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Remarkable words on peace

In former Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse's statement that the rights of all communities in this country would be protected by a future Freedom Alliance government, as it would be pursuing peace through negotiations with the LTTE and other relevant parties in the North-East, we have further confirmation of the peaceful intentions of the Alliance.

In fact it is amply clear that the Alliance has reached unanimity on the question of negotiating a just peace with the LTTE and other relevant sections. Some time back, the JVP too expressed the same intention of finding peace through talks with the LTTE.

So, there is no question of any party making political capital out of the allegation that the Freedom Alliance partners are at cross purposes as regards peace or that they are united in seeking a military solution to the conflict.

The Freedom Alliance is for a negotiated settlement and we have the assurance that there wouldn't be a discontinuity of policy on peace, when the UPFA comes to power. The former Opposition Leader's emphatic statement on the realising of the rights of all communities, should clear all reservations on this score.

This, then, is the proof that a Southern consensus exists on negotiating a just solution to the ethnic issue. Besides, the sense of political realism is great among all these parties that a negotiated solution is the only way forward.

Thus, the onus will be on the Freedom Alliance to forge ahead vibrantly with the peace process once in power because a policy of playing for time on this issue would only boomerang disastrously on the country. However, the Alliance would have the advantage of having on its hands the year 2000 draft constitution, which could provide a basis for negotiations, if found suitable.

The country could be extremely happy over this remarkable consensus of opinion on the peace process. Whereas the prophets of doom predicted the emergence of a discordant cacophony of opinions on the ethnic question, which would have taken the country several decades backwards, we have here two major political parties which are prepared to compromise and work together on an issue which is our foremost challenge.

Old diseases, new challenges

With the spotlight focused firmly on 'new' diseases such as SARS and bird flu, health authorities around the world seem to be paying less attention to 'traditional' epidemics that claim millions of lives.

Deaths resulting from SARS and bird flu have hugged the headlines recently, but 'silent killers' such as tuberculosis and malaria lurk in the background and do enormous damage without receiving media attention. For example, Malaria, a debilitating disease of the liver and red blood cells, is estimated to kill up to 2.7 million people a year, nine-tenths of them in Africa.

TB, malaria, whopping cough, diphtheria and measles used to be deadly diseases, but advances in medicine and healthcare have drastically reduced mortalities. Yet, those benefits do not still reach a significant section of the world's population. Thus, these afflictions are still rife in the poorer regions of the world.

Another serious issue is the adaptation of pathogens to drugs used to treat TB and other such diseases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Tuesday that Multi Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is raging in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. MDR-TB patients do not show any improvement when treated with normal antibiotics.

This means that new drugs have to be manufactured and administered in the affected regions. Such a costly exercise is beyond the reach of most developing countries, who have to depend on the UNICEF/WHO assistance for vaccination and treatment programmes. Immunisation programmes conducted in Sri Lanka and a few other Asian countries have become extremely successful. The vaccines, given free, ensure that children do not get killer diseases. A jab now can prevent death later.

This is the message that the WHO must disseminate everywhere, in collaboration with governments, health professionals and civil society groups. Health authorities should also stress the importance of healthy practices that can prevent virulent ailments. These can be rather simple - leaving no stagnant water in and around your home is the best way to avoid mosquito-borne illnesses.

Developing countries need more funds to control these epidemics. The Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an international mechanism created in 2002 to increase resources to fight three of the world's most devastating diseases, must be strengthened. Only a globally coordinated onslaught would be able to stop these killers in their tracks.

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