Today, a number of high profile stars gathered in London to record a new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas. Let’s look at some facts and figures.
In 1984, 30 years ago, the original record raised over £8 million pounds for famine relief in Ethiopia. The total population of Ethiopia was about 42 million. 1 million people died. That represents 2% of the population. 8 million were at risk from starvation. It was a desperate situation and the funds raised helped millions.
In 2014, the new recording is raising money for the Ebola crisis. I can’t imagine how much will be raised, but I would imagine, thanks to the wonders of social media, it will be millions. Estimated population of West Africa today is 340 million. Estimated population of the world is 7.125 billion. Worldwide, 5000 people have died as a result of Ebola. If the majority of deaths are in West Africa, this represents 0.00001% of the West Africa population & 0.0000007% of the worldwide population.
In 2012, Worldwide, there were 14.1 million people diagnosed with cancer. In 2012, Worldwide, there were 8.2 million deaths from cancer. That’s 0.001% of the Worldwide population.
Ebola – is a disease that is really scary. Yes, we need to find a cure. And it’s classed as a epidemic. And we are about to raise a massive amount of money to aid that cure.
Cancer is a disease that is really scary. Yes, we need to find a cure. Ridiculously, looking at the diagnoses and deaths, cancer is not classed as an epidemic. Yet it kills more people than Ebola, AIDs and bird-flu combined. WAY more.
I may be a little biased. But it’s feeling a little disproportionate. 0.0000007% vs 0.001%.
How about it Mr Geldof and Mr Ure? Let’s have a Live Aid for Cancer? Not “current” enough for you I guess.
Saarf London Bird 