I’ve felt similarly in the past, and it has motivated me to make some career changes. This was one of the reasons I stopped designing very expensive basketball shoes. It didn’t stop very expensive basketball shoes being sold to kids who probably could use that money for something else mind you.
There is an interesting saying “if you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”
The issues you bring up are the problems that have faced humanity since the literal beginning of civilization. They are always shifting, and they certainly require creative problem solving just to stem the tide. Can a designer help? Not likely in my opinion, not as a designer int the traditional sense. But someone who is willing to devote his life to a specific facet and apply creative problem solving definitely can. It all depends on what you really want to do and where you feel most effective.
Have you seen waiting for superman?
http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/action/page/about-educators-geoffrey-canada