The crisis also reminds us of the importance of government and civil society. We do not turn to the private sector to control the spread of a disease like Ebola. Rather, we turn to institutions – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Médecins Sans Frontières, the remarkable group of doctors and nurses who risk their lives to save those of others in poor countries around the world...the Ebola crisis calls into question is our reliance on the private sector to do the things that governments perform best.Does Stiglitz think that people wouldn't pay for treatment against Ebola? Does he think that private sector charities would ignore the Ebola-infected poor?
Does Stiglitz not realize that Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) is a private sector charity?
From the Médecins Sans Frontières web site:
MSF's work is based on humanitarian principles. We are committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation.
MSF operates independently. We conduct our own evaluations on the ground to determine people’s needs. More than 90 per cent of our overall funding comes from millions of private sources, not governments...MSF rejects the idea that poor people deserve third-rate medical care and strives to provide high-quality care to patients.
