Malaria and The Problem of Global Justice by Thomas Nagel

2701 Words6 Pages

Topic C – Malaria

In “The Problem of Global Justice”, author Thomas Nagel establishes that there are various moral responsibilities nations within the international community have toward one another. He does this by claiming “the duties governing relations among peoples include not only nonaggression and fidelity to treaties, but also some developmental assistance to ‘peoples living under unfavorable conditions that prevent their having a just or decent political and social regime,’” (Nagel 124). Following from this premise, I will briefly explain why malaria is a significant public health issue that inherently constrains poorer nations to unfavorable conditions. After explaining this, I will then argue that wealthier nations have moral obligations based upon justice, cosmopolitan ideologies and moderate statist ideologies to help facilitate in the eradication of malaria globally.
Malaria is a deadly disease that is transmitted to humans via bites from infected female mosquitos carrying malaria parasites. People who develop the disease often become “very sick with high fever, shaking chills, and flu-like symptoms” (CDC). According to National Geographic, "malaria now affects more people than ever before. It's endemic to 106 nations, threatening half the world's population…This year malaria will strike up to a half billion people. At least a million will die, most of them under age five, the vast majority living in Africa,” (National Geographic). The high concentration of malaria-afflicted citizens in Africa can be attributed to the conducive climate for mosquitos, the sheer number of mosquitos, and most importantly, the inability for many countries to sustain enough anti-malarial resources, medical care, and preventative measu...

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"Malaria: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.

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