If a person travels to another country, they should check with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) first to see if they need to receive any immunizations. Haiti does not require any immunizations to get into the country, but the CDC highly recommends making sure your tetanus immunization is up-to-date and to take anti-malaria pills at least 6 weeks before you travel.
I have been searching high and low for a doctor to prescribe some malaria pills for me. I started with my own physician. When I told the nursing staff that I was traveling to Haiti and needed to make sure my immunizations were up-to-date, they told me that they do not provide that kind of service. I was told to call the Department of Health or a traveling doctor and gave me phone numbers for both. The traveling doctor phone number was no longer working. And the Department of Health never answers their phone. I was able to leave a message for them. That was over a week ago and I have yet to receive a response.
I began to search for traveling doctors in the St. Louis area. I found one and called the clinic. I received no answer and there was no option to leave a message. I sent an email. No answer.
Time is running out. I need those pills so that I can begin taking them. I have approximately one week left to begin the medication in time. As I was at my chiropractor's office, I complained to him how I could not find anyone to prescribe anti-malarial pills. He gave me the name and phone number of one of his physician friends. He told me to drop his name and see if he could provide what I needed. Oh the power of a name! I called the office, told the nurse that my chiropractor recommended this physician to me. I told her I need to start malaria pills very soon! She took my number and said she would call back. She called back in less than 20 minutes and set up an appointment for me for this coming Monday. She said the doctor would be able to prescribe the meds, but he wanted to see me first.
As for the rest of the immunizations, Uncle Sam has provided everything under the sun to me while I was serving in the Air Force. I have every hepatitis vaccine and a wide variety of other immunizations. My shot record reads like a short novel. Tetanus was actually updated through SIUE.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
What is a 4th World Country?
After traveling extensively throughout the world while serving in the Air Force, I have witnessed a level a poverty that I have yet to see in the United States. The places I traveled to were referred to as 3rd world countries.
Third world countries are loosely defined as "Countries that represent a modern society, but in the process of potential development as recognized continental representatives of the world community today. The majority among this group, comprises of many moderately wealthy, but militarily effective governments. To include to this, many Third World nations (especially in Africa), are affected drastically by political problems, or bad geographical conditions, such as droughts and non-fertile soil. Famines, shortages, regional wars, and etc., have all caused much instability and no hopes of restoration in the public in Third World nations. Today, the First World, and the Second World, come forth to bring aid and civil support to bring about strong foreign relations, and bring them into any of their collective orbits'. Many members of the Third World state of national powers, are of course nonaligned with any global significance and squander on their various economic or political concerns in regional affairs."
This December, I will be traveling to Haiti to be a part of medical mission trip. For the first time in my life, I heard the phrase "4th World Country". Haiti is defined as a 4th world country. A 4th world country is defined as, "Countries which according to the United Nations exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world. A country is classified as a 4th world country if it meets three criteria based on:
-low- income (three-year average GNI per capita of less than US $750, which must exceed $900 to leave the list)
-human resource weakness (based on indicators of nutrition, health, education, adult literacy)
-economic vulnerability (based on instability of agricultural production, instability of exports of goods and services, economic importance of non-traditional activities, merchandise export concentration, handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of population displaced by natural disasters)
In my opinion, I believe I still have yet to see the worst. As of January 2009, there are 49 countries that are classified as 4th world countries.
As a sponsor of Compassion International, I was struck by Wes Stafford's, the president of Compassion, words this year. He said, "In Haiti, mothers are making dirt "cookies." They mix together mud, oil and salt, shape the "dough" into cookies and bake them in the scorching sun.In my 32 years with Compassion, I have never seen the poor so poor."
For a man whose life revolves around those who are less fortunate, this is a big statement.
Third world countries are loosely defined as "Countries that represent a modern society, but in the process of potential development as recognized continental representatives of the world community today. The majority among this group, comprises of many moderately wealthy, but militarily effective governments. To include to this, many Third World nations (especially in Africa), are affected drastically by political problems, or bad geographical conditions, such as droughts and non-fertile soil. Famines, shortages, regional wars, and etc., have all caused much instability and no hopes of restoration in the public in Third World nations. Today, the First World, and the Second World, come forth to bring aid and civil support to bring about strong foreign relations, and bring them into any of their collective orbits'. Many members of the Third World state of national powers, are of course nonaligned with any global significance and squander on their various economic or political concerns in regional affairs."
This December, I will be traveling to Haiti to be a part of medical mission trip. For the first time in my life, I heard the phrase "4th World Country". Haiti is defined as a 4th world country. A 4th world country is defined as, "Countries which according to the United Nations exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world. A country is classified as a 4th world country if it meets three criteria based on:
-low- income (three-year average GNI per capita of less than US $750, which must exceed $900 to leave the list)
-human resource weakness (based on indicators of nutrition, health, education, adult literacy)
-economic vulnerability (based on instability of agricultural production, instability of exports of goods and services, economic importance of non-traditional activities, merchandise export concentration, handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of population displaced by natural disasters)
In my opinion, I believe I still have yet to see the worst. As of January 2009, there are 49 countries that are classified as 4th world countries.
As a sponsor of Compassion International, I was struck by Wes Stafford's, the president of Compassion, words this year. He said, "In Haiti, mothers are making dirt "cookies." They mix together mud, oil and salt, shape the "dough" into cookies and bake them in the scorching sun.In my 32 years with Compassion, I have never seen the poor so poor."
For a man whose life revolves around those who are less fortunate, this is a big statement.
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