http://news.yahoo.com/warns-measles-spread-europe-132902661.html
Measles, a disease that many in the developed world are vaccinated for at birth, has made a return across Europe and Africa. While the quick spread of measles is alarming, it's not even the most disturbing thing. 90% of the cases of measles in Europe are people who haven't been vaccinated for it, or did not receive follow up boosters for it. If we can't even vaccinate and immunize people in well-developed countries, like France, how can we hope to vaccinate almost everyone in developing and undeveloped countries? The MDG to reduce childhood mortality relies strongly on the use of vaccinations to eradicate communicable, but preventable diseases.
To compound the difficulties of even getting one vaccine to a large majority of the world population, the measles vaccine requires two doses. This makes it very hard to make sure everyone who gets the first vaccine, also gets the second. This outbreak of measles has made it very clear that the road to achieve all the MDGs will be a very long, obstacle-ridden route. If the most powerful countries in the world with the supposedly highest standards of living cannot ward off preventable diseases, how can we expect to help un-industrialized countries lacking proper infrastructures to get such basic healthcare?
While we still must continue progress in developing countries to reach the MDGs, we also now need to focus on the MDGs in our own home countries. Healthcare and healthcare services have fallen in importance to our governments, and as such, has fallen out of the public eye. Unless a huge national or international scare occurs, we often don't hear about the behind-the-scenes work, or lack thereof, in health policy.
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ReplyDeleteIt is surprising that some of people even in developed countries, like France do not have access to vaccination and immunization. Recently many international health organization had focus on the problem in developing countries that some of poor class people in developed countries left out that even though they are suffering from many health issues as much as people in poor developing countries. However, it does not mean we need to care lesser about health issues in developing countries but it is important not to forget out people who are left out in developed countries.
ReplyDeleteA key part of fixing the problem is knowing where the problem stems from in the first place. People in developed countries are not getting vaccines, and obviously this must be solved, but what is the cause of them not getting vaccines? Are people ignorant of the benefits, or are they misled into thinking the negatives outweigh the positives? Or maybe they simply don't have access to them or can't afford them for a variety of reasons. I agree that the problem must be taken care of, as having something like this happen in developed countries is grim news, but it's not as simple as telling people to "fix it".
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