http://clouds-genmyo.blogspot.com/2016/07/creating-suffering-and-harm-where-it.html
It seems that this situation of politics hindering serving is only getting worse in terms of Zika in the US.
The conclusion of one recent article is, "Since a vaccine is probably years away, the priority is to kill the mosquitoes that transmit the virus."
In more detail, "Don’t count on making an appointment to get a Zika vaccine shot before the end of the decade—at the earliest. Meanwhile, public-health authorities should focus on controlling the mosquitoes that transmit Zika, a task that the feds have badly fumbled. A British company called Oxitec has created genetically modified male mosquitoes whose offspring self-destruct before reaching maturity. Despite successful field trials in a number of foreign countries, tests in the Florida Keys have been held up for years by the FDA’s regulatory review. Maybe, now that Zika is loose in Miami, the bureaucrats will finally feel a sense of urgency to do their job."
The rest of the article is here:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/theres-no-panacea-for-the-zika-epidemic-1470179431
And here are comments from another editorial,
Senate
Democrats blocked the conference report, inventing the excuse that the
bill banned funding for Planned Parenthood, restricted access to birth
control and gutted the Clean Water Act. None of this is true. Planned
Parenthood wasn’t specifically identified on a list of public health
clinics and community health centers eligible for funding, but it also
wasn’t barred from receiving federal funds as a sub-grantee.
Even with Congress on vacation, the Administration currently has $385 million in reprogrammed Ebola funds at its disposal. Only about half of that has been obligated, which Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Bill Hall attributes to bureaucratic federal procurement regulations. Yet the Administration continues to insist it needs more money even though it can’t spend the money it has fast enough.
President Obama is fond of executive action, yet in this case he hasn’t taken lawful steps on his own to arrest Zika’s spread. For example, the Food and Drug Administration could expedite the approval of a genetically engineered male mosquito pioneered by the British company Oxitec. Due to a mutation, the mosquito and its offspring die before reaching maturity, substantially shrinking the infectious population in a few months."
What is skillful when we have responsibility for the health and welfare of others?
How do we serve the immediate needs?
How do we allow "politics", especially self-centered politics, to hinder our serving?
For the rest of the editorial see:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/zika-and-the-democrats-1470178179
