According to a press release, Rwanda is the fourth African country to contribute to this year’s replenishment, which has received $11.7 billion in commitments from both the private and public sector for the next three years.
“Even a modest additional investment can save millions of lives, improve overall health of the population, strengthen health systems and provide economic gains through increased productivity of the workforce,” said Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda.
Rwanda has been very active in engaging with the Global Fund and is set to reach its UN Millennium Development Goals targets by 2015. Read more about their Global Fund donation on the Africa News website.
Cholera outbreak kills 200 in Cameroon: Cholera has killed 200 people in Cameroon and aid agencies feared the outbreak could spread to neighboring regions and nations. The disease is caused by contaminated water and about 70 percent of people living in the country’s far north region, bordering Nigeria and Chad, do not have access to potable water. Sanitation is also limited in the area and recent flooding has aggravated the situation. (CNN)
Reform in Rwanda: The Financial Times argues there are two reasons Paul Kagame was re-elected to Rwandan president with 93 percent of the vote. First, Kagame has turned Rwanda into one of the least corrupt, most secure countries in Africa. Second, he eliminated any opposition. (Financial Times)
Party Says Nigeria President Can Run in Vote: Nigeria’s ruling party is allowing President Goodluck Jonathan to run in next year’s election, despite an informal agreement calling for a Muslim candidate. The unwritten agreement calls for the presidency to alternate between Christians and Muslims. (Wall Street Journal)
Sierra Leone: New Agriculture Plan Sprouts: Sierra Leone’s finance minister has announced the government will increase the agriculture budget from 7.7 percent to 9.9 percent. The budget will go to facilitating and strengthening small and medium scale farmers as well as promoting large scale farming and the development of agri-business. The budget is also intended to facilitate access to markets for selected commodities like rice, oil palm, cocoa and fisheries. (Mohamed Fofanah, AllAfrica.com) Uganda: Donors Should Review Aid Cut: Development partners plan a 10% cut of their $360M contribution to Uganda’s budget this year because of government corruption. The New Vision argues however that donors should know that the aid cut will impact the poor more negatively than the state officials, as social services will most likely be cut because of budget constraints. (New Vision)
Kenya not out of woods despite constitution vote: Kenya’s long-awaited new constitution is facing a lengthy implementation process that could take years. The law that aims to check presidential powers and curb the corruption, political patronage, land-grabbing and tribalism faces challenges of competing politicians sharing positions on the implementation committee. The concern is whether politicians who opposed the law will try to block it if chosen to be on the committee. (James Macharia, Reuters)
Rwandan Leader appears to win new term – Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, who has been in control of the country since 1994, appeared to have been re-elected on Monday by a staggering margin. Voters were mixed, with some saying the leader has delivered tangible benefits while others complained of corruption. (Jeffrey Gettelman, The New York Times)
AIDS drugs flow to the third world – Once blasted for their practices, a number of pharmaceutical companies are slashing prices and licensing AIDS drugs for free to nonprofits or local manufacturers in developing countries. However, there are benefits for drugmakers, who receive favorable press and avoid high distribution costs by adopting this model. (Simeon Bennett, Businessweek)
HIV/AIDS medicine is only one piece of the puzzle – (RED) CEO Susan Smith Ellis argues that with the upcoming UN Summit and Global Fund replenishment, we are at a turning point in the fight against HIV/AIDS. She calls on governments, foundations, NGOs and the private sector to “amplifying the urgency of the effort and the moral power of its success.” (Huffington Post)
HIV is a 20th-century disease that needs 21st-century research – Global health advocates, Alan Bernstein and Peter Piot argue that with new research bolstering the fight against HIV/AIDS, we need smarter approaches to clinical trials that are more efficient and economical, while preserving safety, community engagement and ethical guidelines. (The Globe and Mail) Every woman is a leader, says advocate – CEDPA President, Carol Peasley, argues that weeks after the International AIDS Conference, one lesson still stands out: women are at the center of all communities and hold the key to mobilizing their communities, particularly in leading integrated health service programs on the continent. (Huffington Post)
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates in New Hampshire, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Florida stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
Thousands of miles of separation are not enough to keep two sister churches from running together to save lives. On Saturday, the International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs and sister church in Kibali, Rwanda hosted a race that raised more than $12,000 for the HIV/AIDS wing of the Kibali Health Clinic. The race took place simultaneously on the two continents with more than 380 runners in the United States and more than 250 in Rwanda.
ONE members Regina Hopewell and Tess Cox participated in the race. Regina submitted an excellent op-ed to the Colorado Springs Gazette about Rwanda’s progress.
Tess recently visited the clinic in Kibali, and while signing up new members, she emphasized the importance of the run and ONE’s Global Fund petition.
“As a pediatric provider, I know how important it is to care for pregnant mothers and that babies be born healthy. It only takes about 40 cents a day to provide the medication that mothers need in order to deliver a healthy, HIV free child,” said Tess.
Before and after the race, ONE members Tess, Regina, Mark and Andrea signed up more than 90 people with ONE, and 15 of them donned ONE T-shirts for the race. Congratulations to all the runners and visit Run for Rwanda’s website to see results, pictures and videos from the event.
Be sure to connect with other ONE Vote 2010 Colorado members on Facebook and Twitter.
- Nick Stevens, ONE Vote 2010 organizer, Colorado
Election raises concerns about suppression of rights – Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, is set to win another term Tuesday in an election marred by killings, a lack of credible political opponents and censorship. Critics are calling the leader the continent’s latest strongman, suppressing human rights to deepen his grip on power. (Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post)
American leadership crucial at MDG Summit – President of Bread for the World, Rev. David Beckmann, argues that by showing leadership on foreign assistance reform at the upcoming Millennium Development Goals Summit, President Obama will “attach actions to his words on development“ and hopefully lead others to empower the world’s poorest people to realize a brighter future. (Huffington Post)
U.S. plan fails to end Africa’s trade isolation – Ten years after the U.S. adopted the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) – a program that boldly proclaimed it would help end Africa’s isolation from world trade – American officials are being candid about its failures, emphasizing its modest results despite “the highest of hopes.” (Alan Beattie, Financial Times)
Sierra Leone taking initiative for maternal health – Health advocate, Mary Robinson, highlights the major steps Sierra Leone has taken in promoting maternal health and gender equality, both for its people and globally as a model of leadership and initiative in this critical area. She calls for other nations to look to Sierra Leone as an example as we move toward review of the Millennium Development Goals.
Rotavirus vaccines save poorest children, say reports – Trials in Asia and Africa show rotavirus vaccines can prevent between 39 to 48 percent of infections among children in some of the poorest countries in the world, with new reports urging governments of developing nations to make the vaccines a priority. (Maggie Fox, Reuters)
U.S. charges 14 with giving support to Somali insurgent group – Federal authorities charged 14 people accused of providing funding and recruits to a militant group in Somalia with ties to al-Qaeda. Last month, the group claimed responsibility for bombings in Uganda that killed at least 76 people. (Greg Miller, Washington Post)
White House Party for Africa Leaves Out Leaders – President Obama celebrated the 50th anniversaries of 17 African nations, but he did not invite a single African leader to the forum. The State Department denies accusations that the President refuses to celebrate with corrupt leaders, noting that American officials have met with African leaders in other settings. (Adam Nossiter, NY Times)
President Paul Kagame under scrutiny – Despite Rwanda’s election marred by murder, censorship and meaningful opposition, Paul Kagame, the incumbent, is set to win 90% of the vote. Kagame is trying to focus on his past achievements – food security, record harvests, women empowerment, and the strengthening of government institutions. (The Economist)
Young Africans Seek U.S. Partnership to Boost Democracy and Development – AllAfrica.com reports on this week’s White House forum celebrating leading young Africans. “I don’t see Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world,” Obama said at the forum. (Saratu Abiola and Carine Umuhumuza, AllAfrica.com)
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
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