Towards a global social contract.(Editor's choice)(Editorial)

In South Asia, which contains a quarter of the world's population, half the population live below the poverty line. Some 34% of the world's child deaths occur in the region, which has almost two thirds of the global burden of malnutrition. Of the nearly 4 million child deaths a year over two thirds are attributable to infection. In addition, India has the second highest burden of HIV and AIDS in the world, with 4.58 million people infected with HIV.

Infection is rampant--but so are non-communicable diseases. India has more people with diabetes than any other country, and a third of Pakistanis over 45 have hypertension. In India about half of deaths from cardiovascular …