Public Health in Ghana, per Obama

[Vito Andolini]

So now the US is going to give $60 billion to Ghana for fighting malaria, polio, TB, HIV, and many other terrible illnesses.

That sounds like an awful lot of money. Why us and why to them? Why not take care of our own first? We have plenty of trouble right here to deal with. And $60 billion ain't no small potatoes. :angryfire:uhoh3:

[Vito Andolini]

One word "Swine Flu". Swine flu originated from unhygienic pig farm practices in Mexico, but guess what, it was brought back to the US by people (not poor people) vacationing in Mexico. I know for a fact that that's how it spread to New York City. A bunch of students from my sister's private high school travelled to Mexico and broght back swan flu and they spread it to other schools attended by their siblings. The US is not protected from the spread of infections disease from other countries just because we have better hygiene practices.

I agree with you about the money not getting to the people who need it because of wide spread corruption in third world countries. I think it's a shame and I wish there was a way to stop corruption in theses countries.

There is a way - stop sending money. And let's not forget the corruption in America, too. Surely, it does exist. We are not entirely clean either, are we?

[astn]

The problem with Ghana is the same problem as many other African (and other third-world) countries. They want money, they don't want solutions. Basic public health measures would go a long way, and they don't cost a fortune--they require someone with the knowledge to tell you not to sh*t where you eat. People complain about the inability to afford HIV/AIDS medicine in Africa, but condoms are affordable. They aren't used. Mosquito nets are distributed for free, but I've gotten comments about they are "too hot" (because the air doesn't circulate as freely through the net.) They aren't used. The first step to improving public health anywhere is convincing the people that how things are currently done is a problem! Education helps that, not money, and not 'programs' that are just as likely to be filled with corruption and graft from top to bottom. If you can't convince someone malaria is a problem, distributing anti-malarial drugs doesn't help! They just take the drugs and resell them. If you want to improve things in Ghana and elsewhere, take that $60 billion and invest it in the Peace Corps (or similar.) Stop p*ssing our money away on foreign aid.

Ghana, incidentally, is sitting on a tremendous amount of natural resources, including large offshore oil reserves that were recently discovered (~2 years ago). It is probably one of the more stable countries in the region, and less corrupt then most. However, any money we send to that country without getting something in return (mineral rights, oil, etc.) is just money we've thrown away.

[Itzallgood]

The money needs to stay in the USA

Ole Prez Irkel pulls another fast one on the US Public.

[Katie82, RN]

The US has spent poured money into third world countries for years, it is part of a very large picture I don't begin to understand. I would rather see it go to healthcare than to support the military machines of Israel or Saudi Arabia. The problems with these programs is that a lot of this money will be gobbled up by administrative costs and corrupt government and will never reach the population for which it was intended.

[Mollypita]

Touche everyone. I don't know if anyone is still following this thread, so I'll just ask a question of the naysayers: If you could rule out corruption, would you then support such help? Would you support a charitable cause that did similar work? I'm just curious, not assuming you would or wouldn't. Maybe I'm just a sucker for needy children, since I've adopted one and sponsor several in third world countries, including Sierra Leone and Uganda. But it's the kids that so often suffer, not the adults making less than smart decisions for them. I hate thinking of their young lives consumed by illness, suffering and hunger. And government has more means than most individuals to help. That's not to suggest that such help is problem-free. Sigh, wish I knew the answer. And for the Obama bashers, just a side note- George Bush increased funding in this regard quite a bit, specifically for Africa. So blaming it on the current president is simply incorrect.

[geekgolightly, BSN, RN]

Wonder how many uninsured Americans that could insure. All of them, and then some, by my calculations.

About half, from what I understand. Start up costs are estimated at 1.3 trillion.

I do believe in helping others, but I think that just this one year, we could tighten the belts a bit and reinvest in ourselves.

[geekgolightly, BSN, RN]

USA Today had an article on how those in a particular village in Mexico are suffering because their relatives who are working illegally in America are not sending them as much money as they used to, due to downturns in construction here in America.

It made me angry. Yes, I understand how tough life can be and i want no one tosuffer but this article made me angry. Illegal immigrants work and work hard, at mostly menial jobs. They live in far less than luxury and are able to send lots of money home to their families, who are dependent upon that money. But meanwhile, their children are getting free education, they are all getting free health care (at least, they used to and maybe still do), they are getting WIC and food stamps, TANF, and whatever other welfare they are "entitled " to by virtue of their income or lack thereof. meanwhile, citizens like you and I are working and being taxed on our earnings and those earnings are going to the illegals and their families. Something is wrong. Everybody has to live, I understand. But something is wrong with this scenario.

As far as I know, illegal residents do not qualify for TANF or food stamps. They do qualify for WIC, though. Proof of citizenship is a requirement for all services except for WIC.