Poverty demands the world's attention
SHANGHAI: Renowned United States economist Jeffrey Sachs said poverty in Africa is a tough but surmountable challenge in need of more international aid.
Speaking at an African Development Bank Group seminar in Shanghai, the director of the United Nations Millennium Project said Africa needs more foreign help to solve its hunger problem, fight diseases and improve its educational system.
"There is no margin for saving thus the government has no money to be spent among public sectors," said Sachs. Because of this, Africa is caught in a vicious circle of poverty trap, he said.
An African journalist interviews a delegate outside the African Development Bank meetings in Shanghai yesterday. AFP |
The Columbia University professor said the top challenges facing African countries include healthcare, agriculture productivity and infrastructure construction.
He said a high prevalence of disease and poverty combined with an inadequate healthcare system keep Africans from earning sufficient incomes or becoming productive enough to trigger widespread economic development.
He said many diseases in the region, such as malaria, are treatable. However, insufficient medicine may doom millions of Africans to poverty or even death, he said.
Sachs also said he believes that an agricultural revolution is needed to bring about wealth in Africa. He also said foreign aid should come in the form of new seeds, fertilizers and irrigation.
He noted that high yield seeds, fertilizers and good irrigation were adopted at low costs in Africa.
Sachs said infrastructure construction is needed to better utilize Africa's rich natural resources and to attract foreign investments.
He questioned whether anyone wants to invest money in a land without a good road network or electricity. He stressed that the lack of basic facilities has physically isolated African nations from the modern economy.
Sachs urged the international community, especially rich developed countries, to offer more aid to help the continent reduce extreme poverty.
Human capital
African scholars agreed that targeted investment in human capital and technology plays a major role in achieving Africa's development goals.
William Lyakurwa, executive director of the African Economic Research Consortium, said a low degree of economic development was linked to different circumstances, but a low educational level among the population was a major cause of economic backwardness in many African countries.
He said Africa indeed has the potential and can improve its human capital policies and institutions to speed up economic development by pursuing selective and relevant education and information policies.
Although Africa still struggles with basics such as formal education, on-job training and adult education, "the information age has brought new challenges," Lyakurwa said.
He added that building an information infrastructure, raising the technological level of Africa and improving the research and development system in Africa, are all needed to provide the continent with an advancement edge.
(China Daily 05/18/2007 page18)
