Not a single country in sub-Saharan Africa is on target to meet U.N. goals of cutting extreme poverty by half, ensuring universal primary education, and stemming the AIDS pandemic by 2015, a new U.N. report says.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to ask leaders of the world's richest countries meeting in Germany this week to step up aid to Africa so the targets can be achieved.
"Despite faster growth and strengthened institutions, the continent remains off track to meeting the world's shared goals for fighting poverty in all its forms," Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told a news conference launching the report.
While the proportion of people living on $1 a day has declined from 45.9 percent to 41.1 percent since 1999, the report said reaching the target of halving extreme poverty by 2015 requires that the current pace is nearly doubled.
Net aid to sub-Saharan Africa has increased by only 2 percent in real terms since 2005, Migiro said, excluding Nigeria, which received exceptional debt relief this year. The report said donors need to accelerate their plans to scale up assistance to maintain the credibility of their 2005 pledge to double aid to Africa by 2010.
"The upcoming G-8 summit provides an important opportunity for donor countries to lay out concrete timetables for how they will increase development assistance to each African country through to 2010 and 2015," she said.
The U.N. report, released at the midway point between the adoption of the goals by world leaders at a summit in 2000 and the 2015 target date, showed some progress in getting more youngsters to go to school but little progress on goals to reduce child and maternal mortality and halt the AIDS pandemic.
Some sub-Saharan African countries have increased primary school enrollment from 57 percent in 1999 to 70 percent in 2005, even with a rapid population growth. But Migiro said "more investments in the sector are needed to meet the goal of primary education" for all children.
According to the new U.N. statistics, child mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa have fallen only marginally from 185 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 116 per 1,000 live births in 2005.
A woman in Africa has a one in 16 chance of dying in childbirth or from complications in pregnancy, compared to the likelihood of one in 3,800 of dying in developed countries, she said.
The report also said the number of people dying from AIDS continues to mount, reaching 2 million in 2006 in sub-Saharan Africa. New HIV cases are rising faster than the rate at which new treatment is being offered, it said.
Despite the slow pace in meeting the U.N. goals, Migiro said that important lessons can be taken from countries in Africa that are showing progress.
Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have increased primary school enrollment, the report said. It also said that Senegal and Uganda have better access to water and improved sanitation, and agricultural productivity has increased in Malawi.
"If Malawi can do it, so can all of sub-Saharan Africa," said Guido Schmidt-Traub, head of a team at the U.N. Development Program promoting implementation of the goals. "Clearly this isn't happening, and I think finances are a clear constraint at least in those countries that have met their side of the bargain."
Friday, 8 June 2007
Malawi's memorials to late first lady raise eyebrows
Malawi has pulled out the stops to mourn its late first lady, mounting a multimillion-dollar memorial roadshow that critics say is a political ploy by her embattled husband, President Bingu wa Mutharika.
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Ethel Mutharika, 63, died last week after a long struggle with cancer and the government quickly declared a month of official mourning for a woman well known for her charity work with orphans.
Since then, however, the government's memorial plans have grown into what many regard as an extravaganza at odds with Malawi's status as one of the poorest countries in the world.
"(The president) is getting a lot of sympathy and he is using this to garner more support, especially in the regions where he is not as popular," said a senior member of the United Democratic Front (UDF), which wa Mutharika abandoned after he won the presidency on its ticket in 2004.
Another senior UDF member told Reuters the president's new popularity makes it difficult for the party to oppose him.
"It is working for him that's why as UDF, I don't think we will go ahead to boycott the 2007/08 national budget," the UDF official said.
Both UDF members asked for anonymity.
Some political analysts think wa Mutharika, who has fought incessant battles as the leader of a precarious minority government, is treading on dangerous ground both politically and economically.
"This is an occasion that cannot be dismissed, it is the first time such a thing has happened in Malawi and therefore no precedent set," Rafiq Hajat, executive director of the local Institute for Policy Interaction, told Reuters.
"But the president has to be mindful of the political ramifications of moving the remains of the First Lady around."
CAMPAIGNING FROM THE GRAVE
A South African jet has been hired to fly Ethel Mutharika's body around the country so it can be put on view for mourners in the country's three major cities.
Special commemorative cloth, similar to that used in many African political campaigns but this time bearing Mutharika's portrait, has been distributed for free.
Most government offices are closed, auctions for the country's main export earner, tobacco, have been postponed, and Malawi's state broadcasters have been working overtime to cover the various memorial services.
Workers are busy paving a new road to the president's rural farm, which will be the site of a new tomb for the first lady which planners say has been designed to last for 200 years.
The farm itself meanwhile is being refurbished for what officials expect will be an influx of dignitaries ahead of the formal burial on Saturday.
Few are willing to talk publicly about the government's funerary splurge. But sources in Treasury told Reuters the cost is running over at more than 2 billion kwacha (over US$10 million), which is under a government account being called State Funeral Expenses for the First Lady.
"We cannot disclose the exact cost of all this. This will be revealed at a later date," chairman of the funeral arrangements committee Davies Katsonga, who is also minister in the President's office, told a local daily this week.
OUT OF STEP WITH TRADITION
The government has already gone on record saying that contributions from well-wishers are being used to meet some of the expenses. Over 50 million kwacha has been realised it says.
But this clearly will not cover all the costs, which include the South African transport jet and a contract with Portugal's Mota-Engil construction firm to build the new mausoleum.
Malawi Economic Network for Economic Justice (MEJN), a local economic watchdog, said it was concerned about the cost of the memorial in a country where 65 percent of the people live below the world poverty line of $1 per day.
"We are all mourning the loss but at the end of the day, government has to let the nation know how much was spent on the funeral," MEJN Executive Director Mavuto Bamusi told Reuters.
A well-known government critic, Tom Likambale, said the parade of memorials was at odds with both Malawi's economic situation and its cultural traditions, which demand dignity and respect for the dead.
"Culturally in Malawi, people travel to pay their respects. A dead body does not travel so that it can receive respects," Likambale said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ethel Mutharika, 63, died last week after a long struggle with cancer and the government quickly declared a month of official mourning for a woman well known for her charity work with orphans.
Since then, however, the government's memorial plans have grown into what many regard as an extravaganza at odds with Malawi's status as one of the poorest countries in the world.
"(The president) is getting a lot of sympathy and he is using this to garner more support, especially in the regions where he is not as popular," said a senior member of the United Democratic Front (UDF), which wa Mutharika abandoned after he won the presidency on its ticket in 2004.
Another senior UDF member told Reuters the president's new popularity makes it difficult for the party to oppose him.
"It is working for him that's why as UDF, I don't think we will go ahead to boycott the 2007/08 national budget," the UDF official said.
Both UDF members asked for anonymity.
Some political analysts think wa Mutharika, who has fought incessant battles as the leader of a precarious minority government, is treading on dangerous ground both politically and economically.
"This is an occasion that cannot be dismissed, it is the first time such a thing has happened in Malawi and therefore no precedent set," Rafiq Hajat, executive director of the local Institute for Policy Interaction, told Reuters.
"But the president has to be mindful of the political ramifications of moving the remains of the First Lady around."
CAMPAIGNING FROM THE GRAVE
A South African jet has been hired to fly Ethel Mutharika's body around the country so it can be put on view for mourners in the country's three major cities.
Special commemorative cloth, similar to that used in many African political campaigns but this time bearing Mutharika's portrait, has been distributed for free.
Most government offices are closed, auctions for the country's main export earner, tobacco, have been postponed, and Malawi's state broadcasters have been working overtime to cover the various memorial services.
Workers are busy paving a new road to the president's rural farm, which will be the site of a new tomb for the first lady which planners say has been designed to last for 200 years.
The farm itself meanwhile is being refurbished for what officials expect will be an influx of dignitaries ahead of the formal burial on Saturday.
Few are willing to talk publicly about the government's funerary splurge. But sources in Treasury told Reuters the cost is running over at more than 2 billion kwacha (over US$10 million), which is under a government account being called State Funeral Expenses for the First Lady.
"We cannot disclose the exact cost of all this. This will be revealed at a later date," chairman of the funeral arrangements committee Davies Katsonga, who is also minister in the President's office, told a local daily this week.
OUT OF STEP WITH TRADITION
The government has already gone on record saying that contributions from well-wishers are being used to meet some of the expenses. Over 50 million kwacha has been realised it says.
But this clearly will not cover all the costs, which include the South African transport jet and a contract with Portugal's Mota-Engil construction firm to build the new mausoleum.
Malawi Economic Network for Economic Justice (MEJN), a local economic watchdog, said it was concerned about the cost of the memorial in a country where 65 percent of the people live below the world poverty line of $1 per day.
"We are all mourning the loss but at the end of the day, government has to let the nation know how much was spent on the funeral," MEJN Executive Director Mavuto Bamusi told Reuters.
A well-known government critic, Tom Likambale, said the parade of memorials was at odds with both Malawi's economic situation and its cultural traditions, which demand dignity and respect for the dead.
"Culturally in Malawi, people travel to pay their respects. A dead body does not travel so that it can receive respects," Likambale said.
AIDS crisis moves Iqaluit retailer to action
Iqaluit businesswoman Claire Kennedy is trying to raise $10,000 for the most vulnerable victims of the AIDS epidemic that is ravaging sub-Saharan Africa.
Kennedy is off to Malawi in September, where she will visit orphanages built with the help of Ontario philanthropists Louise Roy and Paul Tremblay.
"I just wanted to go and experience something different," Kennedy said.
After three weeks of fundraising, Kennedy has collected about $2,000. She's held a bake sale, while school children and Iqaluit churches have already donated hundreds of dollars, with more on the way. Kids at Joamie School are throwing a dance June 8 and a cakewalk June 15 to raise money.
Kennedy said donors can sponsor Malawian children for $60, or simply give what they're able to. She's impressed with pace of donations so far, and is optimistic she'll hit $10,000 before she leaves in September.
"It is a lofty goal," she said. "I'm hoping to get close to that."
Malawi is one of the countries hardest hit by the AIDS crisis. Of a population of under 14 million, the country has almost a million orphans, 70 per cent of whom are orphaned by AIDS.
According to the CIA world fact book, Malawi has an AIDS infection rate of 14 per cent. There are 900,000 Malawians living with AIDS, and 84,000 of them die every year. That has left a nation of not only orphans, but children who are forced to leave school and work to support the family.
Iqaluit's social problems pale in comparison, Kennedy said.
"Yes, here it's not good, but there it's worse."
Kennedy's 72-year-old mom Yvonne Poulin and Roy have travelled to Malawi repeatedly since 2001 building fresh water wells. Tremblay and Roy have also raised money over the years for two orphanages in the country.
Most social services in Malawi are provided by aid groups and private donors because the government lacks the money to run programs. Corruption is also endemic.
The mainly agricultural economy has also taken a beating in recent years from drought and the impact of AIDS, which has gutted the working age population. If that weren't enough, Malawi's main export is tobacco, which has seen a worldwide drop in demand as fewer people smoke.
Despite the daunting reality, Kennedy said she's eagerly anticipating the experience. She's less enthused about the two days of flying between Iqaluit and Lilongwe, Malawi's capital.
"That's the only thing I'm not looking forward to," she said.
Kennedy is off to Malawi in September, where she will visit orphanages built with the help of Ontario philanthropists Louise Roy and Paul Tremblay.
"I just wanted to go and experience something different," Kennedy said.
After three weeks of fundraising, Kennedy has collected about $2,000. She's held a bake sale, while school children and Iqaluit churches have already donated hundreds of dollars, with more on the way. Kids at Joamie School are throwing a dance June 8 and a cakewalk June 15 to raise money.
Kennedy said donors can sponsor Malawian children for $60, or simply give what they're able to. She's impressed with pace of donations so far, and is optimistic she'll hit $10,000 before she leaves in September.
"It is a lofty goal," she said. "I'm hoping to get close to that."
Malawi is one of the countries hardest hit by the AIDS crisis. Of a population of under 14 million, the country has almost a million orphans, 70 per cent of whom are orphaned by AIDS.
According to the CIA world fact book, Malawi has an AIDS infection rate of 14 per cent. There are 900,000 Malawians living with AIDS, and 84,000 of them die every year. That has left a nation of not only orphans, but children who are forced to leave school and work to support the family.
Iqaluit's social problems pale in comparison, Kennedy said.
"Yes, here it's not good, but there it's worse."
Kennedy's 72-year-old mom Yvonne Poulin and Roy have travelled to Malawi repeatedly since 2001 building fresh water wells. Tremblay and Roy have also raised money over the years for two orphanages in the country.
Most social services in Malawi are provided by aid groups and private donors because the government lacks the money to run programs. Corruption is also endemic.
The mainly agricultural economy has also taken a beating in recent years from drought and the impact of AIDS, which has gutted the working age population. If that weren't enough, Malawi's main export is tobacco, which has seen a worldwide drop in demand as fewer people smoke.
Despite the daunting reality, Kennedy said she's eagerly anticipating the experience. She's less enthused about the two days of flying between Iqaluit and Lilongwe, Malawi's capital.
"That's the only thing I'm not looking forward to," she said.
Iqaluit businesswoman Claire Kennedy is trying to raise $10,000 for the most vulnerable victims of the AIDS epidemic that is ravaging sub-Saharan Africa.
Kennedy is off to Malawi in September, where she will visit orphanages built with the help of Ontario philanthropists Louise Roy and Paul Tremblay.
"I just wanted to go and experience something different," Kennedy said.
After three weeks of fundraising, Kennedy has collected about $2,000. She's held a bake sale, while school children and Iqaluit churches have already donated hundreds of dollars, with more on the way. Kids at Joamie School are throwing a dance June 8 and a cakewalk June 15 to raise money.
Kennedy said donors can sponsor Malawian children for $60, or simply give what they're able to. She's impressed with pace of donations so far, and is optimistic she'll hit $10,000 before she leaves in September.
"It is a lofty goal," she said. "I'm hoping to get close to that."
Malawi is one of the countries hardest hit by the AIDS crisis. Of a population of under 14 million, the country has almost a million orphans, 70 per cent of whom are orphaned by AIDS.
According to the CIA world fact book, Malawi has an AIDS infection rate of 14 per cent. There are 900,000 Malawians living with AIDS, and 84,000 of them die every year. That has left a nation of not only orphans, but children who are forced to leave school and work to support the family.
Iqaluit's social problems pale in comparison, Kennedy said.
"Yes, here it's not good, but there it's worse."
Kennedy's 72-year-old mom Yvonne Poulin and Roy have travelled to Malawi repeatedly since 2001 building fresh water wells. Tremblay and Roy have also raised money over the years for two orphanages in the country.
Most social services in Malawi are provided by aid groups and private donors because the government lacks the money to run programs. Corruption is also endemic.
The mainly agricultural economy has also taken a beating in recent years from drought and the impact of AIDS, which has gutted the working age population. If that weren't enough, Malawi's main export is tobacco, which has seen a worldwide drop in demand as fewer people smoke.
Despite the daunting reality, Kennedy said she's eagerly anticipating the experience. She's less enthused about the two days of flying between Iqaluit and Lilongwe, Malawi's capital.
"That's the only thing I'm not looking forward to," she said.
Kennedy is off to Malawi in September, where she will visit orphanages built with the help of Ontario philanthropists Louise Roy and Paul Tremblay.
"I just wanted to go and experience something different," Kennedy said.
After three weeks of fundraising, Kennedy has collected about $2,000. She's held a bake sale, while school children and Iqaluit churches have already donated hundreds of dollars, with more on the way. Kids at Joamie School are throwing a dance June 8 and a cakewalk June 15 to raise money.
Kennedy said donors can sponsor Malawian children for $60, or simply give what they're able to. She's impressed with pace of donations so far, and is optimistic she'll hit $10,000 before she leaves in September.
"It is a lofty goal," she said. "I'm hoping to get close to that."
Malawi is one of the countries hardest hit by the AIDS crisis. Of a population of under 14 million, the country has almost a million orphans, 70 per cent of whom are orphaned by AIDS.
According to the CIA world fact book, Malawi has an AIDS infection rate of 14 per cent. There are 900,000 Malawians living with AIDS, and 84,000 of them die every year. That has left a nation of not only orphans, but children who are forced to leave school and work to support the family.
Iqaluit's social problems pale in comparison, Kennedy said.
"Yes, here it's not good, but there it's worse."
Kennedy's 72-year-old mom Yvonne Poulin and Roy have travelled to Malawi repeatedly since 2001 building fresh water wells. Tremblay and Roy have also raised money over the years for two orphanages in the country.
Most social services in Malawi are provided by aid groups and private donors because the government lacks the money to run programs. Corruption is also endemic.
The mainly agricultural economy has also taken a beating in recent years from drought and the impact of AIDS, which has gutted the working age population. If that weren't enough, Malawi's main export is tobacco, which has seen a worldwide drop in demand as fewer people smoke.
Despite the daunting reality, Kennedy said she's eagerly anticipating the experience. She's less enthused about the two days of flying between Iqaluit and Lilongwe, Malawi's capital.
"That's the only thing I'm not looking forward to," she said.
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