[Bread for the World Report] The Push Up Decade: CAADP at 10

Excerpts from the report

The 2007-2008 food price crisis was a wake-up call for the international community, reigniting the discussion about the need to refocus attention on agricultural development. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, member governments of the African Union (AU) had already been grappling with the issue for several years. In 2001, AU members agreed to establish a process to help spur economic growth and political transformation on the continent. The majority of poor people in Africa— approximately 75 percent—live in rural areas and depend on
agriculture for their livelihood.1 Yet between 1995 and 2003, most African countries spent very little public money on agriculture—well below 1 percent of their Gross Domestic Products (GDP).2

Realizing this contradiction, the AU’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) launched the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). African heads of state met in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2003, and agreed in the Maputo Declaration both to begin devoting 10 percent of their national budgets to agriculture by 2008, and to set a goal of achieving an average annual growth rate of 6 percent in the agricultural sector by 2015.3 Nonetheless, donor funding for agriculture was very limited until 2009.

CAADP, an ambitious and comprehensive vision for agricultural reform in Africa, is an example of how initiatives with effective local ownership are making strides toward the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

…

A good example of what is possible is Tanzania, whose economy has been growing steadily over the past 10 years. On average, the economy expanded by 6.9 percent a year. Five sectors were the source of almost 60 percent of Tanzania’s economic growth between 2008 and 2012:

• CommunicationGDPalmostdoubledinlessthanfour years, growing on average more than 20 percent a year.
• Banking and financial services, which has expandedby 11 percent a year since 2008.
• Retail trade, which increased by almost 40 percentbetween 2008 and 2012.
• Construction,withaverageannualgrowthof9percentover the same period.
• Manufacturing, which grew by 8.4 percent annuallyduring the past four years.Agriculture also contributed to Tanzania’s economic growth, but this was a given because it makes up a significant share of GDP, about 25 percent. In fact, during the period 2008-2012, agriculture’s growth rate was consistently below the overall economic growth rate.

…

Nutrition: Investing in nutrition is extremely cost-effective yet critically underfunded. In fact, of the “10 best buys in development” identified by a group of top economists, five are nutrition interventions.15 But although relatively simple, very affordable interventions to treat malnutrition are available, nutrition remains the “forgotten MDG.” Both overseas development assistance for nutrition, and national budget allocations have been very low.

Since 2009, the United States has worked through its global food security initiative, Feed the Future, to emphasize the urgent need to improve nutrition in the “1,000 Days” window between pregnancy and age 2.16 Because malnutrition in this critical age group causes irreversible physical and cognitive damage, countries with a high proportion of malnourished babies and toddlers pay the price in diminished productivity and economic growth. On the other hand, research shows that $1 invested in nutrition generates as much as $138 in better health and increased productivity.17 In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 41 percent of all children younger than 5 are malnourished.18 It is the only world region where the number of child deaths is increasing, and the only one expected to see further increases in food insecurity and absolute poverty.19

…

In spite of the currently tight budget climate, the United States and other development partners should not back off. Rather, they should press forward to support and help strengthen county-led initiatives such as CAADP. As the African Union prepares for the January 2014 African Union summit, which marks the start of “the Year of Agriculture in Africa,” there is real opportunity for this renewed commitment to have an impact on hunger. On July 1, 2013, African heads of state and government of AU Member States, together with representatives of international organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector, cooperatives, farmers, youths, academia, and other partners unanimously adopted a Declaration to End Hunger in Africa by 2025. This High Level Meeting, Renewed Partnership for a Unified Approach to End Hunger in Africa by 2025 within the CAADP Framework, took place at the initiative of the African Union, FAO, and the Lula Institute along with a broad range of non-state actors.22 With this renewed commitment to end hunger, African countries still have a chance to fulfill their Maputo commitments since that deadline coincides with the MDG deadline, two years away in 2015.

Related articles

• Ten Years of Transforming Agriculture in Africa (drbausman.wordpress.com)
• Zambia agro-sector given $31.5 million (daily-mail.co.zm)
• African leaders to tackle malnutrition in Niger forum (nation.co.ke)
• Sub Saharan Africa to Meet Only 25% of Food Demand by 2030-gap Report Reveals (modernghana.com)
• 4 Things the FAO says nations must do to reach global hunger MDG by 2015 (one.org)
• Africa Land Grab Unacceptable (developmentpublications2011.wordpress.com)
• Global hunger down, but millions still chronically hungry / 842 million people undernourished in 2011-13 – Developing countries make progress but more efforts needed to reach MDG target (appablog.wordpress.com)
• Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics (independentsciencenews.org)
• Governments in Africa fail to reduce poverty despite economic progress (irishtimes.com)
• Half of population face malnutrition in Madagascar (vancouverdesi.com)

Millions of adolescents falling behind, especially in Africa – UNICEF report

Charles Taylor was found guilty by the Hague today…so many factors contribute to why adolescents are falling behind in Liberia and elsewhere in Africa…while wars and armed conflicts are some of the factors, there are others…still…the wages of war  (and preparing for ware) are death…in so many, many ways.

From the summary at Full Text Reports

Millions of adolescents falling behind, especially in Africa – UNICEF report
Source:  UNICEF

Over the past 20 years, adolescents have benefitted from progress in education and public health. Yet the needs of many adolescents are neglected with more than 1 million losing their lives each year and tens of millions more missing out on education, says a new UNICEF report today.
The report, for example, identifies sub-Saharan Africa as the most challenging place for an adolescent to live. The adolescent population of the region is still growing, and it is projected to have the greatest number of adolescents in the world by 2050. But only half the children in sub-Saharan Africa complete primary school and youth employment is low.
Progress for Children: A report card on adolescents highlights other alarming consequences of the benefits of progress not being equally shared among the total of 1.2 billion adolescents – defined by the United Nations as between the ages of 10 and 19 – now living in all the regions of the world.

Related articles

• Africa’s Moment (foreignaffairs.com)
• Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday (whitehouse.gov)
• Economic and population growth not need be a zero sum game (seekerblog.com)

Even Limited Telemedicine Could Improve Developing Health

 

Image via Wikipedia

From the 2 January 2012 Science Daily article

…Until now, there have been no viable models for overcoming the limitations inherent in existing communications infrastructure in Africa, and elsewhere. Leach suggests that a relatively low- cost solution makes use of existing communications channels, computing equipment, text messaging via cell phone, medical personnel and technical support service personnel and says that parts of the system are relatively easy-to-implement, at least from a technical perspective. The approach also exploits the daylight time difference between Africa and the US to utilise bandwidth on communications satellites at a time when US users are least active. There is in asynchronous telemedicine no need to network the computers just to provide each with access to the information via available satellite channels.

A nine-step example shows how asynchronous telemedicine might benefit a patient who is seen by a local healthcare worker or can reach a rural clinic.

1 The healthcare practitioner makes a preliminary analysis of the patient’s condition and enters identifying information into a laptop or cell phone.

2 The healthcare practitioner connects a cell phone or laptop over underused satellite networks to the electronic healthcare records, EHRs, database stored somewhere in the cloud of servers in the USA.

3 The healthcare practitioner queries the EHRs database for information on this patient or on local outbreaks of relevant diseases. …

Read the entire article

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• Telemedicine: An Emerging Trend (listahit.wordpress.com)

Surgery as a public health intervention: common misconceptions versus the truth

From the Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The world’s attention has recently been focused on the escalation of violence in north and west Africa. Daily reports of deaths and injuries from the region have raised concerns. What is missing from the picture, however, is the fact that many of these countries lack surgical capacity to treat the injured, and this inability to provide surgical care is contributing to a significant rise in the death toll. A recent World Health Organization (WHO) study found that more than 90% of deaths from injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries.1 This is not surprising, considering that the poorest third of the world’s population receives only 3.5% of the surgical operations undertaken worldwide.2 Many hospitals in these countries do not have a reliable supply of clean water, oxygen, electricity and anaesthetics, making it extremely challenging to perform even the most basic surgical operations.3 Despite such a surgical imbalance around the world, surgery is still “the neglected stepchild of global health”.4 No global funding organization focuses specifically on the provision of surgical care, and none of the major donors are willing to support and acknowledge surgery as an imperative part of global public health. This is largely due to the following common misperceptions about surgery that are not grounded in truth. First, many people think that surgical care can only address a very limited part of the global burden of diseases and thus is of low priority. In reality, injuries kill more than five million people worldwide each year, accounting for nearly one out of every ten deaths globally….. …Second, there is a common notion that surgical care is too expensive to be implemented as part of public health interventions. However, surgery can be remarkably cost-effective, even in comparison to non-surgical interventions that are commonly implemented as public health measures. …. ….Lastly, the focus of the global health community on the issue of surgical imbalance has been largely confined to providing short-term relief through medical missions. …

Read the entire article

Surgery as a public health intervention: common misconceptions versus the truth

 

From the Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The world’s attention has recently been focused on the escalation of violence in north and west Africa. Daily reports of deaths and injuries from the region have raised concerns. What is missing from the picture, however, is the fact that many of these countries lack surgical capacity to treat the injured, and this inability to provide surgical care is contributing to a significant rise in the death toll. A recent World Health Organization (WHO) study found that more than 90% of deaths from injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries.1 This is not surprising, considering that the poorest third of the world’s population receives only 3.5% of the surgical operations undertaken worldwide.2 Many hospitals in these countries do not have a reliable supply of clean water, oxygen, electricity and anaesthetics, making it extremely challenging to perform even the most basic surgical operations.3

Despite such a surgical imbalance around the world, surgery is still “the neglected stepchild of global health”.4 No global funding organization focuses specifically on the provision of surgical care, and none of the major donors are willing to support and acknowledge surgery as an imperative part of global public health. This is largely due to the following common misperceptions about surgery that are not grounded in truth.

First, many people think that surgical care can only address a very limited part of the global burden of diseases and thus is of low priority. In reality, injuries kill more than five million people worldwide each year, accounting for nearly one out of every ten deaths globally…..

…Second, there is a common notion that surgical care is too expensive to be implemented as part of public health interventions. However, surgery can be remarkably cost-effective, even in comparison to non-surgical interventions that are commonly implemented as public health measures. ….

….Lastly, the focus of the global health community on the issue of surgical imbalance has been largely confined to providing short-term relief through medical missions. …

Read the entire article

U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, Peace Corps Mobilize Against Malaria In Africa

Image via Wikipedia

From the 27 April 2011 Medical News Today article

U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah, Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams and U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer, announced an enhanced collaborative effort to reduce the burden ofmalaria in Africa.

Peace Corps is collaborating with the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), led by USAID and implemented together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to help African governments further reduce the burden of malaria in 14 countries across sub-Saharan African where Peace Corps and PMI have a presence. ..

…Peace Corps volunteers demonstrate a spirit of sacrifice, dedication and knowledge of the local setting that comes from living with and serving local populations,” said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. “Volunteers’ access and cultural sensitivity combined with PMI’s expert guidance presents unique opportunities to reach people in rural Africa with malaria interventions.”

Peace Corps and PMI will work with the respective National Malaria Control Programs to develop a clear set of activities and a scope of work for the Malaria PCVs. Activities in which PCVs could undertake includes:

– Assisting with national malaria bednet distribution campaigns;

– Helping support implementation of a malaria intervention, such as indoor residual spraying, or assisting with training activities;

– Designing and conducting behavior change communication efforts, including working with community groups and local organizations;

– Advising on monitoring, evaluation and surveillance, including assistance with analysis and mapping of malaria data; and

– Participating with operations research activities.

Editor’s Note:  I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia, West Africa from 1980-81. At that time the malarial strains in West Africa were not as virulent as they are today. Three times I forgot to take my weekly anti-malarial. Sure enough, two days later I came down with a mild case of malaria…but was back teaching the next day.

Peace Corps celebrates 50 years of service to our country and the world this year.
For more information about the Peace Corps, go to PeaceCorps.gov 

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• UN: efforts on track to halt malaria deaths (sfgate.com)
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• Team Coco Gets Behind World Malaria Day [VIDEO] (fakeiitian.com)
• Malaria Cases Up Almost 30 Per Cent In Two Years As It’s Revealed Most Cases Haven’t Taken Antimalaria Tablets, UK
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• Mystery solved: How sickle hemoglobin protects against malaria (April 2011)

Studies detail triumphs, troubles of African innovators creating products for local health needs

From a December 12, 2010 Eureka news item

Africans strengthen ability to meet health needs in sub-Sahara with homegrown science solutions, but many products stagnate in labs for want of commercialization know-how, support

		IMAGE: Invented by Moses Musaazi of Makerere University, Uganda, this easy‑to‑use, inexpensive, WHO‑approved portable medical‑waste incinerator could help solve the problem of hospital waste management in rural areas, especially during mass…  Click here for more information.

Global health experts today published a landmark collection of papers that together provide a unique microscope on the experience of countries, companies and organizations in sub-Saharan Africa addressing neglected health problems with homegrown drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and other creative scientific and business solutions.

The first-of-its kind study chronicles the triumphs and troubles of entrepreneurs, institutes and firms in Africa creating innovative, affordable technologies that bring hope to many sufferers of local diseases. While some have yet to succeed, several organizations cleared major hurdles to finance and create products, some of which may expand into global markets one day.

It is the first research offering a broad range of evidence and concrete examples of African innovation to address local health concerns. The papers draw on the experiences of authorities, researchers and entrepreneurs in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to efforts involving health products, the experiences of health venture capital funds in African and other developed countries are profiled.

The papers were produced by Canada’s McLaughlin-Rotman Center for Global Health (MRC), at the University Health Network and University of Toronto, and published as a special supplement in the UK-based open-access journal publisher BioMed Central Dec. 12 (with full public access atwww.biomedcentral.com/bmcinthealthhumrights/10?issue=S1). One of the papers was published earlier in the journal Science….

……

Since it began in 2004, the MRC has focused extensively on how low-income countries themselves can remedy diseases of poverty. With relatively little profit incentive, firms in rich, developed countries largely neglect such diseases. The MRC has documented the benefits of the homegrown science approach to health problems, which include, beyond affordable products, less dependency on international donor programs and much-needed new economic opportunities and job creation. This collection represents the MRC’s largest contribution to date on product commercialization for improving health in Africa.

		IMAGE: Nibima is a new herbal malaria medicine developed in Ghana. Of the 25 “stagnant ” technologies discovered, 16 involved traditional plant products; the rest were new drug molecules, diagnostics, vaccines and…  Click here for more information.

Examples of African innovation:

 

 
• In Tanzania, local funding, economies of scale, technology transfer, and partnerships all helped the A to Z Textile Company become one of the world’s largest producers of long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets, cost-effectively producing tens of millions of nets in an area where malaria is a critical problem. The company succeeded despite regulatory issues, procurement rules, and other barriers. 
• In Madagascar, The Malagasy Institute of Applied Research (IMRA) has created Madeglucyl, a treatment for diabetes management based on a traditional remedy; 
• In Nigeria, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development has a plant-based drug for sickle-cell anemia – one of the few low-toxicity drugs available anywhere to treat the debilitating chronic blood disorder – but has yet to overcome barriers to its commercialization;………