http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/01/zimbabwe.cholera/index.html?eref=rss_world. Capital lacks clean water, cholera kills hundreds in Zimbabwe, CNN.
Four of the nations largest hospitals have shut down and some doctors and nurses have gone on strike because of low wages. Other doctors and nurses refuse to work in fear of contracting the disease while working in the hospitals. Efforts to correct this crisis include importing chemicals from South Africa to treat the water, yet they have been unsuccessful. With the countries economy as awful as it is, Zimbabwe is not able to pay for these chemicals because of their bad records and lack of credit lines. 90% of citizens in Zimbabwe are unemployed and the official inflation rate is said to be over 231 million percent. Movement for Democratic Change president, Thokozani Khupe has asked the government to call on the international community to send food and medicine. He asked the government to put politics aside and to focus on the crisis at hand.
I chose this article because I feel that with all the hustle and bustle of the busy world we live in, we rarely acknowledge how much trouble there is outside of the United States. It is important for us to recognize the epidemics going around in other parts of the world that we simply overlook. I liked this article because it spreads awareness about this disease on one of the most prestigious news websites out there, CNN. By spreading awareness we can hopefully help Zimbabwe and other third world countries suffering from mass cases of Cholera and help them obtain the resources they need to help end this epidemic.
I agree with Jenny, sometimes we do get caught up in our own world and seem to forget the troubles of others because we have things so good in the US.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool article, Jenny! It is very sad that we live in such a happy place that may seem perfect to some of us, when right outside of our door, there are people in Zimbawe dying of Cholera because they literally do not have clean water to drink. People in the U.S. and many other countries that are more well off take so forgranted the value of clean water and doctors to take care of us when we are sick. The people of Zimbabwe are doing all they can for clean water and reaching out to anyone they can for help, but nothing is working. I agree with Jenny that it helps to raise awareness of these types of issues because maybe if people are more aware of the terrible things that are happening in the outside world, people will be more willing to help and do something about the people that are dying in Zimbabwe and many other 3rd world countries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both commenters and Jenny on this article. It is important that Americans maintain a global view of issues such as disease. In America, we tend to only consider issues that pertain to us. However, there are horrible epidemics and wars raging in other parts of the world, such as Cholera. Although it is easier to just turn a blind eye to issues that are a half a world away, Americans must step up and help our fellow humans.
ReplyDeleteI think we lose sight of what we have and how fortunate we are that we don't appreciate small things such as clean water because it's almost just expected. I agree with Emily that although it is easier to worry about ourselves and whats going on here in the US, that we should open up and help others.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article! i was unaware that so many people were dying from Cholera in Zimbabwe. 15 people per day is such a large number, and it is unbelievable that this is happening and so many people are unaware of it. I agree with the other comments that we sometimes lose sight of what is going on in places outside of the United States. Instead of just sitting back and watching these people die from this disease, we should think about ways that we could help others, such as these people in Zimbabwe.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great article, because it brings to our attention the fact that people around the world suffer from diseases that our unheard of in the US. I'd like to know how, if the economic situation in Zimbabwe is so bad, those afflicted can afford to travel to neighboring countries for help. Strikes are often successful in getting wages raised and conditions improved for workers, but in a country where the unemployment rate is 90%, I can't understand the purpose because the striking workers could be replaced so easily. The US gives aid to many countries in times of crisis, as we are helping those in Haiti right now, and this should definitely be an issue that our country works to help, especially because it is so simple to avoid.
ReplyDeleteI think that this article is great and really shows people who are fortunated enough to live in the United States or any other developed country are very lucky to not have to worry about diseases such as cholera. I also think that articles like this should open our eyes and show usthat we need to help surrounding third world countries.
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