A 'new' way to treat a deadly infectious disease is to quarantine those infected. THe world seemed to have missed this fundamental step in public health when it came to AIDS in the early days and now millions are suffering because of a selfish few who wanted to be treated like everyone else.

If the UN wants to celebrate a prominent public health issue, how about international Malaria day, spread more widely by the irrational ban imposed on DDT by the UN almost 40 years ago.