On Monday Oct. 5, the Nobel Peace Prize committee awarded three scientists its prize for medicine for two anti-parasitic drugs, according to Mother Jones magazine. One fights the effects of malaria and one treats two lesser known but equally devastating diseases.

Youyou Tu, the first ever Chinese medicine laureate while Japanese microbiologist, Satoshi Omura and William Campbell, an Irish-born U.S. scientist will share the $960,000 prize, according to Wink News.

Tu turned to ancient Chinese texts while working for the Chinese military to figure out a common treatment for malaria. She is cited for discovering artemisinin, which will help millions worldwide.

Omura and Campbell discovered avermictin, which has helped fight river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. These diseases are caused by parasitic worms and affect millions in Africa and Alaska, reported Wink News.

Lymphatic filariasis is a mosquito-transmitted worm that lodges itself in the lymphatic system, which can cause issues with the kidneys and immune system. In worst cases, it can cause extreme swelling and disfigurement of tissues, limbs, and genitals, reported Mother Jones magazine.

The disease affect 40 million mostly in Africa and South Asian countries, according to the World Health Organization.

Mother Jones magazine wrote that river blindness is a disease spread by the bite of a backfly, which is found in the rivers. The parasite produces a larvae that moves through human tissue causing severe itching, skin rashes, and eye lesions.

The eye lesions can cause blindness and the disease currently affects an estimated 270,000 people.