UK to double funding for polio battle

scorza

scorza

scorza

Caporegime
Joined
22 Jun 2004
Posts
26,684
Location
Deep England
From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/davos/9379067.stm

David Cameron will announce later that the UK is to double its funding for the battle against polio, garnering much praise from Bill and Melinda Gates. Melinda tells BBC World that what the UK government is doing is "amazing" and they are showing "real leadership for the world" on this issue.
Click to expand...

Great but err ... aren't we supposed to be cutting our deficit first and foremost? How can we afford this when we can't afford to maintain our own school buildings? Isn't it time that someone else besides the UK showed "real leadership for the world" - maybe the BRICS (South Africa is included now in case you were wondering, yes an African country) should do a bit more since they're doing so well and will probably be the main beneficiaries. Anyone else get a bit annoyed this?
 
A few years old but not very big figures:

The government has pledged £60m to finally rid the world of polio - 50 years after the discovery of a vaccine for the disease.

A third of the cash will immediately go to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to help plug the gap to eradicate the virus by the end of 2005.

A further £40m will follow between 2006 and 2008.
Click to expand...

BBC News


Odd move though.
 
Great but err ... aren't we supposed to be cutting our deficit first and foremost?
Click to expand...

Quite.

We should let children die just because we're a bit strapped for cash.
 
I don’t see anything wrong with this. A mere drop in the ocean and it’s most probably already covered by our foreign aid budget.
 
If the parents just made the kids get the shot when they were young then we wouldn't be here in the first place. This was all but almost taken care years ago, but then people opted not to get the shot. Good one.
 
scorza said:
aren't we supposed to be cutting our deficit first and foremost? How can we afford this when we can't afford to maintain our own school buildings?
Click to expand...
Russinating said:
Charity starts at home.
Click to expand...

These are the same old arguments of "we shouldn't give money for charitable world causes whilst we still have problems in the UK." But honestly, do you think in your lifetimes, the UK will ever be perfect? If every country took that approach, there would be no international aid and the human race would be even more despicable.
 
Just because we have a deficit to cut doesn't mean you should stop investing in science and healthcare. Besides there are different budgets for different areas of the country, just because savings need to be made in some areas doesn't mean you cannot spend in other areas.
 
Redrum said:
These are the same old arguments of "we shouldn't give money for charitable world causes whilst we still have problems in the UK." But honestly, do you think in your lifetimes, the UK will ever be perfect? If every country took that approach, there would be no international aid and the human race would be even more despicable.
Click to expand...

The UK is never gonna be perfect but it seems our govt at the moment is more concerned with pandering to the public than cutting our defecit at the end of the day I'd rather they sort out the economy first then worry about sorting out their public image.
 
Redrum said:
These are the same old arguments of "we shouldn't give money for charitable world causes whilst we still have problems in the UK." But honestly, do you think in your lifetimes, the UK will ever be perfect? If every country took that approach, there would be no international aid and the human race would be even more despicable.
Click to expand...

To be clear, I'm not saying that. I'm just confused by the mixed messages here - on the one hand we're so skint we have to cancel planned building maintenance programmes of crumbling schools, but on the other hand we can find we can find a way to double the funding for this programme?

International aid is a good thing and I'd certainly support increasing it during the good years. However with the current austerity measures in place affecting us all, is this appropriate for us now? Why should we be showing global leadership i.e. coughing up more when we can't even manage our own economy properly?
 
Capn' $qu!ff said:
There's too many people in the world anyhoo
Click to expand...

Source?

scorza said:
To be clear, I'm not saying that. I'm just confused by the mixed messages here - on the one hand we're so skint we have to cancel planned building maintenance programmes of crumbling schools, but on the other hand we can find we can find a way to double the funding for this programme?
Click to expand...

Children don't generally die because thier classroom needs a lick of paint though.
 
amigafan2003 said:
Source?
Click to expand...

So I'm Hitler because I'm pointing out the fact our planet can't support a exponentially growing population thats going increase quicker & quicker as medical science continiues prolonging our life-spans and thus reducing the death rate The truth is sooner or later the ****s gonna hit the fan and population control will become something that has to be done.
 
Capn' $qu!ff said:
So I'm Hitler because I'm pointing out the fact our planet can't support a exponentially growing population thats going increase quicker & quicker as medical science continiues prolonging our life-spans and thus reducing the death rate The truth is sooner or later the ****s gonna hit the fan and population control will become something that has to be done.
Click to expand...

where as as development increases birth rates drop to barely 2, in some cases dropping below that.

it's the less developed nations that breed like mad, although the consume much less per person.

But either way we can produce far more food/water/most things than we do and the planet can support far more of us.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom