We often to talking about the value of a statistical life (John, why don't we have a primer on VSL in Env-Econ 101?), but less frequently talk about the cost of saving a statistical life. So here you go:
A U.S. aid program aimed at helping foreign countries battle the AIDS epidemic saved 740,000 lives from 2004-2008, according to a study published Tuesday.The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, was started by former president George W. Bush in 2003 with a five-year, $15 billion investment in global AIDS in 15 countries.The analysis by scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine in California examined health and survival information for 1.5 million adults in 27 African countries.The analysis found that in nine of the African countries targeted by the program, 740,000 lives were saved during a four-year span compared to countries were PEPFAR was not implemented."PEPFAR's success with HIV may be considered the clearest demonstration of aid's effectiveness in recent years," said the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
via www.mnn.com
Quick math:
$15,000,000,000 / 740,0000 lives saved = $20,270.27 per life saved.
