NEWS

Poverty plays key role in victims’ acess to healthcare

The stories of Fatima Ozkan and her five-year-old brother Mohamed, among the human victims of bird flu in Turkey, have spotlighted a world of poverty for those who live in the mountains bordering Iran. It was only when the cases of bird flu appeared on Europe’s doorstep, within the range of its television cameras, that the problem upgraded from a statistical likelihood to a reality. If Fatima lived in the West, she would still be alive today. However, she was unfortunate to live in rural Turkey in a poor family. Fatima and her brother (who is being treated in a hospital in Van) made the fatal mistake of slaughtering and plucking one of the few ducks they kept in their yard, although it was clearly sick, blood seeping from its beak and eyes. Only a few hours after eating the bird, the children developed a high fever and persistent cough. Their parents tried to relieve their symptoms with traditional methods, as the virus H5N1 affected more of their lungs. Fatima’s father had no medical insurance to cover her transfer to a hospital in Van Ali and his two sisters, the first victims of bird flu in Turkey, had a similar fate. Extreme cold forced the family to bring their few chickens out of the yard into the house. Many had already died; those which were sick were slaughtered and eaten. Neither the children nor their parents knew anything about bird flu, warnings by the World Health Organization, the drug Tamiflu (which must be given within 48 hours from when the first symptoms appear) or donors promising money for research. Since there was no running water in their home, they may have not even washed their hands after killing the chickens. The three children had no other toys but the heads of the dead chickens to play with. Even after the onset of their first symptoms, they were kept at home, until it was too late to save them. They had no chance. The victims in Turkey and southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and China) all led similar lives. Poverty, ignorance and a lack of information, state assistance, doctors and drugs all led to the spread of the virus and the loss of around 80 lives. The World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, state authorities, donors who took part in the Beijing conference and pledged $1.9 billion to the fight against bird flu might realize that in order to avert a pandemic, what is needed is information, timetables and special action groups and, above all, improved living conditions for countless people around the world.

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