the seventh reason and the wrong perspective

Number seven in the “10 Reasons to Rethink ‘Overpopulation’” article we read for class caught my attention in particular. It seems to be a recurring theme in our studies that communities are missing the big point for the details, treating the symptoms rather than the real problem. Misaligned priorities do nothing but ultimately extend the problem. Lately, in many poor countries, population control is a greater focus than primary health care. Due to the misconception of overpopulation, these countries do everything to reduce fertility, meanwhile neglecting the establishment of proper healthcare and treatment of other social problems such as malnutrition. Their limited view says that malnutrition is a result of poor population control when really, according to the article, it is more due to an uneven distribution of wealth. So, they try to fix everything by fixing population control instead of approaching the general problem of poor healthcare and poor social structure head on.

This situation reminds me very much of the state of the Native American and Native Alaskan communities in America. We see them as expendable, experimental resources because of their high incidence of disease… when really, it is due to a poor set up of healthcare that they are so unhealthy in the first place. Rather than trying to rectify their hospitals or make their lodgings more sanitary, we vaccinate them. This does nothing to solve the big problem. And so, the Native American quality of life continues to spiral downward. Smith writes that the hepatitis problem could be improved by better sanitation. However the government vaccinates the people instead of trying to fix the fact that 73% of hepatitis A cases are in villages with no flush toilets. Part of the researcher’s rationale for experimenting on Native Alaskans was that they are at particularly high risk for hepatitis B. Of course they would be when 16 of the 49 IHS hospitals didn’t meet minimum national standards. In our rationale and our treatment of Native Alaskans, we are setting up stigmas and taking advantage of certain statistics in a way that only ultimately worsens the situation. We need to focus at the heart of the problem, the big picture if we want conditions to improve. Why research unfairly a disease that you are at the same time advancing through neglect?