Big pharma

From to time I mention big pharma in a generally negative way. Suggesting perhaps that they are inventing mental complaints and illnesses so that they can sell us lots of drugs to treat them. See, for example, reference 1.

So I pleased to be able to report, following an article in this week's Economist (April 22nd to 28th), that they also do other stuff. In particular, give huge numbers of doses of medicines to help with the push to eradicate various unpleasant tropical complaints, presently widespread. The deal seems to be that they donate the medicine, but someone else has to organise delivery, which does not seem unreasonable. All pushed along by WHO, Mr Gates and his foundation. Also good to be reminded that all those Windows and MS Office license fees are being put to better use than building solid gold swimming pools, in the way of some of the very rich people nearer home.

While along my way, I learned about something very nasty called the Guinea Worm. See reference 2.

I have also learned that these complaints affect a huge if shrinking swathe of the world; that is to say most of the tropics. A big chunk of South America, most of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, chunks of China and big chunks of the rest of south east Asia.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/big-pharma.html.

Reference 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracunculiasis.