Why the Africans distrust Western medicine?

The article that I read this week is " Why the Africans distrust Western medicine ". This article interests me a lot because for decades America is seen as the most advanced country-in terms of technology, medicine and many other things.

Why the Africans distrust Western medicine? Well, this will bring us back to the groundbreaking news in May 2004. A medical worker, who in May 2004, intentionally infected hundreds of Libyan children with HIV virus. This worker supposedly was sentenced to death but was freed couples of weeks ago.

Unfortunate incidents were not new. For example, In march 2000, Werner Bezwoda, a cancer researcher at South Africa's Witwatersrand University, was fired after conducting medical experiments involving very high doses of chemotherapy on black breast-cancer patients, possibly without their consent. The most notorious one is Dr Wouter Basson,a former head of Project Coast, was charged with killing of hundreds of blacks in South Africa and Namibia, from 1979 to 1987, many via injected poisons. The worst part of it was that he was never convicted in South African courts, even though his lieutenants testified in detail and with consistency on the medical crimes they conducted against blacks.

Such article really saddens me because given the technology the world has today, such incidents should not have happened at all. Such tragedies highlight the challenges facing even the ost idealistic medical workers, who can find themselves working under unhygienic conditions that threathen patients' welfare. Well-meaning Western caregivers must sometimes use incompletely cleaned or unsterilised needles, simply because nothing else is available. These needles can and do spread infectious agents like HIV-proving that Western medical practices need not be intentional to be deadly. A 2003 study in The International journal of STD and Aids found that as many as 40% of HIV infections in Africa are caused by contaminated needles during medical treatment.

The distrust of Western medical of workers has had direct consequences. Since 203., for example, polio has been on the rise in Nigeria, Chad and Burkina Faso because many people avoid vaccinations, believing that the vaccines are contaminated with HIV or are actuallty sterilisation agents in disguise.

I feel that the world should pay more attentions to these third world countries. The people there face poverty and rampant diseases, but yet they have no one to turn to. The thought of relying on advanced countres was no longer true. Thus, it is important that we approach Africans' suspicions with respect, realising that they are facing a shortage of RELIABLE medical care.

Embracing otherhood

Qn:What do you think are some of the challenges facing Singapore as the country plays host to more people from different backgrounds and
cultures?

As Singapore plays host to more people from different backgrounds and cultures, the main challenge faced by the country is how to close the gap between the "others" and Singaporeans. According to the article, the population of foreigners is on a rise. Yet, Singaporeans still find it hard to hang out or see them as part of "US". Singaporean minds still finds it hard to imagine white person as an integrated resident and not some overpaid expatriate, and they just can't stop assuming that mainland women are all predators out there to seduce old men of their CPF savings.
Foreigners don't factor into our daily consciousness unless we are "forced" to recognise them. For example, Filipino, Indonesian and Indian women are often known as maids. When we mention Philippine and Indonesia, the first thing came into our mind is maid, not their cultures or backgrounds. Same goes to construction workers-they are all illegal Bangladeshi workers. We all see them in our daily lives but they are far from being one of "US".
Though these foreigners contribute to our economy, they do not get what they deserved. For example, an illegal Myanmar worker who fell to his death while working on a block of flats. his death was not reported by his employer who simply dump his body at a car park. The failure to provide this poor exploited worker a dignified end is stunning. Though he ended his life BECAUSE he's building nice flats for us to live in, yet the incident did not seem to register with the average Singaporeans.
Another challenge faced by Singapore when it plays host to more people from different cultures and backgrounds is that the population of citizens is declining.
The 2000 population census showed that more than one in four people in Singapore is a foreigner. The jump in population from 3.05 million in 1990 to 4.02 million in 2000 comes mostly from the influx of foreigners. Citizens now make up only 74% of the population.
Also, foreigners are having a difficulty with mixing around with Singaporeans. Each side persists in hanging out with their own kind and the gap widens as the population grows.
As Singapore plays host to more people from different cultures and background, Singaporeans must stop resenting foreigners as those who take away their jobs, who seduce the old men and see them as lower class citizens.

Overpopulation in India

Last week, I watched a documentary on "world in balance". It talked about overpopulation in India and the trememdous drop in number of babies born in Japan. After watching the documentary, I went on to research on the overpopulation in India.
The world population reached 6 billion on October 12, 1999, and is expected to reach 9.3 billion by 2050. India is the second most populated country after China on this planet and is on it's way to being number one within the next fifty years. The government is very concerned about the size of India's population and has focused tremendous amounts of energy into combating India's growth.
India's population reached one billion on 1999. However, the poverty continues to bug India, 8 million people die each year because they are too poor to survive.
What is the cause of the population boom in India?
First of all, the education level. Most of the people in India are uneducated. They have no knowledge on birth control and spread of sexual diseases. In India, living standards is extremely low, thus the spread of diseases is very rampant. Families in India will thus demand the wives to give birth to more children as many could not survive to the age of adolescent.
Not only that, gender discrimination in India is still going strong. Husbands and mother-in-laws often demand the wives to give birth to only boys. When the can't produce male decendents, they are "forced" to give birth to more though they are reluctant about it.
Next is that most of the Indians have no knowledge on birth control. They are not taught how to use condoms and contraceptive pills to avoid getting pregnant.
To solve the overpopulation problem in India, the most important solutions is to educate them. WRONG MINDSETS must be changed. We must educate the people there, especiallt the males that giving birth to females is equally good. Not only that, wu must teach the people on birth control. Condoms and contraceptive pills must be made available to the public. Developed countries should help to educate the people from third world countries on how to use the birth control measures.

Daughter may give birth to mother's child?

I read a very interesting article this week titled "daughter may give birth to mother's child".
A girl aged seven has turner syndrome which makes her infertile when she matures. Out of motherly love, her thirty five year old Canadian mother had decided to freeze her eggs so that one day her daughter may become a mother herself.
This is the first time that a mother-to-daughter donation has been made, though there have been cases of sister donating to sister before. Donating eggs is nothing new, but there is a shortage of egg donors in Canada since legislation in 2004 prevented women from selling their eggs.
Some people are touched by the mother's act and agree with the donation. However, some strongly against this donation. Negativity has risen since this story was made public. The only negativity reaction had come from an ethics professor in Toronto who did not think that the interest of the unborn child had been taken into account. Experts who have spoken to the press have also expressed concern as to the psychological welfare of the yet unborn child.
I do not agree to such donation. I can feel the Canadian mother's love and concern towards her daughter but I am against to such donation.
If the daughter dives birth to a child using her mother's eggs, such a baby would be the sibling of the birth mother at the same time as the direct genetic offspring of the grandmother donor. we will be hearing more and more children suffering from identity problem. Giving birth to your own sister completely screws up the normal transition of life.
Furthermore, I feel that mother-to-daughter donation is not the only way to allow the daughter to experience motherhood. The daughter can get egg donation from people with no blood relation, this will solve the problem of identity.
Not only that, the daughter is only seven year old. By the time she reaches motherhood, technology may have been advanced enough to help her. This donation will not be necessary then.

Race and the race

The article that i read this week is "race and the race". This article is saying that Americans appear prepared to elect either a black or a female president. But experience trumps both factors—and in a two-way race, Hillary Clinton, a women leads Barack Obama, a Black by more than 20 points.
2008 will be the next election year for America. Could 2008 be the year that Americans put an end to an unbroken 21woman or an African-American candidate for the office, according to the latest NEWSWEEK Poll. But those numbers drop significantly when respondents are asked whether the country is ready to accept a black or a woman in the White House.
Although 92 percent of the NEWSWEEK Poll’s respondents claim they would vote for a black candidate, only 59 percent believe the country is actually ready for an African-American president. Similarly, 86 percent of voters say they would vote for a female commander in chief, but only 58 percent believe the country is ready for one.
To me, i feel that we should not consider one's race and gender when deciding to vote for a president. Instead, we should look at their ability to lead a country to further success and their experiences to govern a country.
It is good to hear that Americans are starting to accept Blacks and women as leaders after decades of racial and gender discrimination. Not many countries are able to do this yet.
However, there are still cases where women are voted to be leader. For example, Philippine first woman president Arroyo. America will be the first country to have a Black President if Barack Obama is elected.
I wouldn't mind voting for a woman president or prsident of other races as long they proved to be effective and are able to provide fair and uncorrupted government for the people.

A commentary on Weixian's blog

This week we are suppose to choose one of our friend's blog entry and comment on it, I have chosen Weixian's blog because he was one of the top 3 blogs our class have chosen.
The blog entry that i have chosen is the one on the use of torture. I chose this entry becuase both of us share the same idea on the use of torture. In his blog entry, he said that the use of torture is justified when directed at adamant inhumane criminals for non-political agendas and such actions are not justified when political agendas are present. The latter serves only to undermine humanity. I totally agree to this because i think that the authority should not resort to torture unnecessary.
There are many debates going on these decades on the use of torture. Human rights groups have always voice out their disagreement to the use of torture. However, human rights groups are being unrealistic by their outright objection against torture when it comes to garnering crucial information pertaining to where a psychopathic murderer might have buried his victim, still alive and waiting borrowed time to be rescued.
The use of torture may seems cruel to some but when it comes to dealing with terrorists and murderers, i think the use of torture is adsolutely justifiable.
On the other hand, torture is never justified if such means were meted out to the will of a political power with intentions for political use. Many political leaders, since centuries ago, have been using torture to control the people and to garner support. Some famous examples are Adolf Hitler and Stalin. They used torture to control the way the people think, act and speak. This kind of torture is totally unacceptable. This is an inhumane act as the people have not committed serious crimes and yet they are treated in this inhumane ways.
Both Weixian and I share this common views on the use of torture- The use of torture is justified when directed at adamant inhumane criminals for non-political agendas. Again, such actions are not justified when political agendas are present. The latter serves only to undermine humanity.

Freedom of speech and freedom of expression

In the context of Singapore's multi racial society, where there is cultural and religious pluralism, i freel that Szilagyi's view should be adopted.
Freedom of expression is essential to any democracy but social responsibility is more important.
According to Singer, freedom of speech is essential to democratic regimes, and it must include the freedom to say what everyone else beliesves to be false, and even what many people find offensive. I do believe that freedom of speech is important in any democratis country include Singapore. However, i feel that freedom of speech will decrease the level of social responsibilty and people will be saying anything they want without thinking of the consequences. They will criticise parliament publicly and disttort racial harmony.
In a multi-racial society like singapore, this will bring about fatal consequences, people will start voicing out all their unhappiness and criticise one another reces. This is likely to cause another racial riots which everyone does not want.
Szilagyi raised the question that what is important for the democratic advancement of a society-to ensure the freedom of expression of all its citizens or to protect the collective interests of society. The former hails individual freedom while the latter places more emphasis on the media's responsibilty in leading an informed, high quality discussion, with the respect for minority rights.
Finally, i feel that media should practise social responsibilty. Media should not publish article or any resources that will provoke one or are not reliable. This will make our society more friendly to live in.