health

WHO to share vaccines to stop monkeypox amid inequity fears

11 Comments
By MARIA CHENG

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Some African experts questioned why the U.N. health agency has never proposed using vaccines in central and West Africa, where the disease is endemic.

It's an agency, that is why.

It ignores the medical experts and medical authorities when it suits its political needs.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

It's an agency, that is why.

Being an agency means it is empowered to do things, it does not becomes an excuse for anything.

It ignores the medical experts and medical authorities when it suits its political needs.

On the opposite, the conclusions, recommendations and measures it decides are made over discussion with medical experts and local medical authorities, which is what a global scientific authority is supposed to do.

This is precisely one example where different arguments are being put on the table about what is the best course of action. European experts are making an appeal that the situation justifies the use of vaccines now, African experts are making the opposite appeal that vaccines would be better used on Africa, so if that has not been done until now then the European situation do not merit them either. Both groups have now the chance to use the different arguments and convince the global authority (WHO) to reach a conclusion.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Being an agency means it is empowered to do things, it does not becomes an excuse for anything.

No excuse to mismanage vaccination distribution, correct.

On the opposite, the conclusions, recommendations and measures it decides are made over discussion with medical experts and local medical authorities, which is what a global scientific authority is supposed to do.

Global authorities should make those conclusions, and agencies such as the WHO should follow those. (the U.N. health agency . . . )

This is precisely one example

Is there ever a non-precise "one"?

European experts are making an appeal that the situation justifies the use of vaccines now, African experts are making the opposite appeal that vaccines would be better used on Africa, so if that has not been done until now then the European situation do not merit them either. Both groups have now the chance to use the different arguments and convince the global authority (WHO) to reach a conclusion.

Strange argument calling something a global authority, that has to take into consideration advice from experts globally; especially when the organization calls itself an agency.

Of course, this is just a layman's opinion, as none of us are medical professionals here.

. And of course, there is not verifiable source stating the WHO is a "global authority" as you claim, is there?

We do have this from the article:

The move could result in the U.N. health agency

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

No excuse to mismanage vaccination distribution, correct.

No vaccine has been distribute yet but you can already accuse it to be mismanaged? At least it is clear now that the WHO being an agency has nothing to do with anything.

Global authorities should make those conclusions, and agencies such as the WHO should follow those. (the U.N. health agency . . . )

The WHO is the global authority in public health matters, you not being able to accept this do not make it less true.

https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2013/09/who-world-health-organisation/

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

If the UN and the national organizations, agencies, etc. that coordinate health efforts recognize the WHO as an authority your own personal opinion about it is not enough to contradict them. I

Is there ever a non-precise "one"?

Is this so difficutl to understand? this one is precisely the example that contradicts you.

Strange argument calling something a global authority, that has to take into consideration advice from experts globally; especially when the organization calls itself an agency.

That would come from your own lack of understnading of what is a scientific or medical authority. You keep trying to misrepresent this as if it was some kind of dogmatic institution that force conclusions based only on the power it has, that is not what it means, The WHO is an authority in the field of science and medicine, that means a recognized opinion that reflects the current knowledge, obviously this means it has to take into consideration all the information pertinent to the decisions it makes.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

If it can't be traced back to a single source and it's true that it's in fact spontaneously erupting in these countries at the relatively the same time, we need an investigation pronto

One, most outbreaks in different countries are never traced to a single source,

two, it is not "spontaneously" erupting, but being transmitted, that is the deal with infectious diseases.

three,is it not erupting at the same time but being detected at the same time because it was now called into attention. According to some of the experts the transmission has been happening for some time already.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Kluge urged governments "to approach monkeypox without repeating the mistakes of the pandemic.” 

So now the WHO is blaming governments for listening to the WHO's advice. Typical response to not take responsibility by this agency. Hopefully the governments will listen to medical authorities this time.

“It really should be a priority to vaccinate people in Africa, where there is a nastier strain that has actually killed people,” he said, adding that more monkeypox spillovers were likely in the future.

Just a few weeks ago the WHO was playing down the seriousness of the monkeypox virus, as was a notorious poster here. But strains that kill people sound serious.

No vaccine has been distribute yet but you can already accuse it to be mismanaged? At least it is clear now that the WHO being an agency has nothing to do with anything.

As a non-medical professional it is not surprising that you do not understand the meaning of distribute when it comes to vaccines.

“Whatever vaccination happens in Europe, that is not going to solve the problem,” Balloux said.

Well, it would solve the problem in Europe. That's a start.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

So now the WHO is blaming governments for listening to the WHO's advice

that is false, the governments did not listened to the WHO advice on vaccines, which is why there are still countries that have low vaccination rates.

Just a few weeks ago the WHO was playing down the seriousness of the monkeypox virus, as was a notorious poster here. But strains that kill people sound serious.

That is also false, what the WHO said is that the monkeypox outbreak was not feared to become pandemic, the virus itself has the same importance at always, specially on countries where it is endemic.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

To date, only about 17% of people in poorer countries have received a single dose of coronavirus vaccine. Some experts fear the same thing could happen with monkeypox.

The Who is failing to get its message out, if indeed its message is to have more people in those countries vaccinated.

Or, maybe the countries are ignoring the "advice" for other reasons?

After all, the US, and the UK ignored the WHO's advice, so maybe the other countries are deciding on their own what is best for them and listening to their own "experts".

Being an agency means it is empowered to do things, it does not becomes an excuse for anything.

The WTO has power, but the WHO, does not, and has no authority to bind or sanction its members.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

The Who is failing to get its message out, if indeed its message is to have more people in those countries vaccinated.

Were you not the one emphasizing that scientific authority do not mean the WHO can impose things on countries? the problem is not the message (that has not been contradicted) but that people in power on those countries that could contribute vaccine doses prioritize having them in excess before supporting the developing countries that need them.

Or, maybe the countries are ignoring the "advice" for other reasons?

That would be obvious, the countries that refuse to cooperate with the doses have their own interests in mind and consider the developing world not a priority, so they refuse to do what is best for the world.

After all, the US, and the UK ignored the WHO's advice, so maybe the other countries are deciding on their own what is best for them and listening to their own "experts".

Every country could ignore WHO advice when it prioritize global health, that does not make it a good option or even what is actually best for those countries (since lack of vaccination facilitates the appearance of variants that would then affect the whole world).

The WTO has power, but the WHO, does not, and has no authority to bind or sanction its members.

That is what a scientific or medical authority means, in the same way a doctor can say to a patient that a medicine or a surgery is the best for him, but can't force him to be subjected to it; the WHO as a global scientific authority in medical and public health matters have the power to decide what is the best course of action from the global point of view, but can't force countries to act even in their own benefit. The actions of those countries do not become automatically the best according to science, just what they decide to do.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Being an agency has nothing to do with government policy, because the WHO agency has no authority

Because it has no authority. Prove it with verifiable sources if you think otherwise.

You have already been proved wrong with references coming from the UN saying the WHO is the global authority, pretending not being able to read is not an argument, it can be copy-pasted again without any difficulty.

https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2013/09/who-world-health-organisation/

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

There, the UN says you are wrong.

You didn't give a coherent explanation. I provided a medical professional source.

The explanation is correct and valid and comes directly from a scientific source that explicitly says you are wrong. Yours on the other side is unrelated and do not contradict the fact that lack of vaccination increases the risk of variants.

Proven by who? A non-medical professional anonymous poster?

As proved by the references provided, you have not proved the UN is wrong and you are right, that means the opposite is the only rational conclusion.

Let's see a verifiable source that proves the WHO can force a country to do what is demonstrably best. 

As explained that is not what a medical or scientific authority is, this can be explained to you repeatedly but nobody can understand it for you.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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