The economic/sociocultural considerations are relatively less important than the implications for disease management.

The last time the human species was so exposed to the potential for massive epidemic disease spread across the entire species it was all living in Africa and there were perhaps a few hundred thousand in total.

This is not a trivial issue. Bill Gates made the papers yesterday talking about it, but it's been a matter for serious consideration for some time.

We don't need to be selfless humanitarians to understand that allowing endemic poverty to exist across large parts of the world is not in anybody's self-interest.

I see a lot of finger pointing but not one realistic, workable and/or practical 'solution' offered by the author. I even find the article contradictory in places.

"This potential epidemic so far has been only tackled from the national, and sometimes bilateral perspectives. These attempts like Australian-Indonesian cooperation have been aimed at preventing the arrival of refugees, rather than attempting to solve the actual source of the problem." Okay Murray, tell us how to do that.

The only proposal offered to resolve the problems I can glean from this article is wealth redistribution. The author seems to have not considered trying to get these countries to control their out-of-control population growth one way or another.

The author fails to recognise that stopping the people smuggling trade will go a long way towards discouraging the life threatening mass migrations; but that's not surprising given he doesn't recognise Australia's success in this area.

Regretfully the world is not paradise, all people are not born equal or with equal opportunities; in general life can be very unfair. That's the way it is and the way it will always be. I do feel genuinely sorry for people born into these circumstances and admit if it were me, I'd also try to get my family out. But at the same time I recognise the developed world simply hasn't got the room or resources to fulfill everyone's desire.

Usual wringing of hands and refusal to face up to the real problem - uncontrolled population explosions. Nations have it in their hands to stop it. China is leading the way with draconion measures, in Bangladesh over a period of three decades the growth rate dropped from almost 7 to 2.4 in 2005-2010.

Western foreign aid should be exclusively devoted to female education broadly and to provision of contraception. NGOs to do likewise.

The Catholic Church and Islam are responsible for part of the problem.

I almost agree with Outrider.

He wrote: "Western foreign aid should be exclusively devoted to female education broadly and to provision of contraception. NGOs to do likewise."

I would change it to: "Western foreign aid should emphasise female education broadly and to provision of contraception. NGOs to do likewise."

Education in critical thinking and science should also be provided to spark a renaissance freeing people from the deadening affect of archaic religion.

How about some wealth distribution Murray? What say we start with the bloated, greedy public service? Oh yes what about the education sector? They have presided over lessening standards of literacy whilst enjoying massive increases in pay.
What say we give you and your mates a real haircut and use the funds to support, educate and assist the third world getting to sustainable population levels?

Well you've been very clear and extremely thorough in identifying the multiple problems Murray?

And apart from dumping and or moving the problem on/spending other folks money Murray, you seem to be bereft of actual solutions?

If we're ever going to fix this problem, it needs to be addressed at source; and indeed, where instead, we need to be throwing our hard won billions at a seemingly intractable problem.

We could make a start by just recognizing the true source of most of these problems and just send a cruise missile through every dictators bedroom window!

Then with the running interference out of the way, set about ensuring every female on the planet get a decent education; to at the very least, be able to know her rights; one of which is a right to say NO!

The second part of the solution is enabling people to help themselves!

And that can be done with a single pot of locally available money, and micro loans, that can be lent again and again as the small loans are repaid.

And that will be surer, if the money is loaned exclusively to the women folk and their start up family enterprise/cottage industries.

And of course that must be preceded by clean water and proper sanitation.

The only places where we have effectively introduced real and lasting population control; is where we have successfully educated the women!

Everything else is just kicking the can down the road, including mass migration/imposing on the wealthier nations!

I mean, Greece wasn't a real basket case economy until she opened her doors to around a million economic migrants!

And proved forever, that a country with such a small population base just can't be so generous! But particularly, with other folks money!
Rhrosty.