Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're suggesting they would have cut that because it was effective...?
I think the suggestion is that cuts are largely determined by the regime that instituted the program, independent of effectiveness.
Yes, this.
U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
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Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#12i've donated nets in the past, but I wonder if they ended up being used for fishing instead. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/world/africa/mosquito-net... I recently made it to (South) Africa for the first time. It was an incredible trip: https://www.instagram.com/p/BVtyKWylFkt/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BVtyq0flJvL/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BVty4K8FjBG/ I wish they/we could eliminate the malaria problem.
"The reporting in this case presented an unbalanced view of the magnitudes of the benefits and harms of distributing bed nets" more here:
http://blog.givewell.org/2015/02/05/putting-the-problem-of-b...
Another analysis:
"A comprehensive analysis of 14 surveys in several countries with 14,196 households showed that that the overwhelming majority of nets were used for malaria prevention, and only 255 nets were repurposed (which make up less than 1% overall). Furthermore, the majority of the repurposed nets were already considered too torn, indicating they had already served out their useful life for malaria prevention[62]. The authors conclude that national programmes and donor agencies should remain confident in the appropriate use of bednets." https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/post/2015/04/update-against-...
Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#13Now the devil's question: how are we going to feed all the people that survive because of this? Really, don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that lives are being saved. The amount of grief being spared by this, by not losing a child for so many families, is unimaginable. I am just wondering if we are not creating an even bigger problem by solving this problem before the other.
I am not an expert, but I believe malaria is most common in humid areas, where crop failures are rare.
edit: not completely disjoint but the overlap is small
Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#14Now the devil's question: how are we going to feed all the people that survive because of this? Really, don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that lives are being saved. The amount of grief being spared by this, by not losing a child for so many families, is unimaginable. I am just wondering if we are not creating an even bigger problem by solving this problem before the other.
Improving women's education and children's health is probably the best way to reduce uncontrolled population growth. Wanted, healthy children are more likely to grow up to be productive adults.
Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#15Now the devil's question: how are we going to feed all the people that survive because of this? Really, don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that lives are being saved. The amount of grief being spared by this, by not losing a child for so many families, is unimaginable. I am just wondering if we are not creating an even bigger problem by solving this problem before the other.
> Really, don't get me wrong
You're offering a most disingenuous argument.
Would a pediatric hospital in a relatively poorer town in the US ask the same question while treating a child?
Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#16Now the devil's question: how are we going to feed all the people that survive because of this? Really, don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that lives are being saved. The amount of grief being spared by this, by not losing a child for so many families, is unimaginable. I am just wondering if we are not creating an even bigger problem by solving this problem before the other.
Well, we have excess on one side and scarcity on the other side. Not that this can't be solved, it has never been a priority and probably will never be a priority to solve this problem. Please dont equate human life with philosophies of wealth distribution. God forbid, you may never know you may be poor in your country and your life may no longer be worth the medical treatment and maybe captitalism will win in that.
So please dont say they can have children cause they dont have money and people were interested more in looting this continents resources and destabilizing it than uplifting it.
Dare someone say something to this effect on black Americans and they will be crucified. Because these guys are from poor nations you can contemplate its a good idea millions not be born.
Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#17Now the devil's question: how are we going to feed all the people that survive because of this? Really, don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that lives are being saved. The amount of grief being spared by this, by not losing a child for so many families, is unimaginable. I am just wondering if we are not creating an even bigger problem by solving this problem before the other.
(I'll ignore the fact that we currently produce more food than the world needs, and much of that food is destroyed. http://www1.wfp.org/zero-hunger )
Children who survive can farm the land.
Children who die cannot farm the land.
Also, because so many of your children will die you have more children.
If more of your children survive you'll have fewer children.
http://www.irinnews.org/report/94947/lesotho-weather-extreme...
> In a country where nearly 60 percent of the population live below the poverty line, and some 40 percent live in extreme poverty, such weather extremes are pushing the coping mechanisms of families already devastated by the effects of HIV and AIDS to breaking point. Lesotho has one of the highest prevalences of HIV in the world. The epidemic has created a shortage of farm labour and left 130,000 children orphaned, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
> Malebohang Makhoathi, a 68-year-old widow, has over four hectares of land in Ha Makhoathi, just outside the capital, Maseru - more than enough for her to grow all the food she needs to feed the four grandchildren in her care, but she has not ploughed the fields for the last six years since her son, the family's main breadwinner, passed away. She has neither the money nor the manpower to cultivate the land and is contemplating selling it for short-term relief.
> “The money will make some difference in my family, even if it’s for a short period of time,” said Makhoathi, who will have to wait another two years before she qualifies for a government pension
Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#18Now the devil's question: how are we going to feed all the people that survive because of this? Really, don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that lives are being saved. The amount of grief being spared by this, by not losing a child for so many families, is unimaginable. I am just wondering if we are not creating an even bigger problem by solving this problem before the other.
the bulk of starvation in many countries is purely political.
no personal rights and just as important no private property rights. the latter means you cannot build wealth and improve your position, your families, and your community. nations that don't respect all these rights tend to stagnate or those having lost them spiral down as they burn through accumulated wealth.
we one farm a third of the arable land available, so if we want to feed all these people in the world we need to find a carrot to offer their political class, this could even mean buying them off to eventually leave. it can also eventually mean taking the hardest choice and removing those in power but this is not a tenable solution in many cases and should only be last resort.
i would prefer to pull up surrounding countries that will play ball and hopefully convert neighboring countries that way.
Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#19This will kill the rainforrest in Africa. Because the survivors will use it for bushmeat, wood, jobs, fields for cows, ...
Re: U.S. Malaria Donations Saved Almost 2M African Children
#20Now the devil's question: how are we going to feed all the people that survive because of this? Really, don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that lives are being saved. The amount of grief being spared by this, by not losing a child for so many families, is unimaginable. I am just wondering if we are not creating an even bigger problem by solving this problem before the other.
I imagine they'll feed themselves, like you do. In fact a lot of people in the developing world grow and raise their own food.