Chapter 5 PoP response

For this week’s reading response I read Chapter 5 of Pathologies of the Poor which gave insight on the changes in which can be done in poorer areas of Latin America and Haiti through medical influence. It talks about how poorer areas are much more prone to disease because they cannot afford the kind of healthcare which is provided to more wealthy individuals. The author Paul Farmer’s time in rural and poor areas of the world gives rise to the kinds of extreme conditions of disease in which people have to live with everyday. I found it very sad especially when I thought about how people living in Africa had to go through the hardship of Aids. I find it shocking to think about how in Africa it seems like it is a pretty common occurrence for some to be diagnosed with Aids but when someone in the US is diagnosed with this disease it is not nearly as common of an occurrence. Farmer talks about the 3 steps to inquire change in these poorer areas which are observe, judge, and act. Although Farmer describes experts saying that this formula is very simplistic, but I agree with farmer that perhaps there does not need to be a complex system in place to help people living in poor areas of the world. All that needs to be done is to analyze the problem, hypothesize and determine what the best course of action to take would be, and then simply act on that hypothesis. I think that attempting to help other areas with their problems needs no complex system and even through the acts of Christian and biblical ideals is there a positive influence because it can give a community a greater feeling of security.