Something needs to be done

Description: 

Dr Hotez launched Baylor’s National School of Tropical Medicine. What he has uncovered in poor areas of Texas (USA is one of the richest countries) diseases which you would expect in third world countries. He explores diseases such as TB, hookworm, lymphatic filarasis and Chagas disease to name a few which occur with extreme poverty. There are impoverished people living in rich countries and actually account for most of the world worst poverty related diseases. This for the reader is both surprising and shocking.

Personally going on holiday to India and Mexico I was shocked but not surprised to see very ill people and in India Polio still rife. I grew up in Scotland in the late 60s where polio and other diseases were still familiar.

Highlights: 

We have spokes people like Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall who take on business giants and highlight the issues in the UK. We know there are too many homeless on the streets but we do have an NHS that treats all and at present we do not have to pay high insurance costs.

The author in this instance has uncovered a horrify problem on the USA door step let alone what is happening in other affluent countries. The author has highlighted diseases we thought we would not see in affluent countries. This is shocking and there is no comfort blanket this is facts which stack up.

The author explores different countries and gives statistics as well as interesting narrative to the background to the people, economy and diseases found there.

The author highlights socioeconomic issues and the north south divide is everywhere. He urges that public health needs to be tackled now and solutions need to be shared.

Strengths and weaknesses:

This is a well researched book which takes you to countries of the world describing diseases and giving solid data. There is a whole chapter listing literature cited, in which the author is sited on numerous occasions highlighting just how much personal research he has carried out himself rather than just quoting other experts.

It is shocking and makes the reader aware something has to be done- what is happening to people now suffering in what we in Britain would think was Dickensian.  

it makes the reader wonder just what the consequences could be for health when the UK voted no to the EU on the 23^rd June 2016, what impact could that have for Britain and health. It is concerning that the NHS is overgrown and cannot cope with capacity and finance and what the future hold we do not know as each government tries to paste over the cracks.

I found no weaknesses.

Potential Readers:

This book is for all clinicians dealing with caring for people with poverty related diseases. This book should be on the student nurse essential reading list as this is shocking and something needs to be done. We cannot go around blinkered.