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Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

nytimes.com

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Re: Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

#11

Post by maaku »

Ygg2 wrote: post #4
amelius wrote: post #2

Solution: besides giving out mosquito nets, also give out fishing nets...

That's a non solution. Giving them nets and fishing nets will only make then sell the fishing nets and using the mosquito nets for their fishing needs. One solution is to look for another solution. Like a genetically modified mosquito that is inhospitable to malaria and outcompetes regular mosquito. Other is to try stabilizing the region.

Or destroy all mosquitoes.

Re: Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

#12

Post by sigzero »

brudgers wrote: post #10
ipsin wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article makes it pretty clear that overfishing is likely to wipe out local fish populations.

As opposed to entire marine fisheries destroyed by industrialized fishing that puts tins of tuna on grocery shelves.

Which has nothing to do with the article.

Re: Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

#13

Post by erroneousfunk »

frozenport wrote: post #9
perlgeek wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Welcome to the wealthy nation's interactions with Africa. To think "we" can tell people what problem they should solve (Malaria) when not even their food supply is secured, that's just hubris. Knowing Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it's Physiological needs (food) vs Safety needs (Malaria protection). And the former are more basic, so expecting anything else shows little foresight (easy to say in hindsight, I know).

We solved other diseases without solving the food problem.

Yes, but you couldn't eat the vaccinations. This particular problem is caused by the safety solution also, accidentally, doubling as a means to procure food.

Re: Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

#14

Post by hristov »

amelius wrote: post #2

Solution: besides giving out mosquito nets, also give out fishing nets...

The solution is to make nets weaker so they break if used for fishing. You do not need a strong net for mosquitoes but you do need one for fishing. Also, maybe if there is real hunger provide food relief as well.

Re: Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

#15

Post by lumpypua »

perlgeek wrote: post #5
Havoc wrote: post #3

Welcome to Africa - one step forward two steps back.

Welcome to the wealthy nation's interactions with Africa. To think "we" can tell people what problem they should solve (Malaria) when not even their food supply is secured, that's just hubris. Knowing Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it's Physiological needs (food) vs Safety needs (Malaria protection). And the former are more basic, so expecting anything else shows little foresight (easy to say in hindsight, I know).

We need to work on both simultaneously, if only for our own safety. The eradication of smallpox was a major success in the 20th century and treating it in Africa was instrumental. It does no good to try and eliminate dangerous diseases if we leave reservoirs, just because those populations are not food secure.

Obviously malaria has its own transmission dynamic that doesn't directly apply here, but for infectious disease generally (eg. ebola) African safety needs are an important part of our own safety.

Re: Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

#16

Post by evanpw »

perlgeek wrote: post #5
Havoc wrote: post #3

Welcome to Africa - one step forward two steps back.

Welcome to the wealthy nation's interactions with Africa. To think "we" can tell people what problem they should solve (Malaria) when not even their food supply is secured, that's just hubris. Knowing Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it's Physiological needs (food) vs Safety needs (Malaria protection). And the former are more basic, so expecting anything else shows little foresight (easy to say in hindsight, I know).

From the article: "experts say that the vast majority of mosquito nets are used exactly the way they were intended". There's also good evidence that they work: http://www.givewell.org/international/technical/programs/ins.... If you don't buy that, then GiveWell's #2 charity just hands out cash to poor people in Africa. Those guys know what they're doing.

Re: Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

#17

Post by scott_ci »

I've heard public health people talk about the problem of giving away nets for free before, and that charging some amount of money seems to improve usage. It may be more than just the decision between starving and malaria, but also some psychology involved with getting free things.

Re: Meant to Keep Mosquitos Out, Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

#20

Post by hristov »

Havoc wrote: post #3

Welcome to Africa - one step forward two steps back.

This is not true and this type of fatalism is just not warranted. Malaria deaths have actually been decreasing the last 20 years or so. And that is impressive because population has been increasing.

http://www.who.int/gho/malaria/epidemic/deaths/en/

The ecology of a country is a very complex system and becomes even more complex if you throw humans into it. So any significant aid is bound to have unintended side effects. Thus, any aid must be accompanied by close monitoring and modified when necessary. This particular problem, for example, can be easily solved by making nets weaker so they break during fishing.

But one should not take any side effect as an excuse to stop aid. Unless of course one is looking for any excuse to stop aid.

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