This was my first thought too. Since malaria is most deadly to young children and pregnant women, I’d want to consider the effects on Celeste, who watches her two-year-old die, and Dayo, who watches his pregnant wife die. As the parent of a toddler, I can say that investing a lot of resources into her and then watching her die doesn’t seem like a net positive, even considering that she has enjoyed much of her two years so far.
While GiveWell’s calculations around malaria are based on the lives saved (not other benefits like preventing illness or benefits to family members of not having their loved ones die), this consideration makes it seem very reasonable to me to consider that preventing deaths of people who are already known and loved is a good thing in itself.
This was my first thought too. Since malaria is most deadly to young children and pregnant women, I’d want to consider the effects on Celeste, who watches her two-year-old die, and Dayo, who watches his pregnant wife die. As the parent of a toddler, I can say that investing a lot of resources into her and then watching her die doesn’t seem like a net positive, even considering that she has enjoyed much of her two years so far.
While GiveWell’s calculations around malaria are based on the lives saved (not other benefits like preventing illness or benefits to family members of not having their loved ones die), this consideration makes it seem very reasonable to me to consider that preventing deaths of people who are already known and loved is a good thing in itself.