International health: why are we involved?

The question is often raised by various segments of black America about the logic of American involvement in international health, and why black American universities and health scientists should devote energies in this area when there are so many domestic health needs.The government's position recognizes that ignorance, want, and despair breed subversion and are counterproductive to world peace. America is economically linked to Africa and other developing nations. Black Americans are likewise linked with greater cultural ties. Black American institutions and health scientists cannot be content with merely addressing the health needs of black people domestically. The health care needs of black people around the world cry out for help.It is recognized that the domestic health needs are great and the manpower inadequate. However, black Americans have always had barriers and seemingly impossible tasks. President Obasanjo of Nigeria indicated that for black Americans "... there are two bridges to cross. The first concerns their relationship to the society in which they must live, and the second is the question of their relationship with their origins. The two are interwoven and interconnected, but still capable of separate treatment."