No wonder the WHO had the money to spend studying and pontificating on the dangers of fast food. Seems they were able to save lots of money buying the off patent drugs of the 1970s to treat malaria victims in Africa. The only minor problem is that these drugs don’t work on malaria any longer because the parasite developed resistance.
About 1,000,000 people, mostly African children, die each year from malaria. Yes, WHO has been violating their own guidelines by using useless drugs. Yes ten of thousands of people have died as a result. But at least WHO hasn’t been enriching those evil drug companies like Novartis that produce drugs that would actually save people’s lives. That counts for something.
"the same type of problem occurs with antibiotics to deal with infection as some infectious agents eventually become antibiotic-resistant. "
The reason for this has largely been because of over prescribing of anti-biotics by MD’s. It’s just a matter of time before the anti-biotic resistant super bugs arrive.
It’s a world wide problem in all developed countries, some countries probably more than others. Problem is, the super bugs will not respect international borders.
This situation does not reflect on the doctors in the field. They are doing thankless jobs I could never do. There is a place in heaven reserved for them.
This reflects on the bureaucrats at the UN. Their policies are as evil and deadly as the Hussein’s of the world. The is a place in hell reserved for them.
The entire pourpose of the Global Fund is deliver drugs to poor countries that can’t afford them. Forgive me if I don’t take their pontifications on fast food any more seriously than they take the lives of African children.
"This situation does not reflect on the doctors in the field. "
Where do you get your information. Would like to know what cult you belong to.
The problem is over prescribing anti-biotics by MD’s in developed countries, not the WHO is trying to do work in third world nations. Too many doctors will hand out anti-biotics for the common cold, etc knowing full well they are dealing with a virus which is unaffected by anti-biotics.
The other part of the problem is that often patients do not finish off the perscription but stop once they begin to feel better but before the bacteria is completely killed. The bacteria then can sometimes mutate into a resistant free strain. It’s just a matter of time before some truly deadly drug resistant super bug appears and reeks havoc on the planet. Of course then you can blame it on the WHO or the liberals.
The real cause is that DDT was banned before an effective substitute could be found to replace it. Prior to the DDT ban. malaria rates were declining. After the ban, they started going back up. How many human lives are worth the life of a bird?
Although I was generally aware of this WHO sponsored disaster, my information today comes from The Wall Street Journal which in turn has gotten much of this pass of the story from Lancet. I would quote the whole article, but it is a subscription site. Here is one small segment:
“According to the Lancet, the aid agencies have continued to recommend off-patent drugs chloroquine and SP, which once worked but began failing in the 1970s as the parasite developed resistance. The most effective malaria treatments available today are Artemesinin Combination Therapies (ACTs), patented drugs that not only clear parasites from the blood more quickly but also reduce the chances that drug resistance will develop.”
I do not dispute the over prescribing of antibiotics problems. My reference to doctors in the field was very clearly in the context of those doctors who work in the field in Africa. Your cult reference was inappropriate and calls for an apology.
Many things are complicated in this world, but many more are very simple. There are effective treatments for malaria, but WHO didn’t want to use them. They instead wanted to save a buck. The result is thousands of dead children in Africa. They did have the money for a fast food study though.
Yes Francois, I know a lot of those doctors work for Doctors without Borders, which is largely a French organization. God bless them.
I guess I don’t understand the references. The first is about a new Canadian drug of questionable effectiveness. There is nothing new about questionably effective drugs. The second article specifically dismisses the treatments as ineffective that continue to be used under WHO supervision.
I know you can argue more persuasively than this Francois. It is no fun arguing with you unless you bring your A game. Time to step up.
As I’ve understood malaria, and I’m sure no expert, the problems have been not only finding a drug that works but also one that is affordable. Also the drug resistant strains have been popping up faster than anticipated.
Thanks for that reference Ceveloguy. Not only is the drug ineffective, but apparently we have known for six years right down to the chromosome level precisely why it is not effective.
WHO continues to use it anyway, in Africa at least. I doubt it is used if a patient arrives in Brussels with the disease.
" The real cause is that DDT was banned before an effective substitute could be found to replace it. Prior to the DDT ban. malaria rates were declining. After the ban, they started going back up. How many human lives are worth the life of a bird?"
You took the words right outta my mouth (or you typed the words right off my fingers).
Millions have died needlessly since the DDT ban, because of some very short-sighted whacky environmentalist policy.
Even GOOD malaria medicine is a small Band-Aid™ for a huge gashing wound that never should have been gashed.
As that stoopid song (the one bagging on evil DDT) says, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…”
True.
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I’m no expert on this and I’ll have to do a lot more research before I could carry this conversation further. But you can be sure WHO is not deliberately trying to kill African children and they are certainly trying to do the best they can with limited resources. Another ref.
I read the article, but it is a two year old press release. Apparently the policy was never put into effect. WHO continues to use 40 year old drugs. One would wonder why. I am guessing it has something to do with saving a buck.
If you ran WHO which is tasked with handling the never ending malaria disaster, would you use some of your funds to study fast food? Me neither.
No cerveloguy, WHO doesn’t intend to kill African children, that is simply the result of their actions. In the liberal tradition, we need to judge people by their intentions, rather than their results. Hopefully the African parents agree.
I am really glad we have that fast food study though.
It will take me a few hours to get up to speed on non-additive integrals, but if you send me the link Francois, I will be happy to curl up with it.
They are a strange looking bunch. I do remember seeing ‘Tommy’ while in high school, I thought it was great. My favorite Who song is probably ‘Bab O’Reilly’ Spike Lee used it to great effect in the movie ‘Summer of Sam’ where the punk guy is playing it alone and maybe smashing his guitar if I remember correctly.
This sounds like a really interesting paper Francois, but being an Ivy League snob, I really can’t lower myself to examining the Rutgers web site for intellectual stimulation.
the drugs aren’t useless, just less effective. Also note the alternatives to chloroquine cannot be taken for long periods because they have significant psychotropic effects.
In addition, the new drugs are simply too expensive. Similiar to the AIDS controversies in South Africa - as a matter of public health, do you spend your budget on expensive drugs for AIDS patients, or on providing clean water and basic healthcare for the whole population ? Do you buy the more effective drug and cover a few people, or the less expensive and effective one, to cover the whole population ? Epidemiologists and statisticians might be able to answer that on utilitarian grounds, but heaven send I never need to make that decision.
I was taking chloroquine when I contracted a resistant strain of P. falciparum, which almost killed me. Since then I’ve taken the other drugs, man they are a trip…