Wednesday, March 22, 2006

the simplicity on the far side of complexity

Our grand rounds speaker this morning was Edward O'Neil, MD, one of those inspiring people who have transformed their lives in an effort to make the world a better place. His talk painted a bleak picture of the world in which we live. Poverty, war, disease, despair, apathy. Yet, as bleak as it was, it was also hopeful. There are no simple solutions, no matter what your perspective. But one person can make a difference.
I ask you...if Bono can convince Jesse Helms that withholding funding for AIDS relief in Africa is wrong using scripture, anything can happen.
I plan on reading O'Neil's two books, about to be published next month, Awakening Hippocrates and A Practical Guide to Global Health Service.
I also encourage anyone interested in global health issues to read Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder about Paul Farmer. Another truly inspiring individual who has changed the course of global public health.

No comments: