I need help finding a reliable source for debate?

Question

Okay, so in my debate class, we are debating whether the United States Federal Government should substantially increase it's public health assistance to sub-saharan africa. So alot of people on the negative teams (teams against public health assistance in SSA) are saying that if we send people to Africa they could come back with all the diseases that people in sub-saharan africa have.

BUT I just heard that thousands of African Refugees are coming from Africa to America. This would help me counter this point by saying that these people are already bringing diseases over here. BUT isn't there like border control or somethin where they check you for diseases before letting you enter the country?

But I don't have any reliable Sources to back this up. Which in debate, that's a big problem so I need sources (just links to websites that I can copy and paste and print) on the following:

- Border control (like wasn't there a station on ellis island a long time ago? something like that.)

mdl

Answer 1

er... we have vaccinations and quarantines in the U.S.... in fact, 1,000 of doctors go over there every year to help out (on mission trips and on trips with many groups) and they RARELY come back with any diseases, and there has never been a major breakout in relation to a trip, that I am aware of... most are vaccinated against the diseases before they go, so they won't get them...

I don't think that "they will bring diseases back" is much of a point... AND IN FACT, YOU SHOULD ASK HIM FOR SOURCES ON THIS HAPPENING...

he's the one that needs sources for that accusation...

Answer 2

Not only does your source have to be good enough for YOU, it also needs to be good for your teacher, and maybe some class mates.

Suppose people from here want to travel to another nation.

The CDC and US State Dept have various warnings about people should not travel some place because of the

war there

plague there

other reasons

You can go to the government web sites to find out about current travel warnings

You might also look at the history of SARS and risks of Pandemics ... people traveled by air, and other means, they were infectious before they showed any symptoms ... so even had there been some border checking, there would have been no way to see that this traveler was sick ... so after some traveler went on their way, it is found out that a bunch of people have the sickness, so public health tries to figure out the travels of the people who are now sick, and who they might have come in contact with.

You can find out info about this kind of thing from CDC and various public health depts in different states of USA ... I think the last major epidemic in USA was MUMPS, but there's another starting right now in schools in the north east.

The question of immigration to USA is a different topic from that of aid to the people in some part of the world.  The numbers who emigrate here are microscopic compared to the numbers at risk of loss of life because of the troubles over there.  You can get statistics on people dying over there for various reasons, from various NGOs, then compare that with statistics on the people emigrating from there to other places.

There is the whole issue of whether we should help our neighbors ... people in this country, people in ohter nations ... should this be a function of government, of charities, of individual action?  and the answer to that question depends somewhat on your religion.  Most religions teach that we have an obligation to help fellow mankind, to be a good friend and neighbor.  

It might be useful to locate where exactly it says this in the Bible, and in other books of other religions.

I suggest you check out what the UN is doing with respect to health care ... you will be surprised to find out that medicines that cost thousands of dollars in the USA, can be distributed for pennies in Africa.  Getting the data on that, from UN web sites, such as UNICEF (aid for the children), WHO (World Health Organization) and comparing it with pharmaceutical prices in this country, and explaining how come people here have to pay thousands of dollars for what can be sold for pennies, is an interesting thread to use.

Even though this is only part of the big picture of the debate, it is something that will entertain the audience, which is one of the reasons to have a debate ... impress your audience with stuff you know.

Look at the average number of children in families around the world, where disease prevalent, death rates high ... if a people can be uplifted, will their birth rate decline rapidly?  You can get birth and death rates by nation from CIA fact book & some newspapers like Washiington Post in USA and Economist in Britain.

From US Dept of State, you can get figures on rates of people coming here from different places in the world, for different reasons.  But over time, there tends to be temporary rises in people from a particular part of the world, so it might be more useful to look at US Census statistics on the people who are here ... you can get Census data from prior censuses, to compare statistics over time.