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Top 10 Public Health Achievements of the Century -- The United States, 1900-1999

Coming up with the top 10 public health feats (or the top whatever) of the 20th century is something of an arbitrary exercise. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy has put together a list of the 100 major medical advances of the 20th century. Their top five advances are as follows:

1. Control of infectious disease;
2. Mass immunization campaigns;
3. Vitamins;
4. Cardiovascular risk factors; and
5. Rational drug design.

-- Medical Editor, MedicineNet.com

During the 20th century, the health and life expectancy of persons residing in the United States improved dramatically. Since 1900, the average lifespan of persons in the United States has lengthened by greater than 30 years; 25 years of this gain are attributable to advances in public health. The U.S. government's statistical reporting publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), reviewed health achievements of the 20th century and profiled ten as listed below.
