Earthquake

[SamIam]

Probably one of the best things we could do for third world countries is to provide birth control for those women who want it. Under Bush, the US stopped funding many family planning programs because the religous right connected abortion with birth control. But the US has never funded abortions and they are illegal in many third world countries. Ever growing population densities mean the poor get poorer as there is less and less land and food per capita. Obama has begun to change US policies back to providing birth control methods for third world nations. Haiti is mostly Catholic, though, so I don't know if the availability of birth control would have helped them much or not.

[jinx]

What do you think all those tetanus vaccine campaigns are about?

[SamIam]

They would have been the perfect thing for Haiti. Unfortunately, that article is 15 years old and gives no author, so I am rather skeptical.

[jinx]

Ok. Here's 2 more on the topic.

Placental transfer of tetanus toxoid antibodies in Nigerian mothers.

The geometric mean of the ratio of cord blood to maternal antibody levels for Nigerian pairs was lower than that of the UK pairs (0.776 vs. 1.306), suggesting a flaw in the transplacental transfer of antibodies. Possible mechanisms involved in blocking placental transfer of tetanus toxoid antibodies may be high maternal IgG levels and heavy malarial placental infection. This block of placental transfer of antibodies affects current immunization programs and necessitates further study.

Fertility regulating and immunotherapeutic
vaccines reaching human trials stage

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by jinx

Ok. Here's 2 more on the topic.

Placental transfer of tetanus toxoid antibodies in Nigerian mothers.



Fertility regulating and immunotherapeutic
vaccines reaching human trials stage

I respect the amount of research you have done on the topic of vaccines, but I don't agree with you. I know we are not going to change one another's minds, so lets agree to disagree.

That said, I would be very much opposed to giving ANY woman birth control without her knowledge. The problem with the US program until recently was that birth control methods were not made available to third world women who wanted them. Every woman has the right to choose her own reproductive destiny. Over population is the root of many ills in the third world. If we could help developing nations put a curb on this problem, it would be one of the most economical and effective methods of aid that we could provide.

Originally Posted by SamIam

... The problem with the US program until recently was that birth control methods were not made available to third world women who wanted them. Every woman has the right to choose her own reproductive destiny. Over population is the root of many ills in the third world. If we could help developing nations put a curb on this problem, it would be one of the most economical and effective methods of aid that we could provide.

Perhaps it belongs in the "accomplishments of Obama" thread, but I agree that rescinding the Mexico City Policy, under which NGOs could not receive federal aid funds even if they use their own funds for abortions or even abortion counseling, is a good thing.

I also dont think any amount of foreign aid to Haiti would have minimized the disaster, but IMO, and from a larger perspective, the level of US assisstance to our poorest neighbor has been paltry.

And, for the record, my ballpark estimate of $25 billion in total US economic aid was off a bit...its closer to $29 billion, including $6 billion to Afghanistan and Iraq...and still less than one penny of every tax dollar.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/stat...es/10s1263.pdf (if anyone cares).

Even in the toughest times at home, we can afford more than one penny on the dollar to help those facing even greater day-to-day adversity, if the funding is channeled in a meaningful manner.

And, I would certainly question some of the recipients identified above...but not Haiti.

Or perhaps I am straying too much from the topic at hand...but I agree that we can agree to disagree.

[Big Sarge]

Here's my thoughts. Let's cut foreign aid and use the money to help the people in the US. Let the NGOs and the UN handle Haiti. Concentrate our military on completing our missions in Southwest Asia.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

I also dont think any amount of foreign aid to Haiti would have minimized the disaster, but IMO, and from a larger perspective, the level of US assisstance to our poorest neighbor has been paltry.

And, for the record, my ballpark estimate of $25 billion in total US economic aid was off a bit...its closer to $29 billion, including $6 billion to Afghanistan and Iraq...and still less than one penny of every tax dollar.

We have no such responsibility to provide aid. The world is filled with a hundred Haiti's. Such is life.