Picture Courtesy: masternewmedia.org
In 2002, Kano, Nigeria,
Muslim leaders kicked against
A polio immunization exercise
They harboured misgivings about
The nature of the drug being administered
After the failure of a drug trial.
Pfizer – Nigeria lawsuit appeal,
In the year 1996,
During a meningitis outbreak in Nigeria,
Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company
Tested an unapproved drug on 200 Nigerian children,
Eleven died as a result
And others were blinded, paralyzed
Or became brain dead.
It seems the developing world has been
Transformed into one huge laboratory
By pharmaceutical companies.
Drug trials are difficult to conduct
In the developed countries,
Most people are unwilling to take part
Due to possible long term side effects
of unapproved drugs which are administered.
Poverty is endemic in Africa,
The poor cannot afford medicine,
Hence, these drug trials are embraced wholeheartedly.
Drugs in such trials are given out freely without charge
But with quite disastrous consequences.
Africa has gradually become the World’s laboratory,
All kinds of mixtures and concoctions are
Sent here for deadly trials.
African lives are used to fine-tune
Medication for western pharmaceutical companies.
Parents living in abject poverty give out their kids for such trials,
Chemical concoctions are chugged down their throats
And pumped into their veins
while the outcomes are evaluated like in a game of chess.
Participants in such trials are given numbers,
No names,
They are called test subjects, how humane.
Poor people are being sacrificed
Just so the rich can live longer.
Seems this barbarism
Has become an acceptable fashion today.
When these drugs make their way onto the
Shelves of pharmacies,
Most people in the developing countries
Who served as guinea pigs during the trials of
These very drugs cannot even afford them.
Are Africans expendable?
Is the life of an African worth less than
That of any other person in the so-called developed world?
Is this not a crime against humanity?
After slave trade, is this the new craze?
The vulnerable are being exploited in these
Developing countries everyday,
Please!!! Someone put an end to this unhealthy business,
Poor Africans are being sacrificed in the name of medicine
So western pharmaceutical companies can make a healthy profit.
This is a deep one, bro. I had to smoke some leaves to calm my seething heart. U know, as much as we want to blame these companies, we shd also remember it is our callous leaders who, for money, grant them permission to come n turn us into guinea pigs. Poverty is a disease, but when u r condemned by someone supposed to be helping u, then it becomes a curse.
ReplyDeleteSuch inhumane activities should be checked by the World Health Organisation (W.H.O) and the local health authorities. A lot of education should be made via radio, television and via sub-urban and rural outreach programmes; since these companies target the poor and uneducated communities. Parents should be taught how to protect their kids from such vices. This is highly unacceptable!
ReplyDeleteThis is a strong one. I'm sure u must have heard abbout the contraceptives issue in the northern region. In the name of providing good healthcare, we end up sacrificing our fellow man. I guess thats as humane as we can get it. Excellent piece man!
ReplyDeleteSaint, i'm glad the leaves could calm you down. pretty upsetting issues in this one. what ever happened to being human? if for nothing at all, wat happened to being human? there are no leaders here bro, just hungry people looking for bread...
ReplyDeleteArmah, i get the feeling W.H.O. is either culpable or incompetent. there are too many unanswered questions here. forget terrible and greedy African leaders, aren't there any other measures in place to curb these things? highly unacceptable bro...way too unacceptable. what ever happened to being humsn? if for no reason at all, these people are human too....
ReplyDeleteDavid, after all this, we wonder why people resort to quack herbalists who end up worsening their plight. there's a contraceptive debacle in the north? wow, seems there's no stopping this chronic incompetence....hmmmm, just a bunch of hungry dudes looking for bread, aint no leaders here bro. in China, when tainted milk killed babies, de guy in charge was hanged, if it were gh, we'd giv him a car and a pat on the back as just reward for gross negligence and incompetence. are we safe in this bloody country at all?
ReplyDeleteI believe deals were made long ago that the present leader are afraid to break for the fear of loosing money and war. Is there a place where one can find those type of agreements written on paper or some type of recording?
ReplyDeleteAbi, it's all cloak and dagger. hush hush and under covers. they all know what is going on on. just people playing ignorant while others die thanks to their greed and chemical poisons of pharmaceutical companies. seems poverty used to be the porr man's bane, now the the greed of others seems to have wormed its way into their life of abjection too....if for no reason at all, are these people not human too? when did they become guinea pigs? if this practice is so acceptable, how come they only bring it to the developing world where laws do not work and greedy leaders readily embrace their blood tainted deals?
ReplyDelete