When it comes to understanding biology and finding cure it seems the 21st century we are going back in time.
disease,AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria each kill over a million people annually. HIV remains without a cure or vaccine, and is growing rapidly in India and much of the African continent. Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern for organisms such as tuberculosis. Other diseases, such as SARS, ebola, and flu variations, are also causes for concern. The World Health Organization has warned of a possible coming flu pandemic resulting from bird flu mutations.
World Health Organization deaths
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_killer
By disease, conditions (Excluding abortion and euthanasia)
Ischaemic heart disease 7,208,000 13%
Cerebrovascular disease 5,509,000 10%
Lower respiratory tract infection 3,884,000 7%
HIV/AIDS 2,777,000 5%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 2,748,000 5%
Perinatal conditions (low birthweight, birth asphyxia, birth trauma) 2,462,000 4%
Diarrhoeal diseases 1,798,000 3%
Tuberculosis 1,566,000 3%
Malaria 1,272,000 2%
Trachea/bronchus/lung cancers 1,243,000 2%
Road traffic accidents 1,192,000 2%
Childhood diseases (pertussis, polio, diphtheria, measles, tetanus) 1,124,000 2%
Diabetes mellitus 988,000 2%
Other unintentional injuries (besides road traffic accidents, poisoning, falls, fires, drowning) 923,000 2%
Hypertensive heart disease 911,000 2%
Self-inflicted injuries (suicide) 873,000 2%
Stomach cancer 850,000 2%
Cirrhosis of the liver 786,000 1%
Nephritis/nephrosis 677,000 1%
Colon/rectal cancer 622,000 1%
Liver cancer 618,000 1%
Violence 559,000 1%
Breast cancer 477,000 1%
Esophageal cancer 446,000 1%
Inflammatory heart disease 404,000 1%
Alzheimer and other dementias 397,000 1%
Falls 392,000 1%