| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 04/25/2008 : 17:12:54
World Malaria Day.
Babies are dying ... one every 30 seconds. This preventable disease is killing half a billion people every single year.
One week's expenditure on military action in Iraq could ERADICATE Malaria throughout Africa, where 90% of cases occur. All it takes is the immediate distribution of mosquito nets, and drugs priced so that parents can afford to treat their children.
Today, a Swiss company announced it would reduce the price of its drugs by 5%. I bet they spend more than that on paper clips.
Malaria for fuck's sake.
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| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Sean |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 07:53:39
quote:
Originally posted by duh
quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
Twice I was cured with oral drugs, but twice ended up in hospital on intravenous quinine, which is probably worse than the malaria. And the last time I had it I had typhoid at the same time - that was the only time in my life I've ever thought that death would be a good thing.
No wonder you don't give a shit about what other people think of you or your opinions. 
It does bring everything else into perspective.  |
| duh |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 07:17:36
quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
Twice I was cured with oral drugs, but twice ended up in hospital on intravenous quinine, which is probably worse than the malaria. And the last time I had it I had typhoid at the same time - that was the only time in my life I've ever thought that death would be a good thing.
No wonder you don't give a shit about what other people think of you or your opinions. |
| Sean |
Posted - 04/25/2008 : 23:50:00
quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
BTW, I had malaria four times. 
Fwoof ... four times!  That's a whole lotta shakin going on! What happened? How did you get it? How did you get through it? Is it the kind of thing that you never really get completely rid of?
I hope you're okay, now, though.
By being bitten by anopheles mosquitoes. I lived in sub-Saharan Africa for three years. Over there people get malaria the way Westerners get colds. The average person is gonna get it a few times every year (in the bad zones). So 4 times in 3 years is about what you'd expect for someone using mozzie nets and being careful.
Fortunately (for me) the dominant malaria species in Africa is falciparum - the species that causes most deaths - but once you've killed it with some horrible drugs it's gone. So you go to hell and back over 4-7 days, then a week or two to get your red blood cell count back up, then you're 100% OK again. Until the next time.
Twice I was cured with oral drugs, but twice ended up in hospital on intravenous quinine, which is probably worse than the malaria. And the last time I had it I had typhoid at the same time - that was the only time in my life I've ever thought that death would be a good thing. |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 04/25/2008 : 23:31:00
Sorry, sorry, you're right. What they said was about � billion per year were affected by malaria. And, as Sean says, 3 million deaths.
And the Swiss company reduced its prices by 20%.
It's still a crap situation.
[Apologies for the errors.]
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| turrell |
Posted - 04/25/2008 : 23:20:06
Malaria is bad, and 3 million is very bad, but half a billion is nearly 10% of the world population - I don't think that many people die of all things in a year.
This from http://www.againstmalaria.com/default.aspx :
Malaria is one of the biggest disease killers in the world. It kills at least 1.5 million people every year. 70% of the deaths are children under 5. That's equivalent to one child dying of malaria in Africa every 30 seconds, or 7 jumbo jets full of children disappearing from malaria every day. We can make an enormous difference with the money we raise. For every �1million (US$1.75m) we raise we will stop 15,000 people from dying. We can do this very simply: through the purchase and distribution of bednets (mosquito nets).
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| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 04/25/2008 : 23:19:51
quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
Where does this figure come from? Last time I heard a figure it was three million.
BTW, I had malaria four times.
BBC World Service News.
Fwoof ... four times! That's a whole lotta shakin going on! What happened? How did you get it? How did you get through it? Is it the kind of thing that you never really get completely rid of?
I hope you're okay, now, though.
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| Sean |
Posted - 04/25/2008 : 23:13:57
quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
This preventable disease is killing half a billion people every single year.
Where does this figure come from? Last time I heard a figure it was three million.
BTW, I had malaria four times. |
