Features
Deal-making and debates at the 6th AGOA Forum in Ghana
A veritable who's who of trade experts, including more than a thousand government officials, civil society representatives, commercial agents, and private sector representatives from the U.S. and at least 34 African countries, converged on Accra, Ghana in July to discuss ways to expand Africa's exports and facilitate its regional and global commerce. The sixth annual AGOA Forum, a yearly conference on U.S.-African trade, drew dignitaries who announced new initiatives and made public commitments to the U.S. African Growth and Opportunities Act, which waives duties and quotas on thousands of African products. [more]
Laura Bush highlights USAID contribution to health and education in Senegal
First lady Laura Bush drew international media attention to key health and education activities supported by USAID at the onset of a five-day trip to Senegal, Mozambique, Zambia and Mali. Accompanied by Senegal's First Lady, Viviane Wade, and their daughters, Mrs. Bush on June 26 visited the Ambulatory Treatment Center, an outpatient facility for people living with HIV/AIDS at Fann Hospital in the capital, Dakar [more]. Click here for Mrs. Bush's speech on the Africa Education Initiative.
Not Your Average Cup of "Joe"
For the first time in Africa, a prestigious honor for the world's finest coffees - the Cup of Excellence - will be awarded in Rwanda. With support from USAID/Rwanda, the competition will improve the lives of farmers, spur economic growth and place Rwandan coffee on international map. This August Rwandan farmers will vie for the esteemed award. Winning coffees will be cupped (tasted) at least five separate times during the rigorous competition and judged by national and international juries. Only the country's ten best coffees will be selected on August 31, 2007, but the country will garner recognition for its burgeoning industry. [more]
Launching of the West Africa Cotton Improvement Program
USAID/WA officially launched the main component of the West Africa Cotton Improvement Program (WACIP), a $27 million initiative to improve the cotton sector in West Africa. The International Soil Fertility and Soil Management Center (IFDC) will implement the main component in the four major cotton producing countries Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. The WACIP Chief of Party and the USAID/WA Agriculture and Environment Team Leader just completed a visit to senior staff of US Embassies, Ministries of Agriculture and Commerce, and other stakeholders of the countries in February to introduce and launch the program. Overall, the WACIP received a warm welcome from the recipient countries. WACIP aims to raise the net farm income of the cotton farmers in the major cotton-producing countries by targeting nine critical intervention areas in the cotton value chain, ranging from institutional reforms and greater productivity to improved grading and processing capacity in the region. The program will work in concert with cotton improvement programs of other donor agencies. [more]
U.S. Government Strengthens Wildlife Areas' Ability to Monitor Resources
The Permanent Secretary of the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism in Tanzania, Ms. Blandina Nyoni officiated at a handing over ceremony July 9, 2007 highlighting the importance of engaging communities in the monitoring of natural resource use and conservation within Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). During the event, USAID's Team Leader for Economic Growth/Environment and Natural Resources, Ms. Juniper Neill, handed over computers, motorcycles, and a monitoring tool kit for use by District Game and Community Development officers to monitor WMAs. The event took place at Wildlife Division, Ivory Room, Nyerere Road in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. [more]
Liberia Powers Up
When Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took office a little over a year ago, electricity services in her country were virtually non-existent. After 14 years of civil war, the entire power grid was broken. Except for diesel generators owned by a handful of individuals, all power supplies were gone. The state power company, Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), was moribund - no infrastructure, no fuel source, no customers.
The president promised that she would launch an emergency power program in Monrovia, the capital city, to begin re-establishing electricity. "Small light today, big light tomorrow" became the government's slogan. [more]
Africa Education Initiative
April 24th, 2007 - Africa Education Initiative (AEI) Videos released. Primary school enrollments in African countries are among the lowest in the world. Education in most of Africa is adversely affected by limited funds and lack of adequate numbers of teachers, classrooms, and learning materials. President Bush's Africa Education Initiative (AEI) is a $600 million multi-year initiative that focuses on increasing access to quality basic education in Africa through scholarships, textbooks, and teacher training programs. [more on AEI]
VIDEO: [Watch "AEI: Increasing Access/Improving Quality"]
Still Going Strong After 10 Years
At the Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative's clinic located at the Kangemi Health Centre in Kenya, VIPs, community members, clinic staff and potential clinical trial volunteers gathered on May 18 for a special ceremony. This was the tenth anniversary of the worldwide HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, and also a sign of true progress. In July, the clinic is set to begin its first-ever HIV vaccine trial of a United States Government developed vaccine.
USAID's Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) staffers Margaret McCluskey and David Stanton were on-site at the clinic, which is supported in part through USAID's partnership with the International HIV/AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).
More Information; The Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, USAID Office of Global Health.
Fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa
In sub-Saharan Africa, where the world's AIDS epidemic has hit the hardest, 3.2 people became newly infected in 2005 and 2.4 million adults and children died of AIDS related illnesses. The region has just over 10 percent of the world's population, but more than 60 percent of all individuals infected with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa. There are now 24-28 million living with the virus in the region. The number of AIDS orphans is expected to rise from the current estimate of 11 million to 20 million by 2010. Fighting HIV/AIDS is major priority for USAID's programs in Africa.
Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, run by USAID and other U.S. Government agencies, HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment programs are expanding rapidly. The Emergency Plan supports anti-retroviral therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS, expanded access to counseling and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, community-based services for orphans and vulnerable children, and a comprehensive "ABC" approach-abstinence, being faithful, and correct and consistent condom use. [more]
Additional Resouces on USAID's Efforts to Fight HIV/AIDS in Africa
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