Citizens of the World

The first priority of any state is to take care of its own citizens. However, nations should also be open to helping the welfare of less advantaged countries who do not have the infrastructure to cope with health outbreaks themselves. Fortunately, these two goals are not incompatible in the case of treating H1N1, which has begun to lay low several Harvard undergraduates and threatens to experience a massive resurgence this fall.

America seems braced for an all-out war on the much-hyped swine flu, having recently ordered 250 million vaccines in preparation for the flu season. But what about developing nations that can’t even afford to treat diseases with high mortality rates, let alone influenzas that much of the public doubts pose serious threats? The UN expressed concerns in a recent statement, urging the world’s wealthier nations to donate more vaccines to help stop the impending epidemic. The United States, Brazil, and France have all agreed to donate 10 percent of their vaccine stockpiles to other nations, with manufacturers providing an additional 150 million vaccines, but in the face of H1N1 potentially reaching a third of the population, this may not be sufficient.

Nations may recognize political boundaries, but diseases won’t be stopped by lines on a map. The spread of H1N1 into the United States from Mexico, where it has been far more devastating, is a testament to this fact. Diseases will not decide to avoid transmitting themselves from a Mexican to an American vacationing in Cancun simply because of her national allegiance, nor are they particularly deterred by massive GDPs. The fight against H1N1 is a global one, which requires more of a commitment by wealthier nations in order to avoid its spread. Such a commitment is not only a sign of benevolence toward poorer nations, but also an investment in the health of their own populations.

Poorer nations simply do not have the robust health infrastructures necessary to deal with massive outbreaks, even if they are anticipated in advance. When any epidemic looms on the horizon, the first priority should be to treat the disease in a systemic fashion that beats it into submission from all fronts, not just those in the first world. In a globalized world, this should be the rule for treating health threats, not the exception. The efforts made so far are a good start and demonstrate good intentions on the part of wealthy nations, but good intentions alone don’t save lives.