Major medical advancements over the last century have dramatically increased life expectancy and improved health.

Between 1800 and 2017, the average global life expectancy more than doubled, increasing from 30 years to 73 years.

In some of the less privileged global regions, life expectancy has increased by ten years in just the last two decades.

The United States has made incredible progress in public health since 1900, with infant mortality dropping by 90% and maternal mortality by 99%.

The eradication or control of diseases such as smallpox and polio, along with more recent advances in human genomics and smoking cessation since 1990, have contributed to significant reductions in cancer deaths.