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            You are hereHome » Research » Intervention Reports Intervention Reports     FacebookTwitter>Print>Email                     Last updated: February 2021

 This page lists interventions we have researched to identify candidates for our list of top charities. Our priority programs have the following characteristics:

 The evidence for their effectiveness appears to have relatively high external validity and thus generalizability: it is relatively clear which components of the program are important for effectiveness, and thus we expect a higher-than-usual chance of being able to meaningfully assess a charity's impact when it focuses on these programs. They appear to be potentially highly cost-effective.   Table of Contents   Priority Programs Other Programs We've Investigated How We Identified Programs for Investigation    Below we list the programs we have considered as potential priority programs.

 For older versions of this page, see the 2009 version, the 2012 version, the August 2017 version, and our summary of our 2009-2011 criteria for evaluating programs. 

 Priority Programs Program Has GiveWell completed an evidence review? GiveWell report GiveWell's current conclusion Bridges to Prosperity Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Cash transfers Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Cataract surgery Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Community-based intervention packages to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Deworming Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Immunization to prevent maternal and neonatal tetanus Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Iron fortification Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Iron supplementation for school-age children Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Mass distribution of azithromycin to reduce child mortality Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Mass distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness New Incentives (conditional cash transfers to increase infant vaccination) Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Probiotic supplementation for preterm newborns Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Salt iodization Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Seasonal malaria chemoprevention Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Supplementary immunization activities to prevent measles Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Surgery to repair obstetric fistula Yes Report Some evidence of effectiveness; promising Vitamin A supplementation Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Voluntary medical male circumcision to curb HIV and cervical cancer Yes Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV/AIDS Yes, but at a shallow level Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Alive & Thrive (intensive breastfeeding promotion) Yes, but at a shallow level Report Some evidence of effectiveness; promising Breastfeeding promotion Yes, but at a shallow level Report Some evidence of effectiveness; promising Community-based management of acute malnutrition Yes, but at a shallow level Report Some evidence of effectiveness; promising Community salt substitution for reducing cardiovascular risk Yes, but at a shallow level Report Some evidence of effectiveness; promising Eyeglasses to improve workers' manual dexterity Yes, but at a shallow level Report Some evidence of effectiveness; promising Intermittent preventive treatment in infants (IPTi) for malaria Yes, but at a shallow level Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Oral Rehydration Solution Yes, but at a shallow level Report Reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Precision Agriculture for Development (mobile-based agricultural advice) Yes, but at a shallow level Report Some evidence of effectiveness; promising Sayana® Press Yes, but at a shallow level Report Probably has reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness SMS reminders for immunization Yes, but at a shallow level Report Limited evidence of effectiveness; promising Syphilis screening and treatment during pregnancy Yes, but at a shallow level Report Some evidence of effectiveness; promising Immunizations Yes, but not up-to-date Report Probably has reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Malaria treatment Yes, but not up-to-date Report Probably has reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Mass administration of ivermectin and albendazole to control lymphatic filariasis Yes, but not up-to-date Report Review update underway Mass administration of ivermectin to control onchocerciasis Yes, but not up-to-date Report Probably has reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV Yes, but not up-to-date Report Probably has reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Therapeutic zinc supplementation Yes, but not up-to-date Report Probably has reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Trachoma control Yes, but not up-to-date Report Probably has reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Tuberculosis case finding and first-line treatment Yes, but not up-to-date Report Probably has reasonably strong evidence of effectiveness Other Programs We've Investigated Program Has GiveWell completed an evidence review? GiveWell report GiveWell's current conclusion Clean cookstoves Yes Report Limited evidence of effectiveness to date Conditional subsidies for seasonal labor migration in northern Bangladesh Yes Report Mixed evidence; research ongoing Condom promotion and distribution Yes Report Limited evidence of effectiveness Distribution of eyeglasses in developing countries Yes Report Evidence is less compelling Early childhood psychosocial stimulation Yes Report Evidence is less compelling Education in developing countries Yes Report Limited evidence of effectiveness to date Immunization to prevent meningitis A Yes Report Lack of room for more funding Integrated community case management Yes Report Limited evidence of effectiveness Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy Yes Report Limited evidence of effectiveness Mass media to promote behavior change Yes Report Limited evidence of effectiveness to date Non-therapeutic zinc supplementation/fortification Yes Report Evidence is less compelling Soft skills certification Yes Report Evidence is less compelling Water quality (filtration, chlorination) Yes Report Evidence is less compelling Interventions to promote handwashing Yes, but at a shallow level Report Evidence is less compelling Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Yes, but at a shallow level Report Limited evidence of cost-effectiveness Maternal mortality reduction Yes, but not up-to-date Report Evidence is less compelling Microfinance Yes, but not up-to-date Report Limited evidence of effectiveness Water infrastructure Yes, but not up-to-date Report Evidence is less compelling How We Identified Programs for Investigation We first started working on identifying promising programs for investigation in 2009. At that time, we focused on reviewing two sources: 

The Copenhagen Consensus, the only case we have seen of an independent panel of experts attempting to identify the most promising philanthropic investments (discussed more here) Millions Saved, the best collection we have found of large-scale, well-documented past successes in international aid (discussed more here) If a program was both featured in one of these two publications and similar to a program focused on by one or more of the charities we reviewed, we generally conducted further investigation into the program. Details on which programs are featured in these two publications, which similar programs are focused on by the charities we've reviewed, and which programs we investigated are available here (XLS).

 Over time, we have added programs to this list; we have added any program that seems to potentially fit the criteria laid out at the top of the page. We place more emphasis than we previously did on external validity, and less on estimated cost-effectiveness, for reasons laid out in a 2012 blog post.

 We previously listed our best guesses about the evidence for interventions we had not completed reviews of; we no longer think this provides useful information and have removed these lines from this page.

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