Topic: Stopping the Spread of Disease Across International Borders
Country: Ireland
Delegate Name: Desiree Degutis
School: Vicksburg High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Ireland position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
2.
Stopping the spread of diseases across international borders is a difficult problem to deal with. There are many factors that play a role in ensuring the highest safety possible and preventing diseases from spreading.
The border between Ireland and the United Kingdom is 360 kilometers long. It is hard to stop the spreading of diseases with legal immigrants, but there are close to 200 000 illegal immigrents which result in many illnesses crossing the borders unmonitored and are undetected by the government. Bearing in mind that there are attempts to cross the border that haven´t been registered. This affects the problem in being even more difficult situation to deal with.
A option here is to monitor peole entering the country more closely. Health standards, as a requirement to arrive in Ireland, would limit the problems of carrying diseases from country to country. However an increase in control means an increase in spending regarding the current immigration proccedings.
Further there is no geographical wall stopping diseases of any kind. Taking into accout that Ireland has multiple options from creating space between it and the disease, for example quarantine, there is no way to stop it. A disease will stay a disease and there is no country, no continent that is immune against it. Therefore Ireland must aim to protect its citizens by controlling the borders and public places, such as airports more closely.
A big part in stopping diseases from spreading across international borders is the knowledge and awareness about it. Educating people will not stop the diseases, but will prevent them from spreading out farther and decrease the number of infections. This will help the problem to be more controlled.
Stopping the spread of diseases across international borders is going to be a lot of work. If Ireland wants to achieve having the most possible security, the countries will have to work hand in hand, requiering the absolute cooperation resulting in solving the problem. Only under theese conditions will the aim be reachable. Encouraging to maintain the most possible safety not just for now, but longterm and in this connection effecting the lives of people in Ireland.
