THE YEAR OF LIVING ON THE EDGE

The winds came at night, followed by the rain. Though the elders had warned about the coming calamity, many gave it little heed. By morning, the rivers were full and the rain increasing. Alarmed, many gathered what they could and headed for the hills. Others fortified their dwelling and hoped for the best. The levies upstream, however, could not stand the onslaught and by the end of the day, burst their banks. The flood inundated everything downstream and destroyed or damaged much in its path.
Scenarios such as the above incident are common.  More often than not, we tend to overlook the warnings and advice of our elders and experts, with dire consequences. Today, too, many are and have been sounding alarms that our world is at peril. Yet we seem to be numb to it all.
Many countries in the world are having their election this year, including sixteen African countries, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, the US and seven others on the American continent. In Asia, eighteen countries, including India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, North and South Korea, and Taiwan. Twenty-eight countries in Europe, too, are having elections, including the European Union, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Spain, and the UK. Finally, four countries in Oceania, namely Australia.
Sixty-five countries or nearly 50% of the world’s population will be voting in these national elections. More than ever before in history. Many of these countries are in conflict with one another or dealing with internal turmoil. The outcome of these elections will have a far-reaching significance for the future of our world, our children and grandchildren.
Added to all this, climate change is gnawing ferociously at our heels. As healthcare providers, we should be alarmed at what is coming our way. For, much like the flood in the above scenario, the tidal wave of the sick and injured is already overwhelming many of our colleagues, in the Middle East, Africa, Pacific Islands, and our own cities with the homeless, displaced, and simply poor. We are living on the edge of disaster. It behooves us to heed and prepare.