Earth History, a Planet in Crisis, 2204 edition
Created | Updated Nov 15, 2004
Excerpts from ‘Earth History, a Planet in Crisis’
first published in 2200, updated yearly
Medicine versus profit.
Between 2000 and 2100 it had become clear that the social structure of the world’s communities had, with their total dependence on a monetary-based system, entirely overlooked the problems facing poorer societies when faced with epidemics and widespread disease. By making medicine and healthcare a financial acquisition rather than a basic human right, it became a case of the survival of the richest.
As the huge medical and research corporations in thriving societies pushed for ever-increasing profits and governments around the world privatised more and more healthcare options in an effort to minimise the drain on financial resources to maintain a minimal level of health service for their communities, large sectors of society found themselves unable to provide adequate financial resources to cover basic healthcare.
The schism between those with and those without grew to a point where, with the outbreak of the worst flu pandemic since records began, the 2062 influenza strain, over one third of the world’s population died as the wealthiest sectors of the global society had stockpiled the vaccine, leaving world shortages. The influenza’s short incubation period coupled with the ease of world travel meant huge outbreaks were left unchecked as charitable agencies tried desperately to mobilise the vaccine to infected areas.
The flu remained at large within the world’s population for three years before finally, world health organisations managed to organise a mass vaccination programme. In that time one third of the world population died. Both the human loss and the financial burden were immeasurable and the world economy collapsed under the crippling weight of debt, starvation and even more disease.
In under one hundred years the global society had been decimated and the rebuilding of the planet’s population meant fundamental changes to how society viewed healthcare, not as a privilege but as a fundamental right, as important and necessary as water and food.
In 2072, the global charter for health and maintenance was agreed at the global summit. It set out a clear and defined charter that medicine and healthcare was a basic human right and should be free from financial negotiation and that the global community would divorce profit from all transactions in providing healthcare and medicine to all communities.
first published in 2200, updated yearly
Medicine versus profit.
Between 2000 and 2100 it had become clear that the social structure of the world’s communities had, with their total dependence on a monetary-based system, entirely overlooked the problems facing poorer societies when faced with epidemics and widespread disease. By making medicine and healthcare a financial acquisition rather than a basic human right, it became a case of the survival of the richest.
As the huge medical and research corporations in thriving societies pushed for ever-increasing profits and governments around the world privatised more and more healthcare options in an effort to minimise the drain on financial resources to maintain a minimal level of health service for their communities, large sectors of society found themselves unable to provide adequate financial resources to cover basic healthcare.
The schism between those with and those without grew to a point where, with the outbreak of the worst flu pandemic since records began, the 2062 influenza strain, over one third of the world’s population died as the wealthiest sectors of the global society had stockpiled the vaccine, leaving world shortages. The influenza’s short incubation period coupled with the ease of world travel meant huge outbreaks were left unchecked as charitable agencies tried desperately to mobilise the vaccine to infected areas.
The flu remained at large within the world’s population for three years before finally, world health organisations managed to organise a mass vaccination programme. In that time one third of the world population died. Both the human loss and the financial burden were immeasurable and the world economy collapsed under the crippling weight of debt, starvation and even more disease.
In under one hundred years the global society had been decimated and the rebuilding of the planet’s population meant fundamental changes to how society viewed healthcare, not as a privilege but as a fundamental right, as important and necessary as water and food.
In 2072, the global charter for health and maintenance was agreed at the global summit. It set out a clear and defined charter that medicine and healthcare was a basic human right and should be free from financial negotiation and that the global community would divorce profit from all transactions in providing healthcare and medicine to all communities.
