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27 3 X For All by the Year 20001 T he year 2000 A.D. ought to be designated the “International Year of Hope.” Nearly everyone is familiar with the expression ‘Health for all by the year 2000" which has been popularized as the campaign slogan of the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.). But other goodies apart from health have also been promised to an ever expectant humanity by the year 2000. We have also heard of peace and safety for all by the year 2000, food and shelter for all by the year 2000, justice and fair play for all by the year 200: employment for all by the year 2000, literacy for all by the year 2000, etc. These slogans are symptomatic of very high hopes indeed. They indicate deep human aspirations. Human beings cannot but aspire towards the good as they perceive it. But human hopes must have some justification if they are not to be vain. In other words, we might desire a certain state of affairs to exist. And no one can be blamed for his desires since they are spontaneous and involuntary. Desires are things that happen to us rather than things that we do. We have no control over our desires. So we cannot be praised or blamed, or, in any way, held responsible for them. But to expect a certain state of affairs to exist requires reasons and a justification for the expectation. One may; for instance, desire to be the most knowledgeable person on earth. But one cannot hope, that is, expect to achieve this state of affairs, without any learning which is the only way by which human beings acquire knowledge. To do so would be to have a vain hope doomed to certain failure. Now our desires for the year 2000 stand in need of no justification. We owe no one any apologies for them. They are simply manifestations of our human nature which aspires spontaneously towards the good as perceived by us. But to go from mere aspiration to expectation or hope requires justification. Now, are our hopes for the year 2000 justified? 28 Road Companion to Democracy and Meritocracy The year 2000 is, no doubt, a very- significant one. It marks not only the end of a century but also the end of a millennium. And every end signifies also a new beginning. It is therefore understandable that humanity should be aspiring towards a new beginning that marks the end of disease and hunger, of injustice and strife, of poverty and want that have characterised the better part of the present century and, indeed, of the entire millennium. But let us, with cold realism, look at some of our aspirations for the year 2000 to see whether we are justified in hoping for these things. The first thing to note is that, though it sounds so far away, the year 2000 is little more than a decade away, precisely, it is only some thirteen years away. And a realistic way to calculate what might obtain in the affairs of men in 13 years’ time is to compare the present state of affairs with the situation 13 years ago. Subtract the situation 13 years ago from what obtains today and add the result to the present state of affairs and the answer would be, mutatis mutandis, what would obtain 13 years hence. Let us limit ourselves to Cameroon and to health which is getting a well co-ordinated campaign. Can Cameroon realistically hope to achieve health for all its citizens by the year 2000? There has, no doubt, been a great improvement in our health care delivery system in the last decade or so. More hospitals and health centres have been built and more medical personnel trained. Health is one area where Cameroon is presently blessed with a dynamic minister who understands not only what health care is all about but also that it is a right for all Cameroonians rather than a privilege for the rich and powerful few. Here indeed is one minster who dearly seems to fulfil President Biya’s desire that the ministers he appoints should be responsible. Nevertheless, a minister, no matter how clear-sighted, dynamic and hard-working, cannot, by his efforts alone, hope to change beliefs, attitudes and practices that have crystallized over several years. The active co-operation of all medical personal and the public at large is indispensable. Health for all would remain only a sweet dream unless...

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