What We’re Reading: Food prices deepening global poverty

May 11th, 2011 9:55 AM UTC
By Robyn Mitchell

No Plans to Cut Back on Transparency Policy, Global Fund Says – The Global Fund says it remains fully committed to accountability and transparency, dismissing an AP article published Tuesday that claims the fund’s board is considering proposals to shorten an investigation of Global Fund operations and reduce the amount of aid information it makes available to the public. The Fund board is meeting in Geneva this week to discuss a new strategy for the next five years and a reform plan that aims to boost the fund’s operational performance and efficiency. (Ivy Mungcal, Devex)

UN: Food Prices Deepening Global Poverty – Speaking at the 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Istanbul, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted that this year marks the first time since the conference in 1971 that the number of least-developed countries has increased and the population of the world’s 48 poorest nations is expected to double to 1.7 billion by 2050. This puts more strain on essential services such as food availability, said Mr. Ki-moon, who argued that the prospect of a new crisis in food and nutrition security is possible. (Dorian Jones, VOA)

Superphones Spot Infant Brain Injuries, Diagnose Malaria, Zap Mosquitoes – Fast Company outlines a number of new global health innovations spurred by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which could transform smartphones into part doctor, part secretary, part Orkin man. One project takes on the fight against malaria, testing the potential of mobile phones to detect red blood cells infected by malaria parasites. (Neal Ungerleider, Fast Company)

Paris Club cancels $256 mln of G. Bissau’s debt – The Paris Club of creditors agreed to cancel $256 million owed by Guinea Bissau – and an additional $27 million owed on a bilateral basis – after the West African nation made progress in tackling poverty and boosting growth, the group said. The country fulfilled conditions last year to benefit from debt relief requiring the implementation of a poverty reduction strategy and laying the foundations for sustainable growth. (Reuters)

Addressing a rapidly growing global population – Across much of the world, women are having fewer children, but in African countries, the decline is far slower than expected. Rapid population growth is bad news for the continent, as it will likely outstrip gains in economic development, according to UC Berkeley’s Malcolm Potts and Martha Campbell , who maintain that if the world doesn’t begin investing far more in education and family planning, “much of our progress fighting poverty in sub-Saharan Africa over the last half-century could be lost.” (NPR)

TAGS: What We're Reading