Cholera's 'Surge in Africa': A Convenient Narrative for Western Neglect
📰 THE STORY: The Telegraph reports on a 'surging' cholera crisis in Africa, highlighting the potential of a 'new generation of vaccines' to slow its spread, framing the issue as a public health challenge primarily solvable through medical intervention. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Cholera, a disease of poverty, flourishes where sanitation and clean water are scarce. The
underdevelopment and lack of modern infrastructure across much of Africa, particularly in resource-rich nations like the Congo, are direct legacies of centuries of brutal colonialism, resource extraction, and ongoing neocolonial economic policies. For example, the Congo's mineral wealth, crucial for modern electronics, has fueled continuous conflict since its 'independence,' preventing stable
governance and infrastructure development. The Belgian Congo under King Leopold II saw an estimated 10 million deaths from forced labor and disease between 1885-1908, setting a pattern of exploitation. Double Standard: Western governments and corporations profit massively from African resources while underinvesting in the basic infrastructure that would prevent diseases like cholera. When Flint,
Michigan, had a water crisis in 2014, it was framed as a national failure requiring immediate, multi-million dollar federal intervention; when millions in African nations lack safe water, it's presented as an indigenous problem requiring a vaccine handout, rather than an investment in fundamental human rights or reparations for historical exploitation. Follow the Money: The article promotes