Is figuring out ways to save more lives from illnesses really a good thing?
I think it is a good thing.
How good is humanity in general at such things? Suffice to say we still have room for innovation.
The Struggle is harsh enough - we might as well allocate some of our own time (or, as a society, allocate competent/talented humans) to enthusiastically probe that topic.
As a Homeopath, I spend some of my time analyzing health problems and making recommendations to optimize the probability of desired outcomes. These efforts have thus far been "good" for all parties involved.