Overcome

This is a fairly complex question, which I will attempt to delve into in my blog. The first thing that comes to mind immediately when reading this question is the point raised in Chapter 3 of the Comparative Health book. In the chapter the author mentions that the number one indicator of population “health” is wealth. There is a positive correlation between the nation’s wealth and its “health”, broadly defined by such factors as longevity, infant mortality, etc. The book then goes on to say that education is the biggest determinant of wealth of a nation. It directly follows that there is the connection between education and health care. This can be seen in three mutually interconnected ways: the first is that a better education will lead to practical knowledge about disease prevention and transmission and safer sex practices. Second, and more importantly, a better education will allow a person to be more confident about themselves, more informed about decisions they make and more capable to affect change in their country for the better. And finally, better education and its direct connection with increased wealth supplies the necessary means for providing better healthcare.
The goals set by the U.N are great in principle but largely devoid of practical meaning. Those millennium goals are tantamount to saying that we want the world to be perfect in seven years. These sound great but don’t really mean anything unless well-defined practical steps are delineated and followed through. I think what would be a lot better is if the global community sets one goal such as to end hunger and actually sets out exact realistic plans for how to go about solving the problem. The problems we face will not be solved by empty promises.
The cycle of poverty is very important on both local national and global scales. First, we must recognize the cycle and that it is hard to break generations of poverty and abuse which has been ingrained in many populations. Second, poor countries are often governed by corrupt and oppressive politicians who see the downtrodden as a means to satisfy their greed. It is critical to break that cycle and empower people to seek a better life. We, as privileged citizens of the global community, have a moral imperative to break the cycle and make those U.N goals a reality. A larger question to address when considering this problem is the usefulness of the U.N. itself to carry out the process. At best, the U.N. has a spotty record of its efficiency, with questions raised about the corruption of the U.N. officials (Kofi Annan’s son comes to mind), its cooperation with many oppressive regimes and extremist guerillas, and its overly top heavy bureaucracy. Alternatives, such as numerous NGOs should be considered in many practical applications.