoneThe eradication of smallpox
Eliminating a human infectious disease through an international public-health campaign.
Public-health milestoneThe spread of oral rehydration therapy
Making lifesaving rehydration more accessible during diarrhoeal illness.
Public-health milestoneLondon's sewer revolution
Turning a sanitation crisis into a major urban sewer-building programme.
Medical breakthroughInsulin's discovery and first treatment
An effective pancreatic extract transforming the prospects of people with severe diabetes.
Medical breakthroughDiscovery of artemisinin
Research on sweet wormwood yielding a powerful antimalarial medicine.
Medical discoveryIdentification of the tuberculosis bacillus
Robert Koch demonstrating the bacterial cause of tuberculosis.
Public-health investigationJohn Snow's cholera investigation
Evidence linking cholera deaths to contaminated drinking water rather than foul air.
Public-health reformLaunch of the National Health Service
Establishing publicly funded health services intended to make care available regardless of ability to pay.