During President Obama's speech in Cairo this week, he mentioned the following concerning polio:
But wait, Polio was all but headed for complete eradication, until Muslims f*cked it up.Today I'm announcing a new global effort with the Organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.All these things must be done in partnership. Americans are ready to join with citizens and governments; community organizations, religious leaders, and businesses in Muslim communities around the world to help our people pursue a better life. - White House
In 2006 only four countries in the world (Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan) were reported to have endemic poliomyelitis. Cases in other countries are attributed to importation. - Wikipedia
A major factor in the failure of polio immunization programs is opposition by Muslim fundamentalists. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Taliban have issues fatwas opposing vaccination as an attempt to avert Allah's will, and as an American plot to sterilize Muslims. The Taliban have kidnapped, beaten, and assassinated vaccination workers and officials. In February 2007, physician Abdul Ghani, who was in charge of polio immunizations in a key area of disease occurrence in northern Pakistan, was killed in a terrorist bombing. In July 2007, a student traveling from Pakistan imported the first polio case to Australia in over 20 years. - Wikipedia
To compare the US has been the driving force to eradicate polio, having its last natural case in 1979. The Western Hemisphere was declared Polio free in 1994. I am not sure how much more we are expected to do. After all, the extremists are not going to join any partnership with the US to eradicate polio. After all, if a child dies, regardless of receiving and medical aid, they use the death as an opportunity to blame the US for it. This is just one more reason to fight the Taliban. Modern society is simply not compatible with their beliefs.
What is needed is to force the Muslim world to educate their populations. And by education, I do not mean memorizing the Koran.
No comments:
Post a Comment