Taking Advantage of the Vulnerable

Worse Than Fiction

John Le Carre’s novel, The Constant Gardner is a story of pharmaceutical exploitation.  Big Western drug companies distribute drugs in African countries, but the drugs are untested, dangerous, and end up killing people.  They were not approved for use in the US and other Western countries.  Since the West was smart enough not to distribute them, African countries were easy pickings.  Sound far-fetched.  Not at all.  It is actually happening, as the following article from Turtle Bay and Beyond reveals:

New York Times Whitewashes Dangerous Contraceptive for Poor Women

By Lisa Correnti

November 14, 2014

Turtle Bay and Beyond

 

Big pharma, a rich philanthropist, government aid and a children’s non-profit announced yesterday that they would make a controversial injectable contraceptive more widely available to poor women in developing countries.

The New York Times trumpeted the announcement that Pfizer Inc., the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) will provide financing to assure the new self-inject version of Depo Provera – called Sayana Press would reach millions of women in rural areas.

Sayana Press like its predecessor Depo Provera, is a dangerous progesterone contraceptive. Some 11 scientific studies revealed an increased risk of contracting and transmitting HIV/AIDS among women using Depo Provera. Women using these progesterone contraceptives double the risk of breast cancer, have prolonged bleeding, delayed return of fertility, and are at greater risk to develop severe cases of osteoporosis. For this reason the FDA issued a black-box warning that it shouldn’t be used beyond 2 years.
Yet, in sub-Sahara Africa women have been using Depo Provera for upwards for years and know nothing of the longterm consequences.

PATH developed the self-inject delivery system through funding by USAID and others. Reproductive health expert Kwame Fosu says the new delivery system will circumvent mandatory informed consent required by the FDA for drugs with black box warnings.

Fosu has been sounding the alarm on the serious side effects to US lawmakers in Washington and to African delegates at the United Nations.  Depo Provera stakeholders — the Gates Foundation, USAID, and reproductive rights groups that claim to have a woman’s best interest, remain quiet on the side effects. And now, a major media outlet – Why?

The $14 billion for “population assistance” directed to intermediaries like UNFPA, IPPF, Marie Stopes, FHI360, and PATH have a secure funding stream implementing family planning programs that prioritize long-acting contraceptives like injectables and implants. Some $8 billion is targeted to sub-Sahara Africa.

Partners on this new effort to distribute Sayana Press to women and girls of reproductive age include the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and PATH.

“In the place of our real needs they offer us a product that we have neither wanted nor demanded,” said Obianuju Ekeocha, founder of Culture of Life Africa. “It is heart-breaking to see how these wealthy proponents of contraception have chosen to unleash their extensive projects on Africa with programs overlooking the real needs of African women, which include access to good education, good healthcare, food and water,” continued Ekeocha.

Depo Provera and the progesterone implant Jadelle (Norplant 2) are targeted to poor women only. Women in Europe and the US do not use it. Norplant 1 was withdrawn from the US market after thousands of lawsuits filed by women harmed by the side effects. It since has been licensed to be manufactured off-shore.

These aggressive programs will be successful in lowering fertility in these regions but will do nothing to provide economic gain and lift women from poverty. With harmful pharmaceuticals like these, poor women will have less children – but they will remain poor, and now, will have health issues that won’t be addressed by sub-standard healthcare systems.

 

The Ugly American Re-Emerges From the Closet

Boss Hogg’s Soft-Imperialism

One of the reasons the climate change charade has been mocked in the “third world” is the persistent disquiet that it is a “first world” issue, with the unfortunate by-product of oppressing poorer nations by impeding their economic and social development.  In other words, the “third world” sees the climate change circus as Western soft-imperialism.

One response of the poorer nations has been to say, “If you want us to impede our own economic development, pay us big time in compensation.”  Unfortunately, since the Global Financial Crisis the West has run out of money.  So, the traction of the climate change crusade has disappeared in the Southern Hemisphere quicker than a politician’s integrity. 

But pompous, paternalistic and imperialistic Westerners just don’t get it.  They have not washed their ears out in a long time.  And this is where the syndrome of the offensive, ugly American rears its head again.  Consider the supercilious, condescending, paternalistic US Secretary of State, John Kerry.
  He was addressing a US-Africa Leaders summit, and good ol’ boy, Boss Hogg John told those southern peasants the way things were going to be:

During the Africa Summit “Resilience and Food Security in a Changing Climate” panel, Secretary of State John Kerry told an audience that “8,000 children die every day” and in sub-Sahara Africa, one in four suffer from chronic hunger.

Then a few minutes later, he stressed how creating new farms would cause too much carbon pollution so they need to discourage more farm land.  In other words: For the Obama administration, starvation in Africa will be solved by combating climate change not more farms.

OK, so let’s get this clear.  Starvation and famine are terrible problems in sub-Saharan Africa, but what Africa  must not do is produce more food.   It will contribute to global warming.  Combating climate change is more vital and important (to pompous Westerners) than a few million starving folk in Africa.  And we, good ol boys, are set on telling you ignorants just the way it’s going to be.  Besides, what’s the death of a few million starving African ignorants, huh?  Less people, less global warming.

If one ever needed a reason or justification as to why so many other nations despise the United States one need look no further than the silver-spoon attitudes and opinions displayed by the current US Secretary of State.

Not the Best Deal

Planned Parenthood Will Push Harmful Injectable on Zambian Girls and Women

Posted on | March 12, 2014 

by Lisa Correnti

Turtle Bay and Beyond

[The story is told in the days of the Soviet Union of a Soviet Commissar lining up to buy bread.  The line was long and the Commissar was in a hurry to get home, so he shouted out, “All Jews in this line, go home.”  A significant number of people in the line fell out and went home.  About half an hour later the Commissar made it to the shop door, only to read a sign just put up, which read “Bread Sold Out.”  Grumbling, the Commissar returned to his limousine.  His driver turned to him, and asked, “Why is it, Comrade Commissar, that the Jews always get the best deal?” 

Below is a story about how women in Israel appear to be getting a much better deal than women in Zambia, thanks to the “tender” embraces of Planned Parenthood.  Ed. ]

Despite scientific research finding women using the contraceptive Depo Provera are at higher risk to transmit HIV/AIDS and develop breast cancer, Planned Parenthood plans to widely distribute the injectable to women in Zambia.

Abortion advocates are lauding the Zambian governments decision to create, for the first time, a line item within the country’s budget for the procurement of contraceptive supplies – $9.3 million.  The successful advocacy which led to securing the funding from the Zambian government, is being attributed to the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ) from a $50,000 advocacy grant awarded to them.

The advocacy grants flow from the Advance Family Planning initiative established through the UK Family Planning Summit in July 2012, which partnered with Melinda Gates and the United Nations Population Fund. The goal of the summit was to secure commitments from pharmaceutical companies, Foundations, and governments to scale-up the delivery of modern methods of contraceptive to 120 million women and girls in low-income countries by 2020 – $4.6 billion was committed.

The Fund is part of a 5-year AFP project providing grants to reproductive rights groups – like Planned Parenthood, to target high birth rate countries to secure these governments financial investment and political commitment to assure access to contraceptives, especially long-acting methods like injectables.
The same groups receiving funding for advocacy will later receive funding for the distribution of the contraceptives. 

Planned Parenthood of Zambia Executive Director Edford G. Mutuma said next on the agenda was to increase the distribution of injectable contraceptives through community health workers.

The harmful side effects of Depo Provera have been largely ignored by reproductive rights stakeholders due to the millions of dollars already committed to manufacture and distribute it.  “Planned Parenthood, the largest distributer of Depo Provera for drug company Pfizer, conceals lethal side effects from African women while Pfizer generates record sales of up to 36 billion dollars, said Kwame Fosu, a human rights activist disparaged by his reproductive rights peers for sounding the alarm on the injectable contraceptive.

Fosu, Director of International Affairs at the Rebecca Project for Human Rights provided the following response to Planned Parenthood’s announcement that they will seek channels to widely distribute Depo in Zambia:

Depo Provera and Norplant are termed the “DDT of contraceptives” by human rights advocates, because the drugs are highly toxic and produce debilitating side effects.  Depo Provera significantly increases the incidence HIV/AIDS, breast cancer and other diseases.  Alarm bells should sound off across Africa especially after Israel banned and restricted Depo Provera to protect African women living in Israel. Zambian health officials should recognize that Depo Provera is a drug created to decimate populations, women are not only left childless, but the serious terminal diseases they develop cannot be treated easily in Africa. Our African leaders should also be cognizant of the fact that Depo Provera is banned or restricted in India, Europe, and the United States as detailed in this report by the Rebecca Project for Justice.

The Advance Family Planning program receives the bulk of its funding from foundations noted for population control efforts — Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

The Opportunity Fund is managed by Population Action International, a longtime supporter of population reduction programs in Africa including sterilizations and abortions.

The Wisdom of Ages

Bono, Africa, and Aid

Age and experience is reputed to bring wisdom.  Sometimes sadly this is not the case.  Growing years can cement the foolishness prejudices and simplicities of youth, which makes aged folly all the more ridiculous.  But often as people grow in experience, they become more subtle, discerning, and wise.  They learn that things are not always what they seem.  They realise that truth often lies beneath, not on the surface.  

David J. Theroux, writing in The Beacon, gives us an example of the latter.

Bono (nee Paul David Hewson) is the lead singer in the rock group U2, one of the most successful rock groups in history. Bono also became a major proponent of greatly expanded U.S. foreign aid and other government programs (including debt cancellation) to alleviate the dire plight in the world of HIV/AIDS, malaria, abject poverty, and other issues.

Bono’s name and fame is synonymous, not just with U2, but with charitable activities in Africa.  He has publicly and passionately taken up the cause of that needy continent for most of his public life.  Bono is a professing Christian.
  He has called loudly for charity and aid to the needy people and nations of Africa.  But aid can be destructive, addictive, corrupting, and enslaving.  It is not the longer term answer.  Theroux continues:

Our Research Fellow George Ayittey met the Irish rock star Bono in July 2007 during a TED conference. Professor Ayittey was speaking and in knowing that Bono would be in the audience, he explains that “I made a special effort to rip into the foreign aid establishment…. Later, Bono said he liked my speech but did not agree with me that foreign aid is not effective in ending poverty. So I gave him a copy of my book, Africa Unchained: The Blueprint for Development.”

Bono’s thinking has developed, no doubt prodded by his experience over decades in Africa, to where he acknowledges that aid is not the longer term solution for Africa.  What, then, is the solution?

Just recently drawing upon his Christian faith (and possibly the economics influence of Professor Ayittey?), in a speech at Georgetown University, Bono altered his economic and political views and declared that only capitalism can end poverty.  “Aid is just a stopgap,” he said. “Commerce [and] entrepreneurial capitalism take more people out of poverty than aid. We need Africa to become an economic powerhouse.”

It seems as though Ayittey’s book has made an impact, no doubt corroborating Bono’s own experience and observations over the years.

But we would add this qualification: capitalism is not the hope of Africa.  King Jesus alone is its hope–as with us.  Capitalism cannot emerge and garner strength without the law of God being upon the hearts and eventually in the social and political and governmental fabric of the continent. As the King of kings stretches forth His sceptre to break down tribalism and racism, drawing people to His eternal and universal kingdom, to where respect for life and families and the property of others becomes sacred, then will capitalism emerge and bear good fruit.  When governments out of respect for the Ten Commandments regard protecting the goods which God has granted to families and individuals from the thieves which would break in and steal to be a sacred and holy duty of covenant keeping, then capitalism can flourish and living standards rise. 

Only then is it meaningful to say “capitalism can end poverty”.  For without the fabric of Christ and the institutions of His kingdom, capitalism can be the most destructive engine of rapine imaginable.  As it has been in Africa.  Without Christ as Lord, capitalism becomes a curse, not a blessing.

>A City Set Upon a Hill

>The Gospel in Africa

Matthew Parris, is a seasoned journalist and politician. He is also a professing atheist. He recently wrote a piece in The Times entitled, As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God. The by-line read: Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa’s biggest problem – the crushing passivity of the people’s mindset

This is a remarkable article.

We reproduce it in full below:

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it’s Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I’ve been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I’ve been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

I used to avoid this truth by applauding – as you can – the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It’s a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.

But this doesn’t fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.

First, then, the observation. We had friends who were missionaries, and as a child I stayed often with them; I also stayed, alone with my little brother, in a traditional rural African village. In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world – a directness in their dealings with others – that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.

At 24, travelling by land across the continent reinforced this impression. From Algiers to Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, then right through the Congo to Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, four student friends and I drove our old Land Rover to Nairobi.

We slept under the stars, so it was important as we reached the more populated and lawless parts of the sub-Sahara that every day we find somewhere safe by nightfall. Often near a mission.

Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to: something in their eyes, the way they approached you direct, man-to-man, without looking down or away. They had not become more deferential towards strangers – in some ways less so – but more open.

This time in Malawi it was the same. I met no missionaries. You do not encounter missionaries in the lobbies of expensive hotels discussing development strategy documents, as you do with the big NGOs. But instead I noticed that a handful of the most impressive African members of the Pump Aid team (largely from Zimbabwe) were, privately, strong Christians. “Privately” because the charity is entirely secular and I never heard any of its team so much as mention religion while working in the villages. But I picked up the Christian references in our conversations. One, I saw, was studying a devotional textbook in the car. One, on Sunday, went off to church at dawn for a two-hour service.

It would suit me to believe that their honesty, diligence and optimism in their work was unconnected with personal faith. Their work was secular, but surely affected by what they were. What they were was, in turn, influenced by a conception of man’s place in the Universe that Christianity had taught.

There’s long been a fashion among Western academic sociologists for placing tribal value systems within a ring fence, beyond critiques founded in our own culture: “theirs” and therefore best for “them”; authentic and of intrinsically equal worth to ours.

I don’t follow this. I observe that tribal belief is no more peaceable than ours; and that it suppresses individuality. People think collectively; first in terms of the community, extended family and tribe. This rural-traditional mindset feeds into the “big man” and gangster politics of the African city: the exaggerated respect for a swaggering leader, and the (literal) inability to understand the whole idea of loyal opposition.

Anxiety – fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things – strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won’t take the initiative, won’t take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders.

How can I, as someone with a foot in both camps, explain? When the philosophical tourist moves from one world view to another he finds – at the very moment of passing into the new – that he loses the language to describe the landscape to the old. But let me try an example: the answer given by Sir Edmund Hillary to the question: Why climb the mountain? “Because it’s there,” he said.

To the rural African mind, this is an explanation of why one would not climb the mountain. It’s… well, there. Just there. Why interfere? Nothing to be done about it, or with it. Hillary’s further explanation – that nobody else had climbed it – would stand as a second reason for passivity.

Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I’ve just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.

Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.

And I’m afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.

Matthew Parris joined The Times as parliamentary sketchwriter in 1988, a role he held until 2001. He had formerly worked for the Foreign Office and been a Conservative MP from 1979-86. He has published many books on travel and politics and an autobiography, Chance Witness, for which he won the 2004 Orwell Prize. His diary appears in The Times on Thursdays, and his Opinion column on Saturdays

This is a remarkable article because of Parris picks up what so many superficial commentators fail to see. The Gospel transforms hearts, minds, and lives before it transforms communities. But the overall impact is like no other. We loved the observation that people under the influence of the Missions and the Gospel stood straight, and walked tall.

Hat Tip: The Briefing Room