The Future of Guantanamo
Opportunity to Prevent Tropical Diseases Through Vaccine Diplomacy
Feb 8, 2009
On January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama issued an executive order to close down the detention and torture facilities at Guantanamo Bay naval base. However, the order did not necessarily give back the base to the Cuban people or end the imperialistic lease that secures it as a U.S. possession.
Peter Hotez, Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at George Washington University Medical Center and Sabin Vaccine Institute, argues that Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility should be converted into a cooperative biomedical research facility to combat neglected tropical diseases affecting the Americas and the Caribbean.
Tropical Disease
Neglected tropical diseases can devastate a population. Science Daily on September 25, 2008 explains that these diseases affect more than 200 million of the world's poor, inflicting them with malaria, Chagas disease, schistosomiasis, trachoma, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchoceriasis, "river blindness," and hook worms. However, these diseases are not limited to third world countries. Newsday on June 25, 2008 explains that more research and focus needs to be placed on preventing these conditions in the United States. They argue that millions of people living in the Mississippi Delta and Appalachia region are unknowingly infected with parasitic worms.
In a joint article with Hotez on January 27, 2009, Tommy Thompson, former Secretary of Health and Human Services and previous Governor of Wisconsin, explains that these diseases can destabilize communities by decreasing agricultural productivity and negatively impacting the health of families. These diseases disable individuals with anemia, stopping them from participating in their normal social and work activities. Thompson reports that these diseases could also affect childhood development, leading to a 43% decrease in their future earnings.
Vaccine Diplomacy
Biomedical research could produce new vaccines to combat the growing spread of tropical diseases. While the United States, according to Hotez, has a terrific track record in creating "life saving" vaccines, Americans have rarely used this benefit to their advantage in international politics. With the detention center at Guantanamo Bay closing, Hotez indicates that the base should be turned into a cooperative biomedical research facility. This would allow the United States to engage in vaccine diplomacy. Brandon Keim, a writer for Wired Science, on February 2, 2008, explains that through this process, Americans could produce inexpensive vaccines, potentially saving the lives of millions throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.
Vaccine diplomacy can begin by creating a medical facility open to international participation at Guantanamo. By pooling international resources with America's advancements in vaccine development, the United States could improve its image around the world. This would ease international tensions surrounding a place formerly known for its torture practices, turning a place of negative U.S. image into a life-saving institution.
With the Bush legacy of torture at Guantanamo Bay, it would be prudent to pursue new policies geared towards humanitarian purposes. The conversion of GTMO into a medical facility could save the lives of individuals throughout the world and should be considered as a viable policy option.
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