MESSAGE BOARD
Experts say the solutions to the annual loss of 8.8 million lives to preventable diseases, infections, and childbirth complications are within reach. Boston.com users share their thoughts on how to begin to solve this global health tragedy.
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Your section Lives Lost is journalism at its best
If we could urge politicians and the President to move for health and peace we could empower millions to make choices to move the world to sensibility
One day's worth of expenditure to keep our servicemen and women at sea or on the ground while waiting to be bully for the world...........that alone could supply clinics with massive amounts of medicine and materials for clean water, etc.
Keep at it and keep it front page!!!!!
Thanks for what you are doing. Eileen
Eileen , Exeter
Congratulations to the Globe staff for a difficult undertaking. Being intellectually aware of the tremendous waste of life in most of the underdeveloped countries, is one thing. Bringing the stories to life, magnifies the tragedy. We should all do more, even as one person suggested here, by paying an additional dollar to our taxes, put aside for providing medical care for the less fortunate. At the smae time, the industrialized countries should do more and not leave the financing to private people alone. Yes, instead of developing Star Wars to the tune of billions of dollars (and uncertainty as to the effectiveness of the program), money should be spent for health. The US will gain a lot of good will for very little money.
Ariela , Brookline
As long as they don't bring these diseases here.
Todd, Wilmington
It is truly a tragedy so many die without basic care. It is amazing how everyone has bleeding hearts for those who are here on earth, but in the United States we have killed 42 million babies with hearts beating at 3 weeks and no one bats an eye. The Globe thinks partial birth abortion is just dandy, despite the fact that the doctor who thought it up has publicly admitted most of these were done on healthy women. At least those dying had a chance to be on earth, more than the babies did!
Laurie , Shrewsbury
The problem is that these countries suffer from overpopulation already. It sounds cruel, but should we vaccinate all the children so they can survive their first year or even to four or five, so that they can starve to death? Health care programs MUST be combined with preventative care (AIDS is a behavior-linked disease) and birth control programs.
Katherine , Los Angeles
I find it interesting that you are doing a report on the lives lost to curable diseases, and yet you do not have a section on Iraq, where UN sanctions have cost the lives of more than 1.5 million children in the past 12 years, and where the infant mortality rate is more than higher than 1/20. Certainly lifting sanctions on such devices as incubators, and medicines such as the one that fights ear infections would save thousands of lives in this one country alone.
Joni , Newton
So you eradicate disease. You eliminate hunger. You stop all war. What do you get? Billions and billions of extra people. Wars start because there are not enough resources , or land, or food for everyone. Pump your money into feeding third world people, pump your money into curing their diseases and you only end up with more mouths to feed and more children to treat.
Put your money into birth control programs and population controls and all remaining problems solve themselves. Fewer people equals less hunger, less disease and fewer wars. The bandaid approcah typical of the bleeding heart liberal doesnt work, I wonder why no one sees this.
DE, Los Angeles
Let them die. I really don't care. Save the people in the US and Europe first. They have been the most productive in technology to increase life expectancy as well as being productive members of society. Why save those who are basically living for richer nations to send billions of governmental aid and NGO aid for those governments to siphon off and use for other purposes than economic then cry 'foul' when the World Bank won't forgive debts. I say, let them die.
Ann , Eureka
God bless their souls and have mercy on ours. There is more than enough in this world to go around, but yet it still happens.
Resolution? Remember what our mothers (hopefully) taught us---share, be compassionate, do unto others as you would have done to you...
Is is REALLY all that hard to figure out?
Sandy, Johnston
The Globe is a torch bearer here. We all get so caught up in the Superbowl and other overhyped irrelevant drivel, that we forget our fellow humans are dieing out there. We all can help and your article tells us where and how. I commend you for being our conscience, not preaching but just reporting. That is enough to get me thinking and taking some steps to help. We also don't have to go to Africa to help--the last time I read your paper there were people at places like Pine Street, Rosie's Place and Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries who need our time, help and finacial support.
peter =, boston
