Democracy and Governance: USAID/East Africa
The Development Challenge:The Development Challenge: The 16 countries of East Africa have, for the most part, extremely low, or even negative, annual rates of economic growth. They are among the poorest and least developed countries in the world. Weak national leadership and pervasive corruption are realities that have inhibited economic progress, while reinforcing an atmosphere of political instability throughout the region. Persistent food insecurity and periodic recurrence of food emergencies negatively affect millions of people in vulnerable groups. Insufficient and deteriorating transportation and communication infrastructures, as well as major policy and bureaucratic obstacles, constrain intra-regional trade. As a result, political stability and economic development throughout the region continue to be fragile. In addition, the presence of an estimated 30 million HIV/AIDS-infected people in Sub-Saharan Africa amplifies the inadequacies of already overburdened public health systems that are unable to cope with severe health problems such as malaria and other infectious diseases, and high rates of maternal and child mortality. For the foreseeable future, the HIV/AIDS pandemic will continue to have a major and devastating impact on development -- across sectors -- throughout this region of Africa.
Notwithstanding this discouraging setting, FY 2004 witnessed some positive accomplishments. Peace in Burundi, however tenuous, continues to hold. The Arusha Peace Accords continue to provide the framework for the country's transition out of civil war and the move towards elections. In Somalia, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's (IGAD) peace process has achieved a major breakthrough with the election by members of the transitional parliament of a new president and the selection of a prime minister. Formation of a cabinet is underway. In Sudan, the government and rebels from the south signed a comprehensive peace agreement in early 2005 to end years of civil war. In addition, elections in five countries were declared free and fair - Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, two countries - Madagascar and Mozambique - were selected as Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-eligible and four -- Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia -- were selected as eligible to apply for Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program funding. Under the Threshold Program, these countries are eligible to apply for funding to help them make key policy reforms in areas such as anti-corruption, rule of law, education and health, and economic and trade policy to qualify for MCA assistance.
USAID promotes U.S. national interests in ESA through innovative activities that seek to diminish the risk of economic disruption, political disintegration, impoverishment and conflict throughout the region. USAID programs promote economic growth by focusing on the expansion of regional economic cooperation and the opening of national markets to international and intra-regional trade; helping to strengthen public health systems to better address the impact of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases and reducing the tragically high mortality rate among women and children; and strengthening African capabilities to prevent, mitigate and respond to conflict in the region. USAID programs also support Presidential Initiatives and Agency priorities such as: the African Global Competitiveness Initiative (AGCI), the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IEHA), the Africa Education Initiative (AEI) and USAID initiatives on curbing corruption and building public-private alliances. USAID contributed to worldwide efforts to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS by developing an innovative, multi-sectoral approach to reducing the impact of the pandemic in the region. This approach directly supports the achievement of the goals and objectives articulated in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
(Excerpted from the 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for REDSO/ESA)
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