Poverty and Discrimination: Big Enemies of Children All Over the World

Since the emergence of humankind on the stage of history, activities occurring in parallel with the process of the fight between human and nature, humanization of nature and uncovering of the mystery of nature, have been examined under the title of science. Communication and confrontation of humanity with science started with the discovery of fire, and extended up to the present amazing technological and scientific advancements. The aim of scientific disciplines emerging with the efforts of scientists, who are engaged in science, is to reach the truth, find the truth, and change and humanize current life. The starting point in the search of scientific truth is the hypothesis proposed, and the specificity that is found and hidden in this hypothesis. The scientist primarily produces a specific hypothesis related to the research subject, and subsequently makes an all-out effort to prove, and at the same time, to disprove this hypothesis with utmost strength and honesty. The hypothesis produced, springs from inside of life. The problem for which an answer is searched is inside life itself, and its solution will facilitate the life of humanity. Only when the hypothesis is successfully proven or disproven, the scientific truth is reached. Trying to disprove one’s own data or ideas requires extraordinary honesty. This honesty also requires an extraordinary commitment to ethical rules, which have been established in years with humanity’s experiences (1, 2). Scientists do not owe anybody. Developed, humanized, cultured, and transformed humans owe only humanity. Therefore, each practice performed should have a humanitarian meaning, and this rule should never be forgotten while conducting scientific studies. All studies in positive sciences should involve factuality, internal and external consistency, criticism and self-criticism, universality, prediction, social necessity and belief in utopia, and these should create a source of inspiration. All these are regulated by scientific and ethical rules that have been established over centuries (1, 2). The preparation stages of a scientific design involve a considerably long process. The researchers involved in this process should ask themselves many different questions and go through many phases. In each stage, the most important foundation of researchers should be the scientific and ethical rules established priorily based on humanity’s experiences. These stages can be listed as follows: Primarily, it is obligatory to ask a specific scientific and logical question. Afterwards, preliminary investigations related to the subject should be conducted, and relevant medical literature should be screened. After completion of this screening, hypotheses and predictions related to the subject should be specified. Before specifying hypotheses and predictions, all present resources and documents related to the subject that can be reached should be read carefully. Subsequently, the stages such as finding necessary monetary resources and obtaining approvals, conducting experiments, collecting data, evaluating data and making conclusions, and demonstrating validity inside life, should be performed respectively. The important points in a scientific study include searching for the truth, providing evidence, proving trueness, and being unbiased and objective (1, 2). One of the most important disciplines, which reveals and actualizes science and scientific data in detail, is MEDICINE (1, 2). We have recently been confronted by the most important evidence that has proven this proposal. In December 2019, humanity faced a very important danger that threatened itself and its future. This danger was the COVID-19 infection as we all know. It was not known what COVID-19 was, how this infection proceeded, and how it could be prevented and treated (2, 3). Humanity was in a great fright and anxiety. Many mysteries of this infection were resolved with studies that were conducted at an unprecedented pace. We will even resolve the issue of prevention with preventive vaccines, which will be on the market in 1–2 months (2, 3). In the meantime, however, we have faced a very important problem in terms of reliability of science and scientific data, and commitment to ethical rules. This problem was the data presented by pseudoscience against science (4–8). In particular, various studies conducted without abiding by scientific research ethics committees had to be withdrawn. At this point, the scientific setting was attempted to be misguided, especially with data that were produced based on pseudoscience. The efficiency of the scientific world was attempted to be reduced. The evidence levels of the relevant studies were not sufficient (4–8). These studies included excessive discordant and distorted data. One of the most important problems was the fact that researchers who had expertise other than the relevant area of expertise, were added to these studies. For example, one of the largest treatment studies was conducted by a cardiovascular surgeon. After a while, the deficits in this study, which was published in a very important journal, were revealed, and the study was withdrawn (9). Many pseudoscience products were revealed and withdrawn from the scientific world due to the very high sensitivity of true scientists (4). I think this fight between science and pseudoscience will never end, but the existence of true science will persist for centuries as one of the greatest foundations of humanity. In conclusion, humanity’s efforts to reach the truth and find true information, which has continued for centuries, will persist with an increasing speed by way of medical studies conducted with a steady commitment to scientific, ethical and universal rules, and probably, the process of humanization rather than extinction of nature will be completed.

Science is our most important asset and knowledge that will get us out of the COVID-19 infection, which is the greatest threat to humanity. Science has been advancing humanity for centuries, bringing it to brighter days. I think humanity first encountered science when fire was discovered. After this, while the dizzying speed of science with many developments took us forward, the supporters of "pseudoscience", who were against science, did not stand idle and continued to defame science and scientists. Different tendencies that arise within science itself want to take science further back from the point it has reached. At this point, the most important threats are racism and discrimination. 1-7 Although the COVID-19 infection continues at its peak today, scientists are trying to save humanity from this infection at great speed both in the world and in our country. Scientists have now begun to unravel all the secrets of the disease, and with the drugs-vaccines found, the disease will hopefully disappear from our world in a short time. While scientists are working with great effort, the supporters of "pseudoscience" do not stand idle and try to destroy the hope of humanity with fake data and inappropriate studies violating ethical rules. At this point, the chance to reach medicine and vaccination is disrupted for our children due to discrimination. 1,2,4,5 As we mentioned before, one of the most important obstacles to science and scientific developments is racism and discrimination. Humanity experienced the most important example of this in the Tuskegee study conducted on patients with syphilis, which began in 1932. African-American male patients were deprived of all treatment options for nearly 50 years, despite the fact that a remedy was found for the disease. 3,8,9 During the COVID pandemic, race discrimination has continued. There has been significant inequality in access to both vaccines and treatment. All pediatricians, physicians and pediatric institutions should have taken an action against this negativity. The first action on this issue was performed by the Canadian Pediatric Association, because, as all the pediatricians in the world, we knew that we had to leave a world free from racism, both to humanity and to our children. This is a task given to us by humanity. We had to create an antiracist research ecosystem for our children. At this point, all research ethical boards, research planners, and pediatric researchers should remember the main rules of science once again, and every datum should be implemented with an anti-racist, egalitarian and discrimination-free logic. Let's try to review once again the main rules of universal science below. 3-5 Science is real and depends only on reality, it is not personal. Science is open to public criticism and can always be tried. In this respect, it is not subjective, it is objective. The scientific process is completely free from prejudices. When it comes to objectivity in science, it should be understood that objective facts and cases should be reflected as they are, not as desired. In a scientific study, the tendency to pretend that the result did not happen with false and made-up data is diametrically opposite to the basic principles of science. There is no place for dogma in science, being scientific requires being open to self-criticism from a critical point of view. Scientific work has gone through many tests for centuries, and its values have not been denied. 1,2 Science arises from vital needs and observation: It realizes an increase in information production activities, which arise from inquiries about knowing the sources of human basic needs. Science is generalizing. Although the facts develop everywhere according to their own conditions, they occur within the general rules. Science is universal. Science has to be known by the broad masses. Since science is directly related to life, it is for everyone as well as for life itself, that is, it concerns everyone in life. Science knows no borders and is all anti-racist. It is free from discrimination. It takes diversity, equity and inclusion as its main guide. 1-3 Science is selective. The selectivity of science depends on which of the observations is tested by means of a hypothesis. Once the purpose of the research has been determined, the scientist has no right to change the direction of the research or to direct it in the direction he wants, unless there is a major setback in the research method during the research. It is incompatible with the scientific method and unscientific to make the desired results and inferences instead of understanding and explaining what is happening. Therefore, the scientist should work independently and authentically. Science is based on logical principles. Science is predictive. Science makes predictions about the future based on the knowledge and results obtained from historical, social and natural events in the past, and taking into account the conditions of the day. All they do is for the unlimited good of humanity. Science demands freedom. Science research should be conducted in a free environment, scientists should be able to research on any subject that interests them, and these results should be shared with humanity in equity, away from all discrimination. 1-4,6 We have devoted the editorial in this issue of “Turkish Archives of Pediatrics” to reminding the scientific method and anti-racist initiatives. Even in the book of Olcay Neyzi, one of the founders of pediatrics in our country, who we lost in February 2022, racist attempts are mentioned. Humanity will one day live with happy children in the world with an indiscriminate perspective and we will live as happy Pediatricians. “We believe that scientists and pediatricians who believe in science and science equality and who are far from discrimination will win this war on earth, the light of science will brightly illuminate the whole earth and our children. 1,3-5,10