Malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS remain the leading causes of both children and adult mortality in Sub-saharan Africa. For decades now, we have witnessed a growing global attention and billions of money is being given to support the region's fight against these diseases. It's however dissapointing to see that despite of this donor support the situation has remained almost the same (there are very few successful stories, if any). Inlight of the article below i invite you to share your views on why African Countries have failed over decades now to control preventable diseases? KARIBUNI
Killing With Kindness
Jasson Urbach & Julian Harris | 27 Sep 2008
ModernGhana.com The UN convened this week in New York to discuss its Millennium Development Goals and the aim of "ending poverty by 2015." Delegates and a rock star boasted of billions of dollars transferred to African governments, while failed schemes prompted activists to call for even more money. Donors re-branded the failed Roll Back Malaria scheme and promised US$3 billion.
Donors already spend over US$600 million a year in Africa to fight the disease, with the US President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) alone set to devote another US$1.2 billion over the next five years. Yet, while some progress is being made, malaria is still the leading cause of child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, where a child dies from the disease every 30 seconds.
Rather than trumpeting more aid, the UN and its cheerleaders should ask why so many African countries have failed over decades to control preventable diseases that other nations have successfully defeated.
Today, 90% of malaria infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa--but the disease was rife in Europe, America and Russia until the middle of the last century. Historical figures as diverse as Saint Augustine and George Washington suffered from malaria, while the largest pandemic to date occurred in the northern Soviet Union in the 1920s. Yet all these regions overcame the disease. Why then is Africa struggling, in spite of billions of dollars in aid?
One unique trait of sub-Saharan Africa is exactly that--the level of aid it receives. And the aid industry continuously and successfully lobbies for more. Sadly, though, these funds are notoriously fungible and allow recipient governments to spend their own resources on anything they want without accountability. In the more corrupt countries, this raises obvious concerns about the wider socio-economic impact of aid--which effectively subsidises weaponry and luxury cars.
According to Transparency International, 50 out of the 52 African countries in its index suffer from "rampant" corruption or levels that present a "serious challenge." TI also identifies health aid as being especially prone to corruption. It is therefore little wonder that in Ghana, for example, less than 20% of donor funds make it to patient care.
SEE FULL ARTICLE AT:
http://www.modernghana.com/news/184070/1/killing-with-kindness.mgl
Killing With Kindness
Jasson Urbach & Julian Harris | 27 Sep 2008
ModernGhana.com The UN convened this week in New York to discuss its Millennium Development Goals and the aim of "ending poverty by 2015." Delegates and a rock star boasted of billions of dollars transferred to African governments, while failed schemes prompted activists to call for even more money. Donors re-branded the failed Roll Back Malaria scheme and promised US$3 billion.
Donors already spend over US$600 million a year in Africa to fight the disease, with the US President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) alone set to devote another US$1.2 billion over the next five years. Yet, while some progress is being made, malaria is still the leading cause of child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, where a child dies from the disease every 30 seconds.
Rather than trumpeting more aid, the UN and its cheerleaders should ask why so many African countries have failed over decades to control preventable diseases that other nations have successfully defeated.
Today, 90% of malaria infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa--but the disease was rife in Europe, America and Russia until the middle of the last century. Historical figures as diverse as Saint Augustine and George Washington suffered from malaria, while the largest pandemic to date occurred in the northern Soviet Union in the 1920s. Yet all these regions overcame the disease. Why then is Africa struggling, in spite of billions of dollars in aid?
One unique trait of sub-Saharan Africa is exactly that--the level of aid it receives. And the aid industry continuously and successfully lobbies for more. Sadly, though, these funds are notoriously fungible and allow recipient governments to spend their own resources on anything they want without accountability. In the more corrupt countries, this raises obvious concerns about the wider socio-economic impact of aid--which effectively subsidises weaponry and luxury cars.
According to Transparency International, 50 out of the 52 African countries in its index suffer from "rampant" corruption or levels that present a "serious challenge." TI also identifies health aid as being especially prone to corruption. It is therefore little wonder that in Ghana, for example, less than 20% of donor funds make it to patient care.
SEE FULL ARTICLE AT:
http://www.modernghana.com/news/184070/1/killing-with-kindness.mgl
