Cost Effective to Treat the World's Poor?

A great article was written by Darshak Sanghavi this month--Wrong Number. It is a must read.

Take home messages from this article:

1. Don't pit the poor against the poor.

2. QALY's dont count if YOU are sick. (Read the article to find out what QALY's really are.)

3. Farmer proved that treating poor Haitians with AIDS is reasonable, rational, and the right thing to do.

4. One's economic paradigm powerfully influences what can be done locally.

5. Haitian Hearts met with Dr. Aldo Castaneda several years ago in Guatamala. He was considered the best pediatric heart surgeon in the world. Dr. Castaneda accepted a Haitian child for cardiac surgery in Guatamala and will accept more. Dr. Castaneda and the Haitian child's mom don't care about QALY's either.