The widespread of infectious diseases gave birth to social medicine efforts to improve public health. During this time period a great number of people have suffered and died because there were no drugs available to remedy such problems. Among these infectious diseases that have caused great mortality rates are: tuberculosis, malaria, influenza, and HIV/AIDS.
Scientists and medical practitioners have spent time and effort developing vaccines and antidotes to prevent the further spread of such diseases and to lessen the mortality rates in a given population.