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Surprising Science

The War on Disease

Many are beginning to acknowledge that disease-specific health campaigns in Third World countries can only work if they also strengthen the health systems in those nations.

Bill Gates is reconsidering his strategic giving after $700 million in donations failed to stop the spread of polio ravaging the Third World. Many are beginning to acknowledge that disease-specific health wars only work if they also strengthen the overall health system in poor countries. “If successful, the recalibrated campaign could shape global health strategy for decades and boost fights against other diseases. A failure could rank the effort as one of the most expensive miscalculations in mankind’s long war with disease.”


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