It is a pleasure to share the highlights of the USAID/West Africa Regional Mission's programs with you. During the past decade, USAID/West Africa has been a leading actor in protecting the region's unique biodiversity, improving the health of families and communities, promoting democracy, and increasing opportunities for economic growth in the country.

USAID/WA is working closely with the Governments of the region and other international donors to help ensure the success of the regional socioeconomic development efforts. The region is making significant progress in consolidating democracy, developing the economy along free-market lines, combating corruption and trafficking in persons, fighting HIV/AIDS, and protecting the environment. Donors agree that the West African region now has its best chance in a generation to institute political accountability, liberalize the economy and achieve poverty reduction targets. As a result of its demonstrated commitment to the principles of investing in people, ruling justly, and economic freedom, seven countries in the region have so far been selected as Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) eligible; two at Threshold level and five at Compact. Burkina Faso recently moved into the compact stage and Mauritania will begin its threshold program in the coming months. The success of the Niger Threshold program, and the new agreements with Burkina Faso and Mauritania, continue to show the importance of USAID in the West Africa region.

Thank you,

Henderson M. Patrick, USAID/West Africa Mission Director