Media Empowering People

learn more about Altruist’s November nonprofit

Knowledge is easily one of the best ways to reduce the spread of disease and bring more positive outcomes to common health issues. Worldwide, 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year, half of which could be prevented with simple interventions. In the developing world, there are many hurdles for effective healthcare — one of which is access to information about nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS, and family planning. This month’s nonprofit is working to bridge this knowledge gap by creating mass media campaigns that address these types of issues and are broadcast in the areas of the world that need them most.

Development Media International (DMI) has run campaigns in over 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe and is currently running large-scale programs in Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In the world of healthcare-focused charities, what makes DMI unique is its focus on demand-side issues. Instead of providing supplies and healthcare workers, they encourage communities and families to make use of the healthcare services already available to them. Their foundational approach has been proven to be highly-effective at saving lives and changing behaviors.

Their research and dedication to effectiveness is vast and inspiring. They are the first organization to run a randomized controlled trial to prove that a mass media campaign can save lives.

DMI’s radio campaign in Burkina Faso measurably increased visits to health centers, thus saving the lives of thousands of children under five who would otherwise die from preventable diseases such as malaria, pneumonia or diarrhea. Based on this campaign, DMI estimates that it costs about $20 to provide a child with another year of healthy life and $600 to save the life of a child who would otherwise have died from preventable infectious diseases.

DMI has been recognized as a Standout Charity by Givewell and are a Recommended Charity by The Life You Can Save. We are excited to see how our November dollars can help reach under-served populations in rural areas and extend and save lives.

Learn more about the Altruist community and how you can make your dent $1 at a time at joinAltruist.com.