tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23053767.post8416809816417032166..comments2024-01-30T12:46:10.810-05:00Comments on Yappa Ding Ding: Ethical Responsibility and the FluYappahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18126433451905766475noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23053767.post-74609674643189782202009-09-11T18:30:34.701-04:002009-09-11T18:30:34.701-04:00Hi guys,
I think the particular problem this year...Hi guys,<br /><br />I think the particular problem this year is that H1N1 could send western economies back into recession. It's not in place of regular flu and holidays, it's in addition to them (and Mark, I agree about holidays: it amazes me that we can function profitably at all, given that July, August and December are all virtual write-offs in many offices).<br /><br />Comparing money spent on diseases is difficult. I think diabetes research is more a factor of basic science research than some illnesses, and a major branch of it is research into stem cells (which covers Parkinsons, cancer and some other conditions as well). <br /><br />As to AIDS... I have seen too much of the horror of AIDS to agree that too much money is being spent on it. It is targeting the most educated in Africa (the more affluent) and thus doing all kinds of additional damage. The average life span has dropped decades in some African countries because of AIDS. I have had a good friend in Canada die a horrible death from it, and my boss from when I worked in Africa died of it. In fact, AIDS activism has helped all diseases by showing how public pressure can get resources moved to research, by raising money that wouldn't have been raised otherwise, and by providing a model for activism (which was borrowed soon after by women raising money for breast cancer). AIDS activism has helped reduce the spread of the disease and helped public understanding of something that initially resulted in some really tragic prejudice.Yappahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18126433451905766475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23053767.post-78238526079104803632009-09-09T21:43:16.210-04:002009-09-09T21:43:16.210-04:00The issue Yappa is discussing seems to be whether ...The issue Yappa is discussing seems to be whether we should prioritize issues close to hand, rather than think problems remote from us have an equal claim on us. It's hard to dispute what she is saying. But on the other issues Bert and Mark raise: preparation for H1N1 hasn't seemed to limit preparation for regular flu; my GP is going to have shots for both ready soon. And isn't connecting this with diabetes research a tad tenuous?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23053767.post-3653922688913042472009-09-09T14:42:43.826-04:002009-09-09T14:42:43.826-04:00Just had this conversation with a coworker. The mo...Just had this conversation with a coworker. The money follows the hype. AIDS gets way too much funding for it's societal impact, but Hollywood and the political left champion it because of its focused effect on a marginalized demographic. (Don't kid yourself thinking it's about Africa.)<br /><br />H1N1 is the same. There is little societal impact at all, and certainly no more than typical flu, which we live with already. The truth is the greater sick days in the winter doesn't hold a candle to efficiency hit of all the vacation time taken over the summer does.<br /><br />The money is wasted, only because if there happens to be a bit of an outbreak, the media will blow the thing out of proportion and a governmeent risks seats. Nothing more complicated than that.Mark McLaughlinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23053767.post-48277361210849458872009-09-09T12:54:36.916-04:002009-09-09T12:54:36.916-04:00I find myself wondering why we are spending so muc...I find myself wondering why we are spending so much on H1N1 preparation, of which releatively few people have died from, when during a regular flu season, so many more die.<br /><br />The same thing concerning AIDS funding bothers me. I'm a diabetic. Check the stat's to see how many people worldwide die from diabetes, and how much funding diabetes research gets, and how many people have AIDS (and die from it) and how much funding it gets.Berthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03790958603845618922noreply@blogger.com