Groups have tried to create new treatments for this disease, but they had to abandon their work. This is because the customers could not pay the high prices needed to develop a new drug. It was said that, "the measures will do little, they say, to solve a broader problem: the disparity in spending on research and development for diseases of the rich and those of the poor." This shows that people a reluctant to pay money for disease research when the diseases don't effect them. With Kala-azar, for example, people would be paying thousands of dollars to benefit people who can't afford to help themselves, when they could be during diseases that affect the people paying. There is a new proposal to fight this deadly disease. This proposal includes a non-profit plan that the World Health Organization (WHO) will consider at the organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on January 20-25.
I think it is important to know that there are still many diseases that effect people around the world. Many of these people effected cannot afford to help themselves, so it is important that people keep that in mind. In poorer countries, people are victims to these horrible diseases and can't do anything about it. If hundreds of thousands of people are living with diseases such as Kala-azar and need our help. We are lucky enough to live in a country where medical treatment is readily available, but other people are not so lucky.
I chose this article to show the importance of giving back and knowing what is going around in the world around us.
This is a really interesting article because it does show the extremes around the world that we are not used to seeing. I think that it is important for people fortunate enough to live in an area of low disease and high income to donate towards research for those less fortunate. The fact that this disease could probably be combatted with the proper funding shows the necessity of human compassion, even though most Americans are not troubled with this disease. There is hope in the fact that the WHO is planning on discussing this matter, and I wonder what the current view on the situation is for the people who are apart of the organization.
ReplyDeleteI liked that you chose an article that focused not only on an infectious disease, but also made a statement about our society. It is upsetting that some people are reluctant to help a fellow human just because they themselves are not at risk. I also find it surprising that this is such a deadly disease, yet I have never even heard of it. I agree with you when you say that this article allows readers to become more aware of what's happening around them. Hopefully they can make some advances in curing this disease...
ReplyDeleteI think this article is very interesting and I liked how you focused it on infectious disease. I agree with Stephanie Cohen at how it is upsetting that people are reluctant to be helping to prevent just because they are at risk.
ReplyDelete