Rachel Schofield
SOAS Member
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Gender: Female
Location: London
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| | Swine flu and poverty (29th Apr 09 at 3:19pm UTC) | | I find the statistics in what some are calling the pandemic of swine flu terrifying, but perhaps not in the same way as others. I am not terrfied about catching swine flu or eating pork or going on to the tube and breathing other peoples germs. What does scare me is how swine flu highlights the differences between the haves and the have nots.
Why have so many died in Mexico but not in America? The answer is simple: poverty. The poverty of a nation and its inability to secure enough drugs in a crisis. But more importantly, the poverty of individuals. This is a question of vulnerability. The poor are especially vulnerable to disease as their basic health levels are lower due to poor access to food, shelter and medicine. Many of those affected by swine flu were already suffering from respiratory diseases due to the improper use of fertliser.
I am not afraid of contracting swine flu as I know that, thanks to the NHS, I would be given drugs within hours of developing symtoms. It seems no coincidence that in Mexico it is the poor who are wearing face masks more that the rich, as the rich know they will be able to afford the drugs that will save them. The poor, however, are faced with the harsh truth that a flimsy face mask could be the only thing that can save them.
For me the question should not be 'is this a pandemic?' but 'why, when there are drugs stockpiled around the world that can save these people, are the poor still dying unnecessarily?' | |
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