Lead, Follow or Get Out of The Way!

Just talking about malaria hasn’t solved the problem.

By Nicole Howe Williams

                I want to bring something to the attention of my peers. This may not be politically correct, however there is an under lying problem that needs to be addressed.  After attending many conferences dealing with Malaria and Mosquito Control, I often think of the numerous professionals that have presented papers at these conferences, entomologists, biologists, chemists, manufactures and non-governmental organizations, having one thing in common, they hear, but don’t listen.                                                  

                Hearing is a waste of time. You can hear and never act on what you heard. Listening requires us to take in what is being said, processing the information then thinking, how to apply this to what I do.  This takes effort, motivating us to find ways to inculcate it in our work and the way we do things. This, in my opinion, is one of many problems that I see among most of my peer group.                               

                Another problem, they are not working together and implementing what is learned. Professionals study and talk about what they know, but very few ever put money where their mouth is. The typical study results in papers being presented at conferences, they pat themselves on the back and get a “Job Well Done” from their peer group, after which nothing of consequence comes of this effort, the papers are filed safely away and they go home.  Talking doesn’t kill mosquitoes, or keep people from getting malaria.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

                The third problem I see are, professionals involved with research, forgetting, lives of real people are at stake.  The exercise is simply an academic one; it is easy to forget innocent humans are suffering.  Place yourself in the victims shoes, I say victim because that is what they are. People are assaulted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are opportunists; they don’t care if you are rich, poor, smart or stupid. Think about this, a mosquito was able to bring down one of the greatest warriors of all times, Alexander the Great.

                We need to stop and think when was the last time I have spoken to and got to know the mother who lost a loved one to a bite of the mosquito? Have I recently spoken to the father of an intelligent boy that was strong enough to survive malaria, however now suffers brain damage due to fever caused by malaria? Do I empathize with that Father when he has to feed and care for the boy, because he can no longer care for himself.  Forgetting that people have real feelings and are going through great tragedies like seeing loved ones die should affect us!

                 In my career in mosquito control, I have met professionals looking to advance their career, make a name in the profession, obtain power, political position and some just collecting a paycheck.  They should do their jobs, not forgetting the humanitarian implications of their actions or inaction, with genuine empathy, for people, while keeping in mind how much that our listening and decision making affects lives.  We need to remember what we do can affect lives around the world.

                Today, I would like to offer a challenge to my fellow professionals, inviting all to quit talking about what you know and start applying what you know for the good of humanity.  No one has ever eradicated malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa by talking about it.  I admonish you at this time to, LEAD FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Contact

Nicole Howe Williams

Director

AirWolf Malaria Vector Control Research Institute

www.killmosquito.org

nicole@killmosquito.org