What We’re Reading: Gordon Brown on making aid count

Jul 27th, 2010 1:58 PM UTC
By Grace Venhuizen

Leaders accused of breaking their promises as African Union talks start: African leaders have not kept their promises, according to a new report released at the African Union summit. Drawing on studies from 10 key AU nations, the report paints a picture of unfulfilled agreements, missed targets, and failure to invest in the development of the continent. The report did highlight some impressive achievements in the growing acceptance of free primary education, health care and free access to treatment for HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. (Dorothy Nakaweesi Kampala, Daily Nation)

IFAD Eradicating Poverty, Says Banda: Zambian President Rupiah Banda commended the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for its commitment to ensuring that poverty is eradicated in Zambia through various agricultural projects. IFAD promised to invest $25 million for agricultural projects into the country by 2012. As a result of agricultural investment, Zambia has reported their highest maize harvest in the nation’s history. (AllAfrica.com)

Advance on AIDS Raises Questions as Well as Joy: The New York Times is calling the microbicide gel to prevent HIV infection “the best AIDS-prevention news in year” as it gives women a 39 percent chance of avoiding infection with the deadly virus. Researchers also discovered the gel protects women even better against genital herpes, and now experts are questioning drug testing, drug mixes and cost. Some questions were easy and encouraging; according to a Columbia University researcher, the price of a dose could fall below that of a condom. (Donald G. McNeil, Jr., New York Times)

Every penny we give in aid to Africa must be made to count: Former prime minister Gordon Brown told the African Union this week that “the point of aid is to make aid redundant” He insisted that western donors keep the promises they made to the world’s poor while noting that the point of aid was to kick start business-led growth, not replace it. The Guardian suggests that while Africa lags far behind other developing economies, aid budgets should be spent on tackling the issues of basic infrastructure, skills and technological capability. (Larry Elliot, The Guardian)

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