Disease Knows No Borders: Collaboration with a Passionate Response

Our increasingly globalized world is linked in multiple ways—often, even the simplest products are assembled with materials from multiple countries, a downturn in the financial markets of an Asian country, the possibility of a riot in an oil producing country, not to mention continued unrest and violence in the Middle East, Afghanistan, or some African country most of us could not locate on a map—all affect us daily. Just as no military force, whether actual or virtual, can wall us off from our fellow citizens on this one planet we occupy together, so, too, we cannot and should not hide our heads in the sand and claim ignorance of the desperate health care needs of others on this earth we share.

While the U.S. is desperately in need of more nurses, especially Hispanic ones, our need pales in comparison with the needs of some other countries, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is no easy answer as to HOW the needs and human rights of ALL concerned can be met.