The Lecture that Peter Hotez presented on the rise of poverty related neglected diseases was eye-opening and intriguing. It was packed with information that I had never known and had changed my perspective on the way American organizations are handling global healthcare. Hotez introduced us to the previous eight global goals that had been published, in which three goals had involved healthcare improvement. One of the goals contained the idea of reducing HIV/AIDS, malaria, and “other diseases”. Hotez took it into his own hands to define the ambiguity within the statement: “other diseases”. He defined these diseases as tropical infections that were prevalent in poverty stricken communities. Hotez and his team then sought out ways to provide vaccinations to those in need in an efficient and cheap manner. Their team was able to fundraise over one billion dollars in order to research and act on the behalf of saving the lives of the poor from these infectious diseases. They were able to send large shipments of vaccines to non-healthcare professionals, such as teachers, to administer to people for only forty cents a person. This lead to an overall decrease in cases of almost every disease that a vaccine was provided for in these areas.
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