Americans, let's pat our backs

The SARS outbreak perpetuated and epitomized the mass panic response of humanity. It brought our attention to global health in a much more fearful, shocking, and real way. We are selfish, and thus, while we may give some matter of attention to the global AIDs pandemic and ‘care’ about the cause, we do not really very much. I suppose I am overstating, some people care, just not the majority of America. I suppose what I am saying is that while we are completely narcissistic—and may donate a few dollars with a text to the Red Cross for Haitian quake or Philippine tsunami relief—but we only buy canned food, take out cash and draw the blinds when we are really scared, and we are only scared for ourselves. I suppose I am getting a little ranty and am not saying much, but what I am attempted to do is explain the rational for our haphazard and selfish response to relief. In New York, people were upset that FEMA had messed up to badly in New Orleans, but did not really care until Sandy hit them, and wanted their power back sooner. According to the Textbook of International Health, most health emergencies take place in poor countries, but somehow, we only care about the very few that directly effect us. We’re wonderful, eh?

Where am I going with this? I believe that people need a little more motivation to help in the case of an outbreak or medical emergency. While SARS is important to notice, and yes, to fear, it was not very large, and was just the Vietnam to our Cold War—that is, hopefully we will get it right soon enough not to have a bigger problem.

Now, how do we use rational self-interest to dictate aid be given, planning measures be made, and attention paid? That is the real question. Maybe institutions such as the Red Cross should be subscription based, like the IMF; you only get a bailout, if you paid your charter. Maybe donation by wealthy countries should be mandated to pay into funds that help less wealthy ones? Neither of these would work for many reasons. But maybe they should. Either way, we should pay more attention to what needs attention, not just to ourselves.