Group addresses African poverty

To find out where to do great good, one first must find where there is great need, said Dr. Mark Grabowsky, senior technical adviser to the American Red Cross, at a lecture Tuesday night.

And that need is in Africa right now, he said.

"Never before has there been more resources, more opportunities and more need because of increasing poverty," said Grabowsky, who was invited to speak for Measles Week.

"This is an international effort, and we want UNC to contribute," said Nitin Sekar, co-chairman of the Campus Y Health Focus Committee.

"It's a right of every child to get vaccinated," he said. "Measles Week is UNC's way of educating people about this right and the problem in Africa and getting UNC students to address the problem."

Sekar spearheaded the project, with help from the South Asian interest fraternity Delta Sigma Iota and Socially Conscious Science.

Funds raised go to the Measles Initiative - a long-term commitment launched in February 2001 to control measles deaths in Africa by vaccinating 200 million children and preventing 1.2 million children's deaths during a five-year span.

The American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organization are among the key players in the organization.

Students will be in the Pit this week to publicize Measles Week. And volunteers have the number 50 painted on their cheeks to represent the number of children dying from measles each hour worldwide.

"It shows a sense of urgency," Sekar said.

This daunting statistic is especially unfortunate because a vaccine is so readily accessible, he said.

The Loreleis, Achordants, Sweater Weather and Carolina Vibe are among the student groups that will perform in the Pit to promote measles education.

It costs less than $1 to create a vaccine, transport it to Africa and administer it to a child, Grabowsky said.

"It's really easy to be a hero," Sekar said. "Every dollar helps a child's life forever by protecting him from measles."

The main problem, he said, is to get people to understand the seriousness of the problem.

"We've forgotten how much it was a plague," he said. "People who don't have a connection to a problem tend to forget it exists."

Freshman Ginette Rowe said she understands the critical nature of the situation. She donated money to the cause.

"I have the ability to make a difference - no matter how small that might be - We have the technology to (vaccinate). There's no reason we shouldn't."

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.