Religion Analytical essay
4 /2 /2 017 T he R eal T hre at to N atio nal S ecurity : D eadly D is ease T he N ew Y ork T im es h ttp s://w ww.n ytim es.c om /2 017/0 3/2 4/o pin io n/th ere al th re at to n atio nal s ecurity d eadly d is ease.h tm l? sm pro d= nytc ore ip ad& sm id = nytc ore ip ads hare & _r= 0 1 /4 h ttp s://n yti. m s/2 nO 1R M j T he O pin io n P ag es | O PE D C O NTR IB U TO RS T he R ea l T hre a t t o N atio n al S ecu rit y :
D ea d ly D is e a se B y M IC H AEL T . O ST E R H OLM a n d M AR K O LSH AK ER M ARCH 2 4 , 2 0 17 W hile t h e T ru m p a d m in is tr a tio n i s p ro p osin g s ig n if ic a n tly i n cre a se d m ili t a ry s p en din g t o e n han ce o u r n atio n al s e cu rit y , i t s e em s t o h ave l o st s ig h t o f t h e g re a te st n atio n al s e cu rit y t h re a t o f a ll: o u r f ig h t a g ain st i n fe ctio u s d is e a se . W e a lr e a d y s p en d f a r m ore o n o u r m ili t a ry t h an a n y o th er c o u n tr y i n t h e w orld . T o h elp p ay f o r t h e i n cre a se s, P re sid en t T ru m p w an ts t o c u t b ack m an y f e d era l p ro gra m s, i n clu din g t h ose t h at p re p are u s t o w ag e w ar a g ain st m ic ro b es, t h e g re a te st a n d m ost l e th al e n em y w e a re e v er l i k ely t o f a ce . T his i s w here “ d efe n se s p en din g” n eed s t o i n cre a se , s ig n if ic a n tly . P re sid en t T ru m p’s b u dget w ou ld c u t f u n din g f o r t h e N atio n al I n stit u te s o f H ea lt h b y 1 8 p erc e n t. I t w ou ld c u t t h e S ta te D ep artm en t a n d t h e U nit e d S ta te s A gen cy f o r I n te rn atio n al D ev elo p m en t, a k ey v eh ic le f o r p re v en tin g a n d r e sp on din g t o o u tb re a k s b efo re t h ey r e a ch o u r s h ore s, b y 2 8 p erc e n t. A nd t h e r e p ea l o f t h e A ffo rd ab le C are A ct w ou ld k ill t h e b illi o n d olla r P re v en tio n a n d P ubli c H ea lt h F un d, w hic h p ro vid es f u n din g f o r t h e C en te rs f o r D is e a se C on tr o l a n d P re v en tio n t o f ig h t o u tb re a k s o f i n fe ctio u s d is e a se . ( W hile t h e b u dget a ls o c a lls f o r t h e c re a tio n o f a n e m erg en cy f u n d t o r e sp on d t o o u tb re a k s, t h ere i s n o i n dic a tio n t h at i t w ou ld o ffs e t t h e o th er c u ts , o r w here t h e m on ey w ou ld c o m e f r o m .) T hose c u ts w ill n ot p ro te ct A m eric a n c it iz e n s. T hey w ill d im in is h r e se a rc h a n d v a ccin e d ev elo p m en t a n d o u r a b ili t y t o r e sp on d t o t h e g ro w in g t h re a ts o f a n tib io tic r e sis ta n ce a n d n ew i n fe ctio u s d is e a se s. 4 /2 /2 017 T he R eal T hre at to N atio nal S ecurity : D eadly D is ease T he N ew Y ork T im es h ttp s://w ww.n ytim es.c om /2 017/0 3/2 4/o pin io n/th ere al th re at to n atio nal s ecurity d eadly d is ease.h tm l? sm pro d= nytc ore ip ad& sm id = nytc ore ip ads hare & _r= 0 2 /4 T hose a g en cie s a re a lr e a d y f a lli n g s h ort, a s w e s a w l a st y ea r, w hen t h ey c o u ld n ’t e ffe ctiv ely r e sp on d t o t h e Z ik a t h re a t. W hat w ill t h ey d o w hen w e f a ce a r e a l p an dem ic ? W it h 7 .4 b illi o n p eo p le , 2 0 b illi o n c h ic k en s a n d 4 0 0 m illi o n p ig s n ow s h arin g t h e e a rth , w e h ave c re a te d t h e i d ea l s c e n ario f o r c re a tin g a n d s p re a d in g d an gero u s m ic ro b es. T ra d e a n d t r a vel h ave c o n necte d m ost p oin ts o n t h e g lo b e i n a m atte r o f h ou rs . M ore a n d m ore p eo p le a re l i v in g i n t h e m ic ro b er ic h m eg acit y s lu m s o f t h e d ev elo p in g w orld . B y s o m e e stim ate s, t h e 1 9 18 1 9 “ S p an is h ” i n flu en za k ille d m ore p eo p le t h an a ll t h e w ars o f t h e 2 0 th c e n tu ry c o m bin ed . T od ay, a n i n flu en za p an dem ic c o u ld b e m ore d ev a sta tin g t h an a n a to m b om b. W e a re a lr e a d y w it n essin g a n o u tb re a k o f i n flu en za i n b ir d s — t h e H 7N 9 s tr a in , i n C hin a — t h at c o u ld b e t h e s o u rc e f o r t h e n ex t h um an p an dem ic . S in ce O cto b er, o ver 5 0 0 p eo p le h ave b een i n fe cte d ; m ore t h an 3 4 p erc e n t h ave d ie d . M ost v ic tim s h ad c o n ta ct w it h i n fe cte d p ou lt r y , y et t h re e r e ce n t c lu ste rs a p pea r t o b e f r o m p ers o n to p ers o n t r a n sm is sio n . W ill H 7N 9 m uta te t o b eco m e e a sily t r a n sm it te d b etw een h um an s? W e d on ’t k n ow . B ut w it h ou t s u ffic ie n t s u pp li e s o f a v a ccin e, w e a re n ot p re p are d t o s to p i t . T he s p re a d o f a n tib io tic r e sis ta n t m ic ro b es a ls o c o n tin ues a t a n e v er f a ste r r a te . L ast y ea r a c o m pre h en siv e r e v ie w p re d ic te d t h at, i f l e ft u n ch eck ed , d ru gr e sis ta n t i n fe ctio n s w ill k ill m ore p eo p le w orld w id e b y 2 0 50 t h an c a n ce r a n d d ia b ete s c o m bin ed . W it h ou t a g lo b al e ffo rt l e d b y t h e U nit e d S ta te s t o h alt t h e s p re a d o f t h is r e sis ta n ce a n d s u pport f o r d ev elo p m en t o f n ew a n tib io tic s, w e a re i n d an ger o f r e tu rn in g t o a p re a n tib io tic w orld i n w hic h a c u t c o u ld p ro ve d ea d ly a n d s u rg ery w ou ld n ot b e w orth t h e r is k o f i n fe ctio n . Y ello w f e v er, a m osq u it o b orn e d is e a se t h at c a n k ill u p t o 5 0 p erc e n t o f t h ose w ho g et s e rio u sly s ic k , i s o n t h e c u sp o f a m ajo r o u tb re a k i n s o m e o f B ra zil’s l a rg est c it ie s, w hile M ER S — M id dle E ast R esp ir a to ry S yn dro m e — c o n tin ues t o i n fe ct p eo p le o n t h e A ra b ia n P en in su la . I f a n e ffe ctiv e v a ccin e i s n ot d ev elo p ed , i t w ill c o n tin ue t o b e t r a n sm it te d a ro u n d t h e w orld a n d c a u se f a ta l o u tb re a k s l i k e t h e o n e t h at c lo se d S am su n g M ed ic a l C en te r i n S eo u l t o n ew p atie n ts f o r w eek s. A s im ila r o u tb re a k c o u ld o ccu r a t t h e M ayo C li n ic o r J o h n s H op kin s H osp it a l. 4 /2 /2 017 T he R eal T hre at to N atio nal S ecurity : D eadly D is ease T he N ew Y ork T im es h ttp s://w ww.n ytim es.c om /2 017/0 3/2 4/o pin io n/th ere al th re at to n atio nal s ecurity d eadly d is ease.h tm l? sm pro d= nytc ore ip ad& sm id = nytc ore ip ads hare & _r= 0 3 /4 A nd t h re e y ea rs a ft e r t h e 2 0 14 E bola c ris is , w e s till h ave n o l i c e n se d v a ccin e o r a p la n f o r h ow t o d ep lo y o n e t o p re v en t f u tu re o u tb re a k s. F in ally , t h ere i s t h e d an ger o f d is e a se s d eli b era te ly s p re a d b y t e rro ris ts . B ill G ate s, w ho h as p u t m uch o f h is s iz a b le f in an cia l r e so u rc e s a s w ell a s h is b ra in pow er i n to p u bli c h ea lt h , w ro te i n t h e N ew E ngla n d J o u rn al o f M ed ic in e i n 2 0 15 : “ O f a ll t h e t h in gs t h at c o u ld k ill m ore t h an 1 0 m illi o n p eo p le a ro u n d t h e w orld , t h e m ost l i k ely i s a n e p id em ic s te m min g f r o m e it h er n atu ra l c a u se s o r b io te rro ris m .” M ore r e ce n tly , a t t h is y ea r’s M un ic h S ecu rit y C on fe re n ce , o n t h e p oss ib ili t y o f t e rro ris t e n gin eere d v ir u se s h e n ote d : “ T hey a re p ro b ab ly t h e o n ly t h in g t h at c a n k ill a b illi o n .” F or e x am ple , t h e s c ie n ce e x is ts t o r e co n str u ct t h e s m allp ox g en om e f r o m r e a d ily a va ila b le l a b m ate ria ls , w it h t h e a d ded p oss ib ili t y o f a lt e rin g t h e v ir u s j u st e n ou gh t h at o u r e x is tin g v a ccin e w ou ld b e i n effe ctiv e. T he m ili t a ry h as f ig u re d o u t h ow t o c o n vin ce c o n gre ssio n al f u n ders t h at t h e o n ly w ay t o m ain ta in d efe n se i s t o a p pro p ria te m on ey b efo re a c ris is . Y ou d on ’t s ta rt b u ild in g t h e w ea p on s a n d t r a in in g a ll t h e s o ld ie rs a ft e r t h e f ir s t s h ot h as b een f ir e d .
T he o n ly w ay w e c a n w in t h e i n ev it a b le m ic ro b e w ars i s t o d o t h e s a m e — t o h ave n ew v a ccin es a n d a n tib io tic s a n d t r a in ed p ers o n nel r e a d y b efo re t h e c ris is h it s . W e c a n not r e ly o n p h arm ace u tic a l c o m pan ie s t o c re a te d ru gs a n d v a ccin es f o r m ark ets t h at d o n ot y et e x is t. O nly t h e g o vern m en t c a n d o t h is . T he a d dit io n al e x p en dit u re s w ou ld b e t r u ly e co n om ic a l i n t e rm s o f l i v es s a ved . W e a re t a lk in g a b ou t n atio n al s e cu rit y o n t h e m ost e x is te n tia l l e v el. M ic h ael T . O ste rh olm i s a n e p id em io lo gis t a n d d ir e cto r o f t h e C en te r f o r I n fe ctio u s D is e a se R ese a rc h a n d P oli c y a t t h e U niv ers it y o f M in neso ta . M ark O ls h ak er i s a d ocu m en ta ry f ilm mak er. T hey a re t h e a u th ors o f “ D ea d li e st E nem y: O ur W ar A gain st K ille r G erm s.” F ollo w T he N ew Y ork T im es O pin io n s e ctio n o n F ace b ook a n d T w it te r ( @ NYT O pin io n ), a n d s ig n u p f o r t h e O pin io n T od ay n ew sle tte r . A v ers io n o f th is o pe d a ppears in p rin t o n M arc h 2 5, 2 017, o n P age A 21 o f th e N ew Y ork e dit io n w it h th e h eadlin e: T he M ic ro be W ars . 4 /2 /2 017 T he R eal T hre at to N atio nal S ecurity : D eadly D is ease T he N ew Y ork T im es h ttp s://w ww.n ytim es.c om /2 017/0 3/2 4/o pin io n/th ere al th re at to n atio nal s ecurity d eadly d is ease.h tm l? sm pro d= nytc ore ip ad& sm id = nytc ore ip ads hare & _r= 0 4 /4 I d ea . I g n it e d .
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