the other press Science Matters continued from page 8 cent of the $8 billion needed to adequately tackle the problem. Meanwhile, other diseases are surging in the developing world. Dengue fever, for example, is now found in more than 100 developing coun- tries. Carried by mosquitoes in tropical and sub-tropical areas, dengue is not often fatal, but causes a high fever, headache, limb and joint pains that have earned it the nickname “preak-bone fever.” Unfortunately, dengue victims can also devel- “op-a complication called dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) which, without proper treatment, can be fatal more than 20 per cent of the time. DHF causes a high fever for up to seven days, convulsions and even circulatory failure. This complication used to be rare, but since 1970 epidemics of DHF have increased four-fold. The WHO estimates that every year 50 million people contract dengue fever (although it often goes unreported) and 2.5 billion people are at risk. About 500,000 people, mostly children, require hospitalization for the DHF complica- tion. Although these numbers don’t compare to malaria, their continued increase has public health officials particularly concerned. Earlier this year, the WHO passed a resolution urging member states to commit to better funding for prevention and treatment, including a vaccine. Dengue is proving to be a formidable oppo- nent. Urbanization in the developing world has created dense living conditions, allowing the disease to spread more easily. In addition, dengue is not caused by just one virus, but by four different strains called “serotypes.” Creating a single, effective vaccine has proven elusive because fighting off infection from one of the serotypes does not confer resistance to the other strains. In fact, exposure to a second or third serotype makes the victim more likely to develop the potentially deadly DHF. According to an article in the journal Nature this is a seri- ous threat to infants, because they can receive antibodies against one strain from their moth- ers milk, then be infected with another serotype from a mosquito bite increasing the chances of developing DHF. Funding for malaria research pales in com- parison to funding for many “western” dis- eases. And funding for dengue research pales in comparison to research on malaria. Yet these diseases infect tens of millions every year. Treatment and prevention measures are available, but once again, money is the sticking point. In the wealthy, modern, globalized world of the 21st century, this seems particularly unjust. To discuss this topic with others, visit the dis- cussion forum at www.davidsuzuki.org. >>> OPINIONS Rerry Evans OP Contributor A week before moving day the telephone stops ringing. It is not because your phone has already been disconnected, but because your “friends” are in the beginning process of dodg- ing you. No one likes to help people move. | admit that even | hate helping people move, but when your friend needs to move, you suck it up and just do it. That’s what friends are for, right? Helping each other move comes with the territory. | should divulge that since | moved out of my parents’ house nine years ago. | have (as of this past weekend) moved 13 times. So | can understand that my friends are sick of moving me, but frankly | am sick of their problems too, but that’s just the way it works. Friendships shouldn’t have conditions. It seems like the same friend will only move you twice, only go through two break-ups with you, and only babysit your kids a certain number of times. Whoever made these rules should be shot. | am clearly a high-maintenance friend, as | seem to move twice a year, break-up twice a year, and need a babysitter twice a week. Ahhhh moving day. My poor dad has moved me ten of the 13 times. This time he said that he is never moving my hide-a-bed again. We always forget to tie the bed inside, so it falls out- -usually in the elevator or some other impossible place. He said if | move again, the couch will be the next tenants’ patio furniture or | better scrape together money for a real moving com- pany. He reminded me every few minutes that he was losing out on $25 an hour at some other job. Profanities were used often. This time, the unsuspecting helpers were my friend Jennifer and her husband. Her husband clearly wasn’t thrilled and had probably been duped--his wife making some elaborate prom- ises of good things to come once the move was complete. As | spoke to her on the phone the night before the big day, | listened as she reassured him that | was all organized and the move would be a snap. | snickered silently within. The fools! | don’t think that | have ever been organ- ized in my life. Clearly they are delusional. They’ve been to my house. Did they expect a mir- acle? In retrospect, they were my miracle. Only an eight-hour move! Without them, it would have been 16. Another friend of mine was going to help, but she always says that later would be a better time. | am still waiting for later to come. There are still 30 boxes that need unpacking and, as much as | pray, they aren’t going to unpack themselves. She is moving in a month, and she asked me to save her the boxes. | will make sure to tell her where our recycling bin is. Have you ever cleaned an oven? Yeah, me neither. When | had to go back and clean my old suite, my other friend got stuck with that job. Don’t jump all over me—I did the fridge and it was equally disgusting. Note to self: get real cleaners next time. | did pay my friend a handsome amount to do the dirty work, but in the process | still subjected her to it. She said next time her fee is going up. | have decided that | am not moving again until | have a rich husband. So never.