Great victories in health
On genetic cures, road repairs, and why keyword witch hunts are a bad model
Health wins come in many different forms, and periodically it’s helpful to get some good news on one front or another to help remind us that good things are possible. Sometimes, medicine figures out ways to make lots of people a little bit healthier, like with the invention of blood pressure medication. Sometimes it makes a small number of people substantially better off, as with the recent breakthrough in treatment for pancreatic cancer.
■ Other times, medicine succeeds in overcoming a chronic problem for a particular population. That’s the case with a new method of functionally curing sickle cell disease, using gene therapy. It’s a genetic condition mostly found among African-Americans, so the benefits of this research are concentrated within that community.
■ Some research -- medical, social, scientific, educational, or otherwise -- needs to be concentrated on particular communities. Some gullible or uncritical people will complain that this looks like favoritism toward the targeted group.
■ In reality, it’s analogous to some public-works efforts: Sometimes, you resurface a heavily-traveled road driven by everyone. Doing so benefits the many in modest ways. Sometimes, you repair a segment of road in front of one cul-de-sac that collapsed because of a water main broke. Doing that benefits fewer people, but the need is disproportionate and unevenly distributed.
■ Allocating resources among the many options takes thoughtful human consideration and a knowledge that scarcity requires that judgment calls be made. Keyword witchhunts are a poor substitute for careful consideration. A victory over a cruel affliction like sickle cell is a win for everyone, even if the immediate benefits are concentrated.