MESSAGE BOARD
Experts say the solutions to the annual loss of 8.8 million lives to preventable diseases, infections, and childbirth complications are within reach. Boston.com users share their thoughts on how to begin to solve this global health tragedy.
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I thought this article was an eye opener. I am torn on many of the issues, as I am sure so many readers are as well. I agree that we should face our own problems here in the United States FIRST. We have people here who cannot afford health care and die because there was no other option for them. Haven't seen any articles like this one on that issue. The people in these third world countries suffer at the hands of disease and over population. I agree that birth control and prevention is going to be the best weapon for them in fighting these constant issues. I did once hear a woman speak--she used to go to Haiti to administer vaccinations and other medications to these poorer than poor. One poignant point she made was on the birth control issue---every one was saying, "why don't they STOP having children?". Her answer was this...their children are all they have. They don't have big houses, cars, computers, dishwashers, etc. They have their kids and that is IT. It would be like taking away everything. I don't think there is an easy answer. Walk in their shoes---just for a minute. Imagine if you had to watch the people you love die on a daily basis?? I think you would forget whether or not you were liberal or conservative..you would be out for one thing....SURVIVAL.
CMF, Newton
If people are dying or are sick and cannot afford proper medicines, then it is the obligation of the world, not just the United States to pitch in and help. We are not the only people that should be promoting peace, yet the world turns to us and protests when we try and engage in a solution to an immenent threat. Any ignorant fool who can't remember what Mr. Hussein did ten years ago should not even have a say in today's engagement because we should have taken care of that problem years ago - it's our fault that we didn't, so we are going in to clean that mess up. Too many people oppose the "warring ways" of the United States. But how many of them were greatful that we are there for them day in, day out. How many soldiers would you look in the eye and protest war? They're fighting for YOU - not because they were born militant or had nowhere to go. We have brought peace and security to every country being destroyed by war (yes, some execptions, but just hear me out), yet they denounce us and choose not to back us. Yet when a flood causes billions in damages, who's there to clean it up and lend a helping hand? We are. Quit complaining about the freedoms that we are all afforded and don't work for. Too many selfish and ungreatful "Americans" take freedom for granted. Shall we show you the 9/11 tapes again? Have you already forgotten? Don't dwell on it, but if you forget about it, then your hearts are dead. We should not be held responsible for every little mishap in the world. When are people going to join us in helping everybody out instead of always asking for it? Some people should stop biting the hand that feeds. Simply put, AIDS is not a problem that the US has an answer to; we shouldn't be expected to stop it. Malnourishment is a problem that the entire world can lend a hand in fixing. Not to say that this is not our problem, but we shouldn't be held accountable to solve it every single time. Or are you trying to say that we have the most powerful means of medicinal services? Are you trying to say that American volunteers & workers are indeed far superior than that of the rest of the world? Get your stories straight. See it from both sides. We didn't create this world, but we are forced to live in it. We need a means of survival, protection and we need to stop being so passive and tolerant. That's why 9/11 happened in the first place. Once you forget that, it will happen again and then where will you be? Forgivness? Tolerance? Peace? Welcome to the new world. It's 2003. IF YOU WANT PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR.
George, Needham
I think this is truly a sad thing to see with so much money in the world today. I can also understand that our country is in need of assistance in some sort of way. But to witness this by hand and not be able to do much just hurts me inside. We in the U.S are held accountable for this because we live like Kings and Queens in this country compared to these places around the world (this is why people come here). When we get sick, we're seen immediatly. These people in other countries have to sometimes wait 3-5 days to be seen. How awful it feels to know this.I give to World vision, And i believe each and everyone of us can also give to a needy child. No one deserves to be treated this way. You know what? It's not about you or me, or this country and our possessions. It's about love. When will we stop giving excuses and begin to see the real meaning of life. Life is all about sharing and giving (THIS IS WHAT WE TAKE WITH US WHEN WE DIE...our relationships). It's not about the fast cars or the amount of money you have in your bank account. Life is about LOVE. This, we take to the grave when we die. Not the BMW. Satan is a lier....
Ney, Boston
But what can we do? Please, please include any way we can take action. So many of us are caring people who just don't know what to do.
Patricia, Walpole
To the Globe: Great job for exposing these stories, these facts, these nightmares. We all need to be reminded how lucky we are for the infinite amount of choices we have and the wonderful opportunities for men, for women, for children in our country. Thank you. In response to Jean in Fairhope, AL’s question of why these articles weren’t presented when Clinton was in office and her accusation that the only reason the Globe is printing it now is because Bush is in office: That is pure folly. If you take a simple look at 1) the steps Clinton took in his two terms to help to bring AIDS under control in the US and 2) the number of infected AIDS patients around the world over the last 10 years, you will see that the numbers have increased so quickly in the past few years and have just begun to get the attention they deserve. They aren’t trying to make Bush look bad; besides, he does that on his own. In response Laurie in Shrewsbury: I agree with the anonymous writer above: take your pro-life cause elsewhere. Ugh! I agree with Ann in Boston. As citizens of the world, as fellow human beings, as compassionate individuals, we have a responsibility to lead by example. Some of you say, ‘the world cannot support everyone because there’s overpopulation’ – okay, listen up: the world can’t support everyone having YOUR LIFESTYLE!! There isn’t enough fuel to run everyone’s SUVs, there aren’t enough trees for everyone to have a half-a-million dollar house (and a summer place in the Hamptons), and there aren’t enough resources to have breakfast buffets, where half the food is thrown away, on every corner. This is the point Americans need to realize! If everyone was living and producing the massive amounts of waste we in America produce, we would all be dead from an intolerable environment. We have to start leading by example. This doesn’t mean communism! This means acting as a community! We need to stop focusing on our material greed culture, on our selfishness and narrow perspective. There is a way to make this world sustainable and one of the many reasons why our government doesn’t support this is because our politicians are all businessmen who are more concerned with the flow of money in this country than the well being of the world’s people. They deserve to die? I’ve read two responses that say all of these people deserve to die! Shame on you! Only Americans and Europeans should live? I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anything so despicable in my lifetime. I have a feeling that if you were born in one of these less-fortunate countries, you would feel differently about seeing your mother, your father, and your siblings survive. Your stance is the most grossly un-American thing I have ever heard. Some advice: Take a walk to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and remind yourself of the principles this country was founded upon. I could go on, but there’s only so much I can say here. As for our decision on war, let the inspections work!
Karen, Astoria, NY
I believe this type of travesty is consistent with the falied foreign policies provided to Africa (continent as a whole). The international community provides services to the continent based on pre-colonial ideology, the European Union (especially the French) have their approach, the US have their approach and everyone else has their own approach. What Africa needs is a nationalistic approach to save itself from all the ills it faces, one Africa, one Nation, one Power. But, greed gets in the way.
Yul Anderson, Boston
John, Colin, David and Raja: Thank you for writing about people, such as Nenani -- your pieces and insight brought the global crisis of inadequate healthcare into our homes on Sunday. It was difficult to read their stories without questioning the importance of decisions we, our companies and our government make on a daily basis. I could not help but feel sick to my stomach as I watched the nearly $8 million in PepsiCo Super Bowl advertisements last evening; earlier in the day I read that Malawi only spends $7 per person on healthcare -- funds that come entirely from outside donors -- and about the dire situation many Malawians and people around the globe face when it comes to the basic human right of healthcare. Last year I raised $12,000 from friends and family for AIDS programs in South Africa and the culmination of my efforts brought me to South Africa to hike 75 miles for those charities. This was my first visit to the continent and I was overwhelmed by the beautiful people who struggle every single day just to survive. Families with next to no material possessions -- living in poverty levels that cannot be found, much less imagined, in the US -- attend funerals of loved ones every week. I continually found myself asking "why" and answering only with "if only there were more....". I quickly came to realize that AIDS was not the only challenge the people in sub-Saharan Africa face, but perhaps the one taking the largest visible toll. The trip opened my eyes to the fact that entire generations are being wiped out because they cannot access basic healthcare that we take for granted in the U.S. With the simplest access to basic healthcare, many South Africans would survive -- just as many Cambodian women would survive childbirth, Russians would survive TB and Guatemalan children would survive childhood. Many programs in countries around the globe ARE working to bring better healthcare to the poor -- thank you for showcasing several of them in your stories. These programs, given the proper funding and support, could be scaled to meet the needs of a global community and fulfill one of the most basic rights of human beings. Thank you again for bringing these important stories to readers in Boston and throughout the country. Nenani would have been glad to know he made it to America. Cheers, Kelly C.
Kelly , Boston
I've really had it with people, especially Americans, blaming America for the problems of the 3rd world. I am also tired of listening to the standard diatribe that it is America's responsibility to solve the problems, mostly with $$. What about all these other so-called "Super Power" nations? When was the last time France did anything for anyone other than France? How about Canada? Russia? China? They are, by the way usually the first to point out the problems and the first to throw our name onto the table when it comes time to start ponying up $$ for the so-called solution. I work about 10-12 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, which does not leave much time for my family, but that's the way it is. Those people that want to give $$ to solve hunger problems in Africa, leave me out of it. I am not interested in working long hours so some do-gooder can take my $$ and give it to a foreign nation where it will be spent on the military of some third-rate nation by a two-bit dictator (that we'll probably have to go and remove someday because he is using our $$ to slaughter his neighbors and his own people. The $$ we send will buy us no good will at all from any of these people or nations. They will be the first to let the shank fly when our back is turned. An earlier reader was bemoaning the poor little boy that had to spend all days searching and digging for some rich American's diamond. Guess what, that is a job that many would love to have in many of those countries as there isn't a real market for jobs available to these people. We have to stop trying to compare our society and standards of living to those of outher countries. Our standard of living is better because we worked at it harder to make it so. Many of these other countries predate America, why have they not build civilizations similar? About spending $$ on war versus feeding and medicating people in Africa: if I am going to work long hours to give a goodly portion to the Government, than I at least want something for my $$. I want the security that I am entitled to by paying taxes. Food for the poor is nice, but it's my $$, my country, and I want my military protection first so I can enjoy the freedom that allows me to pursue my own happiness to the level of my ability to work to afford it. If we really want to cure the world's problems, instead of $$, we should package up all the cause-heads and anti-America nuts in the country and send them there to teach these people how to build a peaceful and happy nation. Even if it doesn't solve their problems, at least it will solve ours.
John, Uxbridge
Too many human beings think of themselves first. We are into self gratification. We spend our money on good times,good food and overindulgence of all sorts. We are merely products of this wonderful system so we are not all to blame. This is the greatest civilization ever, but it just isn't good enough. Our society teaches the wrong values. We dont know any better. We need to be taught to share, to love , to care, to give. They need to start teaching subjects like empathy and sympathy and compassion and love. When the economies of these poor countries are upgraded then they will be able to afford better healthcare The wealthy countries need to help build and sustain the economic growth of the poorer countries. Bill Gates as an individual is on the right track. It's great that wealthy individuals share and if more did the world would be that much better.It's super kind when people of modest means give too. In too many cases though we like our material wealth and we want more for ourselves We may not like the way the world order stands but lifes been pretty good for most of us and its uncomfortable for us to read about poverty and disease we feel bad for a moment and then get distracted with our own problems as little or as large as they seem in relation I suppose for many people it's not in their best interest to share care or give. Thats too bad and I feel sorry for them for they are empty and cold whether they feel it, know it or not.
Markus, N Easton
Thank you so much for this effort. I only wish you would have done it sooner. I was particularly taken with Dominic Chavez' images. Might I suggest that the Globe consider running a 2" box on page one for the next year (actually forever would be much more meaningful) that would give your average reader a tip on how they can help... maybe suggest a way the average person can DO SOMETHING on a human scale. Huge problems need to be made smaller for people to grasp... as your marvelous piece suggests.... Maybe suggest neighborhood-based ways to participate... Wouldn't it be nice if instead of Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly sending dome college kid to have a Thanksgiving dinner with an elderly person, the persons next door neighbor would invite them over... let's think globally and act locally. Keep up the work.
Roy, Jamaica Plain
