Originally Posted by
Sherwood
I have worked in international health since the early 1980s, first as an academic and then as an advisor to developing country governments and health project manager. In this period, many of the supply side and logistical problems of getting basic health services to those in need have been addressed, save for a number of war torn and fragile states. Increasingly, development effort is shifting from the supply side to the demand side and measures designed to change knowledge, attitudes and practices, and to incentivise populations to change their health seeking behaviour. Those who invent and spread these ridiculous conspiracy theories about "harmful vaccines" or "malevolent intentions" are literally taking lives. One of the most shocking experiences was when I was working in Uganda in the mid 80's at the end of the civil war there. At the time the country was the epicentre of the HIV/AIDs epidemic and districts such as Rakai had ridiculously high prevalence rates, even by African standards. Conspiracy theories, ignorance and suspicion about the motives of health providers led to countless preventable deaths and much suffering.