Sir

Each year, the world rightly honours the best contributors to science, economy, literature and peace. However, these accolades stop short of their ultimate objective, which is the improvement of the human condition, especially where living conditions are atrocious. There is no commensurate recognition for scientific work that directly improves the quality of life of the poor and underprivileged.

It should not be difficult to design such a prize, because there are now indicators to measure socioeconomic development. What has emerged is that science, technology, creative economic principles, elegance in literature and even sacrifices for peace do not in themselves reduce poverty and alienation. Progress requires deliberate attempts to link these advances with efforts to provide basic needs, empower the poor and banish inequity and injustice.

What should be singled out for support and commendation are ways to bring together knowledge and grass-roots community action. Underdevelopment is the greatest threat to world peace and global environmental security, and therefore deserves special intellectual and scientific consideration. A serious, well-publicized prize to honour those who have used imagination and innovation to push back disease, deprivation and injustice is the most important prize of all, if the objective is survival of a civilized planet.