Primum non nocere is a Latin phrase that means, “first, do no harm”. I’ve been thinking about these three words over the past couple of weeks, not because of anything in the world of health and medicine, but because of political events in nations near the US.
On 7 July, Jovenel Moïse, the president of Haiti, was shot and killed in his home in the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince. Officials have since arrested a suspect they believe organised the assassination. Multiple individuals are claiming that they are now the legitimate leader of Haiti. Haitian authorities asked for US and UN troops to protect the country’s infrastructure, a request US President Joe Biden at first rejected, but then reportedly decided to examine more closely. Protesters have taken to the streets in Port-au-Prince as citizens grapple with insecurity, lack of access to basic goods, and, now, fuel shortages.
Content from our partners
