The Sun Behind The Clouds?

Here are some dispiriting facts.

In Botswana there is one doctor for every 3,477 people. In Zambia that single doctor has to serve 14,484 people. It gets worse; in Uganda the number is 21,280, Mozambique 41,060. And Rwanda is off the charts at 53,474. Here on my little island there is probably one doctor for every 500 people.

Combine the above with the rate of AIDS infection. In Botswana out of every 100 people you meet, almost 40 (37.3%) will be infected. In Zambia there is an improvement to 16.5%, Uganda 4.1%, Mozambique 12.2%, Rwanda 5.1%. In the US, the rate is less than 1%, it’s about 1/10%.

Looking at these numbers is not a cheery way to start the day. But there was a faint ray of hope the other day not only for these countries having so few doctors but also for a return to the generosity for which this country was known. The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, announced what’s being called a medical “Peace Corps”.

The Institute wants to start a “U.S. Global Health Service”. This organization would send specialist doctors, particularly AIDS specialists, initially to those countries receiving financial aid from us for AIDS relief. The doctors – both experienced and new - would serve for at least two years and would be paid, but not nearly as much as they could earn here. More information about the program can be found here .