At a recent DFID conference on the Millennium Development Goals, I argued that Africa can meet the MDGs, if not by 2015 then soon thereafter. Here is why:
Let me elaborate:
1. Although most African countries are off-track on most of the MDGs, Africa has, since the mid-1990s, arguably been making the greatest progress towards the goals. The poverty rate has been declining at about one percentage point a year. There is some evidence that child mortality in Africa, after stagnating for some time, is beginning to fall sharply. Countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Gambia and Malawi have seen declines of 25-40 percent in under-five mortality in the last decade. And in primary completion, if you take 1999 as the starting point, the fastest progress has been in Africa and South Asia. While this has to do with the fact that these two regions had the lowest levels of primary completion, it is still significant that, unlike previous periods, the growth rate in Africa is the highest.
2. Africa’s progress in the MDGs since the mid-1990s was due to economic growth and improved service delivery. Economic growth accelerated after 1995. It was sustained for a decade, and accelerated even further until the onset of the global economic crisis of 2008. Not only was Africa’s average economic growth during this period about 5 percent a year (rising to 6.2 percent in 2007), but it was relatively widespread.
Some 22 non-oil-exporting African countries enjoyed better-than-four-percent average annual growth from 1998-2008. The growth, in turn, was due to a combination of increased external resources (aid, debt relief, remittances and private capital flows), high commodity prices and a buoyant global economy, and improved economic policies.
Secondly, recognizing that money alone would not deliver the MDGs, some African countries introduced programs to improve the delivery of basic services. Rwanda’s “paying-for-performance” scheme that increased incentives for health workers to provide services contributed to the country’s significant improvement in health indicators, as shown by comparing facilities that were and were not enrolled in the scheme.
In addition to facing a sharp drop in growth (from 5 percent in 2008 to 1.7 percent in 2009), throwing 7-10 million more Africans into poverty, and leading to the deaths of 30-50,000 additional infants before their first birthday, African policymakers were confronted with the fact that the payoffs to the economic reforms they had been pursuing over the past decade had suddenly declined.
Rather than slowing or reversing these reforms, however, they by and large continued to pursue prudent economic policies during the crisis. Those countries that had fiscal space (thanks to prudent policies before the crisis), such as Tanzania and Zambia, ran modest fiscal deficits; those that did not, such as Ghana, contracted their fiscal deficits. Some countries accelerated their reforms. As a result, economic growth is expected to be about 4 percent this year, which is still below pre-crisis levels but certainly a faster turnaround than Africa registered in previous crises.
Putting these points together, I conclude that, with a major effort by African governments, civil society, the private sector and the international community, Africa can meet the Millennium Development Goals, if not by 2015 then soon thereafter.
Comments
Africa's MDGs
Development goals in Africa.
Agriculture solutions
Agriculture Solutions
Infrastructure as an obstacle
Protein deficiencies and species preservation
REACTIONS TO AFRICA MEETING MDGs by 2015
Comment on Santa's argument on the Africa MDGs
PrerequisiteS for a better devlopment
MDG DILEMA
Africa is continent and not a country.
Accountability
Comment on MDGs
Africa and the Millennium Development Goals:Our fears
Value addition at community level: key to fight poverty
look at your figure!
Dare to say "achieve the MDGs in the near future"
E.C.G solution: Ethics-Compliance-Governance for MDGs in Africa
Dear Shanta, That is an
MDG, tropical Africa - and the absolute figures
Africa could make more than
2015 is actually four years
How can we measure progress if...?
Africa May Shift Goalposts come 2015!
Kindly share your research
I fail to understand why
the problem with development is....it is not a standard
This can be done...
Africa's Concerted Efforts to Meet the MDGs By 2015 or Soon
Shanta, Thank you for
MALARIA OBSERVATORIES: OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPMENT
Correction requested by poster
MALARIA FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
Achieving the MDGs in Africa in food security.
Malaria Observatories: MDGs-based Perspectives for Africa
Africa and the millennium
Africa and the millennium development goal; Population
Most African countries still do not have a credible population data base up-till date. Some critics will dispute this fact, but honest authorities will agree with me that the population of most African countries is not very representative of its actual population size. To me, this remains a very important aspect that has to be addressed by governing authorities. The governments of Africa should put in place a population model for tracking citizens and residents which will yield long term benefits. It is obvious from this fact that most citizens and residents are not contributing towards wealth formation or having their own fair share of the nation's wealth considering there is no solid mechanism in place to track all those living within the perimeters of the nation. Occasionally huge budgets are at times invested on population census but the results are not always credible because of inadequate infrastructure and human capital deficiencies. These same countries have been investing hugely to educate their bright and brightest in other countries but unfortunately there is no incentive to return and give back to their countries which can go a long not only to help build but also to spur growth. African countries should review, revisit their population structure and its composites; an in-depth analyses done and the last person counted, if not redistribution of the nations’ wealth will be a fallacy and they will continue to build the nation on false premises. If the issue of population is addressed, health, agriculture, educational and various infrastructural needs can easily be developed in a balanced way to reflect the actual needs the entire nation which will on the long run put the continent on a more solid developmental foundation.
Add new comment