The BMA noted that in the 1980s, these birds were the most abundant large birds of prey in the world. However, in the last 12 years, the population had crashed by 97%.
In a country where these birds actually provide a useful service by scavenging rotting carcasses, this is seen as a big problem.
How did this happen?
• The anti-inflammatory, diclofenac, (similar to ibuprofen), was used by cattle farmers as a popular cure-all to treat a variety of diseases.
• Vultures feeding on carcasses of cows treated with the drug died of kidney failure as it were a poison for the vultures.
• The use of this medication was “careless and casual.”
Why the careless and casual nature of this medicine use? The article opined that there was only one answer: “ferocious marketing by Big Pharma to help ensure its products were used by the widest possible consumer spectrum.”
(“Big Pharma” refers to the huge multinational pharmaceutical companies that have a lot of influence around the world on various global health issues. This site’s section on pharmaceutical corporations and medical research discusses more about this industry.)
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