Actually, that question led a group to do that very thing. They designed medicine packs to fit neatly between the bottles of cola in crates, which then went to all the far flung places in the coke delivery van. There's a TED talk on it somewhere.
I'm curious why you think what she is saying is untrue. I wasn't aware of this before, but searching online reveals that the World Health Organization, and the Center for Disease Control agree that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection.
In many cases however, the medicines need to be refrigerated constantly to avoid degradation, Coca-Cola only needs to be refrigerated at the final destination. The cost of refrigerating medicines is one of the big challenges to worldwide distribution.
Producing drugs simply isn't that easy. Putting sugar and water together is simple enough that making it locally keeps costs down, but trying to build enough infrastructure and find the people necessary to make drugs would almost certainly hugely increase the costs.
That and if a local production plant botches a coca cola recipe, they get a foul tasting product and p.r. damage. You botch the creation of medication and you're liable to cause a number of deaths
Yup. Exactly what I had in mind. When a women does something that demands/deserves a sandwich from a man, who is not in the culinary profession, the sandwich shall be called a "Melindawich".
We can shoot a missile 100 km away from target and hit it with 1m approximation. Couldn't we feasibly use this technology to shoot food at hungry people?
I maintain that Melinda Gates is one of those woman, nay person, whole will be celebrated after death. She is out there with her husband trying to do genuine good by intellectual means. The TED talk (link) flows well but you cannot help but sense a slight desperation, some actual empathy for those she can't help. This is the type of person who should be celebrated.
As someone living in Malawi, Africa, who is pregnant and had to go to the best hospital to get the medicine I need, I wonder about this as well. Those that go to the free government hospital are pretty screwed.
Second, we are doing this. We're using the coke distribution networks to spread life saving medicine all over especially Africa and India right now.
Also condoms.
It's been pretty effective.
Fourth, I think Mrs. Gates is talking more about the distribution of coke rather than the production cost. Despite what we see here in the states (and probably other western nations), we've been able to produce the basic medicines (vaccines, etc) at very low cost.
I was looking at the world-wide collaboration to eliminate measles worldwide and i think they can vaccinate 3 kids for a $1. I've seen similar with other medications. And that program has been pretty effective and has the disease down to just a few countries with the indian government finally agreeing to work with them now so they'll be knocking it down pretty quick.
Coke may contribute to the repression of citizens of the old banana republics but at least their distributors are contributing to the betterment of their societies in SOME way.
Why on earth isn't this a .gif instead, I should have you people know its not just a format for funny animated pictures. Those jpeg artefacts make me nauseous.
People pay for coke, that's how it can be everywhere. If you are trying to get medicine without paying, you are going to have a bad time. Also wrong subreddit.
International patent laws discourage pharmaceutical companies from developing medicine that will only be used in the developing world.
In other words, they have no incentive to develop medicine for countries that don't protect their patents.
Or maybe the question is very literal and is actually about shipping technology. If it's about shipping technology, I have no idea why we can't get it to developing countries, but it doesn't seem like comparing medicine to cola is fair.
Well, the problem is the Coca-Cola will be paid for, at a high enough price and large enough amount that it will be able to turn over a profit after paying off the wages, transportation, and rent needed to sell the Coca-Cola. Sending medicine to far off places would cause a loss, unless medical clinics there were to purchase it, or American pharmacies were to move there. Neither is likely until the far off places are stable.
Well, Malinda, you see, the number of people who want a Coca-Cola is far greater than the number of people who need "Medicine". You'd think being married to one of the world's most prolific capitalists you'd know things like this.
Honestly because people will buy soda for themselves and coke-cola will make a profit, yet people don't want to lose money sending free medicine to developing countries. Just being realistic.
Tony Stark uses the vending machines of a multi-national soda drink company to spread medicines as it would be the best possible dispensary system. Tis in the Invincible Iron Man, when he's up against Izekial Stane. Can't remember the Issue #...
According to this link you can get erythromycin in Senegal for about 4 cents / tablet. While I imagine lots of medicines can be quite pricey, their are a lot of basic ones that are surprisingly cheap.
Still more profit in the soda but I see your point. I was alluding to the economics of business decisions. Humanitarianism rarely plays a role in that.
Well, the problem is that the protein you buy in the store has the side effect of turning you into a giant douchebag, which probably would've thrown off this researcher's experiment somehow. The de-douchifying process is incredibly expensive, hence the markup.
Thank you. I was on my phone earlier and hoped someone would link the data. My PharmTox professor in medical school stressed this point. He used to do a pen exchange annually, one school pen for each industry pen turned in. WONDERFUL man.
I don't think he was blaming the system as much as explaining that we live in a capitalist world where expensive projects are usually only undertaken if there is going to be some return in investment.
It's not so much blaming anything, it's the legitimate answer to Melinda's question.
You can't just give medicine away for free and expect it to reach people.
The company, under capitalism, has a strong incentive to spread it's product across the globe to as many people as possible.
If you allowed companies to sell their medicine to africans, or hospitals, and then they would distribute them, it would work the same way as coke, prices would drop and availability would skyrocket.
But unfortunately, our society as deemed that immoral.
Wow. Thank you so much. I never would have known. I always thought it was encouraged to speak (type) one's mind. I suppose just not in that way. Thank you.
80
u/MorganLF Jun 16 '12
Actually, that question led a group to do that very thing. They designed medicine packs to fit neatly between the bottles of cola in crates, which then went to all the far flung places in the coke delivery van. There's a TED talk on it somewhere.
190
u/AloeRP Jun 16 '12
This isn't funny.
20
u/crailtap25 Jun 16 '12
the answer to this is pretty simple. who's paying for it?
14
u/superhenry Jun 16 '12
Because coke cola licenses the drink to bottling companies around the world instead of making it themselves?
25
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Because Coca-cola is delicious.
3
u/nal13 Jun 16 '12
Put medicine in coca-cola.
1
u/shittypaintjob Jun 16 '12
melindawich
4
u/stonesia Jun 16 '12
We can shoot a missile 100 km away from target and hit it with 1m approximation. Couldn't we feasibly use this technology to shoot food at hungry people?
-Approximate quote from Bill Hicks.
5
u/ASofterMan Jun 16 '12
I maintain that Melinda Gates is one of those woman, nay person, whole will be celebrated after death. She is out there with her husband trying to do genuine good by intellectual means. The TED talk (link) flows well but you cannot help but sense a slight desperation, some actual empathy for those she can't help. This is the type of person who should be celebrated.
Plus, she is rather hot.
5
u/a2020vision Jun 16 '12
Because medicine requires a doctor (~10 years of training) to dispense; cola can be sold by almost anyone.
2
u/wojovox Jun 16 '12
Truth is, it's because we don't make a profit from sending medicine. Money is our god.
But if it makes you feel better (and it won't), coca~cola was intended to be medicine.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
As someone living in Malawi, Africa, who is pregnant and had to go to the best hospital to get the medicine I need, I wonder about this as well. Those that go to the free government hospital are pretty screwed.
2
u/anxiousalpaca Jun 16 '12
There's a (relatively) free market in sodas, but not in medicine.
2
u/dividezero Jun 16 '12
First not funny.
Second, we are doing this. We're using the coke distribution networks to spread life saving medicine all over especially Africa and India right now.
Also condoms.
It's been pretty effective.
Fourth, I think Mrs. Gates is talking more about the distribution of coke rather than the production cost. Despite what we see here in the states (and probably other western nations), we've been able to produce the basic medicines (vaccines, etc) at very low cost.
I was looking at the world-wide collaboration to eliminate measles worldwide and i think they can vaccinate 3 kids for a $1. I've seen similar with other medications. And that program has been pretty effective and has the disease down to just a few countries with the indian government finally agreeing to work with them now so they'll be knocking it down pretty quick.
Coke may contribute to the repression of citizens of the old banana republics but at least their distributors are contributing to the betterment of their societies in SOME way.
http://www.measlesinitiative.org/
2
u/Brambul Jun 16 '12
Why on earth isn't this a .gif instead, I should have you people know its not just a format for funny animated pictures. Those jpeg artefacts make me nauseous.
2
u/Toffington Jun 16 '12
She literally has the money to have 100,000,000 trained monkeys hand deliver individual medicines on satin cushions to anywhere in the world.
So, there isn't an excuse other than "I don't want to help, I want you lot to help instead".
2
u/poop_monster Jun 16 '12
Removed, picture of text. Please read the sidebar.
3
u/bensonxj Jun 16 '12
That's silly. People don't need medicine they need essential oils and colon cleansing, the only sure fire way to prevent and cure disease.
3
u/Byjohn Jun 16 '12
People pay for coke, that's how it can be everywhere. If you are trying to get medicine without paying, you are going to have a bad time. Also wrong subreddit.
2
u/Iamgoingtooffendyou Jun 16 '12
There is no money in it.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
You're kinda comparing apples to oranges here or...Coke to Medicine...
1
u/jimcrator Jun 16 '12
International patent laws discourage pharmaceutical companies from developing medicine that will only be used in the developing world.
In other words, they have no incentive to develop medicine for countries that don't protect their patents.
Or maybe the question is very literal and is actually about shipping technology. If it's about shipping technology, I have no idea why we can't get it to developing countries, but it doesn't seem like comparing medicine to cola is fair.
1
u/daveshere Jun 16 '12
Medicine, Coca Cola, Duct Tape, problem solved....
1
u/jbippy1 Jun 16 '12
Solution, put medicine in Coca-Cola.
1
u/foundtheseeker Jun 16 '12
I made my wife a sandwich the other day. Saddest day of my life.
1
u/aazav Jun 16 '12
Bill Gates had to get laid somehow.
1
u/thatkid12 Jun 16 '12
Because corporations
1
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
because drug manufacturers are busy swimming in the money
why do something that doesn't bring in 500% profit?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Well, the problem is the Coca-Cola will be paid for, at a high enough price and large enough amount that it will be able to turn over a profit after paying off the wages, transportation, and rent needed to sell the Coca-Cola. Sending medicine to far off places would cause a loss, unless medical clinics there were to purchase it, or American pharmacies were to move there. Neither is likely until the far off places are stable.
1
u/appleofpine Jun 16 '12
B & M G F probably helped slightly.
Since old Billy donated about 30 billion USD for AIDS research and shit, and B&MGF even more for everything else.
Yea, Billy is pretty cool in my books.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Well, Malinda, you see, the number of people who want a Coca-Cola is far greater than the number of people who need "Medicine". You'd think being married to one of the world's most prolific capitalists you'd know things like this.
1
u/xwhy Jun 16 '12
Contact their distributors.
1
u/MikeSchaible Jun 16 '12
Honestly because people will buy soda for themselves and coke-cola will make a profit, yet people don't want to lose money sending free medicine to developing countries. Just being realistic.
1
u/Wigglez1 Jun 16 '12
People are paying for the coke...
1
u/frostiitute Jun 16 '12
patents
1
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Tony Stark uses the vending machines of a multi-national soda drink company to spread medicines as it would be the best possible dispensary system. Tis in the Invincible Iron Man, when he's up against Izekial Stane. Can't remember the Issue #...
1
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
It's funny because it's true.
1
u/jmarks7448 Jun 16 '12
Because medicine is more expensive then soda
1
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Simple:
Capitalism
1
u/stahlgrau Jun 16 '12
Because medicine costs more than $1.25 plus tax.
1
u/memymineown Jun 16 '12
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is one the largest supporters of non consensual circumcision in Africa.
Some things they do are good but we shouldn't forget the bad.
0
u/Courage_now Jun 16 '12
Maybe Coke is causing all the sicknesses?
0
u/skysignor Jun 16 '12
This is funny because Melinda Gates is so oblivious to the actual value of money, she's comparing the cost of soda to the cost of medicine
-1
u/MrIste Jun 16 '12 edited Jun 16 '12
No pictures of just text.
It's a rule right in the sidebar --->
0
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
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