by Paul Driessen (NAPSA)—TheIndian Ocean’s killer tsunami caused unfath- omable destruction, and reminded us that Nature’s awesome powers still threaten human lives, especially in our Earth’s poorest communities. It also underscored the vital importance of modern technology, medicine, communication and transportation. But the disaster must not distract us from other calami- ties that have their origins in nature but can no longer be called natural disasters. We have the knowledge and technology to solve them, but lack the political will, due to misplaced environmental concerns. These unnatural disasters include lung infections, intestinal diseases, malnutrition and malaria— the easiest one to solve. The World Health Organization Paul Driessen wascreated to improve sanitation, prevent infectious diseases and save lives. It has a special duty to people who lack the health care systems developed nations take for granted. Instead, it gives lip service to Third World needs, but kowtows to activists who opposeelectricity and biotechnology, and focus on First World concernslike obesity, traffic deaths and global warming. Danish environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg , for instance, calculates that the Kyoto treaty would slash global economic growth by $150billion a year—and cut hypothetical temperature increases by only 0.3 degrees by 2050. For half that amount, he says, we could provide clean water, proper sanitation, quality education and modern health care for every poor person on the planet. WHO’s most inexcusable failure involves malaria. Every year, this disease makes tens of mil- lions too sick to work, leaves thou- sands with permanent brain damage, and kills 2,000,000 children and pregnant women. It costs Africa and India $13-billion in lost GDP. Since the U.S. banned DDT in 1972, malaria has killed over 50-million people. Six years ago, the WHO and Roll Back Malaria promised to halve malaria rates by 2010. Instead, they’ve increased by 10 percent. A primary reason is that WHO and RBM—as well as UNICEFand the U.S. Agency for International Development— refuse to permit, promote or fund pesticides to control mosquitoes that carry malaria. Even South Africa’s success in slashing malaria by 80 percent in 18 months with DDT did nothing to change their minds. Nor have pleas by The New York Times, numerous U.S. senators, consumer activist Ralph Nader and best-selling author Michael Crichton. Intimidated by radical antipesticide environmentalists, the agencies refuse to use pesticides, especially DDT. Even worse, until a few months ago, they prescribed, promoted and provided drugs that they knew for years are no longer effective in treating malaria. This unnatural disaster lacks the drama of massive tidal waves engulfing sunbathers, and helicopters aiding survivors. But 2,000,000 dead mothers and children a year from preventable malaria is horrific and unconscionable. It’s time to get our priorities straight, show compassion for vic- tims of errant environmentalism, focus on malaria programs that work—and condemn ideological activists and bureaucrats who have benefited so much from the very technologies they prevent the Third World poor from acquiring. Paul Driessen is Senior Policy Advisor for the Congress of Racial Equality.
