Janet Haven

Because OSI program staff (which I am) tend to travel often, and sometimes to less-than-stable parts of the world, our employer goes to a lot of trouble to make sure we don't run into trouble. We get alerts about state-department travel warnings, and internal messages from executive management telling us where we should or shouldn't go. Which is all very helpful, because showing up in a country during a plague or revolution always makes one feel rather stupid, and worries the parents to boot.

Additionally, OSI provides its staff with an external service, the SOS International Card. SOS International takes care of tasks for its clients like crisis management, health care intervention, repatriation of remains (!!), and other somewhat scary things. One of the apparently useful services that comes with membership is the "International SOS Medical Alerts", which members can sign up for in email format. I signed up, and immediately started receiving the Daily Anxiety:

"Zimbabwe: Cholera kills 11 in three southeastern districts"

"China: Toxic spill threatens water supply in Guangdong province"

"Kenya: Measles outbreak affects Nairobi, other areas"

"Indonesia: Surge in Malaria cases in East Lombok"

"Sudan: Yellow fever in South Kordofan state"

"Turkey: Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Situation Update: Main Points"

"Zambia: Cholera outbreak grows worse in Lusaka"

Good grief. What I haven't been able to detemine is how the SOS service decides to send out an alert. There seems to be no rhyme or reason. Surely there is more than one health crisis around the world per day that involves epidemic, poor water, or the developing world? Measles in Nairobi doesn't preclude toxic spills in China, as far as I know.

Perhaps the answer lies in the point of production: the email arrives from something called the "SOS Alarm Center". Does SOS International simply pick a random, daily health tragedy from a list of many in order to keep their clients mildly alarmed, slightly anxious, sweatily checking their supplies of generic antibiotics, iodine, and malaria tablets? This isn't to complain about the services that SOS International provides, which I'm sure are very good and useful (although I, thankfully, have never had to make use of them myself, and hope not to). But it's useful to remember: alarmed clients are good clients, at least to a crisis management service.