Madagascar
USAID's Strategy in Madagascar
The Government of Madagascar (GOM), led by President Marc Ravalomanana,
is engaged in an ambitious effort to address the country’s
immense development challenges. The GOM now requires public
disclosure of assets by state officials. With donor support,
it will have invested over $1 billion in roads and other transportation
infrastructure by 2006. Recognizing the importance of its unique
environment to the long-term health of the Malagasy economy
and the welfare of its people, the GOM has dramatically increased
planned protected areas from 1.7 million to 6 million hectares.
It is also committed to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and
strengthening health care at the community level. These steps
have resulted in the country being the first awarded funding
under President Bush’s Millennium Challenge Account. USAID’s
programs focus on governance, economic growth, environmental
protection, and health.
STRENGTHENING CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS
Installed in 2002, the Ravalomanana government maintains considerable
public support for its ambitious programs. However, there is
the risk that a weak and poorly equipped bureaucracy will be
unable to accomplish many of the planned reforms and results.
USAID is committed to helping ensure this does not happen. USAID's
democracy and governance program is working across sectors to
deepen and strengthen civil society, increase the flow of information
to citizens and local leaders, and strengthen the government's
ability to respond to citizens' demands. In addition, USAID
is implementing initiatives in the areas of anti-corruption,
women’s legal rights, education, and information and communications
technologies development in Madagascar. USAID support was instrumental
in enabling the GOM to develop its first national anti-corruption
strategy. USAID was also pivotal in establishment of a national
coalition of civil society organizations, and the creation of
Madagascar’s first women mayors’ association. By
April 2005, approximately 30,000 students from 170 lower-secondary
schools had been reached by the civic education program, and
60 civil society organizations and journalist associations had
been trained on civic education messages.
INCREASING RURAL INCOMES
Seventy percent of Madagascar’s population lives below
the poverty line. USAID seeks to accelerate economic growth
through business and market development. Specifically, it encourages
investment through strengthening links between producers, enterprises,
and external markets; increases access to finance and more productive
technology; and improves trade and investment policies. USAID
made considerable progress in promoting export market development
by sending two Malagasy textile and embroidery sector firms
to the Las Vegas Apparel Sourcing Association Pavilion show
in February 2004; $1 million in sales were reported from the
event. The Agency also facilitated the signature of a $40,000
production contract between a farmers' cooperative and the private
enterprise Biosave for the sale of ginger.
IMPROVING NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Madagascar is one of the three highest biodiversity conservation
priority countries in the world because of the large number
of species found there and nowhere else on Earth. USAID’s
program to conserve biologically diverse forest ecosystems is
designed to improve protected area management systems; maintain
the biological integrity of critical biodiversity habitats;
promote alternatives to the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture;
support development of eco-enterprises; and improve environmental
governance. In the two forest corridors where USAID is concentrating
its activities, the rate of forest loss is one-third to one-half
that of areas where USAID is not present. Approximately 20,000
farmers were using alternatives to slash-and-burn agricultural
practices, resulting in an average increase in income of 31
percent.
INCREASING ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE
Just under half of all children under five years of age are
malnourished and life expectancy is only 55 years. HIV prevalence
is relatively low for sub-Saharan Africa at 1.1 percent, but
could increase if prevention measures are not taken. USAID is
helping national and local HIV/AIDS organizations to encourage
changing risky behavior and therefore reduce the spread of the
virus. As a result, condom use is increasing among nonregular
partners. USAID is helping to strengthen training in medical
and nursing schools to improve the quality of health services.
The Agency is also expanding access to potable water with simple,
affordable treatment solutions, increasing access to clean water,
promoting hygiene and sanitation, and improving local water
management capacity.
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