It’s been awhile since I’ve had some time to write on here, and you’re not going to get spiritually fed with this one, but here’s what’s on my mind…:)
It’s no secret by now that each year, millions of people are dieing in sub-Saharan Africa due to HIV/AIDS and other diseases stemming from malnutrition and unclean water.
But what’s absolutely inexcusable is that there are resources available to prevent or at least treat these problems.
Problem #1)
When it comes to fighting HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, or even poverty in general, many of the resources that have been sent over (whether money, food, or drugs) simply aren’t making it to the people. Corrupt governments and leaders keep the money or food for themselves and the people in sub-Saharan Africa remain stuck in a poverty trap.
Problem #2)
As a result of the first problem, many developed nations have stopped giving aid altogether, demanding that regimes change before any further aid will be sent into the country.
Problem #3)
Unless forced to do so because of a declared “state of medical emergency,” large pharmaceutical companies refuse to allow these impoverished nations to buy cheaper generic drugs from countries such as Brazil and India. Malaria can be treated for less than a dollar and the generic drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS cost less than $2 per person, yet these large pharmaceutical companies threaten to refuse to sell these nations ANY of their other drugs if they don’t buy their (more expensive) medicines for these illnesses.
This is absolutely ridiculous…close to a million people die from malaria each year in sub-Saharan Africa yet it’s not considered a “medical emergency”, thus, these large pharmaceuticals can get away with this…
I kind of wonder if any of the people making these decisions for these companies have ever been to Africa and seen the poverty and suffering first-hand that could easily be prevented should they ever trade in their selfishness for a little bit of compassion. I’m not saying AIDS or malaria would cease to exist, but it’d be a step in the right direction…
Praise God for people like Bill Gates and Kojo Benjamin-Taylor that are sick of watching the developed nations of the world sit back and watch from a distance as millions of Africans die from preventable or treatable diseases.
While most politicians are content to blame poverty on bad politics and even others otherwise in favor of private aid like Jeffrey Sachs wait for the middle class to become empowered and overthrow the government, both Gates and Taylor are actually DOING something and going DIRECTLY to the people.
We can watch and wait for regimes and governments to change all we want, but in the meantime, entire generations of people in sub-Saharan Africa are being wiped off the map.
